Comments on: Seattle Weenies http://electrolicious.com/2004/08/seattle_weenies Daily affirmations of a word mercenary Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:42:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: allie http://electrolicious.com/2004/08/seattle_weenies#comment-4690 allie Thu, 26 Aug 2004 19:33:43 +0000 #comment-4690 This topic is fantastic! I've lived in both SF and near Manhattan in NJ, so I've experienced both scenarios described above. My boyfriend came out to visit me when I lived in SF, and being the Jersey boy that he is, he about freaked out when a homeless guy started getting in our face begging for change outside the Great American Music Hall. It wasn't just a "please can I spare some change?", "no I'm sorry" and the guy left. This was "please can I spare some change?", "no I'm sorry", and then "WHAT??? Who do you think you are?" and proceeded to grind Chris repeatedly until finally Chris screamed at him to beat it. Chris was also blown away at how lax the cops were in SF about dealing with aggressive homeless people. Its just a different mentality- you'll never see that in NYC, because Guiliani pushed the homeless out of the city, into shelters and now cops patrol every street on foot. Plus, New Yorkers would never have a tolerance for someone getting in their face for change, its just a different attitude altogether. I'm with Ivy though- I honestly think people in this area are very friendly overall, they are just tough. I like the direct attitude much better than the passive attitude I was surrounded by in SF for sure... This topic is fantastic! I’ve lived in both SF and near Manhattan in NJ, so I’ve experienced both scenarios described above. My boyfriend came out to visit me when I lived in SF, and being the Jersey boy that he is, he about freaked out when a homeless guy started getting in our face begging for change outside the Great American Music Hall.

It wasn’t just a “please can I spare some change?”, “no I’m sorry” and the guy left. This was “please can I spare some change?”, “no I’m sorry”, and then “WHAT??? Who do you think you are?” and proceeded to grind Chris repeatedly until finally Chris screamed at him to beat it.

Chris was also blown away at how lax the cops were in SF about dealing with aggressive homeless people.

Its just a different mentality- you’ll never see that in NYC, because Guiliani pushed the homeless out of the city, into shelters and now cops patrol every street on foot. Plus, New Yorkers would never have a tolerance for someone getting in their face for change, its just a different attitude altogether.

I’m with Ivy though- I honestly think people in this area are very friendly overall, they are just tough. I like the direct attitude much better than the passive attitude I was surrounded by in SF for sure…

]]> By: Jeannie http://electrolicious.com/2004/08/seattle_weenies#comment-4689 Jeannie Thu, 26 Aug 2004 17:50:56 +0000 #comment-4689 <p>Hi there, long time listener, first time caller. we moved here three-plus years ago from Chicago and both my boyfriend and i have been called out for being "harsh" and for our sarcasm. also for being "too direct". (what?) it's still a little weird -- back home, neither one of us were considered mean or confrontational or anything -- something is going wrong in your personal space, you take care of it and move on -- but here, even still, i sometimes feel like an alien. and other transplants from the midwest and east coast have said they've felt that too -- and some of them have been here for over a decade. it's an interesting thing. maybe in a generation as more and more people come here from big cities, the assertiveness and directness level of the population as a whole might increase. </p> Hi there, long time listener, first time caller. we moved here three-plus years ago from Chicago and both my boyfriend and i have been called out for being “harsh” and for our sarcasm. also for being “too direct”. (what?) it’s still a little weird — back home, neither one of us were considered mean or confrontational or anything — something is going wrong in your personal space, you take care of it and move on — but here, even still, i sometimes feel like an alien. and other transplants from the midwest and east coast have said they’ve felt that too — and some of them have been here for over a decade. it’s an interesting thing. maybe in a generation as more and more people come here from big cities, the assertiveness and directness level of the population as a whole might increase.

]]> By: chasmyn http://electrolicious.com/2004/08/seattle_weenies#comment-4688 chasmyn Thu, 26 Aug 2004 09:10:02 +0000 #comment-4688 Interesting. I've only lived in Seattle (Redmond, actually - does it even count?) for a couple of months, and I have certainly noticed that people are friendly, laid-back and accepting of whatever happens here. My example of what I am used to: in St. Louis (where we moved from), to get anything accomplished one has to basicaly make oneself the squaekay wheel, and I have become quite adept over the years. So when Whole Foods kept running out of our staple of organic lactose-free milk, I left a page-long comment card about how they need to keep things stocked or we weren't going to shop there, because PCC always has stuff in stock. I got an email from the dairy-odering person apologising so profusely and explaining how they are new, etc and haven't fully gotten the hang of what needs to be ordered, etc. I actually felt bad after reading it, he was SO super nice about it. So we went back and they had created another row and actually had it totally stocked. I was greatly impressed. In St. louis I would have had to write several of those comment cards to even be taken seriously and even talked to the store manager themselves. There's just so resistance here. I LOVE it, to be honest. It's refreshing. It seems like people are just allowed to BE out here. Interesting. I’ve only lived in Seattle (Redmond, actually - does it even count?) for a couple of months, and I have certainly noticed that people are friendly, laid-back and accepting of whatever happens here.

My example of what I am used to: in St. Louis (where we moved from), to get anything accomplished one has to basicaly make oneself the squaekay wheel, and I have become quite adept over the years.

So when Whole Foods kept running out of our staple of organic lactose-free milk, I left a page-long comment card about how they need to keep things stocked or we weren’t going to shop there, because PCC always has stuff in stock. I got an email from the dairy-odering person apologising so profusely and explaining how they are new, etc and haven’t fully gotten the hang of what needs to be ordered, etc. I actually felt bad after reading it, he was SO super nice about it.

So we went back and they had created another row and actually had it totally stocked. I was greatly impressed.

In St. louis I would have had to write several of those comment cards to even be taken seriously and even talked to the store manager themselves.

There’s just so resistance here. I LOVE it, to be honest. It’s refreshing. It seems like people are just allowed to BE out here.

]]> By: paisley jane http://electrolicious.com/2004/08/seattle_weenies#comment-4687 paisley jane Thu, 26 Aug 2004 06:21:44 +0000 #comment-4687 <i>We can be cold and elitist and ignore you like nobody's business!</i> and boy do i dislike that :) but we all have our thang . im from the south so our social skills are a whole 'nother story .. We can be cold and elitist and ignore you like nobody’s business!

and boy do i dislike that :)
but we all have our thang .

im from the south so our social skills are a whole ‘nother story ..

]]> By: Ivy http://electrolicious.com/2004/08/seattle_weenies#comment-4686 Ivy Thu, 26 Aug 2004 03:31:28 +0000 #comment-4686 Corrado: Have you ever been to NYC? I live in Brooklyn. People in New York City are actually very nice and will go out of their ways to help you. Say what you want about NYC, but you can't fault the people. Or the fact that it is so incredibly rad. I have never been "Out West" (even though I have been all over the world). I would think that the "kynd", mellow hippie vibe out there would make me kind of seasick after awhile. Corrado: Have you ever been to NYC?

I live in Brooklyn. People in New York City are actually very nice and will go out of their ways to help you. Say what you want about NYC, but you can’t fault the people. Or the fact that it is so incredibly rad.

I have never been “Out West” (even though I have been all over the world). I would think that the “kynd”, mellow hippie vibe out there would make me kind of seasick after awhile.

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