Irritated New Yorker Pens Letter To Newspaper That Maine Was ‘Not As Expected’

Letters to the Editor have been a feature in newspapers across the United States for decades. Often times, those letters are a mix of appreciation or irritation about something that has shown up in the publication. Occasionally, there's a letter that becomes a story on its own, where someone's written opinion elicits a strong and vocal response. If you need an example, look no further than this letter shared online by The Free Press. It reads:

"I am in Maine visiting my daughter, with the possibility of buying a property. Been here for two weeks, looking around in different areas, I am amazed at the number of homes that have garbage and all sort of junk or debris strewn in their yards. This is not what one thinks of Maine, especially since Mainers are thought to be socially and environmentally conscious. It’s disgraceful and an eyesore that should be addressed by the local govts. I am from Long Island, and this is not tolerated. The individual would be issued a warning to clean up the mess; if they don’t within a certain time they will be fined and the town will clean it up and send a bill to the party involved. This would bring in extra revenue to the towns and get rid of eyesores that distract from the beauty of Maine. Get it done."

Respectfully,

Frank Grande, staying in Camden

If there's one thing the people of Maine don't particularly like, it's being lectured by someone from New York. Several of the comments under the Free Press excerpt take that tone. While Frank's perceived snobbiness permeates his short letter, it is fair to ask, "is he really wrong?"

Maine Not as Expected... from r/Maine

This same excerpt was shared on Reddit by DavenportBlues and it received a considerable amount of comments. Many of the commenters believed that Frank could have taken a softer tone in the messaging he was attempting to get across but that his overall point is one that towns and cities across Maine should probably consider at some point. Should you be able to treat your front lawn like a recycling facility? Especially in towns and cities with decently-sized populations, should there be requirements to keep your property looking orderly? Do you need to have two rusted out bathtubs and eight broken down vehicles on each side of your driveway?

While there may not be an agreement on a resolution, we can all agree that Frank opened a can of worms with this subject.