I recently arrived at the Portland airport late in the evening, eager to begin my time in Maine. After making my way to my rental car, I felt a pang of disappointment upon seeing the New York license plates on the midsize SUV I’d been assigned. For a moment, I considered heading back to request a car with Maine plates but decided against it. With so many people moving to Maine and the state’s growing diversity, I hoped the old hostile attitudes toward “people from away” might have lessened. Maybe?

Unfortunately, those hopes were quickly dashed. Within 16 hours of picking up my rental, I was aggressively tailgated and nearly run off the road three times – once late at night on Route 1 near Wiscasset, and twice the next day on the winding roads of Knox County, despite driving slightly over the speed limit. In each case, the driver behind me sped up aggressively to pass, their hostility palpable.

This behavior was both unsettling and jarring. It made me wonder: what if I’d been an elderly person with a heart condition or someone less experienced behind the wheel? The consequences of such reckless aggression could have been disastrous. While I can’t be certain that this was due to my New York plates, I strongly suspect that it played a role.

Maine holds a special place in my heart and has been a core part of my identity for over two decades. My children were born here, I pay taxes here, and despite dividing my time between Camden and elsewhere, Maine is the place I consider home. Yet, one thing that continues to trouble me is the lingering hostility – ranging from lighthearted but exclusionary debates over who counts as a “real Mainer” to openly hostile attitudes toward “flatlanders” from states like New York and Massachusetts. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard Massachusetts visitors referred to as “massholes.”

What’s particularly ironic is that many of the people who express these views have roots in those very places – they or their families once moved “from away” too. And, in some cases, these same individuals have contributed to the displacement of longtime residents, with their migration to Maine driving up property values and forcing people from coastal communities farther inland, where housing and land are more affordable. This local exclusionary attitude mirrors the national anti-immigration sentiment, which is a striking contradiction in a country built by immigrants on the backs of enslaved and forcefully displaced peoples.

I want to acknowledge that not everyone in Maine holds these views – far from it. Many Mainers are warm, welcoming and open-minded, and this hostility often comes from a vocal minority. But even if it’s only a few, their actions leave a lasting impression and can perpetuate the perception of Maine as unwelcoming to outsiders. We can and should do better.

Maine is a stunningly beautiful and welcoming state in many ways, but this deep-seated animosity toward “outsiders” must end. It serves no one, and more importantly, it puts everyone at risk. We need to embrace the diversity of those who come to Maine – whether they’re visiting or relocating from another state or country — and move beyond this divisive us-versus-them mentality. Let’s work together to make our roads and our state more genuinely welcoming to all.

As we approach an election where the stakes are incredibly high, I urge everyone to reflect on the impact of exclusionary thinking and behavior. It divides us, fosters unfounded and unnecessary resentment, and distracts from addressing the real challenges we face together. And let’s not forget that the original inhabitants of this land are the Native Americans, particularly the Wabanaki peoples, who lived here long before Maine became what it is today.

When I dropped off the rental car and shared my experiences with the attendant, she laughed and said, “Oh yeah, we hear that a lot. Next time, you can just request a car with Maine plates.” Which I’ll definitely do.