I hate small towns

Completely normal. In fact I'd go as far as to say no normal person likes living in a small town. I am one of only a few who have not lived their entire life in this town.The only way anyone "does anything" is if it involves drugs or alcohol and worst of all most parents are oblivious. It is hilarious that half of their kids are pot smokers and they don't even know it. I'm sure if they knew it would drive them insane.It is clear that law enforcement has lost the upper-hand to the black market that supplies the local community college and high-school with booze and grass, and this is an overwhelmingly conservative town. All this hidden corruption is so normal to them that they think you, the outsider, are the crazy one. And somehow if you do the same things they do it makes them think you're even crazier. It's like being put into a game where everyone is several turns ahead and you have to figure out how to play it by yourself. And if you refuse to play by their fucked-up rules you won't have any friends. It's impossible to keep a secret and yet other's are so adept at concealing theirs somehow. It just makes no fucking sense at all. You are right. the shitty people can't do anything besides judge others and gossip. Most of them are basket cases and if you stay long enough you will probably become one yourself. Trust me, If you hate your small town, you may be the only sane one left in it. My best advice is to stick with the other people who hate it there as much as you do until you can get as far away as possible.

very true. i was raised in the suburbs but moved to the country and this is hell. i swear, the people in this town are like children of the corn, and small towns are filled with people who all think alike and act alike. there's nothing to do and it's the same thing every day. everyone has the maturity level of a high school student. it's like high school in a small town forever, dude, i swear! next move i make,it'll be to the big city!

I've lived in a small town for 12 years. I'm in college in a reasonably-sized city four hours away... and the more I spend time here the more I despise my small town. When I go home, I'm stuck in the house all day long while my parents work and my sister goes to school. People in small towns like to be flakes... or maybe that's just my experience. Everyone knows you. I live 30 minutes away from EVERYTHING... I've run into teachers shopping in the nearest city. Yes, really. Most of the people in my small town smoke pot and drink... there's nothing to do at all there except smoke pot, drink, hunt, fish, and get pregnant (for real, there's 23 girls pregnant at my high school... as of October 2010. wtf) On Sunday there's church, though if you're in a small town you're basically in church 24/7. As for crime being less than in the city... give me a fucking break. I know a lot of people who have been raped, had their homes broken into, had various things stolen from sheds and garages, been assaulted, but I know even more people who have had threats on their lives and weren't even able to walk out of their houses. Yeah, rural areas are TOTALLY safe! *snort* Just because the crime doesn't wind up on the 6 o' clock news doesn't mean it isn't there.

Stay the hell away from small towns. They're not healthy at all. Especially if you have young kids- small towns are an awful, awful place to grow up. I moved to my small town at 7. Worst move ever.

Yes, I think a lot of folks concur with your proposition.
A common saying is "small town, big hell..."

I agree. Small towns can be hellish; especially if you live way out in the middle of nowhere-countryside where it takes about 15 minutes to get to a small town (with a pop. of 4,000 souls) and then 30 mins to an hour to get to the big city which is still crappy.

But small town here, everyone is judgmental of outsiders; untrusting and constantly assuming and gossiping amongst themselves. You feel like you're always being watched because there is nothing much for others to do; so they secretly try to observe and study you - and even get into your business. And the good looking girls? Well, they're either taken by idiots, or they judge or act intimidated or bitchy. Boredom is a constant problem when you have no friends or find yourself with all the chores or work done, then you have way too much time to think; and the hardest part I think is, trying not to dwell in negative depressive thoughts or regrets - with the upside is all the stars you can see at night - and these nights are all I got that I really love because its intrigue and mysteries enlightens my imaginative and creative mind; that's about as close as I'll ever seem to get to feeling like heaven.

My only saving grace is that I have a solid step by step plan in place to save up money and move to a bigger city of my own choosing - which will fit my lifestyle and preference. If I didn't have that, well, I'd be in hell and wanting to give up.

oh my gosh!!
I was sorta confused as to who wrote this because it's basically the story of my life. legit. things do get better with the job situation though, let me tell you! I tried for a solid five years to score just a part-time job and I was willing to work anywhere!!! you will be surprised as to who might hire you, so keep your hopes up, and continue firing out those resumees to every business that you can. good things will come to those who wait! goooood luuck!

It's absolutely normal. I only lived in big cities in different parts of the world until my late 20s. Then I went to San Francisco, which felt in the beginning like a small town, but I loved it because it had all the good things about a city. Then I moved to Boston. And then, for some job and personal reasons I ended up in a small college town in the mid-west. People think that college towns are better because they're liberal, educated, etc. Wrong: they're still small towns. As long as a town is small it really doesn't matter what kind of people live there. Fine, better to be surrounded by people who are educated, have travelled, etc. But the gossip thing, the lack of options of things to do and just the fact that you run into somebody all the time drives me absolutely nuts. It's not sane. Avoid them !

I work in a small town. Everyone thinks exactly alike. They all go the the same church and brag about how much they tithe. I couldn't live there on a bet.

yes, small towns aren't for young people at all. everyone knows everyone else's business, lots of gossip, etc.

keep looking for a job, you will eventually get one. then you can save some money and make your escape!! good luck:)

Well, aside from the nepotism, despotism, parochialism, and lingering racism, and the obnoxious harassing idiots driving people away, I can honestly say: it could be worse. It is an odd mix of irregulars, a source of great comedic inspiration, but a difficult place for normal people to live. The town here is really an area, an extension of greater highwayland.
The true locals, somewhat inbred and lost in the 1850's and 1950's still dominate the area, plus modern offshoots of their form, but the outside world does enter into the region. Perhaps overrunning the region is more the case, when tourist season starts up.
What I am not particularly fond of is the nosy judgemental nature of the locals and their gruff mindset, which is just barely tolerable but very annoying. It is hard to be intelligent and progressive in a "low oxygen" area with entrenched values and attitudes, and there are those who enjoy poking fun of nice people who don't go along with their so-called community. If you want to fit in, that requires behaving and mingling with drinkers and motorized loons, eating deep fried everything, and generally shunning exercise. Not my style.
What has changed is things now are more on the obnoxious side, less gentle than they used to be. I like to ride my bike, but the only trails are at the parks miles away, and the traffic now is a serious hazard in the summer months. Fishing used to be fun on the weekends, but the over-sized motor boats & operators drive us off the lakes except for the weekdays, and the gun nuts now come up very often to blast away at targets, all profits going to the small town click of businesses that act as though they own the area. Combine that with heavy drinking and fireworks, and sirens can be heard most any Thursday - Sunday.
In short, like many other places, things have gotten out of hand, pedestrians and cyclists and canoeists and campers find it harder to enjoy what was once a more idyllic setting. But the money drives the madness, so it is hard for sane individuals to get anywhere with the ruling establishment.
It is still less dangerous than the cities, but I just wish things would move in a healthier direction here, with more respect for people's privacy and peaceful enjoyment of nature. Anyone feeling the same way?

I live in a small oceanfront town. Its not that bad. It can be pretty boring but we have a boardwalk and cool shops and stuff. And no rednecks here, thankfully. I have my days where I just want to get the fuck out of here, but I also love knowing that my daughter is in a pretty safe environment. There is virtually no crime in this town, and that's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it

Um... Big cities are the ones that have pollution, traffic jams, shootings, violence, drugs, gangs, and are ghetto. I've lived in the city for 18 years, and it's not fun at all.

I always *THOUGHT* that my dream was to live in the country "Where I could have a horse". In the farming area I now live in horses are considered a luxury and not practical because they eat more grass and destroy paddocks much more than sheep do. For that reason most of the farmers out here do not have horses and do not like them! They drive motor bikes instead. So much for living in the country so that I can have a horse.

There are no boarding stables here either and the local farmers are loath to board other people's horses because horses destroy paddocks for their sheep. You will have more luck finding horse boarding in a big city. I am a good one and ½ hours away from a “Bigger” city.

I grew up in one of the USA's biggest cities famous for technology on the west coast. I went to a good school, worked at large high tech companies, and loved the arts and culture. Now, I am not only in a small town of just over 1000 People but I am also of a different nationality. So, it's a double whammy of culture shock for me.

There are other artists here but very little “culture”. Most other people my age have never worked with computers and it is mind boggling how ignorant many of “The Locals” are when it comes to computers and the internet. Many assume that it is evil and they want nothing to do with it. Maybe they are right?

As I mentioned above there are less than 1,500 people in the small town I now live in. I won't call it “My” small town because it isn't. I'm what is charmingly called a “Blowie”. Blowie is a term given to people who were not born here as we are seen as having blown into town and are expected and sometimes “encouraged” to blow away again. So I will never be considered a “Local” although that doesn't really bother me at all.

The country town I live in is like a lot of others that have depressed economies. There is one main street that you will miss if you blink your eyes. One over priced grocery store with limited stock, Two petrol stations, One very bad Chinese restaurant, a few smaller shops (there is a very high failure rate on shops that open here), a butcher (meat is big here. Did I mention that I love animals and am a vegan? ROTFL!! I did mention that I love horses), three greasy spoon cafes that sell fried food and chips, A Vinnies/2nd hand store, A hair dresser that cuts hair the exact same way/hairstyle every time, a barber, a feed store (that doesn't even stock hay!), two hardware stores, five or six churches (I've lost count) and two “Clubs” and THREE PUBS. It is a good 45 minute drive to the next “bigger” town of 5,000 people which is where I have to drive to take my animals to a vet. I had a falling out with our local vet and he told me to find another one which I did although it's nearly an hour's drive away.

Most of the men here spend their spare time at the pubs or in the clubs drinking beer and gossiping. The women (especially of my age) spend their time gossiping and having tea or going to garden clubs which is really just another excuse for GOSSIPING. If you try to have an intellectual conversation with them they will give you a blank look and treat you like you are crazy which most of “The Locals” think I am. Or they think you are trying to be a “Tall Poppy”. I did try to fit in just after we moved here 11 years ago. However, no matter what I say I always seem to come across as a “Tall Poppy” and the locals love to cut tall poppies down. (Can anybody out there guess which country I am in now?). I feel like Trump because no matter what I say or do it is WRONG.

Things have deteriorated over the years to the point where I now feel I am being ostracised. My husband tells me that I am crazy and paranoid. I have even been jeered at in the street a couple of times. I kid you not. I am not imagining that. I am stuck in a very acrimonious marriage due to my unhappiness in this small town which my husband brought me to. He is a native and has a lot in common with the locals. I feel like a fish totally out of water and it's not getting any better. Only worse.

I do have things I love in my life that have kept me going. I love the country side here and the beauty of nature and wildlife. My “rock” has been my dog, other pets, and my art. I paint, write, read, do social media and study on the internet a lot! If I didn't I am sure that I would have gone truly crazy long ago living in this small town.

As I write this we may be on the verge of WW3 which brings up one of the few advantages I think of living here as in the event of a nuclear holocaust I MIGHT be MARGINALLY SAFER than if I lived in a large city. However, if we have a nuclear winter we are all F#*KED and the local farmers will definitely not be growing any crops. Such an unreal but real depressing thought.

Small towns have there advantage in disadvantages one thing that is to bear in mind is that you shouldn't be to far from the larger city's in case you are in need of any pro help it won't take long get there I would never choose a small town in the middle of nowhere. In fact I would never live in one at all they are Payton places and they have nosy and gossip people in them and also jealousy in them and small minds. It comes with most small towns. Some small towns are beautiful places and nice areas but their is no future for the young people in them. Just visit never stay.

I grew up and still live in a town of about 1000 people. Everyone is exactly the same. In my town everyone is white but they all think they're rappers. It's really funny, so I've just stayed here for the comedy value.

Then quit whining and bitching and just move.