Becoming a bitter local?

 True locals seem to harbor a certain disdain for anyone who hasn't lived here for 20 years.  While I don't come close to local status by any standard I am finding myself slightly exasperated with non locals.

First a little background on the unspoken Faustian bargain that exists between locals and everyone else.  Locals have agreed to let non locals (this is everyone from weekend tourists to second home owners) overrun the town for 7 weeks in the summer, 2 weekends during the fall and 3 weeks during ski season.  In return locals expect limited non locals during the rest of ski season and summer and no non locals during shoulder season.  

As we enter the tail end of summer we are still at close to 4th of July capacity.  Trails are slammed (with many people neither wearing masks nor having a clue).  Town is still full of people who don't know about two way stop sign intersections and City Market continues to be the first circle of parking hell.  

Aspen School district has seen its enrollment expand by 8%.  And a number of other families plan to stay in Aspen and both work and do school remotely.

This is all breaking the bargain---locals agree to live in a very remote place and deal with crazy real estate pricing (from stupid high rents, to overpriced retail to pay their rent) in return for 8 months of small town natural heaven.

Instead we are dealing with Belly-Up getting busted for being open at 1am serving 75-100 maskless partiers.  Crowds of tourists who by their very nature are a self-selecting group of COVID risk takers (those who are COVID paranoid are staying home and sanitizing their once a week grocery delivery).  These COVID super spreaders are walking in the middle of streets and overwhelming trails and trail parking.  ARGGGGGGG.

Aspen may not be the next Portland but there is an ugly energy building up.  I don't know where the release value is, but I wonder how some of our newest community members will like October-November when they can't find the services they want and it starts to get dark early and cold.  How will locals feel about providing services for second home owners 24/7 365?  I predict ugly stuff on the horizon.

Me---I am venturing out earlier than ever, staying off my road bike to avoid getting run over and going to trails further and further off the beaten path.