# Vermont Town Wards Off Influencers During Foliage Season by Closing Access **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161 "2023-10-05T19:34:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/101 "2023-10-18T13:47:23Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It’s their extreme concentration in a few key spots. A phenomenon driven by social media, not by any inherent superiority of the peeping to be had _here_ versus _there_. Fair enough. But I do feel like Instagram influencers aren’t gonna want the same pictures, year after year. They’ll move on to some new “magic spot” and their followers will, well, follow. This seems like one of those very temporary problems that, if you ignore it long enough, will simply solve itself. Meanwhile, locals can either complain, or cash in on the brief influx of tourist money. The “flash mob” analogy is good. Brief, annoying, possibly dangerous, but it’s all over quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/102 "2023-10-18T14:31:08Z")
I live in Snowbird country. Olde fartes from all over snow country, from BC to Ontario, Washington state to Pennsylvania, all migrate to Mesa every winter. They clog our stores, our restaurants, suck all our water, add pollution, can’t drive worth a damn, cause accidents, and generally act like entitled assholes for six months. I am a resident, I pay taxes for my roads, my water and sewage utilities. Should we be allowed to prohibit anyone without an Arizona license plate to enter Mesa during Oct-April? If so, let’s do it! ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/103 "2023-10-18T15:01:23Z")
I live in a coastal town north of Boston, and during certain parts of the year, certain parts of town become overrun to the point of jamming the roads. The local beach (owned and controlled by a nonprofit conservation organization) limits beachgoers to those paying an entry fee, and when the count of cars indicates the lot is full, the gate closes. In fact, outsiders wanting to go there in peak season have to make reservations in advance. Town residents can buy a beach sticker at town hall for access to their own smaller parking area. Without such restrictions, the one road to the beach would become impassable, not only to the beach itself but also for the residents along the several miles from Route 133. Should these restrictions be abandoned and the beach (plus its miles of flanking fragile dunes) be thrown open to trampling hordes? The road outside the parking area clogged with parked cars? Because that’s exactly what would happen without restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/104 "2023-10-18T15:15:03Z")
Update: I was reading the select board minutes for Pomfret, Vermont just to understand the decision better, and two things jumped out at me: 1. only one road was closed, and one was made one-way, so it’s not like the whole town is closed, And 2. the neighboring town of Woodstock closed that same road even before Pomfret did, yet somehow that’s not part of the story. As for snowbirds in Arizona, I would point out that they are paying taxes through their long-term rentals, and that they are actually living there. The resolution in Pomfret, Vermont also carved out an exception for people staying there as guests of residents, which would presumably include the B&Bs. > **[08.16.2023\_approved\_minutes.pdf](https://pomfretvt.us/files/3016/9409/2640/08.16.2023_approved_minutes.pdf)** > > 142.42 KB ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/105 "2023-10-18T15:16:25Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Yup. More than 50 Massachusetts beaches were closed this summer due to high levels of human fecal coliform. 🤢 That happens a lot. People aren’t pooping on the beach. It happens when there is heavy rain and storm water runoff into the ocean. The beaches would get contaminated even if they weren’t in use. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/106 "2023-10-18T15:18:44Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > That happens a lot. People aren’t pooping on the beach. It happens when there is heavy rain and storm water runoff into the ocean. The beaches would get contaminated even if they weren’t in us Yes, I know that, but I’m still comfortable putting that under the heading of human factors. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/107 "2023-10-18T19:04:58Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Meanwhile, locals can either complain, or cash in on the brief influx of tourist money. If your home is in the area where a bunch of inconsiderate jerks are trespassing, littering and taking a dump on private property, how exactly are you getting to “cash in”? Are influencers and their followers leaving $10 bills in their wake? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/108 "2023-10-19T00:44:04Z")
It’s not really a “those people” problem, it’s a “too many people” problem that ruins it for everyone, including the people who live here. I live in a town known for car shows. They have to sleep and eat somewhere, and while I’m glad for the money they spend in town, the traffic and shitty behavior isn’t really worth it. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/109 "2023-10-19T00:59:37Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Hmm. Well, many museums have a no-photography rule. And guards. > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > When we went to the British Museum in 2019, the wall of people taking selfies and pictures of the Rosetta Stone (including someone directly in front of it doing a slow top-to-bottom video) was so dense that we gave up on seeing it. People are just so fucking weird about needing to document things for their friends rather than seeing them. Try to get close to the Mona Lisa. Not sure why, but I agree that people are fucking weird about documenting their lives through selfies. If I want to see a pic of the Mona Lisa, there is no shortage to be found. If I want to remember I went to the Louvre or Versailles, I take pictures outside. Which we did. I don’t need to document every famous portion within since they are WELL documented. Makes me long for the days of analog photography when each click of the shutter cost money… ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/110 "2023-10-19T01:01:05Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Reminds me I was at a local air show and literally four generations of the same family were all standing in front of me taking videos with their phones over their heads blocking my view. > > I mean, can’t you agree to have one of you take the video and the rest just watch? We don’t need 6 people all taking the same video. That reminds me of taking videos at a concert. Will folks really go back and watch those vids? Another is folks taking pictures of fireworks. Really? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/111 "2023-10-19T01:10:29Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > I mean, if those same people ignore No Trespassing signs to go on a farmer’s porch and set out a picnic to photograph, defecate in the barn, trample plants, physically threaten the owner when told to leave, and leave trash everywhere, the roads aren’t the only problem anyway. This is Vermont not San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/112 "2023-10-19T01:45:26Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I live in a coastal town north of Boston, and during certain parts of the year, certain parts of town become overrun to the point of jamming the roads. The local beach (owned and controlled by a nonprofit conservation organization) limits beachgoers to those paying an entry fee, and when the count of cars indicates the lot is full, the gate closes. In fact, outsiders wanting to go there in peak season have to make reservations in advance. Town residents can buy a beach sticker at town hall for access to their own smaller parking area. Without such restrictions, the one road to the beach would become impassable, not only to the beach itself but also for the residents along the several miles from Route 133. > > Should these restrictions be abandoned and the beach (plus its miles of flanking fragile dunes) be thrown open to trampling hordes? The road outside the parking area clogged with parked cars? Because that’s exactly what would happen without restrictions. ⁢ That doesn’t sound like restricting the beach to only people who live in the area. That sounds like they’ve turned it into a paid beach part of the year. I suspect that’s exactly the sort of thing that @purplehorseshoe would support: making money off the tourists. Personally, I just have to say the way this was worded rubbed me the wrong way. It said they were banning certain people. And the only way that made any sense is if they were banning anyone from out of town. And I know I have a bit of a visceral reaction to that idea–kinda like when you hear “Y’ain’t from around here” in a movie. The real story–that the closed a street and made another one one-way? That seems like nothing. It seems far more fair. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/113 "2024-11-21T02:22:29Z")
Just an update that they liked it so much last year, they’re doing it again, as are some other towns. Take that, leaf-peepers! [Southern Vermont communities continue to close off areas during foliage season](https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vt-communities-continue-to-close-off-areas-during-foliage-season/62561588) ---
**Author:** ![Nightaudit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightaudit/32/17181_2.png) [@Nightaudit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightaudit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/114 "2024-12-01T17:21:10Z")
Or caltrops with a kickback from the local tow truck company and tyre shop…😉😈 ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161/115 "2025-09-24T21:02:50Z")
Once more unto the breach! Or closing the breach, I guess. > **[Famous Vermont leaf-peeping spot to remain closed to tourists during foliage...](https://www.mynbc5.com/article/cloudland-road-pomfret-woodstock-vermont-foliage/66016302)** > > Cloudland Road in the towns of Pomfret and Woodstock will be closed to leaf tourists once again in an effort to protect local residents' privacy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vermont-town-wards-off-influencers-during-foliage-season-by-closing-access/991161.md?page=5)