Julie Dalbec: From one out-of-stater to another, wear your mask and be respectful 431

It was great to read this article from an out of stater. My daughter lives here in the valley and has been here around 12 years or so. I spend about 8 or 9 months of the year here with her and I love it here. I also happen to be from Pittsfield Massachusetts. It is disgraceful what I have seen occurring here with visitors leaving trash all over including on the roads thrown from cars. There is also problems with rudeness and threatening behavior by these visitors. Locals suffer from long lines, and empty shelves at the stores traffic so heavy they have difficulty getting anything accomplished. Also what once was available to them is now taken over and so they are denied these basic things which was once their enjoyment such as the rivers and trails. I’m ashamed to say a good many of them are from Massachusetts. I hear often the label Massholes, I’m sorry to say that in many cases it has been well earned. My license plate gives me away as one of them, though I am respectful and responsible and love it here. I apologize for what others have done, but please don’t lump us all in the same category.

I am also a MA resident who has opted to stay home rather than clogging your trash cans, portable toilets, and natural attractions. And just so you know, I would NEVER urinate on someone's lawn. Granted, because I'm not there, I'm not spending money in local businesses, but I want to respect your local area the way that I hope everyone else will respect mine. I apologize for any untoward behavior caused by people visiting from my neck of the woods.