[Suzet2262]

I swear Oct can't get here fast enough for me!! I am growing so tired of being here in So Cal. The news just depresses me. A few days ago, some father of a little girl stopped to help someone on the freeway and was shot dead. We now have a rapist on the loose in my town, he has attacked like 7 girls so far. Last night, my daughter and I took our dog for a walk, and low and behold a drunk passed out mexican was on the grass in the middle of the veterans park we have here. It is just disgusting. Everyday there are freeway shootings, rapes, robberies, murders, last night someone ran over a guy on his bike, killed him and took off...What the heck is wrong with people??



Last year my husband was involved in a freeway car jacking. This guy pulled out a gun and tried to run my husband into the center divider of the hollywood freeway, he kept going around him, in one lane and then the next, holding his gun up and yelling for my husband to pull over. My husband got the police on the phone, they told him which off ramp to go to, they would be waiting, plus they got a helicopter to follow him. The car jacker couldn't get a clear shot at my husband, because he would either speed up or slow down. The guy started yelling at him out the car window and flashing his gun. He was totally oblivious to the helicopter over head. My husband got to the ramp, went off the freeway, the car jacker followed him. My husband pulled into the gas station the police told him to, the car jacker followed, then came all the police, from every direction. They blocked off the whole gas station. Well they caught the guy, thank god. The sherriffs told my husband he was lucky to be alive. Since this was his 3rd offense and because of the 3 strikes your out law, he is now in jail. But the fact is this is a daily accurance on our freeways and streets, I don't feel safe to drive. With my anxiety I really dont drive the freeways anymore.

And the illegals that are here, touchy subject for some..but I can't stand it. I feel as if I live in the foreign country. I hate the fact that we can't go for a walk in the park without worring if some illegal is going to cause us harm in some way. They all sit there and drink. So of course we stay away from the park for the most part. How sad that is, you can't even feel safe in a park walking your dog .

We also had a break in in our apt a few years back. This person (gang member) just walked into our apt and started looking for what she could take. My daughter and I were home alone. I locked us in the master bedroom upstairs and called 911. We heard her coming up the stairs while I was on the phone with the police. I looked under my door and saw her go into both of my girls bedrooms. Why she didn't try to come into my room, I don't know. Then she went to go down the stairs, the police got there in a matter of mins. Caught her on the stairs and handcuffed her and took her away. She had some of her guy gang members waiting by the "security" gate for her. The funny thing is, we had no idea it was a girl. The cops couldnt tell either, until they got her to the police dept and found out her name. She played like she was kind of mental, and that she didn't know where she was and that she just wandered in our apt. Funny how she "wandered" into my neighbors apt and stole his wallet. Well she pled not guilty..I couldnt believe it. So we had to go to trial...sigh. She is now in jail too.

Bottom line is, my family can't wait to get out of this state. I consider the cold weather and beautiful towns of Vermont a welcome trade off for the crime, smog, heat,expensive way of life, illegals, crowding, rude people, etc...I haven't read anything about Vermont having drive by shooters, please tell me there isn't a problem with that..I realize you can't hide from crime, but I think there are places like where I live, where it is much more frequent. Sorry for the rant, just for some reason things are really getting to me here.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Im sorry to hear about your misfortunes, Suzet....
Ive always wanted to visit Cali ~ San Fran, The Wine Valley, etc....
Just to warm you up to your VT neighbors early, here are a few
antidotes Ive written here before......Although there is petty crime
stuff, mostly due to Oxy and Heroin heads in the more populated areas,
nothing in the scope of stuff you describe.
I think I lost the key to my front door for a while. There was just no
reason to lock it. I left a whole collection of classic bicycles and
motorcycle parts in my garage that didnt even have a lock.
I always left my keys in the car even though I never drove it, too.
One of the first jobs I took in VT just to pass time until my 'real'
job was to start was a temp Drivers Helper for the UPS X-MAs
season. When orders came over the computer on where to place
the package because no one was going to be home, they were
like "go in kitchen, put on table" ! I would regularly open
unlocked garage doors at the customers request to drop off a
package. All kinds of expensive stuff and access to the inside of the
house. It took me a while to get used to that.....Everyone trusted each other.
Im in FLA now, lose all hope for mankind every time I read
the paper, and am scared to even go outside. And, Im in a 'good'
part
That will be one of the things I miss most about Vermont.
You're gonna love it !

[Suzet2262]

Thank you Koz. I have to tell ya, I can't even imagine just letting the UPS person in my house, garage or anywhere for that matter. Lol. That will be a breath of fresh air for my family and I, and a bit of getting used to. Somehow I think we will manage. I would also end up being the person who would say come on in, and here are some cookies that I made for you to make your day alittle brighter. That is just me, I love baking for people. That is one of my passions.

Sadly, trust in people out here is something that is very rare. Oh and good forbid you are getting a divorce, all your "married" friends, suddenly aren't so friendly. It is amazing. I guess they feel threatened in some way, who knows. I just shake my head. One of my friends is experiencing that right now.

There are some very nice spots in my city, and I will have my memories, but it just doesnt feel like home. They are building and building, more and more people are moving here, with that comes the crime, congestion, smog, and the whole landscape is changing. What used to be a beautiful town, is now a city. There is no sign of slowing down either. They are tearing down mountains faster than ever. It is really sad. The roads out here cant handle the traffic, which is horrendous btw. See there I go again, it is time to move!!! Lol.

I have been reading about your move to Florida. I am sorry that you aren't happy there. Don't loose hope in mankind, there are still some of us good folk out there, I promise! But I hear what you are saying. I feel the same way a lot of the time. Hopefully at some point you can return back to Vermont.

[skytrekker]

Sorry Suzet

I have been to to California many times- San Francisco is so beautiful, the Sonoma and Napa valley's, and the central coast especially. Been to the realm of the redwoods way far north.

Even though I have spent the most time in the SF bay area- and I love the city; things have changed much to the negative there as well in the last several years- I once wanted to live there- not now.

[arel]

Suzet, it sounds like you would be a lot safer if you move to NYC!

[Suzet2262]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

Sorry Suzet

I have been to to California many times- San Francisco is so beautiful, the Sonoma and Napa valley's, and the central coast especially. Been to the realm of the redwoods way far north.

Even though I have spent the most time in the SF bay area- and I love the city; things have changed much to the negative there as well in the last several years- I once wanted to live there- not now.

Thanks sky. It is just a sad fact of living in So Cali. There has been a lot of change here, and not for the better, IMO. I am sure there are thousands of people that love it here. They look the other way as to what is really happening to this state or are too wrapped up in their life to care or notice. It works for them, more power to them. To each his own, I say. It just doesn't work for my family or me anymore.
I also have been to all the places you named. The redwoods are amazing. San Francisco is beautiful, I really love China Town. Napa is beautiful as well. One of my favorite places to go is Pismo Beach. There is this hotel, it is made to look like a Thomas Kincade(sp?) town. Cottage by the Sea (I think that is the name), we stayed there for a weekend once. It was absolutely gorgeous!!! The hotel was up on a cliff over looking the ocean.You hade to walk down these LONG steep scarey stairs to get to the beach. You can walk forever and collect sand dollars. Then fog comes in in the morning....ah just beautiful.. That will be something I will miss, being able to drive to the beach. Somehow, I think I will get over it

[FleeingOhioASAP]

Originally Posted by Suzet2262

I swear Oct can't get here fast enough for me!! I am growing so tired of being here in So Cal. The news just depresses me. A few days ago, some father of a little girl stopped to help someone on the freeway and was shot dead. We now have a rapist on the loose in my town, he has attacked like 7 girls so far. Last night, my daughter and I took our dog for a walk, and low and behold a drunk passed out mexican was on the grass in the middle of the veterans park we have here. It is just disgusting. Everyday there are freeway shootings, rapes, robberies, murders, last night someone ran over a guy on his bike, killed him and took off...What the heck is wrong with people??
Sorry for the rant, just for some reason things are really getting to me here.

Sorry, Suzette, that you are living all of that. My issues here (Ohio) are on comparatively lesser scale, but I can understand the need to "flee." I can't even imagine it getting to the war zone you are dealing with there (or many other cities big & small everywhere). I can see it get increasingly worse here, and with each day you feel as if you will never be able to sell your house in "this place." One thing to note is that it isn't just a So. Cal thing...even THIS place where I am was on the "Most Liveable Places" just a few years ago...people were moving HERE like crazy...now the opposite which would have been unthinkable just a few yrs ago. I don't know what is going on in this country, but it is like all h*ll is breaking loose in places you wouldn't imagine. I grew up in one of the most idyllic places there was at the time...a place where, as kids and teens, we always thought was "boring" and were going to leace "ASAP," but return to when we were of age to retire. A few years ago, I went back there, and it was the most soul-crushing, twilight zone experience one could imagine. The air force base outside of town had closed, taking with it half of the population and putting it into an economic downward spiral (and the influx of criminals which followed). Many small towns like it have run the same course for a number of reasons, get desperate for money, and do short-term desperate things that have horrifying long term affects. In the case of my hometown, it was renting out (for extremely low rent) the empty base housing to families of prisoners in jail 40 mins away, AND to a large group of Bosnians they decided to drop off there. It became a big crime mecca and spread...that was a few years ago...I don't even want to KNOW what is happening right now. In researching between Vt and ME, I also found an interesting story I had never heard about...can't remember the ME town, but they were having all sorts of problems because they decided to drop a large group of Somalians off somewhere in the middle of Maine. I think one of the major criteria, though it can happen anywhere, in looking for a place is to also ensure that the place's economy doesn't center around one or two particular industries...because, chances are, they will eventually leave for "cheaper pastures" and shut the place down. NO ONE and NO PLACE is immune. Even EBAY has been taken over from sellers from Hong Kong! It's nuts, and I'll bet anything there is a HK seller who specializes in "Vermont" maple syrup...I've seen it all on there.
ANYWAY, I can commiserate.

[flu189]

Speaking of moving, Omya, a large employer in the Rutland area announced it is eliminating 50 management positions and giving those affected the opportunity to relocate to Ohio. This could translate into a few more homes going on the market in the region very soon. Over the past few years in fact several employers have laid off in the area and just a month ago when Killington Ski area was sold the new owner announced a pretty healthy cutback in employment there as well. I just wonder how many gas station/convenience stores would need to built along with of course fast food outlets to "offset" the jobs that have gone.

[FleeingOhioASAP]

Originally Posted by flu189

Speaking of moving, Omya, a large employer in the Rutland area announced it is eliminating 50 management positions and giving those affected the opportunity to relocate to Ohio. This could translate into a few more homes going on the market in the region very soon. Over the past few years in fact several employers have laid off in the area and just a month ago when Killington Ski area was sold the new owner announced a pretty healthy cutback in employment there as well. I just wonder how many gas station/convenience stores would need to built along with of course fast food outlets to "offset" the jobs that have gone.

Never heard of them, but looks like they were chased out from past news google search
"Omya rutland"
...at least there will be a clean environment for all those gas stations to install their tanks, and the crime that moves into economically depressed areas

[arel]

That's horrible about plant closings and staff cut-backs.

Sometimes I regret becoming a social worker, because of the low pay and disrespect, but at least my work can't be outsourced to Asia. Not that social workers are immune to staff cutbacks, though. But we are not limited to a particular industry. And, as licensed professionals, we can work independently.

Mental health professionals in private practice have had to struggle because of managed care. Many have retooled their practices, working in niches not affected by insurance issues.

I really wish people could concentrate on their jobs out of love for and commitment to the work, without having to worry about workplace issues, the rat race or economic survival.

Of course, that is not realistic. I doubt if it ever was.