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

[mnrose]

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

1.25 miles

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)

Minnesota

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

Minnesota, but also nearly as long in California.

 

[padams]

3 miles
Atlanta, GA
Georgia

 

[tchrrx]

.25 miles
Oklahoma
Oklahoma

 

[Magix]

Interesting theory. I would think that perhaps more than north or south, it would depend on your proximity to an urban area. In my area (LA/OC counties of CA), we tend to speak in terms of minutes, because it doesn't matter how many miles it is to something, as much as it matters how long it will actually take you to get there with traffic. So, 10 miles might be 10 minutes or might be 45 minutes. I'm about 25 miles from LA, but I'd tend to say it as, "I'm about 1 hour from LA" speaking in terms of generally bad traffic (which is the norm).

 

[Principessa1284]

1 - How far is the closest grocery store from your house? Less than a mile

2 - What state do you live in? Central FL

3 - What state or part of the country have you lived in for most of your life? Western NY near Buffalo, moved to FL about 4 years ago.

 

[redlight]

MA, a quarter of a mile to the nearest grocery store, northeast

 

[justhat]

2 miles
Arizona
the northeast (NJ/DC)

 

[snarlingcoyote]

1 - About 1.5 miles
2 - Louisiana
3 - Louisiana

 

[poohs_hunny]

1. about 3/4 of a mile
2. CT
3. CT

 

[DaisyLynn]

1 - 0.75 miles
2 - Maine
3 - Maine

 

[nikkistevej]

1. 2 minutes
2. Maryland
3. Maryland

 

[rie'smom]

1. 2 minutes
2. Louisiana
3. all over but mostly in the South

 

[disney1990]

1. About 2-1/2 miles
2. Maryland
3. Maryland

 

[Buckalew11]

8 minutes
TN
The south

 

[disney1990]

Carly, you are close. The theory is that people from the south respond in minutes, while northerners respond in miles. We really need more responses from Southerners! Also, I thought it was interesting one poster responded both ways. BTW, I am from the south and always refer to distances in terms of time even if I have to qualify it (ie - 30 minutes with no traffic 45 minutes during rush hour).

Makes sense to me. If the area is a more "city" people would respond in miles. Here in the DC area, just because something is 2 miles away, doesn't mean it won't take your 1/2 hour to get there.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Had a password issue, so I answered in my head before reading the thread....so I have read the thread (up to the part where folks chatted about the mysterious theory)....

so that is my disclaimer. The following response was thought of prior to reading the thread though, but the post was after reading the thread.

1. 7 minutes (there may be a closer store, but I'm new to the area and don't go to it. I assume that it is similar distance)
2. Virginia
3. Florida (I only spent 3 years in PA, while the other states I have lived in were SC & LA)

As for the southern thing...ever hear of a country mile? I have a theory that mile isn't used for a reason--it will always be longer than quoted. Time is more accurate.

(1 mile could be 5 or 10 sometimes. Time estimates are more realistic, though still off.)

 

[Helene]

1) 1 mile
2) PA
3) PA

 

[CleoPahd]

about 5 miles
Massachusetts
Massachusetts

 

[swimchick1984]

1. about 1 mile to 1.5 miles
2. Texas
3. California - 11 years, Oregon 12 years

 

[mickeyplanner08]

4 MILES
Michigan
Iowa