Having lived in BF for a few years the joke always was, "Bellows Falls, where father's day is the most confusing day of the year".

They are mandatory in places that don't get a lot of snow, like CA (until you get to the Sierras). It's because all of those cars don't have snow tires. They'll wave you through a chain check with snows, or an AWD. If you live in NE, or NY, you do the annual thanksgiving tire change to snows. That's why our cars work, and cars from places that need chains don't.

Sure, sure, of course you don't like outsiders you're at the gate of the NEK. Deal with it, and embrace new people.