Open Letter to the People of Connecticut

I'm not a fan of leaving my house, so I rarely do. When I do head out on the town, it doesn't take long for me to remember why I hate to go out. So I'm going to take a minute to hope on my soapbox.

Dear People of Fairfield County, CT:

When it comes to spending time with your fellow nutmegers, here are a few tips that will make it a more pleasurable experience for everyone envolved:

1) Just because you can afford the largest SUV on the market, doesn't mean you should own it. Please, for the sake of everyone around you... TEST DRIVE! If you can not handle that large of a car and park it properly, don't buy it.

2) Speaking of parking, there are white lines painted on the ground for a reason. You are to supposed to park within the lines, not hanging over them. If you can't fit in the space with room for you and others to get in and out of their vehicles, park somewhere else. And your car is not that important that you need two spaces for it.

3) While walking in parking lots, walk near the cars... not smack in the middle and take your sweet time. That line of cars forming behind you should tell you that it's time to move off to the side.

4) And while we are on the subject of walking down aisles, if you are a group more than 2... don't all walk side by side. And if you do and see someone coming, step aside. No one is that important that you need to block the walkways.

5) Indoor voices are not just for kids. No one wants to see a bunch of college girls running around a store acting like they are on a playground. And no one wants to hear your entire phone conversation from three aisles over.

6) Just because you can fit a piece of clothing on your body, doesn't mean you should. Please, please cover up your butt cracks and muffin tops and every other part of your body that no one wants to see. And by cover up, I don't mean squeeze it into something so small that you test the limits of the fabric.

7) There are only a few times when it is okay to wear sloppy pj pants in public. Hanging out with your friends on a Friday night is not one of them.

8) Cars have lights and blinkers for a reason. Use them.

9) This is New England. It gets cold. Dress for the weather. And more importantly, dress your kids for the weather too.

10) This is Connecticut, not Detroit, not LA, not Miami, not NYC. You are not fooling anyone trying to pretend that it's anything else but CT.

What it all comes down to is manners, mutual respect, and being aware of your surroundings. When you start to lack those, it's rude. It's annoying. And it makes people think less of you.