Minnesota: Unfriendly, with lots of bad drivers. (St. James, Windom: renting, loan)

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by kayaklin

And I'd have to say Minnesota is the Wal-Mart capital of all the states I've ever lived in. Once you get out of the Twin Cities area, there is no shopping to be found EXCEPT Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart everywhere.

Actually, *Target* is based in the Twin Cities.

There are Walmarts here and there in the Twin Cities metro, as there are just about everywhere, but I think I see more Walmarts down here in the Atlanta metro than I saw up in the Twin Cities. FWIW.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by kayaklin

I can't wait to get the heck out of Minnesota. Ever since I moved here, I've run into nothing but rude people who don't say "thank you" when you hold the door open and don't say "bless you" when you sneeze. Driving in Minnesota is terrible. Outside of the cities it seems like every road is two lanes. People here drive like complete jerks, constantly speeding and riding your tail even when you are driving 5-10 mph above the speed limit, and then passing on a shoulder or in the middle of a rural town as a little old lady attempts to cross the street.

All I can say is "don't ever move to Atlanta" if the above is your honest opinion of Minnesota driving. Driving in the Twin Cities is like lying on a soft feather bed while being fed strawberries by Beyoncé Knowles and Alyssa Milano at the same time compared to the freeways here in Atlanta. We have 80 mph bumper-to-bumper traffic down here, and most of the four lane roads have no shoulders and only sporadic turn lanes even inside the metro.

Other serious issues with Minnesota... Mosquitos might as well be the state bird... This last winter was 7 months long... There aren't even any mountains here to make the snow fun... And did I mention that practically everyone is unfriendly?

Sounds like you should have moved up there sooner, but unfortunately my wife and I left back in 2004. We would have said hello, though...

[newcastle]

I too am sorry that you have had such a negative experience in Minnesota. I also am frustrated with the slow, miserable, wet, and cold spring. Yes, the flowers are not anywhere to be found!

Well, Minnesotan's can be just as rude as people anywhere, I guess. It is unfortunate that your experience hasn't been better. no we do not have any mountains, but the closest thing to it is Lutsen along the north shore where there are actual ski lifts and hills a little over 1000 feet that make you wish that you were in the Cascades or Rockies!

I would suggest that you explore a bit more of the state, but that would mean you would have to drive...

[Bongopercylou]

Originally Posted by kayaklin

I am a very pleasant person, hence my overall disappointment. I realize not every single person from Minnesota is rude, and I didn't mean to say it that way. Just a vast majority are, especially while driving.

REALLY!? You sound like it.

No I'm not the best representation of Minnesotans. I don't have the patience to be that way. I just say it like I see it. In that light, I was just being honest with you.

AluminumPork's post is brilliant (as well as the other "nice" MNs on here) - but I don't think you got it. I'm just telling you what everyone else is possibly thinking.

[ozzie679]

Originally Posted by kayaklin

And I'd have to say Minnesota is the Wal-Mart capital of all the states I've ever lived in. Once you get out of the Twin Cities area, there is no shopping to be found EXCEPT Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart everywhere.

I completely disagree. If you look at a town like St Cloud. We have two Targets, two Shopkos, and only one Walmart. However, Walmart does go into smaller towns...if that's what you mean.

There are 10x more Walmarts south of the Mason Dixon.

[kuan]

There are for sure more Pamida stores than Walmarts in outstate MN.

[chilaili]

Originally Posted by kayaklin

I can't wait to get the heck out of Minnesota. Ever since I moved here, I've run into nothing but rude people who don't say "thank you" when you hold the door open and don't say "bless you" when you sneeze. Driving in Minnesota is terrible. Outside of the cities it seems like every road is two lanes. People here drive like complete jerks, constantly speeding and riding your tail even when you are driving 5-10 mph above the speed limit, and then passing on a shoulder or in the middle of a rural town as a little old lady attempts to cross the street.

Not sure if it is the water or the ridiculously long winters that make everyone so grumpy, but if you are considering moving to Minnesota, let me tell you... DON'T. People are friendlier in CALIFORNIA. If you want to fish, come up FOR A VISIT in the summer and then high-tail it back to the sweet land you came from. (Summer in MN is a natural phenomenon by the way and may only occur every third or fourth year for about a week in July. Spring barely began on June 1st this year and there is still no summer in sight.)

Other serious issues with Minnesota... Mosquitos might as well be the state bird... This last winter was 7 months long... There aren't even any mountains here to make the snow fun... And did I mention that practically everyone is unfriendly?




Disclaimer: The above post is 100% one person's opinion.

I'm just curious: before you moved to MN did you do any research on things like the weather and culture? Because it sounds like you weren't really prepared. Winters in MN have always been 6-8 months long. Mosquitoes have always been a major problem in the summer. MN has NEVER had any mountains! Except way up north near Lutsen where people go ski-ing. (Sounds like you're having an unusually long Winter this year tho - normally things are definitely warming up by June and hitting the heat index of 100+ degrees by 4th of July.)

Yes, the traditional Scandinavian reserve Minnesotans display towards newcomers/strangers/foreigners can seem like rudeness but a) NOT everyone is like that and b) it took me a while to realise that it's just that Minnesotans can be a bit clique-y. They are very family-oriented and tend to stick with the crowd they know from the neighbourhood/high school/college and it's hard sometimes to break into that group. You won't find it easy to start up a conversation with someone in the grocery line like you can elsewhere (eg; Colorado). It just doesn't happen. BUT (and this is a big but) there are many many Minnesotans who do not fall into this description and the outgoing, friendly, welcoming people do exist. You just have to give them time to reveal themselves and yourself time to find them.

Where are you living in MN? Are you in the Twin Cities or further out? Are you working? Have you tried making any overtures to your colleagues and/or neighbours like throwing a potluck dinner or something? Maybe they find you just as miserable you find them?

[kuan]

Complain to a native Minnesotan about winter and you're automatically labeled as not very hardy.

As for the sneeze, you gotta understand that until a few years ago there were a lot of Scandinavian speakers, and their response to a sneeze does not translate to bless you.

[RiverRat1964]

I moved from Illinois to SW Mn back in November '06, and drive to the TC's on average of 3x a month for 3 days a stretch, I have a "WHEN IN ROME" attitude, they do 90mph, I do too, they drive like a-holes, So do I......
I welcome their stupidity, in every big city I go to, not just the Cities, one of these days their insurance is going to give me a big settlement, yes, I know Mn is a "NO FAULT" state, but that means nothing to me.........

[blueeyes30]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

All I can say is "don't ever move to Atlanta" if the above is your honest opinion of Minnesota driving. Driving in the Twin Cities is like lying on a soft feather bed while being fed strawberries by Beyoncé Knowles and Alyssa Milano at the same time compared to the freeways here in Atlanta. We have 80 mph bumper-to-bumper traffic down here, and most of the four lane roads have no shoulders and only sporadic turn lanes even inside the metro.

I have relatives in Wisconsin and the last time I was there, we went to the Twin Cities.

I hate Atlanta traffic but I actually found driving there a little easier than the Twin Cities. You are right, they drive very fast, but driving in the Twin Cities felt more hectic to me with the merging lanes turning into turn lanes. And the tailgating...well, Atlanta is awful with that too. But it seemed like no matter where I was driving in the Twin Cities, someone was on my bumper. But overall though, Twin Cities drivers are courteous, especially when compared to the east coast. I didn't see an single act of road rage or horn blowing.