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Northeastern Pennsylvania Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pocono area
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Old 11-13-2008, 08:02 AM
 
2,473 posts, read 5,428,929 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greentown View Post
Sorry, but I am one of those people that breathes a sigh of relief when Labor Day comes and the "weekenders" leave. No more crowds, no more traffic, no more fireworks every night of the week to keep us awake, no more tresspassers and vandals on our property to watch out for.

If the people were all "nice", I would be fine with it. The problem is, many of them are just here to party and and let their kids run wild and do as they please, with no regard for others.
We feel kinda the same way down here come April or so when our snowbirds fly back up north!!

It's not that we mind them personally, & I know they're good for our economy, but the majority of them (at least that we've had the "pleasure" of encountering in our area) are just downright rude, obnoxious & "snooty"...

I know it's bad to "lump" all snowbirds together, 'cause we've met some really nice decent folks as well, but the congestion & long lines & heightened "tension" gets old after a while....

Come May, we "full-timers" say "we got our home back"....then we start the 5 month hurricane watch...
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Old 11-13-2008, 09:09 AM
 
276 posts, read 675,874 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHighHat View Post
I have noticed lately there is a lot of reference to "The Weekenders" some comments are nice some aren't. Why do people have to come up with a term that separates everyone. Back in the 1970's I was a weekender and never heard that term before. I wass interested in how it evolved and is it really nice to label people. It really should not make a difference.
I'm definitely not supporting the term, or any stereotypes and resentment that may go along with it, but I can see why there would be some. It's hard to give up so much of your comfort to those who have less investment in your neighborhood and community. Sure there are the economic benefits that go along with it, but that also leads to many finding they have to tolerate certain behaviors that are not exactly friendly, or courteous.

Since I've moved to the Poconos, I've made sure to embrace the community I live in, and its neighbors. I welcome the fresh attitude, and I love leaving behind the city life. I don't want to see what I love about the Poconos be threatened by folks who refuse to do the same, and ironically destroy the very atmosphere they are flocking to in the first place.

Just my two cents.
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Old 11-13-2008, 10:44 AM
 
2,834 posts, read 10,730,357 times
Reputation: 1699
Just a thought.....seems many dislike the 'weekenders' or 'out of towners' for what ever reason...parties, wild kids, fireworks...being rude...their driving....the list goes on.
You have your view of them. They are different than you and you don't like them.

Just remember...wherever you decided to go on vacation...where ever that may be..Florida, Lancaster....35 miles out of town.....well the locals view you that same way and have every right to look down on you like you have done to others.
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Old 11-13-2008, 10:49 AM
 
Location: East Northport
3,351 posts, read 9,723,414 times
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In our community, I have noticed some internal political differences between the fulltimers and the weekenders. It's really economic. It seems that the weekenders are more likely to support expanded ammenities, even if it means paying more in community dues. The full timers, many of whom are retirees, seem more concerned about keeping costs down.
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Old 11-13-2008, 11:14 AM
 
2,473 posts, read 5,428,929 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I LOVE PA! View Post
Just remember...wherever you decided to go on vacation...where ever that may be..Florida, Lancaster....35 miles out of town.....well the locals view you that same way and have every right to look down on you like you have done to others.
You are right ILP, except for 1 thing...

My problem is that I expect people to act like we do. When we visit somewhere, we are courteous (sometimes to the point of being sickening), we respect the people who live there, their property & businesses, & basically act like we're thankful for them "allowing" us to see the place they live. (which we are!!)

Our area down here is loaded with money. The "old moneyed" folks are (for the most part) very down to earth, friendly & courteous. It seems that the "new moneyed" people are the ones who go around acting like they're kings & queens whose *&%$ don't stink & running roughshod while they're here.

It's this attitude which causes the locals to get THEIR attitude!!

I treat everyone I meet with friendliness, respect & dignity, but after a few doses of this rudeness, even I start feeling resentment!!

One of the most used phrases we hear is..."well we've got (fill in blank) back in ( fill in state)" & "(fill in blank) is SO much better where we come from". Sometimes I feel like just saying "well if it's SO much better in (fill in state), then why don't you just go back"!!!

I don't like feeling this way, but after a while it does really gets to you!!
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Old 11-13-2008, 11:32 AM
 
Location: Pike County, PA
1,162 posts, read 2,993,612 times
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This is not unique to the Poconos. My brother lives in the Seattle/Tacoma area of Washington state, and people out there have the same disdain for folks flocking in from California.

I think it's all tied into some not-dead ancient instinct people have over territories!
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Old 11-13-2008, 02:02 PM
 
Location: Collegeville PA & Towamensing Trails
513 posts, read 1,074,590 times
Reputation: 279
My high school social studies teacher covered this in 10th grade, and I still hear his quote very often when I ponder the "why" behind some sort of conflict.

Carl Schnellenbach, 1978, Ridley High School: "Man is instinctively egocentric, then ethnocentric. For those of you who won't bother to look up the terms, it means 'Me first, us next, you last',".

It is a survival instinct from the beginning of the species. The less something is like me, the more careful I must be with it, due to the possibility of danger in the unknown. If I identify with a group, and distinguish differences in others from those in my group, I am afforded the protection of my group, against the real or imagined dangers of the other group.

I was in the USAF in 1981-85, and the nice people in Colorado Springs. CO all had bumperstickers that said "Native". I thought it was a slam against the military, as the military, active, discharged and or retired made up at least 60% of the population back then. I was however informed quie a few times that the stickers were to distinguish between native Coloradans and immigrant Texans and Mexicans. Looking back with a 45 year old's perspective instead of that of a 19 year old, I suspect it was Natives decrying EVERYONE who had moved there, and changed things at the very least in terms of the population numbers and the developement of vacant lands.

The simple truth is, almost anything good or bad you can say about the Natives, Weekenders, Flatlanders, Townies, Jocks, Burnouts, etc can safely be said about a sampling from any of those groups, and is only noticeable and called out because...Man in instinctively egocentric, then ethnocentric.

BTW, I'm a weekender in Albrightsville, and a native of the Philadelphia area, and I do see the brusqueness and classism of some folks who have north JErsey/New York accents. Soem, but certainly not all, but the accent makes them quickly discernable as "different", and the negative perception they create gets applied to all of them. Is it accurate? No. Can you change people's perceptions? Sure one person at a time, by acting like the person your dog thinks you are...
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Old 11-13-2008, 03:44 PM
 
3,756 posts, read 9,510,689 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TomMoser View Post
In our community, I have noticed some internal political differences between the fulltimers and the weekenders. It's really economic. It seems that the weekenders are more likely to support expanded ammenities, even if it means paying more in community dues. The full timers, many of whom are retirees, seem more concerned about keeping costs down.
Tom, that was a good point - there are different political differences. I have noticed the expanded ammenities. I will give you an example this summer some people were asking for signatures to allow ATV's. When my husband asked if they were F/T or P/T - they were P/T. There are some issues with what the full timers have to live with as far as noise. I do not see the retirees into keeping the costs down. Actually I see quite the opposite - they support activiites and events. In fact most of the retirees are the one's volunteering. The biggest complaint I hear and see is that the younger people attend the events but do not get involved.
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Old 11-13-2008, 03:49 PM
 
3,756 posts, read 9,510,689 times
Reputation: 1088
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jungle George View Post
You are right ILP, except for 1 thing...

My problem is that I expect people to act like we do. When we visit somewhere, we are courteous (sometimes to the point of being sickening), we respect the people who live there, their property & businesses, & basically act like we're thankful for them "allowing" us to see the place they live. (which we are!!)

Our area down here is loaded with money. The "old moneyed" folks are (for the most part) very down to earth, friendly & courteous. It seems that the "new moneyed" people are the ones who go around acting like they're kings & queens whose *&%$ don't stink & running roughshod while they're here.

It's this attitude which causes the locals to get THEIR attitude!!

I treat everyone I meet with friendliness, respect & dignity, but after a few doses of this rudeness, even I start feeling resentment!!

One of the most used phrases we hear is..."well we've got (fill in blank) back in ( fill in state)" & "(fill in blank) is SO much better where we come from". Sometimes I feel like just saying "well if it's SO much better in (fill in state), then why don't you just go back"!!!

I don't like feeling this way, but after a while it does really gets to you!!
Hello there Jungle George,

I do not think the way you act and treat people has anything to do with being a "weekender" or a "full-timer". I think people take their attitudes anywhere they go. I actually have many friends that are weekenders and I wish they were full-timers. I think just in general the summer months you have more people so it would probably seem louder.

So, the question is am I local? I do not know. I actually found some of the locals to be very clickish and would always talk about how they have been here all their life/ own this and that, etc. But, I have to say it is an intersting topic.
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Old 11-13-2008, 03:50 PM
 
3,756 posts, read 9,510,689 times
Reputation: 1088
Quote:
Originally Posted by I LOVE PA! View Post
Just a thought.....seems many dislike the 'weekenders' or 'out of towners' for what ever reason...parties, wild kids, fireworks...being rude...their driving....the list goes on.
You have your view of them. They are different than you and you don't like them.

Just remember...wherever you decided to go on vacation...where ever that may be..Florida, Lancaster....35 miles out of town.....well the locals view you that same way and have every right to look down on you like you have done to others.

PA, good point.
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