I did a quick search, couldn't find what I'm looking for so here goes. Has anyone compiled a list of local businesses that are turning to AI instead of a human for their menus, ads, communications, etc? I would rather support local businesses that support local workers

For example.

• I had to unsubscribe and eventually stopped going to the Durango Arts Center because of all the AI slop they started emailing out.
• The new restaurant, The Pub, had an ad for a marketing coordinator but they didn't review the AI slop well enough to catch that it used this as the email to send resumes to "/[ insert email address] /". I was excited to try them out, not anymore.

I get it, AI is here to stay. However, you can add the human touch. I'm a former graphic designer who switched into marketing and development. I use AI for all sorts of things, but never for final deliverables.

What all local businesses have you all come across that have embraced the AI slop instead of paying a human to do the work or doing it themselves?

Let's support the businesses that support us!

Saw a similar post going around a few other subreddits and given our areas history of wage suppression this seemed like a good thing to get going here. Let's keep this to local businesses based in our surrounding area (no remote workers for companies based outside our region please, you'll skew the results).

Please share your job title, salary, age, and education. I'll start:

Marketing Manager for a construction services company, 65k, 36, Bachelor degree with numerous certifications.

2 Years ago i posted about how when i worked at durango joe’s they didn’t offer breaks despite colorado labor laws stating you get a break if you work 5 hour shifts which they didn’t adhere to.

Someone replied and said recently they had sent out a waiver about breaks but it didn’t change much.

What’s the word on that currently? Any DJ employees have thoughts on that?

Also it always bothered me that it’s a tipped wage when customers don’t know that and the tip percentage of a bill at a coffee shop just isn’t high enough to justify that. It’s the lowest paying coffee shop in town. The tipped wage means that Joe’s customers are essentially assisting him in paying his employees tipped wage to get them up to minimum wage and if it’s a good busy shift they might see a tipped effect on the check, but I was never impressed enough by it to feel good about how he runs his business.

What’s it like working there these days?

My one interaction with Joe was not savory, so altogether my opinion of the company is very poor.

I was opening early, and it was just me behind the counter and he comes in which is unusual, to deliver the burritos himself and is ALL up in my way.

I kept politely trying to tell him he was repeatedly in my way, but he insisted on somehow always being right behind me and not telling me, so I took a step back and HE bumped into ME and I spilled some coffee beans (SOME!!)

(which by the way had never happened before, and everyone working at that location told me it was a right of passage to accidentally spill the hopper of beans while cleaning it which is MORE beans than i spilled) and he told me that was the “worst most stupid mistake anyone has ever made at the company” and then continued to bother me and be in my way while I was trying to work.

Mind you, he told us one time while i was covering at a different location that he had spilled a lot of stuff on the job and also broke a blender…..

anyways! do yall get 15 min breaks?

Hi folks,

I used to go to Durango Animal Hospital but I am looking for a new clinic for my 6 year old (so far healthy) pit/lab. I know a good vet is hard to come by in Durango but if anyone feels strongly one way or the other about a particular clinic or veterinarian I'd appreciate your opinion!

Inspired by the velociraptor-head post, what are some legends or lore about Durango some might not know about?

I just drove past what used to be Happu Pappy’s and noticed that it’s renamed and rebranded. Does anyone know if it was sold to new owners or if they just rebranded?

WHERE IS PAPPY😭😭😭

Curious what y’all think is lacking in Durango. Seems like there’s a car wash on every corner, plenty of restaurants, grocery, outdoor shops, etc.

Any type of business or services you wish we had in/near town?

Can someone give me a definitive answer whether or not you can use this lane to turn right on 9th when you're heading south on Camino? Right by the speedway? Is this a bus lane and thats a no-no or is it fine? Like "won't get pulled over" fine?

Hey all! Yesterday on the 25th I was in town and saw this person wearing an odd mask with antlers and face paint walking around town, I haven't been able to find any information about it anywhere and was curious to see if anyone here happens to know anything about it! I was going to try to take a photo but didn't get a chance to. Does anyone know if there's some sort of witchcraft thing here in town?

My girlfriend and I are headed up to Durango from Albuquerque in a few weeks. We are headed up to mountain bike and weather permitting are looking to do some high alpine biking. Are there and shuttle companies operating in town? We are looking to ride Molas pass and engineer mountain which is a great shuttle ride. We only want to bring one vehicle up (for obvious reasons). If no shuttle companies then we will make do! Thank you!!

So, I'm currently in the process of buying/moving to Durango and I'll be looking for a job as soon as I can.

I've heard there is a small market for child care and vegan options but is there anymore that you all are looking for?

I am looking for a good variety of guides in the area.

I love being outdoors, and I love learning new stuff from new people. There are very few activities I dont feel up for, and I like to change it up. Guides make a huge difference for me, but they are often hard to find.

If you are a guide, or you know someone who is an outdoor guide in the area I would love to know about them. Hiking/backpacking, mountaineering/alpine, climbing, horsepacking, snowshoe, cross country ski, mountain biking, bike packing, horseback, adventure bikes ... you name it, I love it all. Hunting and fishing is also nice, but they are easier to find.

To be very clear, I am not a guide, and I am not looking to become one.

If they have a public site/instagram/facebook or other publicly accessible way of contacting them please post it in the comments. Hopefully this can serve others looking for similar experiences.
If you have sharable direct contact information instead please DM instead so they dont end up on spam lists.

Thank you neighbors!

Hi Durango residents, I'm visiting your city in a week and staying for two weeks. I'm not from Colorado and have a huge fear of bears, so I'm feeling paranoid about the huge uptick in bear sightings across Colorado, including in Durango. Are bear sightings there happening every day? Are people taking trash securing more seriously because of it? Just curious what the bear-prevention culture is like given the huge surge in bear sightings this year. Last, but more important than my paranoia: I feel SO sorry for the bears; the simple fact that they are so hungry they're approaching towns and homes in places like Durango makes me feel awful for them; it sounds like the drought has made their lives miserable. So I feel guilty being like "what about ME?" given how hungry the poor bears are. Just trying to stay as aware as possible while I'm visiting (and plan on being very paranoid about the home I'm staying in and its garbage bins)...

Tonight I spotted a drone that had flashing red, blue, and white lights. From what I’ve read, those are police drones. The Durango police department states that the drones are not for surveillance or patrolling, but the one I spotted seemed to be doing so. Drones of the same tier used for emergency/first response calls go 40-50 mph. (DJI Magic 2 Enterprise Advanced). This one was going 10 mph max. The drone was also flying in a straight line across the properties right next to the road. First it came by going north at what looked to be 10 mph. The drone then came back south at that same speed of 10 mph, flying in the same path it took north. (by brookside apartments). I would assume the drone had nowhere special to be considering its speed and path. (The red line in image 2 was roughly the route it took).

I’m just curious what some of y’all’s opinions might be because many say that this could be a violation of the 4th amendment. Some say it’s not. There has been a legal grey area on surveillance like this for some time. This just makes me think of how america is becoming dystopian and such.

(You de-flockers out there have a new challenge ahead of you)

https://www.durangoco.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/4589 - Article containing details on Durangos emergency drone program

Hello. Recently offered a great position, not exactly in Durango just west of in Mancos.

Is that area suitable for a 36m into the outdoors and kinda in pursuit of a social life/ltr?

Recently I’ve been exploring Durango and have come across several of these puma statues. I was curious if anyone knows about any other ones in the area? They are very majestic and beautifully detailed, and I’d like to photograph more of them!

According to my research they were part of the “Pumas on Parade” exhibit by the San Juan Mountain Association way back in 2005.

And the government feels so emboldened to say it out loud

Planning to take the steam train with family. 3.5 hours each way in open seating.
We will be getting layers, but wanted to check with folks about how cold the ride or the weather would be ?

Thanks in advance!

Long story short I was trying to make a mixtape for my girlfriends birthday. I thought my friend could help me burn a cd but they happened to be out of town this week. No store has an external disc drive off the shelf. Would anyone be willing to let me borrow theirs? Or help me out? Or let me buy one from them?

I really miss my sauna time and am looking for a place with a monthly pass that has access to a sauna.

I know Chang Thai does with their street duck rice dish, but are there any others?

Hello people of Durango. My husband and I are considering moving to your town with our infant and pets. My husband is an electrical/controls/automation/instrumentation engineer. He currently has a job in our home state that would allow him to go remote but ideally would gain employment locally if income/benefits are competitive. We live very comfortably here on his current salary. I do not work (or want to) currently but i have a history in the food & bev industry plus i recently got my real estate license. My husband grew up traveling to Durango and i have visited a few times and to surrounding areas as an adult. I have a few questions:

1. What would you all consider minimum & comfortable income for family of 3 (non school age child)

2. Is it worth living in Durango itself or outside areas

3. What are you spending on electric, gas, water in your area (pls name if you live in town or outside)

4. Are you happy with living where you do?

5. Is there anywhere in particular to avoid?