View Full Version : Hikers beware of Kent Green Laundromat
AT_Dreamin
07-15-2011, 13:51
My hiking partner and I stopped into this laundomat today to catch up our laundry and were instantly told we were not allowed on the front porch because we are hikers and that the manager does not care for hiker business. We were scolded loudly, to our embarrassment, not to lean on the clean tables as we will get them too dirty for others to fold their clothes. The manager stated clearly that she has "had a problem with hikers" and therefor feels justified in treating us differently than her other customers. We had done nothing at all to bring on this treatment other than wearing hiking boots and carrying a pack. We have found all other businesses here in Kent CT to be very hiker friendly and DO recommend visiting the town, just maybe do laundry elsewhere.It's amazing that most people along our journey treat us like celebrities...offering any help they can give or just wanting to hear our stories, while there are those few that can be quite hurtful.Hope this helps our fellow thru hikers a bit.Now...On to Maine we go!
mooseboy
07-15-2011, 14:01
I found some places in Kent friendly, a couple others stuffy towards hikers-- yeah, it's a bit more hoity-toity than most trail towns.
The really amusing part of this story is that this is a laundromat getting all uppity, not some hotel or restaurant!
DrRichardCranium
07-15-2011, 14:07
This isn't the first time I have heard about the Notorious Laundry Bitch of Kent, Connecticut.
AT_Dreamin
07-15-2011, 14:26
I've been made to feel unwelcome at a few other businesses along the way but this is the first time we've been looked in the eye and told that it's because we are hikers. With this extreme dislike for hikers I just felt like others should be informed. I think we leave close to $100.00 behind in each town we visit, seems to me it would pay to be a little more hiker friendly.
I was there in April and also had a bad experience. Do yourself a favor and don't go anywhere near that place.
the cops hang around there too. Don't get cought changing your clothes at the laundrymat. I'm sure there is a law against that.
Panzer
Ditto Kent, the store manager at the supermarket was not the friendliest, was insisting that I leave my (clean) pack outside, I kept talking to him as I picked up a few things. Not the friendliest town I have been in this far, SW VA - Central VT
Lone Wolf
07-15-2011, 20:32
the "hiking community", whatever that is, has brought this on themselves. gets worse as the years roll by. i see it here at the laundramat in damascus. their wet, dity, stinkin gear spread everywhere. drinkin' beer while half naked in front of lady senior citizens doing their laundry. thru-hikers have no respect for local businesses and townsfolks
fiddlehead
07-15-2011, 20:37
My cousin used to run a business near the trail.
He doesn't like hikers at all.
Mostly because of the stink.
Forget the celebrity stuff and just try to blend better.
Lone Wolf
07-15-2011, 20:42
My cousin used to run a business near the trail.
He doesn't like hikers at all.
Mostly because of the stink.
Forget the celebrity stuff and just try to blend better.back in the day when i got to a town the first thing i did was go shower, do laundry and put on fresh duds before goin' to eat/drink at at bar/restaurant. i would never just walk into a place just off the trail with my pack and sit down and commence eating and drinking. today's walkers think nothing of it. the scales are tipping. bad hikers are outweighing the good ones
Blissful
07-15-2011, 22:23
The postmaster at Kent was not friendly either to me but very gruff. But I had a business owner offer me free Internet, a townsperson tell me of a nearby campground for hikers, and the Chinese restaurant didn't care where my pack was and gave me good food. So not all of Kent is bad.
CrumbSnatcher
07-15-2011, 23:43
thru-hikers have no respect for local businesses and townsfolksthis is not how i operated, nothing but total respect and graditude towards buisness owners
don't bite the hand that feeds you. the problem is most thruhikers(mostly kids) know this is a one time deal(thruhike) for them and could care less what happens once they move on!
in general most kids these days have no manners and respect for s***
remember i said most not all!
Sierra Echo
07-15-2011, 23:47
The postmaster at Kent was not friendly either to me but very gruff. But I had a business owner offer me free Internet, a townsperson tell me of a nearby campground for hikers, and the Chinese restaurant didn't care where my pack was and gave me good food. So not all of Kent is bad.
Postmasters in general are cranky. You most likely just encountered a window clerk. Window clerks are some of the most unhappiest creatures on the planet.
Trailweaver
07-16-2011, 01:23
I don't live in a trail town, and the postal clerks here have an attitude! I cannot imagine what they'd do if a hiker came in to the P.O. It is a shame, though when a hiker town gets a bad reputation because of a few cranky folks.
Sierra Echo
07-16-2011, 07:33
I don't live in a trail town, and the postal clerks here have an attitude! I cannot imagine what they'd do if a hiker came in to the P.O. It is a shame, though when a hiker town gets a bad reputation because of a few cranky folks.
Oh, its not the hikers the window clerks don't like. Its everyone!
Nutbrown
07-16-2011, 08:48
Yeah, a lot are grumpy, but I would HATE to have their job for even an hour. It is true that there seems to be a general lack of respect from my generation, and those that have followed. (I'm 34). I hope to spend some family vacations in third world areas, to show my children how much they have to be thankful for. Maybe they won't turn out to be the entitled kids that are so prevelent in society today.
In regards to the op... It stinks that people are grumpy lots. The laundry nazi needs to take more warm baths.
CrumbSnatcher
07-16-2011, 08:58
i always found the post office employees on/near the trail alot more friendly than the ones in regular towns.
middle to middle
07-16-2011, 09:37
Life sucks and then you die !
atraildreamer
07-16-2011, 10:07
Hosts (the townsfolk) as well as guests (the hikers) have responsibilities to one another.
Try to be a good guest in town...not a pest. :eek:
Respect the town, and its customs, and you will get a better response from those people you encounter. :)
Clean up before you enter town, if possible, and clean up after yourself when using town facilities (laundromats, campsites, etc.).
Be courteous to all you encounter. The toughest LEO will often mellow out if you show him (or her) sincere (not sarcastic :rolleyes:) respect. Remember...they have to deal with a lot of troublemakers (both hikers and non-hikers) and are going to assume the worst unless you show them otherwise.
Someone is always watching you in a town. :-? They take note of the good, as well as the bad, hikers in town, and word gets around quickly in small towns. Show, by your actions, your willingness to be a good guest and you may get pleasantly surprised by a positive reaction from the townsfolk! :welcome :sun
max patch
07-16-2011, 10:43
The laundromat owners just didn't decide out of the blue that they didn't like hikers.
The laundromat owners have obviously had bad experiences with hikers in the past.
The focus of the thread started by the OP should not be to criticize the laundromat owners. The focus of the thread should be for hikers to act appropriately in town. What a hiker does in town affects all hikers that follow them.
Postmasters in general are cranky. You most likely just encountered a window clerk. Window clerks are some of the most unhappiest creatures on the planet.
Know who seems to be the crankiest of them all? Hikers that don't get their way and think everyone owes them extra because they're walking from Georgia to Maine. You'll even see some of them bitching on the internet about it.
Know who seems to be the crankiest of them all? Hikers that don't get their way and think everyone owes them extra because they're walking from Georgia to Maine. You'll even see some of them bitching on the internet about it.
The only time I've actually been embarrassed on the trail is when a hiker was raising hell with the postal clerk in Salisbury, CT - literally screaming at him at the top of his lungs - because the postal dude couldn't answer his question about a post office further up the trail.
There was a decent size line of regular townspeople and a few other hikers - it was very, very uncomfortable.
Undershaft
07-16-2011, 12:33
back in the day when i got to a town the first thing i did was go shower, do laundry and put on fresh duds before goin' to eat/drink at at bar/restaurant. i would never just walk into a place just off the trail with my pack and sit down and commence eating and drinking. today's walkers think nothing of it. the scales are tipping. bad hikers are outweighing the good ones
I do the same and I've never had a problem. I think you kind of have to "read" the town to get a vibe for what is and is not tolorated by the locals. I found Hot Springs to be very accomodating to smelly, dirty, half-naked hikers. Kent was NOT! It was obvious to me that Kent was a place to act as civilized as possible. I did not bring my nasty, grubby pack into the grocery store the because I instinctively knew it would be frowned upon. I didn't even try to do laundry. I grabbed some food, beer, and fuel then got right back on the trail where I could happily be smelly and dirty without imposing on anyone else. Basically hikers need to follow that old saying "when in (insert trail town here) do as the locals do" and a lot of these issues would cease to be.
I was there in April and also had a bad experience. Do yourself a favor and don't go anywhere near that place.
The town is nice, friendly, convenient and right on trail (some things are pricey, but the IGA's ok). Shouldn't let one unfriendly person ruin a good trail town's rep.
Non-hikers don't understand why you stink. They don't want stinkey hikers around them or their place of business. If you stink they will want you to leave.
Panzer
Non-hikers don't understand why you stink. They don't want stinkey hikers around them or their place of business. If you stink they will want you to leave.
Panzer
One of the problems is Kent is an expensive town without a cheap alternative to clean up. I'm really surprised you don't see more laundromats with showers since it's the type of business transients, campers etc use.
Since it appears the management has problems with hikers, I'll ask the Companion field editor for that section, if they can take a few minutes to talk to them about improving the relationship.
I was a non-hiker before I was a hiker. Treating people poorly because of how they look is wrong. I work retail and 90% of our theft comes from a specific sex/ethnicity/style category. I DO NOT treated everyone of that sex/ethnicity/style the same just because a majorty of my experiance with them has been as stated.
Old Grouse
07-16-2011, 20:24
Kent actually has some nice pubic bathrooms just behind the steer sculptures. Why not freshen up there before attempting to charm the locals?
I was a non-hiker before I was a hiker. Treating people poorly because of how they look is wrong. I work retail and 90% of our theft comes from a specific sex/ethnicity/style category. I DO NOT treated everyone of that sex/ethnicity/style the same just because a majorty of my experiance with them has been as stated.
In law enforcement circles that is called "racial profiling", just saying.
PennyPincher
07-16-2011, 20:39
Unfortunately I think the hikers who do the most damage to our community probably don't participate in fotms like this or belong to activist groups for the AT or other trails and likely will never learn the damage they are causing the community of hikers.
In law enforcement circles that is called "racial profiling", just saying.
Noticing it happening? Or treating people differently after? (I agree if you're talking about the latter.)
I can't help what I see. Humans learn from recognizing patterns. I can however choose to not change my actions/opinions just because I what notice.
I see it, but I don't mentally group all those people together as pre-guilty thieves, or even as suspects.
And if we're using law enforcement circles as the moral compass on racial profiling this conversations not worth having. They're the biggest racial profilers I can think of. :D
My point is only that thinking "Hiker = *******" is incorrect and unfair.
"Hikers = smelly" I could agree with :D
Noticing it happening? Or treating people differently after? (I agree if you're talking about the latter.)
I can't help what I see. Humans learn from recognizing patterns. I can however choose to not change my actions/opinions just because I what notice.
I see it, but I don't mentally group all those people together as pre-guilty thieves, or even as suspects.
And if we're using law enforcement circles as the moral compass on racial profiling this conversations not worth having. They're the biggest racial profilers I can think of. :D
My point is only that thinking "Hiker = *******" is incorrect and unfair.
"Hikers = smelly" I could agree with :D
Rook,
I didn't mean you were wrong in what you see, yes we do learn from patterns and thus it is hard to keep from letting them taint our thinking. All it would take at a post office for some clerk to act rudely (not saying it is right) toward a hiker is for them to have a couple less than desirable experiences and then "all" are bad. The best way to counter that is kill them with kindness, a chearful smile and a little humor. Hard for most people to continue with a hardened attitude while looking at a continual smile. It is hard to do sometimes but it works the majority of the time. Other times you just have to ask them the question of "Was there something I did to cause you to treat me this way??"
max patch
07-17-2011, 12:50
Nothing wrong with "profiling" as it works.
El Al, the Israel airline, is considered the most secure airline in the world because of its security protocols.
El Al, the Israel airline, is considered the most secure airline in the world because of its security protocols.
That's the first think I thought of when profiling came up. The Israelis are serious about staying alive.
Nothing wrong with "profiling" as it works.
El Al, the Israel airline, is considered the most secure airline in the world because of its security protocols.
That may be fine for terrorist but we're talking hikers here, for the most part a responsible group. It's nearly impossible to tell a lawyer from a street bum. Haha.
Kent actually has some nice pubic bathrooms just behind the steer sculptures. Why not freshen up there before attempting to charm the locals?
Now that's the most sensible thing anyone's said in this thread. You've got to meet people halfway. I'd like to add that for 95% of small businesses (lunch, laundry, grocery, whatever) it's basic politeness to leave your pack outside unless you ask someone first. Don't think of it as a purse or a wallet. Think of it more like a bicycle.
I'd also like to add that, if stinky hikers are the problem, hikers using the laundromat is part of the solution. Ideally, I'd like to interact with the bathrooms and laundry machines first, and then mingle with the sparkling citizens of Kent etc. Having to face a gauntlet of ill will while I'm still in transition is no fun. Why do they even need a human there scrutinizing the customers? We're there for the machines, not the company.
Now that's the most sensible thing anyone's said in this thread. You've got to meet people halfway. I'd like to add that for 95% of small businesses (lunch, laundry, grocery, whatever) it's basic politeness to leave your pack outside unless you ask someone first. Don't think of it as a purse or a wallet. Think of it more like a bicycle.
I'd also like to add that, if stinky hikers are the problem, hikers using the laundromat is part of the solution. Ideally, I'd like to interact with the bathrooms and laundry machines first, and then mingle with the sparkling citizens of Kent etc. Having to face a gauntlet of ill will while I'm still in transition is no fun. Why do they even need a human there scrutinizing the customers? We're there for the machines, not the company.
Attendants work at nicer laundromats to help with problems, such as machines gobbling coins and not working, to keep order and to make sure no vandalism or the like happens. Also, lots of laundromats double as cleaners and even dry cleaners, as does my favorite one around the corner. ...
Generally, though, I agree with your sentiments in the post as a fresh cool breeze of reason.
Mountain Maiden
07-22-2011, 21:02
On my visit to Kent Laundromat in '02, I was clean and orderly and careful to leave things better than I found them. However, the treatment was the same as OP mentioned. But, they sure didn't mind taking nearly FOUR DOLLARS for a load of laundry! The most expensive laundry stop on the Trail! Oh well--there were many other great experiences to outweigh that one--HIKE ON!
Jack Tarlin
07-23-2011, 08:34
It would indeed be great if towns like Kent were to have some sort of clean-up facilities for hikers (the way that Hanover NH recently added a washer-dryer and shower room to their community center. But it should be pointed out that these improvements came about because people that lived in the town took the initiative and got things rolling......meaning that merely "suggesting" these ideas might not be enough. Hopefully, a local resident or group of folks might take the initiative on this, but otherwise, I don't see much changing in Kent unless the town residents themselves decide that this is a good idea.
I had a waitress in Kent tell me in 2004 that the town didn't really need the hikers and could do without them. And she knew that I was a hiker! So while I generally had a good stay in Kent (I ended up either staying or parking a car there in 04, 06 and 09 while sectioning) , I think that it is probably a bedroom community of people that work in NYC or are well off, retired and have a good deal of money. Therefore, the town isn't as dependent on hiker business as other trail towns.
Therefore, the town isn't as dependent on hiker business as other trail towns.
I don't believe any trail town is dependent on hiker business. If they are, they are in big trouble.
Tuckahoe64
07-23-2011, 12:38
I had a waitress in Kent tell me in 2004 that the town didn't really need the hikers and could do without them. And she knew that I was a hiker! So while I generally had a good stay in Kent (I ended up either staying or parking a car there in 04, 06 and 09 while sectioning) , I think that it is probably a bedroom community of people that work in NYC or are well off, retired and have a good deal of money. Therefore, the town isn't as dependent on hiker business as other trail towns.
Which I think begs the question -- What sort of impact on local economies do hikers really have, compared to the impact that hikers like to think they have.
I don't believe any trail town is dependent on hiker business. If they are, they are in big trouble.
+1 on that.
Panzer
WingedMonkey
07-23-2011, 13:49
I don't believe any trail town is dependent on hiker business. If they are, they are in big trouble.
I would agree that most trail towns have little benefit from the presence of the AT, certainly those in Connecticut and the Berkshires that are as stated before a play ground for New Yorkers. However some small towns can benefit from heavy trail use.
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation in it's support for the newer Great Eastern Trail states in a promotional brochure:
Like The Great Allegheny Passage, a 132-mile rail-turned-trail that has become a main thoroughfare for trail users seeking a wilder experience, the Great Eastern Trail will attract national and international visitors. The Passage generated over $12 million in direct spending in 2007, up from $7.3 million in 2002.
Towns all along the trail will serve as centers of commerce for trail users seeking food and other supplies. Like the trail town of Damascus in southwestern Virginia, some areas will be revitalized due to trail development. In Damascus, thirty-three new businesses have been developed due to the trails that converge in this former iron and timber town.
I was in a small crowded grocery store in the Berkshires one time when I overheard a New York visitor say to her companion "I wish these locals would find some place else to shop" It made my day.
Kent's not going to change until some former thru hiker with bucks opens a place there.
That may be fine for terrorist but we're talking hikers here, for the most part a responsible group. It's nearly impossible to tell a lawyer from a street bum. Haha.
Please don't offend street bums by comparing them with lawyers.
Rocket Jones
07-23-2011, 14:46
Acecdotal but sort of related. One large rocketry club in California makes sure that their members pay for anything at the local businesses with Sacagawea dollars. Once a month, the club decends on the area and the local businesses have absolute proof about how much money the rocket guys add to the economy. When the club started doing that, locals were much friendlier towards those "rocket nuts."
Trailbender
07-24-2011, 08:45
In law enforcement circles that is called "racial profiling", just saying.
I call it being honest and realistic.
As far as Kent goes, I didn't have any issues, in fact, this one older guy was walking around the town with a cup of coffee and welcomed me there. I talked with several of the locals, and I did not get a bad feel about them. There wasn't one specific thing I can put my finger on, but there was a feeling of unwelcomeness. No one was specifically rude, it was just this vibe I got.
I was walking back to town from the IGA and I passed this fairly attractive girl, I smiled and said hi, but she just ignored me and kept walking. Maybe it was the beard.
Trailbender
07-24-2011, 08:51
Acecdotal but sort of related. One large rocketry club in California makes sure that their members pay for anything at the local businesses with Sacagawea dollars. Once a month, the club decends on the area and the local businesses have absolute proof about how much money the rocket guys add to the economy. When the club started doing that, locals were much friendlier towards those "rocket nuts."
Sucks that they would become much friendlier just because of money.
SassyWindsor
07-24-2011, 13:30
It just seems to me that trails, in general, have been getting trashed more, not less, than in years past. This would naturally carry over to trail towns and businesses frequented by hikers. I've been around more than a few hikers that I wished would leave the trail and not come back. The trashy hikers set a bad example resulting in all hikers paying the price. Just goes with the turf, and I do believe it's getting worse.
Jack Tarlin
07-24-2011, 13:30
It should be noted that in most cases, the towns and communities that are repeatedly cited as being "unfriendly" to hikers, or who provide "poor" services for them, well these tend to be the weathier communities, i.e. places like Boiling Springs; Salisbury, Kent, Williamstown, Manchester Center, Hanover, etc. We so frequently hear people ask why there are no hostels or clean-up places or camping areas in or near these towns, and the answer is pretty self-evident: People that live in houses that start at $785 grand generally aren't the kind of folks who want hikers living on their lawn or in their garages all summer; nor would their neighbors be thrilled at the prospect of living next door to a hiker bunkhouse; nor would folks find it easy to get permits to open these facilities, etc. Likewise, towns like this don't feel the need to have public bath-houses or free campsites for unkempt transients, many of whom are going to camp there for three days playing the guitar and drinking beer. Sorry, but this is NOT an addition to the town green, park, or ballfield that these folks are gonna endorse. Also, towns like this don't need public showers or even laundromats for obvious reasons......people that require these things don't live in towns like this because they can't afford to do so, i.e. there's no laundromat in Salisbury, mainly cuz people who live in million dollar homes usually have their own laundry facilities. In other words, folks, have realistic expectations in wealthy towns. There are some folks who are charmed at the annual infusion of hikers, but most folks could care less, and in many cases, there are those who don't necessarily see us as an asset. All I'm saying is that when it comes to our expectations of what it'd be nice to find in a "trail town", we have to be realistic about this. Not every trail town is going to see us the same way, and not every trail town is going to offer the same things, and expecting these things everywhere, especially for free or at minimal cost to the hiker, well this is simply unrealistic.
Lone Wolf
07-24-2011, 15:14
The trashy hikers set a bad example resulting in all hikers paying the price. Just goes with the turf, and I do believe it's getting worse.exactly why hostels like "The Place" have strict user rules now with a zero tolerance policy and in danger of closing
SassyWindsor
07-24-2011, 23:34
The problem is that some hikers think that trail towns depend on hikers when in fact (most) ALL hikers depend on trail towns, trail business', hiker friendly residents, etc along the trail. Treat others on the trail better than you would treat them if they were in your business. All hikers would appreciate it.
SassyWindsor
07-24-2011, 23:35
I don't believe any trail town is dependent on hiker business. If they are, they are in big trouble.
The problem is that some hikers think that trail towns depend on hikers when in fact (most) ALL hikers depend on trail towns, trail business', hiker friendly residents, etc along the trail. Treat others on the trail better than you would treat them if they were in your business. All of us hikers would appreciate it.
I always wondered if the fact that hikers use trail names instead of their real names makes them feel so anamyous that they don't behave as well as they should.
trail name: Panzer
Different Socks
07-25-2011, 00:29
back in the day when i got to a town the first thing i did was go shower, do laundry and put on fresh duds before goin' to eat/drink at at bar/restaurant. i would never just walk into a place just off the trail with my pack and sit down and commence eating and drinking. today's walkers think nothing of it. the scales are tipping. bad hikers are outweighing the good ones
Lone Wolf, I have been that way on every hike I do. If I get a room first, I clean up the best I can, then go to the PO. If I go to the PO first, I get outside ASAP b/c I know I probably stink. I never, ever go to a restaurant before I clean up. Wouldn't want to sit next to a single table with a smelly hiker either. When hitching for rides, I try to be as presentable as possible and if offered a ride I tell the driver, "I stink, is that ok?" Never had a driver say no.
As for the laundry lady, was she of a Middle Eastern descent? I know i sounds mean, but too many times I've been treated badly by these types of people because i don't do it their way, or I don't purchase something.
I have a story to tell about Kent Connecticut.
A contractor on his way into town picked three of us up in the driving rain.
The owner of the coffee shop gave us free refills of coffee.
After the three of us finished eating a big breakfast, the waitress told us the group of Veterans across from us paid our bill. They would not accept any money so we left a big tip for the waitress and thanked them profusely.
The outfitter held my package free of charge. Though i did not need them i bought candy bars and snacks from him in return.
The laundry mat has signs posted informing hikers NOT to take showers in the sink. We respected them.
I did not have a shower from Deleware Water gap PA until Salibury CT.
This is not the fault of the laundry mat or the people of Kent.
It was my own choice to respect the trail towns wishes in the hopes that they welcome hikers in the future.
What you do in town may not impact you immediately. It most definitely impacts those that follow in your foot steps.
Migrating Bird
07-25-2011, 08:56
[QUOTE=WingedMonkey;1183105]
I was in a small crowded grocery store in the Berkshires one time when I overheard a New York visitor say to her companion "I wish these locals would find some place else to shop" It made my day.
This happens everyday here in the Berkshires. I over heard one say to another "I wish the locals would shop here during the week so we could shop here on weekends". I watched a NYer eat an ice cream sandwich while standing in line to check out and just drop the wrapper on the floor. So much of our local economy comes from thier "big bucks" that thru hikers contribution to the local ecomomy is like a pimple on an elephants a**.
But just like some thru hikers, some New Yorkers, when they are away from home they feel they have a sense of entitlement and the rules manners and common courtesy do not apply.
What you do in town may not impact you immediately. It most definitely impacts those that follow in your foot steps.
Amen. My friend and I hiked Macedonia State Park last fall (old AT routing) and stopped at the IGA, somewhat soiled and sweaty. Some of the fellow patrons at the grocery store at first looked at us askance, but, seeing that a) we were hikers, and b) we had big smiles on our face and were courteous, they were cordial to friendly. The store's staff were welcoming and helpful.
Sounds like the laundromat owner has some personal issues with hikers and is an outlier. The town, though upper crust, especially in the summer with weekenders, is, I believe, proud and happy to be a trail town and admires the hikers which visit it, so long as they have decent manners. Doubtless it would help one's treatment from townsfolk if one showered up and wore reasonably clean clothes prior to mingling. That's true anywhere, doubtless, moreso at Kent than in some other trail towns, most likely.
WingedMonkey
07-25-2011, 13:55
So much of our local economy comes from thier "big bucks" that thru hikers contribution to the local ecomomy is like a pimple on an elephants a**.
But just like some thru hikers, some New Yorkers, when they are away from home they feel they have a sense of entitlement and the rules manners and common courtesy do not apply.
I rented a house in West Stockbridge one winter from one of those New Yorkers. It is amazing what the towns and the trails turn into when only the residents are left.
It's good that a warning goes out about mistreatment of hikers at a laundromat. It indicates that being dirty and rude is not acceptable. A lot of hikers think everyone should kiss their feet becuase they are so special. Life doesn't work that way. Clean up a little before you go out in public. Don't leave places dirtier than you found them. Be a gracious guest.
It's probably better to go into a town without any preconceived notions about how you're going to be treated.
If you expect to be mistreated it could totally change your "vibe" and sure enough, you'll get mistreated.
Personally, I never met a town I didn't like. Manchester Center and Hanover were my 2 favorite towns and they're both a bit upscale from say... Erwin or Hiawassee..
Trailbender
07-25-2011, 16:23
I tried to clean up before I went to a food resupply, ect, but I found on my thru sometimes a sudden opportunity presents itself and you gotta take advantage right then or lose it. For example, I was headed into Gorham, NH for a resupply, got picked up, and they offered to take me to the wal-mart. I didn't have time to shower or anything, and I wouldn't have expected the driver to wait around on me. So I went straight in there, resupplied, and they drove me back to the trail. I had a few drivers do this for me, so I would shop fast and get back out as a courtesy, and I always appreciated it, and made sure to tell them.
Sometimes, and stuff like that happened several times, you just gotta get your business done, and I would rather not walk around wal-mart after not showering or doing laundry for a week, but it was do that or lose the opportunity.