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1. Mean, hateful people. I have lived here for eight years, I came from New Mexico, ( no I don't wear a sombrero and I'm white.) I have traveled all over the world and I have never experienced such a unfriendly place as Montana.
Coming from the south, I am used to being in a place where people talk to each other or smile at one another when you pass each other on the street. Here if you order something at a drive in window, you are the one to say thank you and they just stuff your food and you and don't say a thing.
People here are extremely clanish, if they think you are not a "Native" they completely alienate you. People always act as if you are trying to infringe upon their " Montananess" I am sure I will get a lot of replies of offended "Montanan's" I have never been in such a state except maybe Texas where people hold them self so highly in comparision to other states.
People are always taken aback when I bring this up here, but I have been all over the world, I am a world traveler and I compare everywhere I go to where I live, how strangers are treated and Montana by far, except for maybe Las Vegas or New York, has the meanest people around.
Don't believe me, next time you go to buy something at a drive in window, do my test, be as nice as pie and see the response you will get.
The only nice people that I meet here, are normally transplants from other states, "native" Montanan's are a bunch of redneck backwards closed minded rude freaks. Don't even get me started on Butte, and the Mutants living there.
2. Lack of industry and resistance to new opportunities. With Helena specifically, I always get excited when I see a new building going up, excited to acutally be getting some businesses that the rest of the world has only to be dissapointed that its yet another bank or auto parts store. Missoula and Bozeman are leaps ahead the Capitol City.
3.Lack of culture, lack of things for young people to do. I grew up in Albuquerque, a very cultured city. So coming to Montana was of course a shock. My husband and I are a young professional couple. There is nothing here to go for young people whatsoever. Before I got married and I was here alone, the only thing for a young person to do was go to a bar, and most of the girls I knew ended up going home with some random guy. Woman are treated like a peice of meat here, if you guys could put a tag on us, you would do that ( I met my husband outside of Montana) Getting drunk or doing drugs, having fliverous sex, or gambeling at the casinos, that pretty much sums up the entertainment options in Montana. You can only go to so many movies before you lose your mind.
People always think that small towns are good for children, I believe quite the opposite. Here, what do teenagers have to do? There are no programs or positive places for them to hang out. So what do they do? They drink, they do meth, that have babies at 16. There is a feeling of hopelessness in the youth here that is so, so sad. I know, because that is my line of work. There is nothing for them to do, they are bored out of their freaking minds, along with the 20 somethings as well!
Oh yeah and lack of good places to eat but that falls under resistance to industry, in my previous paragraph.
The "good" things that keep me here...the beautiful landscape, the animals, I love the deer that you all treat like cockroaches( don't even get me started on hunting season omg, (for a animal lover this place is a nightmare come hunting season), the wildlife, the safety, the small commute times. So don't tell me to go back where I came from ( you love that line) , I have my reasons for staying around you inhospitable bunch.
Ok so now I know the natives will be chomping at the bit because I've insulted their "Montananess" so bring it on!!
I think you may have just decided to not blend in.
If you are a younger couple, I can understand your frustration believe me get somewhere that makes you happy, life is too short and none of us get out alive.
The predator/prey balance is out of whack, you would have felt great sorrow at the pitiful starving deer living right in town here. Hunting is a humane culling. As women we are treated as we allow. AQHA this is for you. You are eating over by the chicken coop..... The group survival still is in place in such a difficult weather area. If your neighbor doesn't drive by and get you out of the ditch, you might die. Kids do meth everywhere, I see more kids in sports here than I did in my home state.
I agree that I cook soooo much more than I did, and now I see that it was convenience take out. Keep talking to us maybe some pearl of wisdom will cheer you!
1. Mean, hateful people. I have lived here for eight years, I came from New Mexico, ( no I don't wear a sombrero and I'm white.) I have traveled all over the world and I have never experienced such a unfriendly place as Montana.
Coming from the south, I am used to being in a place where people talk to each other or smile at one another when you pass each other on the street. Here if you order something at a drive in window, you are the one to say thank you and they just stuff your food and you and don't say a thing.
People here are extremely clanish, if they think you are not a "Native" they completely alienate you. People always act as if you are trying to infringe upon their " Montananess" I am sure I will get a lot of replies of offended "Montanan's" I have never been in such a state except maybe Texas where people hold them self so highly in comparision to other states.
People are always taken aback when I bring this up here, but I have been all over the world, I am a world traveler and I compare everywhere I go to where I live, how strangers are treated and Montana by far, except for maybe Las Vegas or New York, has the meanest people around.
Don't believe me, next time you go to buy something at a drive in window, do my test, be as nice as pie and see the response you will get.
The only nice people that I meet here, are normally transplants from other states, "native" Montanan's are a bunch of redneck backwards closed minded rude freaks. Don't even get me started on Butte, and the Mutants living there.
2. Lack of industry and resistance to new opportunities. With Helena specifically, I always get excited when I see a new building going up, excited to acutally be getting some businesses that the rest of the world has only to be dissapointed that its yet another bank or auto parts store. Missoula and Bozeman are leaps ahead the Capitol City.
3.Lack of culture, lack of things for young people to do. I grew up in Albuquerque, a very cultured city. So coming to Montana was of course a shock. My husband and I are a young professional couple. There is nothing here to go for young people whatsoever. Before I got married and I was here alone, the only thing for a young person to do was go to a bar, and most of the girls I knew ended up going home with some random guy. Woman are treated like a peice of meat here, if you guys could put a tag on us, you would do that ( I met my husband outside of Montana) Getting drunk or doing drugs, having fliverous sex, or gambeling at the casinos, that pretty much sums up the entertainment options in Montana. You can only go to so many movies before you lose your mind.
People always think that small towns are good for children, I believe quite the opposite. Here, what do teenagers have to do? There are no programs or positive places for them to hang out. So what do they do? They drink, they do meth, that have babies at 16. There is a feeling of hopelessness in the youth here that is so, so sad. I know, because that is my line of work. There is nothing for them to do, they are bored out of their freaking minds, along with the 20 somethings as well!
Oh yeah and lack of good places to eat but that falls under resistance to industry, in my previous paragraph.
The "good" things that keep me here...the beautiful landscape, the animals, I love the deer that you all treat like cockroaches( don't even get me started on hunting season omg, (for a animal lover this place is a nightmare come hunting season), the wildlife, the safety, the small commute times. So don't tell me to go back where I came from ( you love that line) , I have my reasons for staying around you inhospitable bunch.
Ok so now I know the natives will be chomping at the bit because I've insulted their "Montananess" so bring it on!!
Dear world traveler, when's the last time you've been back to your beloved New Mexico? They have a lot worse drug problem then Montana. New Mexico has always been the butt of jokes about that since the '80's. If your a world traveler you know this. Personally, I got tired of site seeing Father Keno Missions and busting pinatas. The 'barrio' mexican food has been replaced by corporate mexican resteaurants. Have you read any of my comments about the southwest on these blogs? I was just in Albuquerque and Santa Fe last year. All the new housing has been replaced with generic construction. The same home built in Kansas City is built in New Mexico. Border patrol road blocks are everywhere now, not just on I-10. It still has the lowest wages in the southwest, like it always did. The culture is being replaced by outsiders moving in. Albuquerque is a police state in the evening. DUI roadblocks/border patrol agents. The culture there is being slowly squeezed just like in Arizona. I agree with you about unfriendly cities except I would add New Orleans during Mardi Gras to the list.
I know, you are a gentleman cowboy who always tips his hat in the presence of a lady. Here is your rocker back on the porch. Here is an apple for your pony.
The group survival still is in place in such a difficult weather area. If your neighbor doesn't drive by and get you out of the ditch, you might die.
I always carried a tow chain for that very reason. I never needed it to get myself pulled out of the ditch, but I used it a few times to pull other folks out of the ditch. On backroads and even some minor highways, and especially in bad weather, you might be the only one who goes by that car in the ditch for the next four days, and cell phones don't work so well when there's mountains in the way. It's up to us to help each other, cuz there just might not be anyone else, especially with that 3-day blizzard on the horizon.
'Course, if someone goes rippin' by like a moron and winds up in the ditch from his own stupidity, I might let him stew a while before pulling him out.
Speaking of difficult weather, did y'all see the photos from upper Michigan? not sure when this storm was, but it piled snow literally up to the roofs!
Char, I'm sorry that you have found it so difficult to fit in. I hope you realize that it is probably just as much (if not more) your fault as the "locals".
I came to Montana from Pennsylvania in about 1948. Even though I was quite young, I immediately adopted the "boots and blue jeans" style, and I have kept it ever since. The area in PA where my family has been since the 1700s is very much like Montana in respect to the hunting and fishing (except that a racoon is a game animal back there), so that was no problem. You should have been aware of the hunting/fishing culture of the state before you moved, if it upsets you so. Sorry, we have no intention of changing that to please you. Bambi goes quite well with potatos, brown gravy, and green beans, thank you
As for "culture", what IS your problem? You live in a rather large town, surely there is SOMETHING to satisfy your needs! I grew up in Hungry Horse! We didn't even have a movie theater(it collapsed after a snow storm)! However, if your idea of "culture" is some people in funny clothes romping around a stage screaming at each other while a bunch of supposed musicians play strange music, you are right, we don't have much of that, and even many of us transplants don't want it. I think they call it "opera" or some such thing.
As previously stated, kids and teens are expected to entertain themselves. There are school activities, scouting programs, fishing, hunting, camping, bird watching, volunteering at nursing homes and hospitals, hiking, bicycle riding, all kinds of things to do.
Regardless of what some Eastern do-gooders say, it does NOT take a village to raise a child, it takes involved parents. If your kids are bored or getting in trouble, it is up to YOU to solve the problem. Sorry, WE would rather not be involved in raising (or entertaining)YOUR kids.
Sorry, you can't blame your problems on the whole State. Speaking for myself and my family, we refuse to accept any responsibility for your troubles.
As for the original idea behind this thread, I post for your consideration:
1. Too many paved roads. I was shocked to find the road to Lost Johnny Point Campground on Hungry Horse Reservoir paved, as well as the campground interior roads and parking sites! I don't know how far the pavement goes, but it is too much!
2. The destruction of the timber industry. I don't remember how many lumber mills there were in the Flathead Valley, but they are almost all gone now. IIRC, there were three or four within a couple miles of my house in C.Falls, now I think there is one. At least I think Plum Creek is still there.
3. The failure of State Government to encourage the location of industry in the State. We have more than enough retail establishments and "casinos", we need industry for good jobs and a strong economy. We can't get by serving each other drinks and hamburgers, and selling each other groceries, clothes, and sporting goods. There have been many rumored plans; The Boeing plant on Gore Hill in Great Falls, the plants that were going to be built in the Flathead to use the aluminum form the Anaconda plant and the power from Hungry Horse dam, the coal liquifaction plant that our Governor was so hyped up about, the jet fuel facility at Malmstrom AFB, the Highwood power plant, etc. We NEED an industrial base!
Regardless of what some Eastern do-gooders say, it does NOT take a village to raise a child, it takes involved parents. If your kids are bored or getting in trouble, it is up to YOU to solve the problem. Sorry, WE would rather not be involved in raising (or entertaining)YOUR kids.
Very harsh, and VERY true.
My wife and I chose not to have kids. I pay for your children's education without complaint, but don't make me pay for government subsidized programs to babysit kids. Parents need to get their kids off the video games and make them go haul hay or milk cows, anything!
At one time in our history kids were expected to pull their share of the load, its sure not that way now. Kids get a free ride.
I've seen several comments, "There is nothing to do in Montana."
If you believe that, you definitely don't belong here. Montanans find all the entertainment in the area they could wish for, in the mountains, plains, and friends, without needing a mall to slum around in. Granted, it has been made more difficult by factions from out of state, that have had roads closed for nebulous and generally false reasoning. They have penned the young people in the towns, and that leads to getting in trouble.
Stay in your cities. Enjoy the mall rats, taggers, and gang bangers. And if you move here, leave that behind you. It is most definitely not welcome here.
Last edited by Ric Carter; 04-03-2009 at 10:44 PM..
I guess I should have mentioned that we raised 5 kids in Montana and Wyoming. NONE of them did drugs or had problems that required police involvement. NONE of them were particularly bored, they had lots of activities to keep them busy. NONE of them had video games (other than "Pong" and "Pacman" on a Commodore 64, and an Atari). There was only ONE computer in the house, and the kids were rarely allowed to use it. they didn't have cell phones.
Yeah, we know what it is like raising kids in the Flathead Valley, northern Wyoming, and Great Falls. Been there, did that, and I think we succeeded quite well.
1: Too many city/suburban people trying to develop Montana.
2: City politics, like Bozeman being allowed to put in traffic cameras so they can mail tickets, but it's illegal in the rest of the state.
3: People moving in and trying to get involved in lawmaking without respect for the area. I know everyone wants to be a mover and shaker, but go to Africa or Outer Space and make your rules there... Even if you get em on the books here, there are more people that will simply disregard them or make it more difficult for you just to make the point. (present company included)
Oh and 4:
Smug people... You are no better than any soul on the planet, so get over it or get lost.
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. You are eating over by the chicken coop..... The group survival still is in place in such a difficult weather area. If your neighbor doesn't drive by and get you out of the ditch, you might die. Kids do meth everywhere, I see more kids in sports here than I did in my home state. 
I know, you are a gentleman cowboy who always tips his hat in the presence of a lady. Here is your rocker back on the porch. Here is an apple for your pony.
