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Old 04-10-2017, 11:18 PM
 
Location: Pennsylvania
31,341 posts, read 14,148,028 times
Reputation: 27858

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Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageSunlight View Post
NJ is one of the worst states in America. I agree with almost all of the OP points, and with what happened to me the other day here, I am 100% certain that I am leaving this state this year, and taking 2 productive taxpayers with me.

I was driving to work around sunrise, and every day I pass a beautiful farm with sheep. This particular day, I had some time to kill and the sheep were out and I saw that there were a bunch of lambs just born, so I pulled way off the road to watch them play. I was on a rural backroad, 6:30 am with no cars around and it was completely quiet and peaceful and I was just watching and photographing the sheep. The farmer saw me, I waved, she waved back, and she went back inside.

A state trooper comes flying up to me with his siren blaring. Scares the sheep away. Completely unnecessary and gets out of his car very quickly, as if I'm going to run away. He has a shaved head, a pissed off look like I did something, and tattoos all over his arms like he's G.I. Joe Badass. The conversation went like this:

Me: Good morning, sir.
NJSP: What are you doing?
Me: Watching sheep.
NJSP: You need to move along. Lets go. Get back in the car.
Me: Why, sir? I'm just taking a break from driving.
NJSP: Because I said so. Unless you want a ticket for disregarding a law enforcement officer.
Me: A ticket for what? Watching sheep?
NJSP: Obstructing traffic. And don't run your mouth. Show me your license and insurance, I'm going to run your plates.
Me: Ok sir, I'm leaving.
NJSP: Stay right there and don't leave until I tell you its ok to leave.
Me: For what, sir? Are you detaining me? I'm only asking what law I broke.
NJSP: You're obstructing traffic and now your acting suspicious (mind you, his car was in the actual road, my car was parked on dirt about 3 feet off the road). We've had some issues around here lately...

So I give him my info, by now another cop pulls up, the farmer is outside, the sheep are gone, and I'm late for work. Everything checks out because I'm not a law breaker. 1/2 hour later: "You're free to go. Next time don't resist and just comply and there will be no problem."

Needless to say, I was livid. It ruined my day. And it taught me two things about why NJ isn't a livable place for me or anyone else who wants to feel free and independent. #1- people here are so disconnected from nature and just literally can't even understand that there are people who just want to stop and smell the roses, or look at sheep in a field. If you're not being productive (which means driving aggressively, acting hurried in all aspects of life, meeting and exceeding your sales goals, and generally being a stressed out douche) NJ doesn't want you and will probably see you as a threat.

#2: There are too many cops here. I pay the Troopers salaries, I pay for local cops salaries, and I pay for all of the cops on retirement living in Florida. So I pay for 3 police forces. I've never been helped by the cops, but I have received bogus tickets and been harassed. Drive down I-80 in the morning and there's a cop every 1/2 mile. The cops in NJ are tax collectors with guns. Yet, the sad part is, no state has more aggressive drivers than NJ, so it isn't even working whatever they are doing (which is mostly harassing out-of-staters driving in from PA to go to work). And I've been to around 40 states total and lived in 4 other states. No other place is like this one.

One last thing. It is illegal to photograph in a NJ state park without a permit. You heard that right. You literally cannot have a hired photographer take pictures of your family barbeque or wedding party, etc in a NJ state park without notifying the NJ Park Police and purchasing a permit to do so. That permit is $325: http://www.nj.gov/dep/njstateparkpol...20Statutes.pdf.

If you take video, its another $425. How do I know this? I tried to shoot an iMovie in a park with some friends and was told it would be minimum $425 to do so and our cooler and belongings were checked without permission by the NJ park police (we had no alcohol but heck we must be drunk to be trying to shoot a movie. So weird and unproductive). Even in nature in NJ, you can't be free. So, if this isn't too far gone, I don't know what is.
A hole cops doing what A hole cops do best.....harassing people.
What a joke.

 
Old 04-10-2017, 11:25 PM
 
12,883 posts, read 13,919,365 times
Reputation: 18449
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cubicle Dweller View Post
The cancelled ARC project did not include improvements to Penn, so no incentive for NY to contribute. The new Gateway project includes improvements to Penn so NY now has an incentive, but it's entirely possible NJ will be paying just as much for the new project, but in the meantime the region is at risk with the current tunnels on borrowed time. That's the crux of the very serious issue.

As for the 'sure as hell' comment, not sure if you paid attention to my RESPECTFUL disagreement comment, but a few years ago I would not have imagined living in NV, much less enjoying it. Although in all fairness I'm sure I'd be miserable in a place like Mississippi. And yes, the stereotypes are unfortunate- I cringed when I saw a question here last from someone the Deep South with the perception that NJ is dangerous since it way safer than states in the Deep South (and NV for that matter - I like it here, but I'm not blind to the problems). Going to college in Vermont I heard all of the bad Jersey "jokes". No, I never saw syringes at the shore, I don't live off an exit off the Turnpike or GSP, no, I'm not a Bon Jovi or Springsteen fan. Yes, there actually are pretty parts of the state -it's not all Turnpike refineries. Fortunately that was before the Jersey Shore show and Real Housewives of NJ.
No, but the tunnels and tracks would run through NY and NY would benefit from their existence and use. I think the Penn Station project is a much better one, anyway. The old Penn Station, before the current one, used to be as beautiful as Grand Central, maybe even more so. Then for whatever crazy reason, it was knocked down and this current one was built. I would love an attractive train station again, and one that doesn't feel like a maze, and of course room for more trains.

Sorry, but I would not enjoy living in NV. I know I wouldn't. When I'm say I glad you do, I mean it, because I think people should be happy where they live. But I know it's not for me. I would be willing to visit many times but not live. I have no issues with any place and am smart enough to know there are positives and negatives to ALL places and to not believe stereotypes, but I know who I am, what I need, and where I am happy. At the least I need to be close to an ocean. By close, I mean at least day trip driving distance. The desert is pretty in its own way but it's not for me. Other than the presence of sand, it's quite the opposite of what I love.

There are other states where I could see myself living, for sure.
 
Old 04-10-2017, 11:29 PM
 
Location: Cbus
1,719 posts, read 2,088,123 times
Reputation: 2148
Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseyGirl415 View Post
More classic claims - "People in NJ are so angry" "Everyone is picking a fight" "People don't smile and say hello"

Who do you guys hang out with?? Where do you go?? I don't hang out with angry, miserable people. I also don't notice them around every corner and in every store, working as clerks. Either you (those with these types of complaints) are the problems, you have really s*itty friends/go to really horrible areas, or both.

Clerks smile and say hi to me. They even make minimal conversation: "That mascara is really popular, a lot of people have been buying it", "Oh, this is so good, I loved it when I first tried it", etc.

Now, green all year, I would take that - however, there's something so beautiful about a fresh snow when everything is white. I would also really miss the falls, though.
Have you ever lived anywhere besides New Jersey? That's not a dig, I'm just genuinely curious.

I'm a New Jersey native who has lived in Essex, Somerset and Middlesex County before moving to the Midwest. I 100% agree with the other poster's assessment.

There are actually quite a few other NJ transplants here and we all have the same reaction when we meet that goes like this, "What is wrong with people out here? Everyone is so polite and nice".

Of course there are nice people and a-holes everywhere but in general I find people in New Jersey to be much more aggressive and type A.
 
Old 04-10-2017, 11:39 PM
 
12,883 posts, read 13,919,365 times
Reputation: 18449
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckeye614 View Post
Have you ever lived anywhere besides New Jersey? That's not a dig, I'm just genuinely curious.

I'm a New Jersey native who has lived in Essex, Somerset and Middlesex County before moving to the Midwest. I 100% agree with the other poster's assessment.

There are actually quite a few other NJ transplants here and we all have the same reaction when we meet that goes like this, "What is wrong with people out here? Everyone is so polite and nice".

Of course there are nice people and a-holes everywhere but in general I find people in New Jersey to be much more aggressive and type A.
Yes, I have lived elsewhere. I've also visited about half the states and a few other countries, so I've seen my fair share of people. Those elsewhere aren't anything special and aren't much different than us.

People tend to exaggerate differences on the internet. I have found that people all over are more similar than they are different. It's not as if you cross into NJ and instantly people are so different and rude and "aggressive" and "type A." Ridiculous, quite honestly.

Yet again, I question who those who move elsewhere and claim people there are sooo much better. Some of you guys must have known/do know some pretty s*itty people. And for that, I feel sorry for you. It's all about who you surround yourself with. I don't surround myself with people who are like you describe.

These threads never fail to turn into this type of nonsense. You're only perpetuating stereotypes with this BS.
 
Old 04-11-2017, 12:13 AM
 
9,006 posts, read 13,789,774 times
Reputation: 9646
Quote:
Originally Posted by hackwriter View Post
I spent most of my life in NJ until 2015, when I moved to the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. New Jersey has gotten progressively angrier over the years. Everyone seems pissed off all the time. I would visit my sister here in NC and say "Your friends are all so HAPPY. Can they possibly really be that happy?" Well yeah, they are. Yes, outside the Triangle it's full of angry Trumpazoids, but here people are content and friendly. And when I go back to NJ, I know why.

Here in NC, there's something green all year. Maybe you have shrubs that stay green. Or you have pine trees. Yes, we have 1-2 ice storms a year and then you don't go out for three days till it melts. When I fly into EWR, everything is gray. All the roads are surrounded by gray, gray, and more gray. When I fly into RDU, the surrounding area is green. (It's also a much nicer airport.) To the extent that we have a-hole drivers here, they are transplants from NJ. And I know who the NJ transplants are every time I go out on the road.

Store cashiers smile and say hello. No one has a chip on his/her shoulder just daring you to knock it off. I tell people here that NJ is the "You want a piece-a-me?" state, the state where everyone is picking a fight. NJ didn't elect a jerk like Chris Christie and give him great approval ratings for far too long for nothing.

Now granted, I lived north of I-78, where the shoulder chip is huge. It may not be as bad in South Jersey.




It isn't,so you can stop generalizing NJ as a whole.

Plenty of green in Burlington County.

NC sucks btw.
 
Old 04-11-2017, 12:15 AM
 
Location: Cbus
1,719 posts, read 2,088,123 times
Reputation: 2148
Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseyGirl415 View Post
Yes, I have lived elsewhere. I've also visited about half the states and a few other countries, so I've seen my fair share of people. Those elsewhere aren't anything special and aren't much different than us.

People tend to exaggerate differences on the internet. I have found that people all over are more similar than they are different. It's not as if you cross into NJ and instantly people are so different and rude and "aggressive" and "type A." Ridiculous, quite honestly.

Yet again, I question who those who move elsewhere and claim people there are sooo much better. Some of you guys must have known/do know some pretty s*itty people. And for that, I feel sorry for you. It's all about who you surround yourself with. I don't surround myself with people who are like you describe.

These threads never fail to turn into this type of nonsense. You're only perpetuating stereotypes with this BS.
I think there are significant or at least noticeable cultural differences between where I grew up in New Jersey and where I live now in Ohio.

I would never claim people in any state are superior to those in another state but it's completely valid for me to note differences based on my personal experiences, especially since I lived in New Jersey for over eighteen years.

For example, New Jersey overall is also much more culturally diverse than where I live now.

This thread is decidedly negative so I understand how that is frustrating. I'm not bashing NJ nor have I ever on this forum. However, I'm not going to pretend like it's a utopia either.
 
Old 04-11-2017, 12:26 AM
 
12,883 posts, read 13,919,365 times
Reputation: 18449
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckeye614 View Post
I think there are significant or at least noticeable cultural differences between where I grew up in New Jersey and where I live now in Ohio.

I would never claim people in any state are superior to those in another state but it's completely valid for me to note differences based on my personal experiences, especially since I lived in New Jersey for over eighteen years.

For example, New Jersey overall is also much more culturally diverse than where I live now.

This thread is decidedly negative so I understand how that is frustrating. I'm not bashing NJ nor have I ever on this forum. However, I'm not going to pretend like it's a utopia either.
I never do, either. There are many things the regular posters here know I take issue with. But it's sure as hell not as bad as so many love to make it seem. That is what bothers me. So many people in general are just uneducated and don't use their heads, not even just about our state but about others. But I have had people in other forums here ask me if NJ even has anything going for it. Like... what? Who asks that? Who would think that a state would have absolutely nothing good about it or in it? I have been bashed for where I live all over city-data. It's ridiculous how some people think. I like to try to combat it and teach people that stereotypes are just that, that there is good and bad everywhere, and to use their damn heads every once in a while.
 
Old 04-11-2017, 01:32 AM
 
Location: Southwest
2,597 posts, read 2,295,759 times
Reputation: 1973
Default Differentiate northern from southern parts?

Is it a good idea to differentiate S. Jersey from N. Jersey? I have the impression its different in the south. I never lived in the state, though.
 
Old 04-11-2017, 08:46 AM
 
Location: Upstate NY/NJ
3,058 posts, read 3,804,937 times
Reputation: 4367
Its funny how the same people arguing that people in NJ are kind and not a-holes, are the same people who have a nasty tone and demeanor on here. The irony is unbelievable. "NJ people are not a-holes, you a-hole"...

Its 100% clear to me that its not my imagination that people in other states are less rude, less aggressive, and more polite. If you disagree with this, then I'm sure that you have not lived elsewhere, or you lived in a place like Chicago or LA. I have lived in 4 other states (5 states total) and visited 40 states, in fact I spent 6 months in NC and I'm not even counting that. People are 100% nicer, more genuine, more laid-back, more happy, more open...I can go on. I've never met anyone who has regretted their move out of NJ and 100% of the people I know are happier for making the move.

Our cities are festering cesspools of villainy and filth. There is not ONE city in NJ that I'd want to call home or be proud of. Newark's air is filled with the scent of jet fuel and urine. Legacy pollution is a huge problem in Newark too, with lagoons filled with industrial waste all surrounding the city. Agent Orange was manufactured in Newark and dumped into the Passaic. The Passaic is a Superfund site and you are not even allowed to eat 1 fish or oyster per year out of that river or any of the surrounding rivers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berrys_Creek#Pollution

Stew of contaminants found in Hackensack riverbed tests


Exxon spilled millions of gallons of chemicals in Bayonne, Linden, Elizabeth, and Newark. Today, many of these dredge fill areas still look and smell like petroleum waste dumps. Over 600 chemicals were found. Governor Chubbs settled a $9 billion cleanup for $255 million, a 98% reduction, all for a $500k contribution to the Republican governors fund. If you own a house in northeast NJ, chances are very good that it is sitting on top of a chemical waste dump. NJ even acknowledges this- they have extensive "historical fill" maps online. "Historic fill" is a nice word for industrial chemical waste.

Our NJ State Aquarium is located in the most dangerous city in the US, Camden. You think parents like the idea of sending their daughter on a class field trip with inept teachers watching their kids in the most dangerous city in the US?

Our toll bridges and highways can eat very significantly into your salary. $15 for a bridge, plus another $5 each way on the Turnpike or GSP can add up to a significant dent in a middle class salary. At $25 a day for tolls and bridges, that's $6000 a year. Where if you live in Dallas or Charlotte or Atlanta, that would be free. +$6000/yr toward your salary.

Property taxes are 4x what they are in other areas. In many southern and western states, property taxes on an average house is $2k or less. In NJ, the average is $8,549 and usually higher in North and Central NJ. +$6000/yr toward your salary.

The average house costs $275,000 in NJ. The average house in NC is $153,000. That equates to about a $1k difference per month in home cost. +$12,000 toward your salary.

So, just adding up these three things (since cell phone, cable, utilities, vehicle costs, etc are all in the same ballpark, give or take), you can make $24k less in an area like NC and still live the same lifestyle as NJ, and I'd add in a newer house in a less crowded, more stress-free area not sitting on a toxic waste pile. People have figured this out and thats why NJ has the highest outmigration of any state in the US. Even Governor Christie is begging heroin addicts to stay and eliminating jail time because they are major tax payers in this state and being locked up isn't going to help the tax base. Think about it.
 
Old 04-11-2017, 12:27 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
1,843 posts, read 3,049,733 times
Reputation: 2747
I guess you have only lived in one part of NJ. I plan on moving out of here soon because it is too expensive and the taxes ARE ridiculous, but...you are wrong wrong wrong about the nature part. Take a road trip some day (assuming you can drive?) and visit northwest NJ, like Hunterdon, Warren & Sussex Counties...or travel south...ever been to the Pine Barrens? I guess people still think Jersey is all city. View the recent thread in which people list hiking trails with views of lakes. You won't be disappointed.


I WILL say that there is a big difference between Warren County and Somerset County. I moved from Warren County a few years ago to a small town near Bridgewater to be closer to work. While I will never go back to my old commute, I miss Warren County. Bridgewater area is crowded and people are downright rude. The drivers are insane, aggressive and inconsiderate. It's not like that up on NW NJ. Such a big difference for such a small state.


Later, Jersey! Why people are leaving the Garden State in droves

Last edited by jrsydevil82; 04-11-2017 at 12:35 PM..
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