My friend once said that East Coast is not polite but kind, and West Coast is polite but not kind
Bostonites will give you the shirt of their back but will berate you the entire time for being so fucking stupid that now I gotta give you my shirt you fucking idiot, don’t you think at all?
you forgot the “, kid?” or “, bub?” at the end, but otherwise accurate.
It’s a very accurate description of the Northeast. People will help you dig your car out of the snow while passively aggressively exhaling very loudly to emphasize how much of a pain it is. But then they’ll just walk away not even expecting a thank you.
Canadian here, I’ve absolutely helped push multiple bozos cars out of snowbanks, silently cursing them the entire time for being such idiot bad drivers.
When they thank me at the end I always say “it’s no problem”
I’m shocked you don’t apologize to them for their bad driving.
Sorry
You know, as someone that’s live on both coasts for extended periods of time, that’s exactly right. I’ve never been able to explain it but that’s spot on. Thanks!!
I think it’s far more north south than east west. The PNW is definitely kind, though they’re neither nice nor mean, more just uncomfortable you’re talking to them. Meanwhile the southeast gives California a run for their money in polite cruelty.
People are aware that without a culture built around it places like Alaska with 22+ hours of light/dark a day can make people a little crazy, but I think the inverse also can cause problems without a culture built around it. Winter is good for you even if it sucks
The US south often fits the west coast definition here as well
I dunno, I found people on the West Coast would go out of their way to accommodate my wife when she was unable to walk.
Yeah people here are scared of making friends with their neighbors for some reason, but as a disabled person people look out for me.
Californians are angry in traffic.
Oh in traffic all that new England kindness goes away rapidly. If you impede them without needing help well they won’t ram you or wave a gun, so it’s better than Midwestern drivers, but they will honk their hearts out and cut you off
As a Californian, I can confirm half the drivers here get their habits from playing too much GTA V.
facts. give me impolite kindness 100% of the time.
I feel the need to do a Texas one as a Texan
Tex: you must be lost
Person: yes I was traveling…. Looking for… do you know
Long silence
Tex: yep… see I knew you were probably lost. When I saw your car I told my buddy bubba over bubba tips his hat “hey bubba I think he’s lost. Probably looking for the highway.” Are ya… looking for the highway that is.
Person: yes
Tex: ya. That’s what I figured. (Long silence but right before you say something else) you’re probably gonna want to take that road there. It’ll get you to Edna.
Person: is the highway in Edna?
Tex: no, but… you should probably go thru Edna. Less trouble that way. Then you’ll see where the old windmill used to be. Make a left”
Person: left… to the highway?
Tex: no… but that’ll get you to fire station
Person: do I need the fire station
Bubba laughs
Tex: bubba! No but you’re going to need their help with the tree that fell back in August . You didn’t really think you could move a tree that size with (gestures judgingly at your car. Regardless of the make or model) that… thing…
Bubba laughs
Tex: Bubba!
Person: uhh okay… thank you… I guess I’ll head to that fire station.
That conversation took an hour and a half but they fed you. also you have to come back next season because Mary lost her husband and you gotta do your due to help out. Then you end up just living there because after every time you help someone says “I suppose you’ll be off then won’cha. I can’t say I blame ya”
How can you leave after that?! It’s so passively judgmental!
Edit (might be adding a hat to hat here but I’m trying to reach peak texan): The good news is you can legally wear cowboy boots now and you measure a lot of thing by “heads” for quantity or “hand” for size. Plus if you ever don’t want to answer a question you can just gaze off into the distance and say “I don’t claim to know but if I’ve learned a damn thing in these dusty years is that you’ll find your answer right out there. when those answers want to find you I can’t rightly say… I’d be a damn fool to try”
That’s painfully accurate in some places down here. And if you’re ever through that way again there’s some decent fishing in Lake Texana. Got a whole mess of catfish out there a couple of weeks back.
Exactly! It’s helpful it’s just… “you in some kind of hurry?”
As for your fishing spot. I’ll answer in Texan
“Sounds great but I know how people enjoy a good spot once they found it. We’ll head out sometime together. You bring the beer.”
Boston is absolutely, hands-down my favourite US city. My daughter just returned from a few days there and can confirm.
Why would we need your daughter to confirm that it’s your favorite city?
To confirm I’m not biased…
*favorite. Not fav our ite.
Boston bustin’ balls is the best initiation you can experience.
We’ll give you shit unless we realize you’re actually “in the shit”. Then we’ll square you away and nod goodbye.
Swear to God this is a Reddit thread completely reposted.
It is
Miserably kind. I definitely feel that feeling.
I flew into Boston back in the ‘80s and was driving a rental car to my hotel. I get to an intersection and it’s blocked for a 10K road race. So I ask the cop diverting traffic if there was an alternate route to the hotel. He shrugs his shoulders, says he doesn’t know, and waves me on. I ended up driving around until the roads reopened.
He probably didn’t know. Boston has a lot of random one way streets that change on the whim of a drunk leprechaun throwing darts at a board.
Thank u, terror. Thank u, disillusionment. Thank u, frailty.
