Snowbirds and public perception around Yuma.

[TMG51]

One of the things I do any time I visit a new area is check the local Craigslist. I check the rideshare area to see if I can help anyone (and if most of the ads are offers from startup cab companies, it means it's a party town), I check the volunteers to see if there's any real labor drive (and if most of the ads are miscategorized posted by research companies, it means no) and I check the rants and raves to see what people really gripe about when they're not face to face.

People in Yuma are griping about snowbirds.

In my home state of Vermont, the locals griped about Flatlanders, Leafers, and Massholes. Merchants also griped about these lot even if they benefited their businesses (as long as one wasn't nearby).

It seems I'm the equivalent of a "Leafer" in the southwest: The seasonal visitor that is resented by locals behind closed doors. So my question is, have any of you experienced this outwardly in your southwest travels? Have you caught any flak for not being a year-round resident?

 

[jimindenver]

When I moved to Denver In 80 there was quite the bias against the people moving here even though they are reason Denver continues to grow and prosper. They had bumper stickers with NATIVE on them and was easy pickens for us new comers. We don't have no problem with them no more.

If you want to see what a community thinks of you, go to their forum. The mountain forum for where I camp calls the stream of RV's coming up on the holidays the RV show. Then again they dislike new people moving there, new businesses, come to think of it, any change at all.

 

[gcal]

Everybody gripes about snowbirds, but not to our faces. They like our money too much for that.

 

[wayne49]

One of the things I do any time I visit a new area is check the local Craigslist. ..., I check the volunteers to see if there's any real labor drive (and if most of the ads are miscategorized posted by research companies, it means no) and ...

Serious question.

What is "labor drive" and how do the Volunteer postings correspond to "labor drive"?

Thanks.

 

[gcal]

Those complaing about Canadian snowbirds will find that there are fewer of them this year. The Canadian dollar is way down - about $1.60 Canadian to every $1.00 US. That makes US travel very expensive for them.

 

[wayne49]

Those complaing about Canadian snowbirds will find that there are fewer of them this year. The Canadian dollar is way down - about $1.60 Canadian to every $1.00 US. That makes US travel very expensive for them.

Time for an reverse snowbird invasion of Canada when the sun gets high in the sky.

Canada was nice when it was 1.25CAD for 1.00USD.

Now it is a fire sale.

 

[TMG51]

Serious question.

What is "labor drive" and how do the Volunteer postings correspond to "labor drive"?

Thanks.

Hmmm... Yes, I could have been more clear.

Some places, volunteer want ads read with listings such as habitat for humanity projects, or perhaps personal requests for moving furniture, or even soup kitchen type stuff.

Other places, the volunteer ads are swamped by research corporations looking for subjects and no real personal involvement. No real listings fitting the spirit of a volunteer want ad.

In my experience, the latter are the areas that have no sense of community and are more likely to promote people standing on corners holding cardboard signs.

I prefer communities that have some sense of work ethic.

It's not a rule set in stone, and it isn't because I'm a philanthropist. I've simply found the former to be the communities where people are more..... real.

Those complaing about Canadian snowbirds will find that there are fewer of them this year. The Canadian dollar is way down - about $1.60 Canadian to every $1.00 US. That makes US travel very expensive for them.

Interesting! I didn't realise things had slid this far.

 

[gcal]

Hmmm... Yes, I could have been more clear.

Some places, volunteer want ads read with listings such as habitat for humanity projects, or perhaps personal requests for moving furniture, or even soup kitchen type stuff.

Other places, the volunteer ads are swamped by research corporations looking for subjects and no real personal involvement. No real listings fitting the spirit of a volunteer want ad.

In my experience, the latter are the areas that have no sense of community and are more likely to promote people standing on corners holding cardboard signs.

I prefer communities that have some sense of work ethic.

It's not a rule set in stone, and it isn't because I'm a philanthropist. I've simply found the former to be the communities where people are more..... real.


Interesting! I didn't realise things had slid this far.

It hasn't slid that far. I need to edit more carefully. It was a little over $1.40, not $1.60. Still, pricey for Canadians to come here. We have freinds who used to come for the whole 6 months. Now, they can't afford to do that. I wonder if the baby boomer snow bird numbers are growing enough to make up for the lost Canadian business. Looks like the Euro is doing better, but the Europeans don't come for the whole season.

 

[eDJ_]

Can you imagine having to have a passport to travel between the 50 states and customs offices on the boarders of each state ?  Then having to pay for a vehicle inspection before being allowed to travel on the roads of that state ?  Having to even make a written statement of why you want to be in that state at all ?

That would put a quick end to Snow Birds,  the RV industry and Off Grid Living,  and commerce which relies on travel in general.   Something to think about when you hear people ranting, "why don't they go back where they came from".

I think checking out Craig's to get a idea of the conditions of an area is clever.  

Real Estate folks use sites like this one which work on zip codes.  PRIZM    66 "segments" of society are employed to define an area where generally 5 segments from that list are used to represent any one zip code.

https://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp?ID=20

All 66 segments

https://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegm...ion=segmentexplorer&pageName=Segment+Explorer

 

[GotSmart]

Perfectly honest~~~  I don't care what they think.  

If someone is openly hostile, I take my money and leave a bad YELP review.  If they give me 1/2 a chance, they end up smiling. 

I have places I walk into and an greeted with friendly insults.  I give them back, and then we catch up on my adventures and their happenings.  

What people object to is being treated like they do not exist.  You are not dealing with 50,000 faceless numbers, you are speaking with John, who has lead an interesting life in is a human being with fears and feelings and knowledge.

 

[ACagedTraveller]

I am uncertain about Yuma, Arizona. I can say that my area has tourists from around the world, and any person that acts politely and  dresses decently receives services in a place that he or she spends money.

 

[SoulRaven]

We lived in the Tucson area in the 90s. At that time, I think they had the highest snowbird count. They put in an extra tax on RV sites. Being an RVer, I did inquire. I did learn that in this case, the flood cost the city more than what was being spent by the snowbirds. One would have to live as a full-time resident to see the impact of a huge number of people coming in. On an individual basis though, most snowbirds had no issues. The only big problem I saw is one that people permanently relocating to an area have, "Well, that isn't the way that we do it where I come from. You really should............." Not the best way to make friends in a community. There were also people staying longer than the allotted time of, I think, 7 months before they were required to get license/tags/pay taxes and those people were being fined.

 

[TMG51]

I think checking out Craig's to get a idea of the conditions of an area is clever.  

Judge a society by its commerce. I didn't even mention the areas where CList is swamped by hookers.

 

[ACagedTraveller]

@Snow Gypsy
I agree with the portion of your statement that some immigrants attempt to supplant the culture of a location with the culture from the original location. I believe the best policy involves a careful blending of important aspects from the transplant's original culture with the culture of the new location. This allows the creation of a new culture that does not depart in a radical manner from the original culture while preserving the social integrity of an area. I see more often in large urban areas a mosaic of cultures since the people often join others that share a similar cultural background.

 

[ACagedTraveller]

Judge a society by its commerce. I didn't even mention the areas where CList is swamped by hookers.

I imagine that Nevada has plenty of those people available for hire.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Rhinebeck, NY is a town and village of less than 5,000 people, located about 100 miles north of New York City.  It contains the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, where every year a county fair is held that rivals the New York STATE fair, and is bigger than the CT or NJ state fairs.  We get between 200,000 and 250,000 visitors in the space of 6 days.  The traffic is insane, and many local businesses just shut down for the week.  Locals schedule their annual vacation during that period to avoid being home during that week.

As the guy who was being tarred and feathered and ridden out of town on a rail remarked:  "I'd just as soon decline the honor!"

Regards
John

 

[cyndi]

I've lived in resort areas my whole life. It's typical for the locals to complain about the tourists. In the end, they all know that they can't live without the money that a tourist spends.

 

[mockturtle]

When I worked as a seasonal RN in Yuma, my patients would sometimes gripe to me about snowbirds.  After telling them that I was a snowbird, they would say, 'Oh, well, that's different'. 

 

[gcal]

2s

Time for an reverse snowbird invasion of Canada when the sun gets high in the sky.

Canada was nice when it was 1.25CAD for 1.00USD.

Now it is a fire sale.

Headed up there myself this summer. I am going to price out Canadian dental work. My new dentist in Florida crowned the wrong tooth and still charged me for it. Sure, it may have been getting bad and needed the crown. But it wasn't the one that hurt.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

everybody needs someone to look down on, if it makes them feel better, even if only for a minute, I am happy to accommodate.