The Beehive State is a pretty welcoming place, and our vibrant economy often attracts new companies that bring folks from out of state to live here. While new residents typically try to assimilate as quickly as they can to their new home, it’s pretty easy to spot them. Here are 9 ways.
1. They're driving the speed limit on the freeway.
No Utahn in his or her right mind would ever drive the speed limit on the freeway - that's a good was to get rear-ended by a mom in a minivan who's late picking her kid up for soccer practice. And if you see someone using a blinker to change lanes, the odds are 50/50 that they're from out of town, too.
2. They can't handle the elevation.
When you're enjoying that scenic overlook, and a couple very winded hikers come huffing and puffing up the trail, you might be experiencing an imposter. If they proceed to tell you how they're usually in really great shape and they hike all the time, you'll know they've never experienced hiking at 8,500 feet.
3. They can't pronounce our town names.
Listen to them mispronounce, "Tooele," or, "Hurricane," and you'll know they're not from this neck of the woods.
4. They've never been skiing, boarding, or tubing.
Every Utahn has played in the mountain snow at some point in their lives. If you've never gone skiing or boarding, you've certainly headed to the canyon to hit the tubing hills. When someone tells you they've never done any of those things, you should immediately be suspicious that you're dealing with a Southern Californian.
5. The search and rescue folks are putting them on a stretcher because they have severe dehydration.
Newbies to Utah don't always understand that the temperatures can get hot and that they need to be fully-prepared with plenty of water when they hike. They also seem to think that our national parks are like Disneyland, when we know that even our busiest parks are located in remote parts of the state, and there's not going to be a 7-11 at the trailhead.
6. They're a driving disaster in the snow.
If they're driving way too fast for weather conditions, or conversely, driving way too slow, you should suspect that you're dealing with someone who's new to Utah.
7. They don't know the Mormon lingo.
Whether you're Mormon or not, if you've lived here for very long you've caught on to some of the Mormon lingo that's prevalent here. If you're talking to someone who thinks that the neighborhood stake house must be a place to get a juicy t-bone, you're dealing with an imposter.
8. They plan to stop by the liquor store the morning before their Memorial Day barbecue.
This guy obviously hasn't dealt with Utah's state-run liquor stores yet. He'll figure it out.
9. They can't figure out our grid system.
You tell them to meet you at Liberty park on 7th East and 13th South, and they get hopelessly lost. Our grid system is seriously so easy to navigate...only an out-of-stater could get confused.
What are some more ways you can spot an imposter in Utah? Tell us in the comments!
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