Getting out of the cesspool that is Missoula (Billings, Bozeman: buy, school)

[BBslider001]

Yup, we came here last month. It only took two weeks to realize the level of trash and liberal stink that permeates every corner of this town. It's funny to me that people think Southern Californians are rude and stand offish. I have lived and visited a LOT of different parts of the country, but this is about THE MOST unfriendly place I have ever lived. I guess the goal is to get people out. Well, it worked. When you can't even muster a wave passing someone on a rural dirt road, there is a HUGE disconnect. I worked at two jobs and my coworker tells me they would rather outsiders not even bother...LOL!!!! You got it buddy....point taken. The rancher I was working for cried every day about not being able to find good help anywhere in the Bitterroot Valley and Missoula. Hey, I have an epiphany....don't run out good help then!!!!! Jeezus,it ain't a big mystery.

If you like manbuns, lightbars, and being a dope head, than Missoula is for you.

Ya'll enjoy yourselves. Thanks to you all who made the visit a nice one....wait, that'd be no one.

[USMC1967]

Missoula is the San Francisco of the Rocky Mountains. The "environmentalist" have killed off the mining/timber industries, the modern Missoula is a weak imitation of its former self.

Unless you're a dope smoking, tree hugging, granola eating, Birkenstock wearing, Prius driving, man-bun wearing hippy, Missoula is not the place for you.

Missoula has become the laughing stock of Montana, as the saying goes.....you don't enter the real Montana until you're 30 miles outside of Missoula.

[mrwumpus]

OP, I'm a native from SoCal who moved to Kalispell a couple of years ago. I can't speak for Missoula, but my first impression was that people were rude here. It wasn't rude like in-your-face sense, but rather in the standoffish sense where I suspected they didn't want me here.

It took me a year to realize this is part of the Montana (Rockies?) "keep to yourself" state of mind where people operate on a different wavelength that simply doesn't exist in a crowded place like Southern California. I was totally ignorant of it and only saw through my lenses.

My guess is you might be mixing those impressions with your general distaste for liberal progressives who apparently run rampant in Missoula.

I can only say that it has taken me two years to finally feel myself transformed by the breathing room here and the nature and the pace and lack of crowds. In doing so, I appreciate the natives more and understand them better.

A friend from friendly Texas moved to Montana and told me while she misses the Texas friendliness, she's discovering Montana friendliness in unexpected places, even at levels she hadn't experienced in Texas.

[NDak15]

Funny, I thought the conservatives in that area were just as bad as the liberals. The takeaway? Extremism is bad on both sides which is why Missoula is not a good place to live.

[Pretzelogik]

Ops normal for liberal enclaves around the country.

[BBslider001]

Originally Posted by mrwumpus

OP, I'm a native from SoCal who moved to Kalispell a couple of years ago. I can't speak for Missoula, but my first impression was that people were rude here. It wasn't rude like in-your-face sense, but rather in the standoffish sense where I suspected they didn't want me here.

It took me a year to realize this is part of the Montana (Rockies?) "keep to yourself" state of mind where people operate on a different wavelength that simply doesn't exist in a crowded place like Southern California. I was totally ignorant of it and only saw through my lenses.

My guess is you might be mixing those impressions with your general distaste for liberal progressives who apparently run rampant in Missoula.

I can only say that it has taken me two years to finally feel myself transformed by the breathing room here and the nature and the pace and lack of crowds. In doing so, I appreciate the natives more and understand them better.

A friend from friendly Texas moved to Montana and told me while she misses the Texas friendliness, she's discovering Montana friendliness in unexpected places, even at levels she hadn't experienced in Texas.

I'll have to disagree with you on a few fronts here. I have lived many other places other than Southern California. My wife is a Texas native and my horse career has put me in that state a few times. I am not mixing anything with anything. Unfriendliness is just that no matter how you cut it. I grew up learning from my ranching family on how to treat others and to let your yes be yes and your no be no. It seems to be that maybe you have let this idea of a "different wavelength" permeate your worldview and I call bull**** on it. Being on a "different wavelength" means you can't wave or acknowledge a person when they get the door for you or say hello? Does this wavelength find itself above others or too good for human decency? And friendlier than Texas?! Surely you kid yourself. Texans, albeit maybe more simple, are true salt of the earth people who know how to look you in the eye, call spade a spade, and offer a hand when needed. There is a lot to be said for looking someone in the eye when you meet them. So, forgive me if I sound like a dick when I don't buy your ethereal of self-enlightened reasons as to why people in the town are disconnected and about as unfriendly as I have ever seen. It's called manners either way you draw it, and these people are sorely lacking. Say what you mena, and mean what you say. This is what is missing with the "different wavelengths" as I see it. Missoulans aren't special or aliens or enlightened or smarter. They are just unfriendly, period.

Originally Posted by USMC1967

Missoula is the San Francisco of the Rocky Mountains. The "environmentalist" have killed off the mining/timber industries, the modern Missoula is a weak imitation of its former self.

Unless you're a dope smoking, tree hugging, granola eating, Birkenstock wearing, Prius driving, man-bun wearing hippy, Missoula is not the place for you.

Missoula has become the laughing stock of Montana, as the saying goes.....you don't enter the real Montana until you're 30 miles outside of Missoula.

I agree 200%...and even at 30 miles, not so much. We were in Hamilton. The cancer has spread that far. When we drove through Billings, it occurred to me what a lot of Missoula's problem is. NO INDUSTRY. How people expect a town to survive in service and medical services is lost on me. Pasty white and uncalloused hands make for a bad America.

Originally Posted by Pretzelogik

Ops normal for liberal enclaves around the country.

Yup and yup

[Wyoprairie]

Used to go thru Missoula regular. Sorry to hear about the further demise. Downtown was
already getting crunchy 15 years ago. Now I seem to always be going north to GF, and
never get west of the Front.

I am concerned about the Cracker Barrel. The one with the rocking chairs up at Reserve &
90. Is it still safe? I hope it hasn't gone all vegan menu and gluten-free. The barrelracer
and I liked to stop there when in the mood for something seriously upscale. (She has finer
dining taste than me) Ravalli had started sliding when the Hollywood's began moving in.

[ericsvibe]

Both Missoula and Bozeman have been ruined by the Universities there. The people who work at those Universities are some of the most liberal you will ever meet. I have been to both towns school shopping for the kids, many, many times. Just walking through the mall, you can see the types of people who live there.


While in Missoula, I got tired of walking in the mall and decided to take our truck to get an alignment to kill time. A brand new GMC 1500 4x4 pulls up, lift kit, 20 inch chrome wheels with off-road tires, front push bumper, not a speck of dirt on the thing. This slender man in his 30's jumps out, wearing dress shoes, tight jeans, a dress shirt, beard, man bun, with a man purse on his shoulder. I laughed so hard that the service rep walked over, tapped me on the shoulder, and told me that the guy comes in every couple of months complaining of vibrations in his steering wheel. They tried to explain to him that driving that truck, he is going to feel vibrations, but he has them check the alignment, balance the tires anyway. The service rep explained that he guy was a professor at UM. Hopefully one day he will sell that truck to someone who will use it for it's intended purpose.

[mrwumpus]

Originally Posted by BBslider001

I'll have to disagree with you on a few fronts here. I have lived many other places other than Southern California. My wife is a Texas native and my horse career has put me in that state a few times. I am not mixing anything with anything. Unfriendliness is just that no matter how you cut it. I grew up learning from my ranching family on how to treat others and to let your yes be yes and your no be no. It seems to be that maybe you have let this idea of a "different wavelength" permeate your worldview and I call bull**** on it. Being on a "different wavelength" means you can't wave or acknowledge a person when they get the door for you or say hello? Does this wavelength find itself above others or too good for human decency? And friendlier than Texas?! Surely you kid yourself. Texans, albeit maybe more simple, are true salt of the earth people who know how to look you in the eye, call spade a spade, and offer a hand when needed. There is a lot to be said for looking someone in the eye when you meet them. So, forgive me if I sound like a dick when I don't buy your ethereal of self-enlightened reasons as to why people in the town are disconnected and about as unfriendly as I have ever seen. It's called manners either way you draw it, and these people are sorely lacking. Say what you mena, and mean what you say. This is what is missing with the "different wavelengths" as I see it. Missoulans aren't special or aliens or enlightened or smarter. They are just unfriendly, period.

So you spent less than a month in a city of 72k and have declared the entire city unfriendly? I'm calling bull****.

You don't have a purple mohawk or anything do you?

[Wyoprairie]

Originally Posted by ericsvibe

Both Missoula and Bozeman have been ruined by the Universities there. The people who work at those Universities are some of the most liberal you will ever meet. I have been to both towns school shopping for the kids, many, many times. Just walking through the mall, you can see the types of people who live there.


While in Missoula, I got tired of walking in the mall and decided to take our truck to get an alignment to kill time. A brand new GMC 1500 4x4 pulls up, lift kit, 20 inch chrome wheels with off-road tires, front push bumper, not a speck of dirt on the thing. This slender man in his 30's jumps out, wearing dress shoes, tight jeans, a dress shirt, beard, man bun, with a man purse on his shoulder. I laughed so hard that the service rep walked over, tapped me on the shoulder, and told me that the guy comes in every couple of months complaining of vibrations in his steering wheel. They tried to explain to him that driving that truck, he is going to feel vibrations, but he has them check the alignment, balance the tires anyway. The service rep explained that he guy was a professor at UM. Hopefully one day he will sell that truck to someone who will use it for it's intended purpose.

I've got a product for the UM guy. It's Spray On Dirt. Developed for the poodle ranchers over in the
Jackson Hole. The professor is dealing with a similar scenario. In Jackson, they've grown just the
right 'stache, bought the appropriate "Festus" style cowboy hat-even got it a little dirty, the boots
and wranglers, and the 70k fancy truck. Problem is when they go into town for lunch at the Cadillac
Grille, well the truck is giving the whole deal away.

Here is where Spray On Dirt comes in. You need that just came in from the back forty checking the
cows look, when the only place the truck has been is the mall over in Idaho Falls. Well Spray On Dirt
to the rescue-spray some on before you go into town, toss a bale in the back, and you're all set. It
is eco-friendly, environmentally clean dirt, suitably overpriced of course, and rinses right off at home.