# Ask the person who lives in a tiny country **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 8, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240 "2012-02-08T22:50:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/21 "2012-02-09T05:52:29Z")
> [@grude](#): > > This is the UK we’re talking about, has a blue phone booth been sighted in the area? Sadly, not for a while, no. 😃 Not even many of the old proper red ones left. Hey, that’s a good point (Dr. Who reference apart) - does the Isle of Man have particularly cute 'phone boxes? I hope it does. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/22 "2012-02-09T05:55:34Z")
Actually, technically, it’s _not_ part of the UK. It’s ruled by the Queen separately. Though the UK graciously agreed to handle defense and foreign affairs. So I guess this means the Tardis is a different colour or something. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/23 "2012-02-09T06:05:28Z")
I reckon a rainbow-striped Tardis would be good. Or one covered in polka dots. Slightly more on topic, who would invade it? I.o M. could probably afford to hire a whole lot of mercenaries. Mercenaries on motorbikes! Plus, an army of three legged cats would stop any invading force in its tracks. Sorted! Yes, there might be a good reason why no one lets me be Defence Secretary of anywhere. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![YoDoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e68b1a/32.png) [@YoDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoDoc)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/24 "2012-02-09T06:45:07Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I live in an island nation also. We’re several times larger than yours, but we have the distinction of being an island that is not totally surrounded by water. What? ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/25 "2012-02-09T08:41:09Z")
Is the steam powered Isle of Man Railway used much by the people living on the island or are most of the passengers tourists? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/26 "2012-02-09T08:42:44Z")
> [@YoDoc](#): > > What? Rhode Island ha ha. **shijinn** : Singapore? ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/27 "2012-02-09T08:53:12Z")
I’m fascinated by the Tynwald. Is it true it meets in the open air once a year? Have you ever been? How are laws made? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/28 "2012-02-09T09:48:33Z")
yes **jjimm** , and google says it was the same size as the Isle of Man before all the (ongoing) land reclaimations. she’s literally growing! ---
**Author:** ![radar1974](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@radar1974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar1974)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/29 "2012-02-09T11:49:57Z")
I lived in the Isle of Man for 13 years before moving to Malta (another small country, but not as small as IoM) In answer to a few of the questions posed so far: There is no problem with UK residents residing or buying property in IoM. Obtaining Manx citizenship is not straightforward though, and ‘visitors’ need a work permit for the first 5 years they are there. Yes it CAN get claustrophobic and yes you do end up knowing at least one person everytime you walk into a random pub, but just like the lyrics to ‘Cheers’ ‘sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name’. It is very easy to fly or catch a ferry off the island (although getting more and more expensive) so easing the sense of claustraphobia is not difficult. The weather can be an issue. It can get pretty cold for long periods, and extremely windy. High tides, especially in Spring can cause localised flooding. Locals tend to make the most of any hot weather, because they never know how long it will last. The women are just as nice as any you would find in the UK, if not nicer 🙂 and Manx cats don’t have tails, although true Manx cats are becoming more and more rare. If a Manx cross breeds with a ‘normal’ cat it produces a ‘stumpy’ and these are a more common sight. The Manx language is still taught in schools and all village and town names carry both the English and Manx names, but sadly it’s not in daily use at all. Because of this, it’s hard to pick up many words. Locals don’#t use the steam train much for actual travel, only for family trips. Same goes for the horse drawn carriages that travel along the promenade in the capital Douglas and the Electric railway that can take you to various towns and up the only Mountain, Snaefell. If a local is using any of these forms of transport it’s usually as a way of avoiding driving on a night/day out drinking 🙂 IoM is indeed a sovereign state, meaning it is independent fro the UK but is rules by the Queen. IoM does rely on their army though, and Manx born sports people are eligable to represent Team GB at the Olympics (Mark Cavendish, the cyclist a prime example). IoM has it’s own bank notes and coins which are not valid for use in the UK (but the reverse is not true, UK notes and coins can be spent freely in IoM) Tynwald Day is a public holiday and members of the general public can present requests and ideas to the Government. It is the longest continually serving Government in the World (think it was founded in 979AD and has never disbanded since then) 5 reasons NOT to live there? I miss the place, so this is hard, but depending on what you look for in a location I’d go for: 1.Weather 2. Lack of entertainment venues (not enough cinemas, bowling alleys, theatres etc.) 3. Motobikes (that’s either a plus point or a negative point depending on your view). If you hate bikes then you will NOT like IOM much. It’s not just TT either there are other road races 4. The boat getting canceled, and the cost of getting your car on and off the island (from about October to March about 50% of the ferry sailings get canceled at the last minute due to bad weather. A real pain) 5. The general cost of living seems to be getting worse and worse. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/30 "2012-02-09T15:36:33Z")
I don’t have a question, but my ancestors lived in the Isle of Man for many generations. I’d love to visit some day. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/31 "2012-02-09T16:46:37Z")
Is there any perceptible Norse influence remaining in the Manx culture? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/32 "2012-02-09T17:21:58Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Do you know my friend Pete? He lives there too. > [@radar1974](#): > > Yes it CAN get claustrophobic and yes you do end up knowing at least one person everytime you walk into a random pub, but just like the lyrics to ‘Cheers’ ‘sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name’. It is very easy to fly or catch a ferry off the island (although getting more and more expensive) so easing the sense of claustraphobia is not difficult. Ok, but do you know Pete? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/33 "2012-02-09T17:31:20Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I don’t have a question, but my ancestors lived in the Isle of Man for many generations. I’d love to visit some day. My mother-in-law has about seven cousins all living on the Isle of Man, all with lots of family. I think I must be related to half the island by marriage. (Some of them twice over, I shouldn’t wonder 😃 ) I’ve never been, but it’s on the list. It looks beautiful. Quite a few of the wilder-looking road-test sequences on _Top Gear_ have been filmed there, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/34 "2012-02-09T17:45:49Z")
Thanks for starting this thread. I’ve always wondered about IOM and this has definitely fought my ignorance. Here’s more from Wiki: [Isle of Man - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/35 "2012-02-09T17:50:47Z")
> [@radar1974](#): > > It is the longest continually serving Government in the World (think it was founded in 979AD and has never disbanded since then) Our school trip in 1979 was to the Isle of Man for the anniversary celebrations. At the time, the Laxey Wheel was pretty much the coolest thing I’d ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/36 "2012-02-09T20:14:24Z")
Ex-Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman lives on IOM. You get major cool points for that. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/37 "2012-02-09T21:02:02Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > \*By the way most roads here don’t have a speed limit. And there are a couple where the quality of them is such that this means you can drive at well over 150mph legally. Nevertheless, the average driver doesn’t drive very quickly, probably because there is not much reason to other than for fun, given how close things are. That also reminds me that the entire island shuts down for a fortnight during TT week, where we are the motorbike centre of the universe, I’m not sure how I forgot to mention that! Oh and our cars pay less road tax (naturally) and we don’t have to get an MOT every year - I understand that you don’t in most US states that are not California either, but you do in the UK - it’s a test of vehicle raodworthiness, basically. Jeremy Clarkson once mentioned that you can be cited for ‘furious’ driving. What the hell is that all about? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/38 "2012-02-09T23:31:58Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > My family’s from there, we have a street named after us and the Malew parish church graveyard is full of my descendants. > [@Celyn](#): > > Oh I doubt that it is, you know. :dubious: Full of ancestors, possibly. Actually I’m only posting that slightly snarky point because I’m amused to be looking askance at **Askance**. 🙂 :smack: > [@Malden\_Capell](#): > > I’m fascinated by the Tynwald. Is it true it meets in the open air once a year? Have you ever been? How are laws made? Yes, it’s true, the [Thing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thing_(assembly)) (really) meets there once a year on July 5th to Promulgate laws, which is to say they get read out loud to the assembled populace. According to tradition, if the reader makes a mistake in the reading it gets incorporated into law! Any law not Promulgated within 18 months of it passing the legislature, lapses. > [@radar1974](#): > > It is the longest continually serving Government in the World (think it was founded in 979AD and has never disbanded since then) Rather it’s the longest continually serving _parliament_, the nature of government has changed many times over the years of course. I believe the Icelandic Althing has existed longer but went into abeyance under (IIRC) Norwegian rule for some decades. ---
**Author:** ![radar1974](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@radar1974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar1974)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/39 "2012-02-10T06:21:14Z")
Yes I meant Parliment, not Government (sorry for the error). Yes Top Gear film there and Jeremy Clarkson owns a house in the North of the island. He closed off a public footpath across his land and was involved in a lengthy court case saying it was an invasion of privacy, but eventually he lost. Yes I do know Pete, he drinks in The Mitre. He said to say hello. Furious driving is just Mr Clarkson having his usual attempt at humour. The only thing you can be cited for is dangerous driving, which basically means taking the racing line around bends, rather than staying on the correct side of the road 🙂 Rick Wakeman certainly does live in IoM (I used to deal with his banking) and so does John Rhys Davis, Gimli from the LotR trilogy. In fact it was him that leant his weight into getting IoM to be able to issue LotR official stamps, as before that, only New Zealand had the right to do so. Comic Actor Norman Wisdom was also a resident of the island before his recent death. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240/40 "2012-02-10T16:42:57Z")
There is such a thing as furious cycling. They have it in the UK as well. I believe it essentially means being an utter, utter (not just a mere) prick on a bike. Of course many of the older manx families, for want of a better way of putting it, have their tentacles in many things. It is called the “manx mafia” locally. That is not to suggest they are involved with organised crime. But corruption abounds, and there are plenty of government jobs for the boys. You know the kind of thing. Toucanna, I don’t know about the wisdom of using horse and carriages for most things, but in the summer months there is a horse pulled tram on Douglas promenade. Once the horses get old they aren’t turned into glue, but there’s a home they are put into on the road to Castletown and families can go to visit them. Have I missed anything that radar hasn’t taken care of? (As a point of correction, I should make it clear that “getting manx citizenship” is actually pretty straight forward, at least for a Brit. There is actually technically no such thing as Manx citizenship, we are all British citizens one way or another - one can vote after I think about a year of living here continuously, then other rights come avaliable over a five year period, and that’s essentially it. Work permits are easy to come by in practice - especially self employment ones - the presumption is for them to be granted. Coming over here to claim on the dole is not going to work though - the right is there if you’ve been useful - in fact NI contributions are transferable between here and the Big Islands - but you won’t be let in to do it) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-person-who-lives-in-a-tiny-country/612240.md?page=3)