This is How Tough The Lifted Gladiator Can Be

[Scott L]

Yeah. Same.

The fun part of moving to a new place is re-calibrating thresholds for things like "heavy traffic" and "drug/homeless problem."

We've had a homeless problem for decades, if not centuries. My hometown in WA had a few through the years, but in the past 4-5 years, it's been more and more. In UT, there are fewer homeless than King County in WA - by a factor of 10.


Regarding the driving of "transplants" - in WA there was always a significant number of drivers who caused problems. To avoid being "racist," I rephrased the common stereotype of poorly-skilled drivers to "people who didn't grow up with automobiles" or drove on the "wrong" side of the road.

A roachy, 4-color Geo Metro you expect to be a hazard on the road. A brand new Benz sedan? No.

Some people just don't have driving as a "core competency." And it's infuriating because majority of those people don't have insurance, either.

The 90k Mercedes in the metro DC area is almost always the menace. The roached out geo yeah probably no license but at least they don't want to get caught so are careful. I have to on rare occasions go inside the DC beltway and I can tell you the pucker factor is worse than any off road trail I've ever done.

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[MPMB]

oh man king county is real bad. Maple valley is ok at the moment but it is being encroached on and is only a matter of time. Everyone except my parents(due to family drama) is fleeing that place as fast as they can. It just sucks because I really miss the sound and the bellingham geographical area. But its just too much to deal with.

My parents will probably stay in WA until they die. One of my sisters is outside Ellensburg and loving it. She had to take her son's idiot dog to the vet ER after he ate a box of D-Con and was expecting a $800-$1000 vet bill. $300. My b-i-l does some cool s**t with autonomous UTVs and they needed quick access to property and the Yakima military area.

My wife's family is still in WA, but we're working on one of my wife's sisters and her husband to move here - they're outdoorsy people and love to ski. Their youngest is a senior, so vacating the state is a better possibility.

Friends of ours bought a house in FL in 2022 and they moved 2 weeks after we moved.

We do miss the amount of trees and lots of water, but for the most part, it's like we're in Eastern Washington around the Yakima/Tri-Cities area. We're surrounded by mountains. And so much sunshine.

 

[TestMule]

Man this makes me so angry. Seattle is just as bad or worse. I couldn't stand that state anymore and had to leave before doing bad things. It amazes me how there continues to be no consequence for criminals.

It happened to Portland as well. I come from an Oregon Trail Pioneer family and we still own the original section of land that was homesteaded oh so long ago.

It was a tough decision to leave but living there only caused anger in my soul. I was afraid that if someone took a shot at me, as they did to one of my nephews, I'd end up shooting back. Not a good thing.

 

[chorky]

It was a tough decision to leave but living there only caused anger in my soul. I was afraid that if someone took a shot at me, as they did to one of my nephews, I'd end up shooting back. Not a good thing.

I had to leave for the same reason. Too many selfish and entitled attitudes, poor work ethics, and overall unfriendliness. Thats not to say the whole state or area is like that though. There are stil some really great places, people and communities. But the state has been on A steady state of decline and I didnt see it getting better in my lifetime.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

Sorry about your truck and your hometown of Nashville OP. I hate cities with a passion after living in Houston for 6 years. The place is a cesspool. I loved it for the same reasons you mentioned - multicultural food/people/workplaces, but gotdamn that place sucked….the traffic, the crime, multiple hit and runs, the driving itself, etc. My wife even had a gun drawn on her in traffic too.

I’ll NEVER live within city limits of a major city ever again. Anyways, I’m rambling now.

 

[mkopec]

Man this makes me so angry. Seattle is just as bad or worse. I couldn't stand that state anymore and had to leave before doing bad things. It amazes me how there continues to be no consequence for criminals.

I am up here in the Seattle area also, and have been noticing the drastic increase in all things bad on the roadways. I am totally driving in defensive mode these days no matter what auto I am driving. ~sigh!

 

[MPMB]

It happened to Portland as well. I come from an Oregon Trail Pioneer family and we still own the original section of land that was homesteaded oh so long ago.

Congratulations to your ancestors of not [all] dying of dysentery or cholera!

My cousin works for Costco and he's opened stores across the PNW, and was recently tasked with turning around the Seattle Costco. He switched to corporate after about a year down there.

But BOT - having the JT lifted helped. As one who was caught behind an 80s Jetta with failing/dim tail lights in a rubber-band effect, my lowered Golf went under the back of the Jetta and took out my hood and headlights. No damage to the Jetta. If the bumpers lined up it would have been a different outcome.

 

[Jeeper44mag]

Your post has a lot of information open for discussion. Sorry to hear about your troubles.

I am impressed that your plastic bumper held up. Seems like they can take a hit or two.

I always wondered if Tennessee was a good state to retire in. They seemed to always push their sales pitch on us retired Military folks.

If you carry, you need to make sure you are well versed on the laws in your state. Stand your ground, castle doctrine, etc.

I was born and raised in Florida. I've seen rural areas turn into retirement communities full of Northerners overnight. (The Villages) Now I get told on a daily basis how my way is wrong and they know everything.

KevinC

That's a fact! So on Monday I took the Gladiator out for a spin on what I *thought* were going to be country roads east of Bradenton... NOPE. Nothing but miles and Miles and MILES of new developments. Mostly homes from ~$400k to $800k. I can tell you there aren't many Florida natives buying any of those! We're being buried in "immigrants" from up north.

 

[Warped]

The 90k Mercedes in the metro DC area is almost always the menace. The roached out geo yeah probably no license but at least they don't want to get caught so are careful. I have to on rare occasions go inside the DC beltway and I can tell you the pucker factor is worse than any off road trail I've ever done.

So freaking true. As one who commuted into and near DC for most of my adult life, it is usually the black luxury nameplate cars (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc) that drive like they own the road. One example - Some moron tried to cut in front of my JL in his AMG G500 as I was exiting and he didn't want to wait in the long line going to I-495, so he rushed up in the left lane to cut in at the very front. I didn't give in to him with all the steel around my JL and he ended up getting airborn in a pothole that was quite deep. Probably popped some tires as I never saw him again. Yes, driving in the DC metro area is beyond ridiculous. I retired shortly after that this year and live far enbough way to get out on free roads on my motorcycles and Jeeps. DC work pays well, but in the end, it is NOT worth the stress. I drive much calmer now.

 

[WanderingJ]

Im surprised that bumper held up. I was just rear-ended, well like 3 weeks ago now but still waiting to get her in for an estimate. I was at a redlight. Wasn't a highspeed impact. Bumper bent and so did side of bed, so now I cant open the tailgate. Im def searching for a steal bumper

 

[Scott L]

So freaking true. As one who commuted into and near DC for most of my adult life, it is usually the black luxury nameplate cars (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc) that drive like they own the road. One example - Some moron tried to cut in front of my JL in his AMG G500 as I was exiting and he didn't want to wait in the long line going to I-495, so he rushed up in the left lane to cut in at the very front. I didn't give in to him with all the steel around my JL and he ended up getting airborn in a pothole that was quite deep. Probably popped some tires as I never saw him again. Yes, driving in the DC metro area is beyond ridiculous. I retired shortly after that this year and live far enbough way to get out on free roads on my motorcycles and Jeeps. DC work pays well, but in the end, it is NOT worth the stress. I drive much calmer now.

Yeah we're practically neighbors. Did you commute on 270? I'm off 81 and 66 so took 66 into the beltway the coof got us working from home and I can tell you I will never make that commute again.

 

[Warped]

Yeah we're practically neighbors. Did you commute on 270? I'm off 81 and 66 so took 66 into the beltway the coof got us working from home and I can tell you I will never make that commute again.

Yep. 270 all the way. Rush hour is just about 24/7 now. I left at 4:30 AM to not have stop & go traffic, but still hit it when I would leave at work at 1:30 in the afternoon. My mom passing in May forced me to retire earlier than I planned to take care of dad. So glad I retired now! THe stress of work and traffic was not worth it. At least I got out alive. LOL

 

[Toyfrog]

Everyone’s stories here sound like going to a birthday party to me. Y’all come on down to Houston for a week and that should make you appreciate what you have at home. We are almost making Chicago laugh in the murder and crime rate, people drive like shit here and all the major roads are always under construction. I live just south of Houston but unfortunately work in Houston. My mom ask me years ago why I always carry a pistol, I told her to just watch the news. Actually had to pull it on a crack head that was in the gated parking lot at work. He walked in un noticed behind another guy pulling in. He was walking around with some of the managers behind him, they were on the phone with the police. He tried getting in another guys truck and then walked up to mine as I was backing in a spot. I flashed my pistol and said walk away, he kept coming, so I pulled it from my holster and hit the sure fire on him. Thankfully he got the clue and turned around and left the parking lot. Took me a few minutes to calm down after that, but luckily it ended with me not shooting and him walking away and the cops finally picking him up.

 

[Warped]

Actually had to pull it on a crack head that was in the gated parking lot at work.

My work had a gated parking lot surrounded by armed guards with M4s and 9mms. Thankfully, I wasn't working there when some terrorist thought it was a good idea to shoot up those waiting at a light to get inside. Yeah, Houston and DC traffic are always ranked as the worst of the worst. We weren't allowed to carry.

 

[XJADDICTION]

Im from Knoxville, and Nashville is lost to the yankee hoard. The city "managers" should be proud of how phuked up the city is now...its a mess, most of us born and bred wont go near it anymore.

Truth

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