What Is The Worst Town In Nebraska? (Lincoln: housing, rent)

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Otis

We're from PA and traveled through NE on our way back from visiting Yellowstone. At Pioneer Village I was real nice and polite to the lady who I was trying to buy a Nebraska t-shirt from. She was really rude to me and I could never understand why. Now I think I do. After we got home we talked about the places we would want to visit again, on Nebraska the best rating we could come up with was neutral, nothing positive. We figured we probably wouldn't visit again.

Reading this, I am reminded of my own posts about the rude waitstaff in Ogalalla (sp?). Also other posts about rudeness. I know it is wrong to judge an entire state, or even a city, by one person's actions, but. . . those of you in customer service jobs see how one rude person can color someone's whole experience. I think everyone who works with the public needs to be aware of how they come off to their customers. I think training is also a big issue; there needs to be more of it and good customer service needs to be an expectation not just of the customer, but also of the employer.

[Earniefan]

It's not always the service person's attitude. Sometimes it's the attitude or demeanor of the other person that sets the tone.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Earniefan

It's not always the service person's attitude. Sometimes it's the attitude or demeanor of the other person that sets the tone.

Not this again! Customer service is supposed to be polite. Period! The employee is not supposed to argue with the customer, act like the customer is doing them a big favor, etc. The employee is supposed to be polite regardless! I work in a job involving customer service myself, although we don't call it that in a dr's office. You have to be polite, period. No exceptions. Sure, we have rude patients. Anyone who deals with the public deals with rudeness. The service person is supposed to set the tone for nice.

[Earniefan]

B.S. You must have grown up in the south. I would much rather have people be honest about their feelings and not drip syrup all over me when they really can't stand me.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Earniefan

B.S. You must have grown up in the south. I would much rather have people be honest about their feelings and not drip syrup all over me when they really can't stand me.

I grew up in Pennsylvania. You don't have to like the customer; you just have to be nice so they'll come back. Maybe that's why places that cater to tourists don't care. Their customers are not likely to come back soon!

[trish42]

I lived on a farm around Litchfield & Mason City Nebraska until I was 14 when my parents "misplaced" me in southern California. I have been back many times since and have always been treated with great friendliness and respect. I have no attitude and they don't know that I am a native Nebraskan.

Originally Posted by kosnebbear

Well that is your outlook at rural Nebraska and I resepct your views as those belonging to you. I have lived in both rural and now close to Lincoln. I have traveled into many different states as a tourist and lived in places like Hawaii, California, east coast and Europe. I feel that most people do not look at the way individuals live in a more rural area like in western Nebraska, because they have never lived there. In rural Nebraska they cook meals much like they cook at their homes, the way their parents cooked them. Some are bad, but most of the time the meals are very good. The people there treat you the way you act toward them. If you go there acting like I am from a big city and I am better than you, because you are just a farm hic, then yes they will treat you not as good, because most likely you will never come back anyway. You see the people in rural Nebraska feel left out by the people of eastern Nebraska. Do you know that the people of western Nebraska had talked about forming their own state and making their captial North Platte. If you look the only things past Kearney that is considered a large State of Nebraska government agency is the local Department of Roads maintenance yards and Chadron State College. The people of western Nebraska have very little voice in the State Legisture as well. of the 43 or so State Senators in office nine of them come from the western 2/3's of the State. No wonder they don't put out the welcome mat to everyone from eastern Nebraska. When I do go back to the western Nebraska I am treated just fine, because I understand these people, because I have lived with them and they know that someday I will come back. I also find that most all people of Nebraska are very warm and helpful no matter from where they live if you give them the chance. So you can have your views about the western Cornhuskers as it is your right, but if you want to talk about arrogance and lack of standards go California, I will take Nebraska values and our Christian based standards instead. Just look at the difference in how we treat the visiting university sports teams that come to Nebraska and how they treat them in let's say Boulder, Colorado. We even treat the fans from Colorado with respect.

[Sandhills Guru]

I have to agree with most of the replies here. You get what you give.

I have lived in Columbus, Grand Island, Lincoln, Schuyler, David City, plus a couple of other smaller communities in my 50 plus years residing in Nebraska. I also have done business in many of the western towns of this state.

I can say I have most all I have come in contact with have been more than a breathe of fresh air to me. Have gone out of their way in being helpful in time of need such as sickness or injury. In time of looking for help for information or a broken down vehicle.

Ainsworth, Basset, Crofton, & Ogalala plus some other towns in those areas I have found some of the most friendly people around. Along with some other areas of the state also.

So as for the worst town, not sure I can think of any I have frequented.

I can also say the same for part of Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming and other western states.

[sunny1951]

Hi There, I am from Iowa but I lived in Kearney, Ne. from 1980-1992 and I dearly loved it there. We moved back to Iowa as my Dad had passed away and we didn't want my mom by herself. Little did I know, neither her or my father in law wanted us back here in Iowa. We have lived in cedar rapids, ia. now from 1992 to present and I just hate it here! When we moved to nebraska in 1980 my husband didn't know how to drive and we had 4 kids and expecting twins-he needed to drive! Nebraskans helped him achieve that and when i got cancer in 1987 it was nebraskans that helped me thru all of it. Whenever we were down and out in Nebraska there was always someone there to help us. We are now down and out in Iowa and there isn't an Iowan that would help us now or in the last 15 yrs. I love nebraska and the people that accepted me so easily and helped me when I needed it-from this transplanted nebraskan-ashamed to be born an iowan-now want to return to nebraska person.

[smalltownnebraskagirl]

Hastings, Kenesaw, Omaha, Oak, Nelson, Lincoln, Red Cloud, Blue Hill, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte, Clay Center, Superior, Edgar..and many more....

These communities are all the same...there are nice people, rude people, snotty people, you have your small town little clicks, yet, there are many others that aren't a part of those clicks. I believe that this is probably true anywhere you live. Just because you have had a bad experience with someone in a small town during the one time you visited, doesn't mean that it is a bad place.

Maybe the person you experienced the bad experience with was just having a BAD DAY!! OR maybe it was you..and your attitude. I agree that places of public service (ex. restuarants, gas stations, etc...) the employees should be polite and pleasant, but, no matter where you go, not just Nebraska you have people in these positions that are rude and don't care.

I have lived in Omaha, moving there from a small town, and I loved it and the people there were pleasant, I had no bad experiences. The only difference is I had to lock my vehicle when I went into somewhere and lock my door. I had to be outside with my child. Overall a very good experience.

I moved back to small town Nebraska livng, so I could let my child play outside without worrying, so when she gets older she can go to the park, go on bike rides with her friends and just hang out around town. When I was a kid in the same small town, we would walk around town and had to be home when the street lights came on. Your neighbors watch out for you and you know your neighbors. The whole town is willing to help out in an emergency or just when you are down on your luck!

The whole drug issue that was brought up in another post, there are drugs everywhere!!! You will have those issues no matter where you go. And the mention of the cops, you have good cops and bad cops everywhere else too.

I think that people who are going to post negative comments, need to realize there is bad everywhere!! And overall small town Nebraska is GREAT!!

[racechick73]

I agree- most small towns have friendly people. I grew up in a small town in WA State where everyone was friendly and helpful and trustworthy; now that it's become overrun with Californians, everyone is rude and you have to keep your doors locked.
As for Nebraska- I'm not even there yet and everyone I've talked to (except MattDen) has been extremely helpful and friendly. My husband has been there a week and says the same. He's a foreman for the railroad and was told by his boss in WA that Midwesterners work harder, and he's finding that to be true, too! He's happy with his crew, our new neighbors, and everyone he's met so far. You folks in Nebraska are what my hometown folks used to be like; I'm looking forward to moving there by the end of the month!