In a single year, more than 400,000 people left New York for another state. That’s a city the size of Tampa walking out the door in twelve months. These are the reasons people keep leaving New York. 1. Taxes Take a Bite New York asks more of your paycheck than almost anywhere in the country….
A stomped-on sea turtle nest in Miami Beach turned into a felony charge and a $5,000 bond for a tourist in 2019. That’s the extreme case. Many people who run into trouble with Florida’s wildlife rules are trying to help an animal, pet it, or snap a good photo, not hurt it. These are the…
Fines for the same yard sale mistake range from $50 in Greencastle Borough to $1,000 in Springettsbury Township, depending only on which side of the township line the sale sits. The rules causing those fines vary just as much. Pennsylvania has no single, statewide yard sale law, so every township writes its own. These are…
Most of the country assumes New York has one accent and one set of words. It has at least four, and they change at county lines. These are the words that split New Yorkers from the rest of the country, and sometimes from each other. 1. On Line Long Island and New York City’s closest…
Cactus, sunshine, and not much else is the Arizona many tourists picture before they land. The reality comes with many surprises, some of which could send you to the hospital. These are the things that confuse first-time visitors to Arizona. Note: This is general information, not medical or emergency advice. 1. Arizona Skips Daylight Saving…
Pennsylvania’s lottery has poured more than $37 billion into programs for older residents since 1972. It’s the only state lottery in the country built to send every dollar of profit to seniors, so it’s easy to assume Pennsylvanian retirees are well cared for financially. That’s not always the case. The state hands retirees a genuine…
A hiring manager at a Sacramento company starts to ask the question, then stops halfway through. California crossed it off the list months ago. These are the questions a California employer can’t legally ask you, whether your interviewer knows it or not. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. California’s employment protections and their…
A member of Congress can mail a signed letter to every household in their district and never buy a stamp. That’s the franking privilege, a perk Congress created for itself and kept. A Florida resident sending that same letter has to buy an 82-cent Forever stamp first. These are the things members of Congress get…
Illinoisans swear they don’t have an accent, a walk, or a single giveaway habit. They’re wrong on all three. These are the habits that put Illinoisans on the spot the moment they leave their state. 1. Calling Them Gym Shoes Illinoisans reach for a pair of gym shoes, never sneakers, and the word comes out…
A family from Long Island checks into a bed-and-breakfast near Cornell University and asks the owner how far away the nearest college town sits. The owner just blinks. Cornell has stood in Ithaca since 1865, and half the shops on the block exist because of it. These are the things downstate New Yorkers say about…
