From where you are living now, what are the three closest states that you have
never driven even a mile in. I took out the measuring tools of Google Earth, and found that my three closest states were:
- Missouri
- Kansas (by just a couple of miles)
- Mississippi
The only state in which I was driven in, but did not drive, is Oklahoma. I have driven in all 49 of the other states.
Canadian Provinces:
Quebec: I have been driven in and walked into Quebec, but I have not driven myself.
PEI: Been driven in, but I did not drive.
Manitoba: Have not visited.
Mexican Estados:
Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila: Not visited
1. Montana
2. Idaho
3. Arkansas
Tennessee
Kentucky
Indiana
Chihuahua
Sonora
Coahuila
North Carolina
Kentucky
Michigan
Texas
Louisiana
Minnesota
In the U.S. (though I have been a passenger):
Florida
Hawaii
Including Canadian provinces
1. New Brunswick
2. Prince Edward Island
3. Nova Scotia
New Jersey (although I was on a charter bus there)
Delaware
Connecticut
I'm not sure whether Rhode Island or Vermont is closer to home. I've been a passenger in both of those on family vacations as a kid, but I haven't driven in either.
The next-closest after those is Michigan, which falls into the same category (I've only been there once, on a family vacation when I was 14 that included a trip to Isle Royale).
Taking a cue from corco to add Canadian provinces: 1. New Brunswick; 2. PEI; 3. Newfoundland. (Again, I've been a passenger in all three, mostly recently on a 1989 Boy Scout trip to PEI for the Canadian Jamboree–we drove from Virginia to PEI and, while I was old enough to drive, the troop's liability insurance would not provide coverage if someone under age 18 were to drive.)
Since I've now revisited all the states I hit on family trips as a teenager, the only three I have not driven in are the three I have never been to, Alaska, Hawaii, and West Virginia.
In order of increasing distance: New Jersey, Minnesota (almost identical distance for these two), and South Carolina. Alabama is a very close fourth.
I've driven in Ontario and Quebec. All the other Canadian provinces are farther from me than these states.
Here are mine:
1. Alabama
2. Florida (the only state I have been to with a driver's license but not driven in)
3. New Mexico
To be fair, however, there are 3 Mexican provinces that are all closer to where I live than the 3 above states, which are:
1. Tamaliupas
2. Nuevo León
3. Coahuila
Oregon
Idaho
Utah
Missouri
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Missouri (passenger only)
South Dakota
Nebraska
Michigan
(Ontario)
Nebraska
(Manitoba)
Missouri
I've been to Manitoba and Nebraska, but both were before I got my license.
Chihuahua
Baja California Sur
Sinaloa
All are closer to me (as is most of Mexico) to the only US state in which I have not driven, which is Alaska.
Mine (distances approximate as the crow flies)
(Quebec 235 miles)
(Ontario 255 miles)
(New Brunswick 370 miles)
(Nova Scotia 375 miles)
North Carolina 385 miles
Ohio 395 miles
Michigan 513 miles
Been to Quebec and North Carolina before I got my license. Rest I haven't been to
Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey - on a charter bus for both my trips through these states
Been in 42 states, driven in 34 of them
Nebraska
Kansas
Utah
From home base in Maryland, distance as the crow flies. Including any Canadian provinces that could make the list.
Illinois (was there for a conference, flew into Midway and only rode shuttle busses. It was flat.)
Wisconsin (have never visited; maybe this September?)
(New Brunswick)
(Nova Scotia)
Missouri (changed planes at Lambert; never left the airport [on the ground].)
If I get Wisconsin this September, then Arkansas (never visited) moves into the top three.
1. Kansas
2. Nebraska
3. Oregon (passenger only)
Including Mexican states:
1. Chihuahua
2. Baja California (passenger only)
3. Sinaloa
*edit* I guess if I wanna get technical, Sonora should be #1 because I drove less than a mile; crossed into Agua Prieta by accident, turned around first chance I got and made a beeline back to the border. Customs agents had a jolly good time messing with me over that. .
1. (British Columbia - Should rectify this some time)
2. Arizona
3. New Mexico
4. (Northwest Territories)
5. (Nunavut)
6. Alaska
Florida
Manitoba
Nova Scotia
Alabama
Mississippi
Iowa
Quote from: ozarkman417 on July 17, 2023, 02:18:16 PM
Texas
Louisiana
Minnesota
These are the closest states for which I have not at least been in a car as a passenger. If we count states that I myself have not driven in, it becomes:
Illinois
Kentucky
Nebraska
Alaska
Hawai'i
Nebraska
---
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Yukon
---
Baja California
Baja California Sur
Sonora
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont :bigass:.
Occitania, Andorra, Madrid.
I've driven in all 50 states, so I will go with provinces/territories of Canada.
1) PEI
2) Newfoundland
3) NU is closer but driving there seems unlikely for anyone, so I'll go with NWT
Alaska, Hawaii, and Delaware, simply because they're the only 3 states in which I have not driven a vehicle.
1. Indiana (though I have as a passenger)
2. Ohio
3. Maryland
Never been in any of these states as a driver or traveler.
1. Wisconsin
2. Minnesota
3. Iowa
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 10:04:46 AM
3) NU is closer but driving there seems unlikely for anyone, so I'll go with NWT
Other than Oscar, right? I'm actually toying with the idea of burning some miles to go up there in the next few years.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 18, 2023, 12:48:28 PM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 10:04:46 AM
3) NU is closer but driving there seems unlikely for anyone, so I'll go with NWT
Other than Oscar, right? I'm actually toying with the idea of burning some miles to go up there in the next few years.
Is there a way other than flying into a village and renting a car to drive the immediate area? I have to admit, I've never really investigated beyond Google Maps telling me I can't drive there.
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 12:52:07 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 18, 2023, 12:48:28 PM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 10:04:46 AM
3) NU is closer but driving there seems unlikely for anyone, so I'll go with NWT
Other than Oscar, right? I'm actually toying with the idea of burning some miles to go up there in the next few years.
Is there a way other than flying into a village and renting a car to drive the immediate area? I have to admit, I've never really investigated beyond Google Maps telling me I can't drive there.
Unless you can get access to the Contwoyto Ice Road, flying in is the only way, yeah. Edit - Looks like the ice road no longer goes all the way to Nunavut.
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
Hawai'i and Alaska. Everything else has been driven from home.
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and DC. I flew into BWI to visit a friend in 2014, and have not driven in those states on any other trips.
1. (Saskatchewan)
2. Alaska
3. Colorado
4. North Dakota
All four are also places I have not visited. The closest state I have visited (and been outside the airport) without personally driving is Illinois.
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
Alberta and Quebec. I've never driven in a U.S. state without also starting from home.
The closest is easy: Nebraska. Beyond that, it's iffy. A family vacation took me into South Dakota and Wyoming in 1991, but I don't remember if I was ever behind the wheel in those states or not. I also can't remember if I drove in Arizona or Nevada on that trip. Assuming I did, then definitely Oregon and Washington, the only two of the lower 48 I've never visited. I've also been in California, but never drove there.
A few questions: Is the question have you been to the state, but didn't drive? Is the qualifier literally driving (being in the driver's seat) so being a passenger doesn't count? I would assume being a passenger would qualify because this being a road forum, I thought the qualifier would be you didn't see any of the roads.
Anyway:
Minnesota is the only state I have been to but didn't drive. Had a layover more than once at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.
Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Oregon are the only lower 48 states I haven't been to so they can qualify since I obviously haven't driven in those states.
I have been in a car in Tamaulipas and Coahuila, but I wasn't driving.
I have been to Nuevo Leon and Baja California but wasn't in a car at all.
I have never been to Sonora.
It seems strange to think of it, but I have never driven in Nebraska nor Iowa. I've always just been a passenger in the vehicle.
Oklahoma would have been next on the list, but I drove through it earlier this year.
I've also only flown in and out of airports in Minnesota and Wisconsin, so they'd be next on the list.
I understand Jim to be hypothesizing that you go on a car (or RV or van or whatever) trip in which you start at home and the question is, on all such trips, what states are there in which you have not driven? To give an example of a trip that would not count, in September/October 2015 I drove in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, but my wife and I flew to Albuquerque, rented an SUV, and drove to Phoenix via Four Corners, the Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon; after visiting relatives in Phoenix, we flew home from there. So that trip doesn't count because we didn't drive from home. (This makes sense to me given that if you view Jim's website, you'll understand why Hawaii is the only state he lists–if you live in the 48 contiguous states or Alaska, Hawaii is the only state you cannot reach by driving from home the entire way.)
Using that understanding as the criterion, my answers are Texas, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Michigan (adding Canadian provinces adds New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland). On all those trips my father was doing the driving.
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
Oof. So...
OK: Haven't driven in, but was a passenger.
AZ, NM, : Drove home
from a one-way trip back (flew out, drove back).
AK, HI: Flew out, drove around, flew back
SD, NE, WY, WA, OR: I was a passenger on a trip(s) and then only drove here on a fly out, drive around, fly back trip.
The other 40 states count.
Had one trip where we flew out to UT from NY, drove with my SIL's family back to OH, and then flew back to NY that threw me off...
1. North Dakota
2. Oklahoma
3. Arkansas
Only went to North Dakota once as a kid and never went to Oklahoma or Arkansas.
1 Wisconsin
2 Minnesota
3 Quebec
4 Delaware
Only a few miles difference between 3 and 4
Given that I've barely driven (only have a learners permit)- Rhode Island probably.
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 18, 2023, 02:17:15 PM
I understand Jim to be hypothesizing that you go on a car (or RV or van or whatever) trip in which you start at home and the question is, on all such trips, what states are there in which you have not driven?
Yes, that was my intent.
For several years, my only travels in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, were on a trip where I flew to Jackson for a conference in Vicksburg. I was able to tack on a day to my rental car to check out that area. At that time, those states would have been part of my set. I've driven to each multiple times on trips starting at home in the 25 years since.
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
The answer for me is none. I love to drive and I am 99% driving. Especially now that we have a Class A motorhome, I am the only one that can drive it.
I had to really think about this one.
Kentucky (was driven through a few times as a child, passed through Cincinnati airport in 2004)
Florida (never been)
Lousiana (never been)
That may change in the near future, as the wife wants to clinch those states, and Alaska and Hawaii at some point. (She also wants to get the rest of Canada's provinces, she has three so far. I'm still not sure she grasps how big and spread out Canada is.)
Interesting, with Jim's intent in mind my list is still:
In the U.S. (though I have been a passenger):
Florida
Hawaii
Including Canadian provinces
1. New Brunswick
2. Prince Edward Island
3. Nova Scotia
I've driven to every state I've driven in from my house at some point in time.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 18, 2023, 01:11:35 PM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
Hawai'i and Alaska. Everything else has been driven from home.
If I include Canadian provinces and territories in addition to U.S. states, without taking a ferry, these are those that I haven't driven from home:
Northwest Territories - 1,843 miles (Have not visited)
Alaska (driving to Hyder) - 2,025 miles (Flown into)
Yukon - 2,176 miles (Have not visited)
New Brunswick - 2,198 miles (Flew into PHL and then road tripped)
Nova Scotia - 2,506 miles (Flew into PHL and then road tripped)
Prince Edward Island - 2,531 miles (Flew into PHL and then road tripped)
Newfoundland and Labrador - 2,620 miles (Have not visited)
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 19, 2023, 10:40:07 AM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
The answer for me is none. I love to drive and I am 99% driving. Especially now that we have a Class A motorhome, I am the only one that can drive it.
How did you drive from home to Hawaii?
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 08:36:51 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 18, 2023, 02:17:15 PM
I understand Jim to be hypothesizing that you go on a car (or RV or van or whatever) trip in which you start at home and the question is, on all such trips, what states are there in which you have not driven?
Yes, that was my intent.
For several years, my only travels in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, were on a trip where I flew to Jackson for a conference in Vicksburg. I was able to tack on a day to my rental car to check out that area. At that time, those states would have been part of my set. I've driven to each multiple times on trips starting at home in the 25 years since.
BTW, for purposes of my answer to your scenario, I was assuming that connections via car ferries don't break the chain of your driving the whole way, such that (for example) taking the CAT Ferry from Portland to Nova Scotia counts as a trip where you "drove to Nova Scotia from home" even though you didn't go through New Brunswick in either direction. I view it as counting because you drive your car onto, and off of, the ferry.
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 19, 2023, 12:58:00 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 19, 2023, 10:40:07 AM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
The answer for me is none. I love to drive and I am 99% driving. Especially now that we have a Class A motorhome, I am the only one that can drive it.
How did you drive from home to Hawaii?
By living in Hawai'i?
Quote from: ZLoth on July 17, 2023, 12:41:02 PM
From where you are living now, what are the three closest states that you have never driven even a mile in.
The only three states I have never driven in are:
- Arizona (only made a connection at PHX)
- Oregon (only made a connection at PDX)
- Utah (one connection at SLC, one lobbying trip to the Capitol where I wasn't the driver)
If expanded to include Canadian provinces, then the three closest would be NB, NS, and PEI.
With the alternate question of "states not driven from home", the three closest are LA, ND, and SD. Air travel has also been involved to my trips to MT, WY, ID, UT, AZ, WA, OR, NV, CA, AK, and HI.
In Canada, I've still only been to ON and QC, both of which have been reached in road trips that started/ended at "home".
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 19, 2023, 01:06:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 19, 2023, 12:58:00 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 19, 2023, 10:40:07 AM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
The answer for me is none. I love to drive and I am 99% driving. Especially now that we have a Class A motorhome, I am the only one that can drive it.
How did you drive from home to Hawaii?
By living in Hawai'i?
D'oh. Talk about something obvious (assuming it's accurate as to ethanhopkin14).
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 19, 2023, 01:36:01 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 19, 2023, 01:06:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 19, 2023, 12:58:00 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 19, 2023, 10:40:07 AM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
The answer for me is none. I love to drive and I am 99% driving. Especially now that we have a Class A motorhome, I am the only one that can drive it.
How did you drive from home to Hawaii?
By living in Hawai'i?
D'oh. Talk about something obvious (assuming it's accurate as to ethanhopkin14).
The question was what states have I not driven in that I drove to...short version.
The answer is none. I have driven in every US state I have been to on a road trip. I have not been to Hawaii.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 19, 2023, 01:42:34 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 19, 2023, 01:36:01 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 19, 2023, 01:06:19 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 19, 2023, 12:58:00 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 19, 2023, 10:40:07 AM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home? My list is short: Hawaii. I've driven to and in all others at some point on the same trip.
The answer for me is none. I love to drive and I am 99% driving. Especially now that we have a Class A motorhome, I am the only one that can drive it.
How did you drive from home to Hawaii?
By living in Hawai'i?
D'oh. Talk about something obvious (assuming it's accurate as to ethanhopkin14).
The question was what states have I not driven in that I drove to...short version.
The answer is none. I have driven in every US state I have been to on a road trip. I have not been to Hawaii.
*facedesk*
This one is easy.
- Ohio
- Kentucky
- Alabama (idk if this or Indiana is closer lol)
Quote from: Rothman on July 19, 2023, 02:31:20 PM
Quote from: Jim on July 18, 2023, 01:10:35 PM
An alternative version of the question at hand: what states have you not driven in on a trip in which you drove there from your home?
*facedesk*
What am I missing here? The question is WHAT STATES HAVE YOU NOT DRIVEN IN ON A TRIP WHICH YOU HAVE DROVE THERE FROM YOUR HOME?
So, excluding the states I have not been to (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Iowa, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii) because obviously they don't count due to the nature of the question because in order to be not driving in the state (the way that is worded is you are in the state but not driving), you have to be in the state.... With that, every state I have driven to from my house, I have driven in at some point. Maybe the first time I visited I was a passenger, then years later I returned on a trip originating from my house and drove in that state on that separate trip. But every US state, I have driven in when I was on a road trip. I still have not driven in Tamaulipas or Nuevo Leon; I either was a passenger or was carless in those situations.
Basically, the question is you were on a road trip across multiple states, and you traded off driving responsibilities. One tradeoff, your driving buddy took the reins across the entire state of ____. This was true for me the first time I went to St. Louis. My friend and I switched out in Illinois, and he drove all the way across Missouri. I woke up and we were in Oklahoma, and we switched again. Just a few months later my brother and I drove through Missouri, and I was driving so that got crossed off the list.
That's how I read the question. A state I visited but didn't drive in it; qualifier: it has to be a road trip originated from my residence, so flying to a location, renting a car and driving around doesn't count.
I'm still confused. As soon as you enter a state that you drove from your home... you've driven in it. The list should be empty for everyone.
Wow, I guess my variation was much more ambiguous than I thought. Sorry about that. So I guess there are three categories for candidate answers.
1) The original: what states have you not driven in?
2) My intent: what states have you never driven to from your home (whether or not you've been there or not by other means)?
3) One alternate interpretation: what states have you been to but never driven in from your home?
Interesting case that state of Hawaii. I guess it would be the case that people who have lived there have driven there from home. Those who've lived only in Hawaii haven't driven anywhere else from home. Personally, I'd count a ferry where I and my car traveled together. I don't know if such a thing exists from the North American mainland to Hawaii accomplished by something like booking passage for yourself on the same cargo ship that's transporting your car.
Only state I've not driven in is Alaska, and if I ever do, I don't think I'll be taking the AlCan to get there.
Closest states to home in which I haven't driven in at all:
Nevada (didn't drive), Alaska (haven't visited); but have personally driven a vehicle in every other US state (48). Outside the US, probably my closest not-visited estado/province from home is either Tamaulipas or Quebec. A rough check on Google Maps shows they're about a 10 mile trip difference in mileage, which really surprised me!
Driven to from my home:
I have not driven directly to Oklahoma nor Texas from home, and I suppose Maryland would be the next closest. I've personally driven from my home to "only" 21 states + DC; either I fly for work to many states, or I was just a unlicensed passenger through several others.
Quote from: 1 on July 19, 2023, 04:26:31 PM
I'm still confused. As soon as you enter a state that you drove from your home... you've driven in it. The list should be empty for everyone.
That depends on how literally you are taking the words "you drove." If it means you sat behind the wheel and operated the vehicle, then you're right. If instead means you travelled by motor vehicle the entire way in a trip originating at home, then you're wrong because if the possibility of being a passenger in a car being driven by someone else (that is, if my wife described our trip to St. Louis a few years ago, she'd almost certainly say "we drove" even though she didn't actually do any of the driving despite our taking her car–and I don't think there's anything wrong with her saying that, either, because that's how normal people talk).
Counting states I had been in with my parents driving when I was a child:
1. Alabama (212 mi)
2. Indiana (220 mi)
3. Illinois (336 mi)
Counting states I have only driven myself in:
1. Ohio (143 mi)
2. Alabama (212 mi)
3. Indiana (220 mi)
Michigan, Kentucky, and Missouri
Louisiana
Oklahoma
South Dakota
For me:
US States: New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia
Canadian provinces: Nova Scotia, PEI, and Manitoba.
I have also visited Rhode Island but I relied solely on public transit and my two legs for that trip.
There are a bunch of other states and provinces (including some of the above) I have visited by vehicular transport but I was not the driver.
There's a whole row of them from North Dakota down through Oklahoma that I've never set foot in, even to change planes at an airport, never mind driving. The "flyover states" are named that for a reason. Except I did go to Kansas when I was in Kansas City, MO, to buy a Coke or something, just to check Kansas off the list, but I couldn't have driven more than 5 miles in that state.
So the 3 closest would be:
Nebraska
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Having lived in California or Nevada since I got my driver's license I have never driven my own car east of I-25.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
The only two US states I haven't driven in are the only two I haven't been to at all: Alaska and Hawaii
Including Canada, the three closest I haven't driven in are the three closest I haven't been to, which are Manitoba, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
States?
-North Dakota
-Alaska
-Hawaii
And that's it.
Now, if we include Canadian provinces then it would be Manitoba and Saskatchewan. I've driven in most of the rest of the provinces (though no territories).
wyoming
nebraska
kansas
lol
North Carolina
South Carolina
Michigan
Had planned on knocking the top 2 out this summer, but plans got changed and we had to empty an AirBnB to turn back into a rent house. Would have replaced the top 2 with North Dakota and Pennsylvania otherwise.
I think North Dakota just might be the most common straggler in the lower 48. You have to really want to go there.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 02:46:10 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
I am sure people living there love to hear their state called a flyover state. "Your state is a means to get over it on my way from Los Angeles to New York." You know, the only real places in the country...... sometimes Chicago.....
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
If that's your opinion, you can just keep flyin' over. :rolleyes:
My list doesn't change with the admonition that I have to have started my trip from home. My only trip to Nebraska was flying into Omaha, my only trip to Iowa my dad was driving, and I've never been to South Dakota. I'm sure I'll check those off someday fairly soon now that I'm living in KCMO again, but for now they're glaring holes in my driving experience.
This also means I have to eliminate every state west of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado, as I've only flown to those and then driven, but those are farther away than my list, anyway. As far as the East Coast from living in briefly in Connecticut and then many years in Georgia, I've driven to or through the majority of states east of the Mississippi River. I'm missing Delaware, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. And I've flown to or been in the passenger seat for many of those.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 02:46:10 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
All well and good, buy people aren't traveling to pick up produce and barrels of oil. Every state has their importance to the nation, but to most travelers, they're "flyover states" for the facts you mentioned.
they also happen to be the three closest states I've never been to....
Arkansas
Nebraska
South Dakota
I've been to 45 states, and I believe I have driven in all of them, except Utah where all I've done is change planes.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 03:00:05 PM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 02:46:10 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
I am sure people living there love to hear their state called a flyover state. "Your state is a means to get over it on my way from Los Angeles to New York." You know, the only real places in the country...... sometimes Chicago.....
I understand the complaint and the perception of condescension. There are nice places to live in every state, and the people who choose to live in any specific location usually do so because they enjoy the physical environment, the culture, the weather, whatever, not so much because they are "stuck there" for some reason.
Living there is different from visiting though, and looking at some fairly objective ranking (hotel bookings) (https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-us-states-for-tourism-2014-10?op=1) we have (out of 51 "states" including D.C.):
#36 South Dakota
#41 Oklahoma
#43 North Dakota
#46 Kansas
#49 Nebraska
Pretty low considering that all those states are decently large by area. Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont are near the bottom of that list too, but they are tiny. So, yes, people fly over them on their way elsewhere.
Living in South Carolina, the closest three for me are Iowa, Minnesota, and Maine.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 03:30:53 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 03:00:05 PM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 02:46:10 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
I am sure people living there love to hear their state called a flyover state. "Your state is a means to get over it on my way from Los Angeles to New York." You know, the only real places in the country...... sometimes Chicago.....
I understand the complaint and the perception of condescension. There are nice places to live in every state, and the people who choose to live in any specific location usually do so because they enjoy the physical environment, the culture, the weather, whatever, not so much because they are "stuck there" for some reason.
Living there is different from visiting though, and looking at some fairly objective ranking (hotel bookings) (https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-us-states-for-tourism-2014-10?op=1) we have (out of 51 "states" including D.C.):
#36 South Dakota
#41 Oklahoma
#43 North Dakota
#46 Kansas
#49 Nebraska
Pretty low considering that all those states are decently large by area. Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont are near the bottom of that list too, but they are tiny. So, yes, people fly over them on their way elsewhere.
The problem with using a site like that to gauge tourism interest, is that there are many ways to travel in and stay in a state other than by car/SUV to stay in a hotel. In fact, hotels were quite recently shunned by many tourists for sanitary reasons as many folks stayed in AirBnBs/VRBOs as well as camped in tents or RVs to go to more remote destinations to avoid congregating. Thus, I'd say that this ranking is heavily skewed away from the reality of the 2020/2021/2022 Covid era. A lot of the middle of the country got visited by a lot more folks than was the case prior to Covid, and there is still a trend toward in-migration in the large to mid metros in the "flyover" states from the areas that got stupid expensive in housing. I know I see lots of out of state plates in NWA over and above the typical Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri through travellers we used to see predominantly, now get a lot from areas folks typically think of as more touristy or left-leaning. And I don't think it's just because the BVB got completed last year as it started during Covid before the completion of I-49.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 02:46:10 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
Eh, I think there are about 30 flyover states, by my count.
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 03:30:53 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 03:00:05 PM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 02:46:10 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
I am sure people living there love to hear their state called a flyover state. "Your state is a means to get over it on my way from Los Angeles to New York." You know, the only real places in the country...... sometimes Chicago.....
I understand the complaint and the perception of condescension. There are nice places to live in every state, and the people who choose to live in any specific location usually do so because they enjoy the physical environment, the culture, the weather, whatever, not so much because they are "stuck there" for some reason.
Living there is different from visiting though, and looking at some fairly objective ranking (hotel bookings) (https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-us-states-for-tourism-2014-10?op=1) we have (out of 51 "states" including D.C.):
#36 South Dakota
#41 Oklahoma
#43 North Dakota
#46 Kansas
#49 Nebraska
Pretty low considering that all those states are decently large by area. Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont are near the bottom of that list too, but they are tiny. So, yes, people fly over them on their way elsewhere.
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
The term doesn't bother me. As a born and raised Midwesterner, unless you're from there, you wouldn't realize the nice stuff to go see and therefore you don't visit. A lot of friends who have visited KC with me from out here in Colorado were surprised a) how nice it was and b) how much stuff there was to do.
A couple of European friends did a U.S. roadtrip and their favorite places on the trip were all Midwestern and they hit up every region in the continental U.S. If you know, you know.
I never visited either North Dakota or South Dakota until I was almost 25 despite living in a state that borders them my entire life.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 04:18:14 PM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 03:30:53 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 03:00:05 PM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 26, 2023, 02:46:10 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 10:49:18 AM
Quote from: gonealookin on July 25, 2023, 07:23:29 PM
The "flyover states" are named that for a reason.
Spoken like a true Californian......or Nevadian on the state line.
The disrespect is strong.
Well, yeah.
Those five states from ND down to OK have a lot of commonality of interest, primarily agriculture and to some extent oil. It's reflected too in the fact that their Congressional representation by party affiliation is 10-0 in the Senate and 13-1 in the House. I know the Founding Fathers set up the Senate that way to make sure small states had a voice in national politics. Their political influence is way out of whack though; if you combine the five states into a single State of Flyover, it's still only the #10 state in the union by population. Merge 'em and you have a single cohesive and fairly powerful state, and by reducing Senate representation from 10/100 to 2/92 you have more rationality in national politics.
I am sure people living there love to hear their state called a flyover state. "Your state is a means to get over it on my way from Los Angeles to New York." You know, the only real places in the country...... sometimes Chicago.....
I understand the complaint and the perception of condescension. There are nice places to live in every state, and the people who choose to live in any specific location usually do so because they enjoy the physical environment, the culture, the weather, whatever, not so much because they are "stuck there" for some reason.
Living there is different from visiting though, and looking at some fairly objective ranking (hotel bookings) (https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-us-states-for-tourism-2014-10?op=1) we have (out of 51 "states" including D.C.):
#36 South Dakota
#41 Oklahoma
#43 North Dakota
#46 Kansas
#49 Nebraska
Pretty low considering that all those states are decently large by area. Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont are near the bottom of that list too, but they are tiny. So, yes, people fly over them on their way elsewhere.
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
*shrug*
If someone wants to spend a night in jail, that's on them. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 26, 2023, 04:36:54 PM
The term doesn't bother me. As a born and raised Midwesterner, unless you're from there, you wouldn't realize the nice stuff to go see and therefore you don't visit. A lot of friends who have visited KC with me from out here in Colorado were surprised a) how nice it was and b) how much stuff there was to do.
A couple of European friends did a U.S. roadtrip and their favorite places on the trip were all Midwestern and they hit up every region in the continental U.S. If you know, you know.
They're also comparatively stress-free places, from my travel and work experiences...
As a co-worker from New Jersey told me, "...if I'm training someone in the Northeast and South and they curse at me, I expect it; we've met at each others' level! If I'm in the Midwest and someone curses at me, I probably have to rethink my life and cry myself to sleep."
Steering back toward the topic: Georgia (have been when I was a kid, but never drove there), South Carolina, and Iowa.
Connecticut, Kentucky and Tennessee, although I've been to all three.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 04:18:14 PM
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say that my state is full of coastal elites and blah blah blah, but I'm not going to get violently upset over it. Usually a general statement like that is going to be wrong and is not to be taken that way.
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 04:18:14 PM
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say that my state is full of coastal elites and blah blah blah, but I'm not going to get violently upset over it. Usually a general statement like that is going to be wrong and is not to be taken that way.
It's more of an expression, not about someone being or not being violent with anyone. Once again, the point is being ignored while we argue over whether or not violence is the answer.
Back to the subject of this thread: New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. I have driven in my home state of Massachusetts on a learner's permit.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:27:02 AM
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 04:18:14 PM
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say that my state is full of coastal elites and blah blah blah, but I'm not going to get violently upset over it. Usually a general statement like that is going to be wrong and is not to be taken that way.
It's more of an expression, not about someone being or not being violent with anyone. Once again, the point is being ignored while we argue over whether or not violence is the answer.
Dear heavens, there were other arguments on here where allegedly metaphorical threats of violence distracted from one of the points being made? Perhaps the solution is for the participant to cease making such allegedly metaphorical threats of violence...
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:27:02 AM
.... whether or not violence is the answer.
Everyone knows it's the only thing that'll make you see sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93z8Xj7T9u8
Quote from: Rothman on July 27, 2023, 10:35:38 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:27:02 AM
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 04:18:14 PM
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say that my state is full of coastal elites and blah blah blah, but I'm not going to get violently upset over it. Usually a general statement like that is going to be wrong and is not to be taken that way.
It's more of an expression, not about someone being or not being violent with anyone. Once again, the point is being ignored while we argue over whether or not violence is the answer.
Dear heavens, there were other arguments on here where allegedly metaphorical threats of violence distracted from one of the points being made? Perhaps the solution is for the participant to cease making such allegedly metaphorical threats of violence...
Yes:
Quote from: Rothman on July 26, 2023, 05:24:40 PM
*shrug*
If someone wants to spend a night in jail, that's on them. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say blah blah blah.
Both these responses delved into the philosophical reasons behind using violence and why those find it barbaric. Meanwhile my whole reason for bringing it up is, to be blunt, just stop calling people's home states "flyover states". How dare I make an overdone expression while everyone defends disrespecting someone's home? The irony is thick.
For the record, I never threated violence on anyone. It's the ol "I don't care what you say, but you go over to them boys over there and say that and they may send you to the hospital." Take it as advice when you sling around "flyover state" to the wrong person, just sayin.
I don't even know why I care. I don't live in one of those states, so it doesn't offend me personally. I guess I just don't like people saying to other people "I use your back yard to take a crap in."
Maybe just think about it next time you call them "flyover states". It comes off very "east and west coast is all that matters", aka pompous and arrogant, and I just can't stand arrogance.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:51:57 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 27, 2023, 10:35:38 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:27:02 AM
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 04:18:14 PM
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say that my state is full of coastal elites and blah blah blah, but I'm not going to get violently upset over it. Usually a general statement like that is going to be wrong and is not to be taken that way.
It's more of an expression, not about someone being or not being violent with anyone. Once again, the point is being ignored while we argue over whether or not violence is the answer.
Dear heavens, there were other arguments on here where allegedly metaphorical threats of violence distracted from one of the points being made? Perhaps the solution is for the participant to cease making such allegedly metaphorical threats of violence...
Yes:
Quote from: Rothman on July 26, 2023, 05:24:40 PM
*shrug*
If someone wants to spend a night in jail, that's on them. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say blah blah blah.
Both these responses delved into the philosophical reasons behind using violence and why those find it barbaric. Meanwhile my whole reason for bringing it up is, to be blunt, just stop calling people's home states "flyover states". How dare I make an overdone expression while everyone defends disrespecting someone's home? The irony is thick.
For the record, I never threated violence on anyone. It's the ol "I don't care what you say, but you go over to them boys over there and say that and they may send you to the hospital." Take it as advice when you sling around "flyover state" to the wrong person, just sayin.
I don't even know why I care. I don't live in one of those states, so it doesn't offend me personally. I guess I just don't like people saying to other people "I use your back yard to take a crap in."
Maybe just think about it next time you call them "flyover states". It comes off very "east and west coast is all that matters", aka pompous and arrogant, and I just can't stand arrogance.
Then I find your stereotyping of people from flyover states as eager to punch someone's jaw when an offensive term is used equally pompous and arrogant.
Quote from: Rothman on July 27, 2023, 11:00:54 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:51:57 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 27, 2023, 10:35:38 AM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:27:02 AM
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 26, 2023, 04:18:14 PM
I don't care about the stats or the tourism data or whatever you have to use to justify you using that term. My only point is using the term "flyover state" is derogatory to one's home and can lead you to your jaw being relocated if you say it to the right individual.
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say that my state is full of coastal elites and blah blah blah, but I'm not going to get violently upset over it. Usually a general statement like that is going to be wrong and is not to be taken that way.
It's more of an expression, not about someone being or not being violent with anyone. Once again, the point is being ignored while we argue over whether or not violence is the answer.
Dear heavens, there were other arguments on here where allegedly metaphorical threats of violence distracted from one of the points being made? Perhaps the solution is for the participant to cease making such allegedly metaphorical threats of violence...
Yes:
Quote from: Rothman on July 26, 2023, 05:24:40 PM
*shrug*
If someone wants to spend a night in jail, that's on them. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Quote from: Bruce on July 26, 2023, 10:44:23 PM
Getting physical because of some vague words that aren't going to affect you personally is the sign of an inferiority complex.
Plenty of people say blah blah blah.
Both these responses delved into the philosophical reasons behind using violence and why those find it barbaric. Meanwhile my whole reason for bringing it up is, to be blunt, just stop calling people's home states "flyover states". How dare I make an overdone expression while everyone defends disrespecting someone's home? The irony is thick.
For the record, I never threated violence on anyone. It's the ol "I don't care what you say, but you go over to them boys over there and say that and they may send you to the hospital." Take it as advice when you sling around "flyover state" to the wrong person, just sayin.
I don't even know why I care. I don't live in one of those states, so it doesn't offend me personally. I guess I just don't like people saying to other people "I use your back yard to take a crap in."
Maybe just think about it next time you call them "flyover states". It comes off very "east and west coast is all that matters", aka pompous and arrogant, and I just can't stand arrogance.
Then I find your stereotyping of people from flyover states as eager to punch someone's jaw when an offensive term is used equally pompous and arrogant.
IT WAS JUST AN EXPRESSION! I never said anyone was going to do anything. It was just a way to say don't call them flyover states to just anyone walking down the streets, it might offend.
You know what, call them whatever you want. I was going to bat for those that live in those states, but as usual, no good deed goes unpunished.
OK, enough arguing here please.
The term "flyover states" goes back at least 40 years and was always a bit elitist while being descriptive as well. Basically coastal people (most, but not all, elites) refering to all those states they never visited as they jet their way from coast to coast. In 1975 or 1980, that's often the way they traveled and few actually ever visited places like Iowa or Kansas or even Wisconsin.
Nowadays, the meaning is still literal but also more of a perjorative than in the past. This is why some people may see it as simply descriptive while others see it as insulting.
Quote from: StogieGuy7 on July 27, 2023, 01:30:52 PM
OK, enough arguing here please.
The term "flyover states" goes back at least 40 years and was always a bit elitist while being descriptive as well. Basically coastal people (most, but not all, elites) refering to all those states they never visited as they jet their way from coast to coast. In 1975 or 1980, that's often the way they traveled and few actually ever visited places like Iowa or Kansas or even Wisconsin.
Nowadays, the meaning is still literal but also more of a perjorative than in the past. This is why some people may see it as simply descriptive while others see it as insulting.
I prefer not to educate the ignorant on their usage of terms like flyover states, lest they move here and drive up my cost of living.
Considering that I don't drive, that would be Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:51:57 AM
For the record, I never threated violence on anyone. It's the ol "I don't care what you say, but you go over to them boys over there and say that and they may send you to the hospital." Take it as advice when you sling around "flyover state" to the wrong person, just sayin.
I don't even know why I care. I don't live in one of those states, so it doesn't offend me personally. I guess I just don't like people saying to other people "I use your back yard to take a crap in."
Maybe just think about it next time you call them "flyover states". It comes off very "east and west coast is all that matters", aka pompous and arrogant, and I just can't stand arrogance.
I was somewhat listening to your argument...until here. Now I completely disagree with it. Just thinking of the assumption that saying Flyover State would result in a punch to the mouth, when
you don't even live in such a state, is more pompous and arrogant than the actual phrase.
It goes along the lines of a few other things that I am bothered by:
- People that wonder if the colorblind can't understand certain conditions, like a bi-modal traffic light, even though they've been in use for about 4 or 5 decades and there's no record, study or crash history whatsoever of the colorblind actually having an issue.
- People that see a sign or condition, often on a GSV find, and have a negative thought of it. Locals who may be much more familiar with the sign or condition explain it and try to explain that it doesn't cause issues, are thus vehemently disagreed with, mostly by others that are defending the OP's position and who also have no experience with the sign/condition, making the local knowledge and explanation useless.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 27, 2023, 09:45:56 PM
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 27, 2023, 10:51:57 AM
For the record, I never threated violence on anyone. It's the ol "I don't care what you say, but you go over to them boys over there and say that and they may send you to the hospital." Take it as advice when you sling around "flyover state" to the wrong person, just sayin.
I don't even know why I care. I don't live in one of those states, so it doesn't offend me personally. I guess I just don't like people saying to other people "I use your back yard to take a crap in."
Maybe just think about it next time you call them "flyover states". It comes off very "east and west coast is all that matters", aka pompous and arrogant, and I just can't stand arrogance.
I was somewhat listening to your argument...until here. Now I completely disagree with it. Just thinking of the assumption that saying Flyover State would result in a punch to the mouth, when you don't even live in such a state, is more pompous and arrogant than the actual phrase.
It goes along the lines of a few other things that I am bothered by:
- People that wonder if the colorblind can't understand certain conditions, like a bi-modal traffic light, even though they've been in use for about 4 or 5 decades and there's no record, study or crash history whatsoever of the colorblind actually having an issue.
- People that see a sign or condition, often on a GSV find, and have a negative thought of it. Locals who may be much more familiar with the sign or condition explain it and try to explain that it doesn't cause issues, are thus vehemently disagreed with, mostly by others that are defending the OP's position and who also have no experience with the sign/condition, making the local knowledge and explanation useless.
It's not like I haven't visited those states. I have and they are wonderful. I even actually have family in Oklahoma. So, you are saying I can't have an opinion that calling someone's state a means to get to somewhere else much more important is insulting and condescending, all because I don't live there? You make it seem like I have never been there or don't know how people would react to their home treated like that.
I guess I can't put words in their mouth, but calling the portion of this country that produces food for the entire country and actually keeps the economy going a wasteland is just wrong.
Sorry I used "punch in the mouth" as my reference. Shoulda said "a stern talking to". I forget how sensitive this forum is.
Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on July 28, 2023, 12:08:29 PM
I guess I can't put words in their mouth, but calling the portion of this country that produces food for the entire country and actually keeps the economy going a wasteland is just wrong.
Oh good effing grief. I used the term, and I apologize to the OP for knocking his legitimate thread off course. I don't make a lot of comments that upset people, usually let them call me "ignorant" or "dumb" or whatever and leave it at that, but saying you "can't put words in my mouth" and then suggesting I called some states a "wasteland" is too much even for me.
The general notion of the thread is to ask for a list of some states one hasn't been to as a visitor, and I mentioned the states I did because I have never seen any specific reason to visit them. It does not suggest in a tiny bit that they are somehow bad places to live or that the people who live there are basically incarcerated and can't escape to someplace better. I bet most people in those states love living there for numerous reasons, and I absolutely appreciate that they "produce food for the entire country and keep the economy going".
I know you said you don't care about statistics, but I presented some quick numerical evidence (hotel bookings) that suggests than ND down through OK are pretty low on the list of places that people from elsewhere find reason to visit. Stop claiming that use of that specific phrase denigrates the residents and says one thinks those places objectively suck, because that is absolutely not my opinion.
Your state sucks. You know I'm talking to you. (Not you, gonealookin)
But the Spirit of Massachusetts is the Spirit of America, so all you other states suck.
Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska
I have not been to 8 states.
Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming (have been in Texas (DFW) airport but not outside of security so I don't count that)
I do intend to visit all these other states at some point, when life allows. They all have things I want to see.
But the opportunity hasn't presented itself yet, either business-wise or pleasure-wise. I still have a few years to work.
And even the ones I have been to once, several, or many times, there is always more to see.
In all the states I have been to, I have also driven, so that just leaves the 8 states listed above as possible choices.
EDIT -I did not interpret the question in the first post as anything other than "what states have you not driven in that are closest to your house".
In the words of Minneapolis's Atmosphere, "it sucks where you think I'm from is wack, but as long as that's enough to keep your ass from coming back." I'm OK that people don't exactly want to come visit Minnesota like it's NYC or Disney. Duluth and the rest of the North Shore has become insane as it is.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 28, 2023, 05:04:46 PM
In the words of Minneapolis's Atmosphere, "it sucks where you think I'm from is wack, but as long as that's enough to keep your ass from coming back." I'm OK that people don't exactly want to come visit Minnesota like it's NYC or Disney. Duluth and the rest of the North Shore has become insane as it is.
You can say that again. I can't believe how tourism has boomed up there. I'm sure the state parks are just being trampled to death.
Nobody really wants to move to Tallahassee... and I honestly don't really blame them.
Mine was surprising. From central Louisiana:
1. Indiana
2. Nebraska
3. South Carolina
iPhone
Utah, Oregon and Washington (State) are ones I never driven in.
Just going to mention that the 3 closest jurisdictions for me are all Canadian provinces.
Wisconson Missouri and Mississippi
Wyoming, Montana, and Arizona. I've driven in a bunch of other places though.
To answer the Canadian Province question -
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba
(assuming SE corner of Manitoba is closer to DC area than the province of Newfoundland and Labrador)
I have driven in Quebec, Ontario, and a short distance in New Brunswick (went through SW corner of it when driving from Fort Kent ME (northern end of US 1) to Quebec City).
All of this was before 9/11, when it was a lot easier to drive across the international border.
Ironically, I had intended to go to Nova Scotia and PEI on one of those '90s drives but didn't, figured I'd be back but then things changed.
I also have driven within 5 feet of British Columbia but didn't enter -- was going west on a local road in Blaine Washington with the border fence immediately to my right. I remember there also being another road on the Canadian side. Don't see this on Google Maps though (I did this in the early 2010s. I have wondered if Google Maps accurately shows the border area).
That same hour I walked into Canada at the Peace Arch in the median of the road that becomes I-5 in the US. Would have loved to continue to Vancouver, but I had to get back to Seattle to fly out.
Quote from: tmoore952 on August 01, 2023, 03:40:35 PM
(assuming SE corner of Manitoba is closer to DC area than the province of Newfoundland and Labrador)
Looks like Labrador is about 100 miles closer.
I live in southeast Louisiana, so for me it's Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. We are planning a trip to all three of those states for later this month (plus North Dakota and a couple others), and after that trip I will have driven in all of the lower 48 states. That would leave only Alaska and Hawaii.
In Canada I've driven in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick, so the closest that I haven't driven in would be Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec.
And I already have to update, after having legally driven 130 km/h (81 mph)...
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on July 18, 2023, 05:49:13 AM
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont :bigass:.
Occitania, Andorra, Madrid, Balearic Islands.
Closest states I have not personally driven through:
Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky
US States:
1. New Mexico (last time there was 1984).
2. Alaska (not been yet).
3. N/A.
Canadian Provinces:
1. Quebec (not been yet).
2. Saskatchewan (not been yet).
3. New Brunswick (not been yet).
States/Provinces I haven't been a driver in:
1) West Virginia
2) Massachusetts - Haven't visited
3) Connecticut - Haven't visited
A) New Brunswick
B) Nova Scotia
C) PEI
For me it's Colorado, North Dakota and Arizona
Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi
To the original question, setting aside technicalities of whether I have driven there myself (I think I have driven in all but CA, MT, and TX, none of which are contiguous with the rest of my travels), it would be my three nearest unvisited states, which are:
1. North Carolina
2. South Carolina
3. Georgia
If we're including provinces, North Carolina is still #1, but New Brunswick is #2 and Nova Scotia is #3 (both closer than SC, surprisingly).
Quote from: BlueOutback7 on July 17, 2023, 02:06:03 PM
North Carolina
Kentucky
Michigan
Updating after 2 months
Indiana
Kentucky
Michigan
Hawaii. Alaska.