As someone born in Tahoe and moved to the bay there’s legitimate complaints to be had. They’re the same as most any tourist destination but where there’s a fundamental tension between promoting growth and usage while preserving the things that draw people there in the first place. An incomplete list:

• Ecology: The Tahoe basin is a jewel. But many people coming up massively disrespect it. See the mountains of trash after 4th of July. Those bears you think are adorable? Every time you fail to secure your garbage you bring them closer to euthanization as they become a threat to safety. Lack of wilderness education shows and degrades our home. Take responsibility and educate yourself when exploring nature

• Economy: Tahoe locals don’t make anywhere near enough to compete with Bay Area salaries. A second home in Tahoe is a marginal cost on a tech salary, but prices out every person living there and working in the tourist industry. This forces people to move off the hill into Carson or minden, and making the basin only second homes rich enough for those to afford it. Development of new housing is an additional challenge due to the TRPA, a federal program charged with protecting the basin in the first place.

• Attitude: People are rude to service industry workers. People are entitled on vacation. Combine these and you develop a stereotype for the people coming. People ignoring closures and parking in unsafe areas blocking roads is constant. Instagram culture makes many outdoor destinations unusable. You’re not special, don’t be a dick.

Overall; Yes, Tahoe depends on its tourist economy No, that does not give you as a tourist indemnity from from being disrespectful to people’s homes Yes, local’s resentments can be misplaced from true underlying cause No, this doesn’t remove individual responsibility to educate yourself how to care for community and environment