Quick survey for those in the US - please help me test out an interesting theory

[joviroxx]

1. A mile, if that (in fact 2, 1 in each direction)
2. Florida
3. Florida

 

[Agri]

1 - there are two a mile away from my house
2 - Virginia
3 - This house in VA. =p

 

[Carly_Roach]

Now I'm interested to see why I couldn't read the other responses because I'm not sure how reading someone else's response could move the grocery stores.

I'm betting it's got something to do with how people respond in how they measure distance (hopefully people are following directions and not reading this before they answer). The only loose similarities I've seen so far is that people in "surrounding" or border states (MI, FL, MA, CA, NY, etc) are measuring in miles while people in "middle" states, (PA, MO, etc.) are responding in minutes. I was leaning toward NE and Midwesterners responding in miles instead of minutes until I saw someone from FL and another from CA respond in miles.

I'm dying of curiosity as to what the theory is.

 

[Holly]

Seven miles
Connecticut
Connecticut

 

[pogo791]

My DD read/heard something rather interesting and I though the DIS would be a great place to test it out. Please answer the following questions WITHOUT reading any of the responses first. This is the one time it is a GOOD thing to poast before reading all the replies. Once enough people have replied, I'll come back with the hypothesis and whether or not it seems to have proven correct:

1 - How far is the closest grocery store from your house?
2 - What state do lyou live in (if you are not comfortable posting this information, you can just give the part of the county you live in)
3 - What state or part of the country have you lived in for most of your life?

Thanks!

1. one and a half blocks
2. NY
3. California

 

[ZephyrHawk]

1 - How far is the closest grocery store from your house?

A couple of miles. Maybe 3.

2 - What state do you live in (if you are not comfortable posting this information, you can just give the part of the county you live in)

Michigan

3 - What state or part of the country have you lived in for most of your life?

Always lived in Michigan.

 

[gate_pourri]

1 - How far is the closest grocery store from your house? I have 3 within one block in each direction
2 - What state do lyou live in (if you are not comfortable posting this information, you can just give the part of the county you live in) - Illinois
3 - What state or part of the country have you lived in for most of your life? California

 

[design_mom]

1. A little over 2 miles
2. Ohio
3. Ohio

ETA: I answered before reading the rest of the responses and/or the theory (as requested in the OP). Now that I've seen the theory, I thought that I would add that I could have told you how long it takes to get there (minutes) off the top of my head, but I had to look up how far it is (miles)... but since you asked "how far" and not "how long does it take," I did miles. I've lived in Ohio my whole life though.

 

[golfgal]

My DD read/heard something rather interesting and I though the DIS would be a great place to test it out. Please answer the following questions WITHOUT reading any of the responses first. This is the one time it is a GOOD thing to poast before reading all the replies. Once enough people have replied, I'll come back with the hypothesis and whether or not it seems to have proven correct:

1 - How far is the closest grocery store from your house?
2 - What state do lyou live in (if you are not comfortable posting this information, you can just give the part of the county you live in)
3 - What state or part of the country have you lived in for most of your life?

Thanks!

1. Less than a mile (8 blocks I think)
2. Minnesota
3. Upper Midwest

 

[pogo791]

I'm betting it's got something to do with how people respond in how they measure distance (hopefully people are following directions and not reading this before they answer). The only loose similarities I've seen so far is that people in "surrounding" or border states (MI, FL, MA, CA, NY, etc) are measuring in miles while people in "middle" states, (PA, MO, etc.) are responding in minutes. I was leaning toward NE and Midwesterners responding in miles instead of minutes until I saw someone from FL and another from CA respond in miles.

That may indeed be the reason. However, it wouldn't apply to those many people who live in a city and walk to the store. They would probably measure the distance in blocks (at least I do, and that's how I answered!)

 

[daisyduck123]

1. 3 minute drive
2. Md
3. Md

 

[Meriweather]

2 miles
AZ
west coast

 

[lovesmurfs]

That may indeed be the reason. However, it wouldn't apply to those many people who live in a city and walk to the store. They would probably measure the distance in blocks (at least I do, and that's how I answered!)

It might have been a more accurate test to measure job commutes. I would have answered in minutes (time) rather than blocks (distance).

 

[McKelly]

1 - 3 miles
2 - WI
3 - WI

 

[golfgal]

I'm betting it's got something to do with how people respond in how they measure distance (hopefully people are following directions and not reading this before they answer). The only loose similarities I've seen so far is that people in "surrounding" or border states (MI, FL, MA, CA, NY, etc) are measuring in miles while people in "middle" states, (PA, MO, etc.) are responding in minutes. I was leaning toward NE and Midwesterners responding in miles instead of minutes until I saw someone from FL and another from CA respond in miles.

I'm dying of curiosity as to what the theory is.

Around here it would depend on how the question was asked. For commutes most people would answer in "time" vs "mileage" but if someone is asking how far away something is (like the op's question)it would be answered in how many miles. If someone asked "how long is your commute to work" most people would answer 5 minutes, 20 minutes, etc. If they asked "how far away is your office" they would answer 3 miles, 15 miles, etc.

 

[luvmy3]

1. About 3 mile
2. NY
3. Upstate NY

 

[pilotwife_02]

1 - How far is the closest grocery store from your house? 1/2 mile

2 - What state do lyou live in (if you are not comfortable posting this information, you can just give the part of the county you live in) Ohio

3 - What state or part of the country have you lived in for most of your life? NJ

 

[Keli]

7 miles
KY--current state
KY--state I've lived in most of my life

 

[pixiechick]

1 < .5 miles

2/3 NJ

As far as how people respond, there are other reasons that come into play too. As a runner, I convert everything to mileage, not time.

 

[mjkacmom]

The closest grocery store is about 5 blocks away, I'm in NJ, and have lived here almost my entire life, except for the 4 years I went away to college.