The Services in Vermont

[KingM34]

There’s a phone call that I receive at least once a week. It always comes after dark. The line will crackle, and an anxious voice with a Boston or New York accent will say, “Hello! Hello, can you hear me? We’re on the road and we should be there by now, shouldn’t we?” The line will cut out and a minute later ring again. Maybe there is somebody there, maybe no service. If there is, the person on the other end is even more anxious. “I’ve been driving for hours. Do you know where I am?”

Sometimes they are lost. Other times they’re a mile or two south on Vermont Route 100 and just need a little coaching to steer them to the inn. Some guests arrive exhausted and relieved. Others are annoyed, as if it is my fault that they got a late start and left without a proper road map. Still others pace back and forth across the property trying to dial out on their cell phones. They are not happy to find out that rural Vermont is, well, rural. You mean you don’t have cell phone coverage around here? Other questions. Where’s the best place for nightlife? How can I get a fax? Or, my favorite, from someone who’d just spent several hours driving up from Boston, “What’s the nearest big city around here?”

You just left it, buddy. “But surely you have a McDonald’s in the valley, don’t you? You’re kidding. No fast food chains at all?”

I have one question of my own. Did you come to Vermont for the services?

Read the rest: http://theopinionator.com/travel/services_vermont.html

[wtbymark]

1. my favorite has to be...

"Ya can't get there from there"

Welcome to DU :hi: fellow Vermonter

[KingM34]

3. Thanks for the welcome

Thanks, where in Vermont do you live, if you don't mind giving IRL information on the board?

It's a good board, nicely progressive, but without many of the nutcases that seem to be attracted to such places. I've lurked for some time, but you know how it is with boards. Suddenly there's that one thread that you feel compelled to respond to and you're off and running.

[wtbymark]

4. well, my town is hidden in my nicname

Waterbury

[KingM34]

6. ah...

We're practically neighbors, then.

[papau]

2. LOL - I loved my years in Vermont - the services are just fine! :-)

:-)

[democrank]

5. "Nightlife"...Um....I have three racoons out back.

Welcome to DU, fellow Vermonter. Glad you`re here.

[KingM34]

7. .

Thanks. A question. Am I the first newbie this year? Everyone else shows up in the 1000+ posts category. It's a bit intimidating. ;)

[NMDemDist2]

9. welcome to DU KingM34!

:hi:

no, you're not the first this year (oe even this week) and those posts add up in no time. It's addictive around here.

[bigmonkey]

8. I used to live in Stowe.

Actually, I can sympathize with both "sides". After 5 months in Stowe it took me a few years of living in Burlington to realize just how rural Vermont can get. Still, the drive from Boston, when I did it, always seemed about 2 hours too long :-).

If you really want to give people a start, tell them that the closest big city is Montreal!

[Critters2]

10. Reminds me of when my denomination asked us to boycott Taco Bell

"No problem!" we rural Iowans said! I was an hour and a half from the nearest Taco Bell. That was easy!

Now I live in a place where Chicagoans move "to get away from the city". They spend most of their time bitching about how far we are from the city. Which only tells me we're not far enough!