Life in the Great Lakes State is undeniably wonderful. After all, there’s a reason so many of us have spent our entire lives here, and we don’t foresee our dedication to Michigan declining anytime soon. That said, no locale is perfect, and there are plenty of less-than-ideal elements of life in our state. Here are 11 annoyances that every Michigander has surely dealt with over the years.
1. Potholes
If we could have written about potholes for every single item on this list, we would have. They’re THAT annoying! There’s nothing worse than making your way across the state, only to be jarred by a massive pothole that seems to appear out of nowhere with the sole intention of destroying your car. We’d just like the chance to drive to work without constantly putting our poor vehicles at risk, okay?!
2. Lake effect snow
We know, we know. Lake effect snow is the tradeoff we make for living so close to the beautiful shorelines of our state. But there’s nothing more frustrating than waking up early to shovel out the driveway, heading inside to get ready for the day, and realizing that several additional inches of lake effect snow have piled up over the course of an hour. The process seems never-ending.
3. A complete lack of snow days
To add insult to injury, our state’s propensity for receiving ridiculous amounts of snowfall and frigid temperatures means that we’re rarely treated to time off for inclement weather. This is particularly true in coastal sections of Michigan, where employees are regularly expected to venture out and make it to work in blizzard-like conditions.
4. Dealing with Ohioans
If there’s one thing we Michiganders can’t stand, it’s Ohioans! Okay, okay - perhaps our dislike is mostly reserved for sports rivals from Ohio State, but visitors from Ohio have the tendency to wear OSU sweatshirts in our midst just to drive us crazy. It’s okay, though: we’ll retaliate by heading down to Ohio in our most vibrant maize and blue jerseys!
5. Tourist season
While we’re undoubtedly grateful to tourists for keeping our state’s economy afloat, we can’t help but be a bit annoyed by the influx of visitors that seem to overtake our most beautiful regions during the summer months. We love sharing our beaches and small towns with others, but we’ll admit that we would appreciate a few days of total peace and quiet from time to time.
6. Mispronunciations
On your first mispronunciation of "Mackinac" or "Sault Ste. Marie," we’ll let it slide. After all, Michigan is home to some less-than-typical names. But if you continue to mispronounce some of our most beloved destinations, we might just express a bit of frustration. Don’t even get us started on "Gratiot!"
7. Being made fun of for calling it "pop"
Here in Michigan, those fizzy beverages we all enjoy are referred to as "pop" and nothing else. Don’t even try to hit us with that "soda" nonsense! There’s nothing more annoying than mingling with our out-of-state friends, only to be mercilessly teased for our diction of choice. Okay, maybe we make fun of those who say "soda," but that doesn’t make our ridicule any less irritating!
8. Constant construction
If there’s one element of driving in Michigan that drives us crazy (other than the potholes, of course), it’s the fact that construction is omnipresent throughout the state. We’re looking at you, I-75! Just as soon as one long-term roadwork project is completed, another one seems to pop up like clockwork. We’re glad to see our roads improved, but we aren’t a fan of the constant commute delays!
9. Negative stereotypes
If you ask a non-Michigander to describe our state, you’re likely to hear some of the same unfortunate stereotypes. From uneducated negativity toward the city of Detroit and its rebuilding efforts to assertions that Michigan is nothing but a boring "flyover state" with no natural beauty, we can’t help but feel frustrated when our beloved home is misrepresented.
10. The Detroit Lions
Ah, the Lions. We’ve gifted you with our undying support for years, yet you’ve still never made a Super Bowl appearance. Is a successful season too much to ask? We’ll always remain loyal to our boys in blue, no matter how many times they let us down with a fourth-quarter fumble - but that doesn’t mean we won’t feel deeply frustrated by their losses from time to time!
11. Not having enough beach time
Summer never seems to last long enough here in Michigan. We’re absolutely in love with our Great Lakes and the beautiful shorelines they give way to, but we could spend years at the beach and never feel as if we’d gotten enough time to soak up the sunshine. We wouldn’t trade our breathtaking coasts for anything, but we can’t help feeling that summertime always ends too soon.
Tell us, Michiganders: what’s the most annoying part of living here in the Great Lakes State? We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions in the comment section below!
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