Ever been overtly hit on by the same sex in public?

[Croc]

Part two: Unfortunately, LA can do that to people. So can ATL or SEA or anywhere urban, if you live in certain neighborhoods where making an impression is more important than the underlying substance. I've always chosen to live in "beltway" type suburbs, since college, and have never had to deal with that

It's not so much "making an impression" as it is my minding my own business and expecting everyone else to do the same--contrasted to the midwest where IMO I always felt like people asked invasive questions so casually. Like, why is the lady across the street telling me about her medical history and asking about mine? Seriously, none of my business and none of yours.

If someone approaches me I'm very helpful and polite...I just don't like being approached on the street.

[Enzora]

People tend to be less friendly in urban areas than rural or suburban areas, but I think it has more to do with evolved behavior than "making an impression."

If you're living in a small town where everyone knows each other, you'll probably see someone again, so it makes more sense to be polite and friendly.

If you're in a big city, you could hypothetically pick a person at random and punch them in the face. Assuming you got away, there's a good chance you'd never see that person again, much less have them retaliate. In that situation, it's better to just be imposing (rude) to fend off would-be muggers.

[trinacriabob]

Suburbs of big cities can be fairly bucolic, sometimes. I mean, growing up on a tree-lined residential street of a major urban area, we all knew each other, but it seemed that 20 or 30 feet between the houses seemed to ensure enough privacy. Sure, there were busybodies, but resetting some boundaries tells them to back off. Most people have a good sense of balance. The part I was referring to above is when the neighborhood gets too Stepford and too superficial.

[trinacriabob]

Hundreds of times.

But even when you exclude the posters on C&G, yeah, I've been hit on by guys a few times.

This is 'effin hilarious. The math just dawned on me. :rotflmao:

[Satty]

If you're in a big city, you could hypothetically pick a person at random and punch them in the face. Assuming you got away, there's a good chance you'd never see that person again, much less have them retaliate. In that situation, it's better to just be imposing (rude) to fend off would-be muggers.

Oddly, I live in a small town, and there is a guy I'd like to punch in the face (or at least tell off) and I haven't run into him around town. I think he might be hiding from me.

[Croc]

People tend to be less friendly in urban areas than rural or suburban areas, but I think it has more to do with evolved behavior than "making an impression."

If you're living in a small town where everyone knows each other, you'll probably see someone again, so it makes more sense to be polite and friendly.

If you're in a big city, you could hypothetically pick a person at random and punch them in the face. Assuming you got away, there's a good chance you'd never see that person again, much less have them retaliate. In that situation, it's better to just be imposing (rude) to fend off would-be muggers.

Eh...while I agree with you on the overall trend of friendly/non-urban, less friendly/urban...I don't think it's even an evolved behavior. I really don't know how to explain it--I've been to many cities, and for example in Houston, people don't have this purposeful, focused aura about them like nearly everyone in Los Angeles does. I have yet to randomly approach someone on the street asking for directions, or something, and have had them be rude in response (happens in Indianapolis far more), but in LA, people just are more distant, more "professional"-acting at all times. Very, very well-mannered and composed when you talk to them, but it's business.

I'm getting frustrated at my inabiliy to adequately express this...but like in Indianapolis and Los Angeles, you could ask someone where the nearest bus stop is. In LA, you'll be told where the nearest bus stop is. In Indy, you'll be told the same, but far more likely you'll ALSO be told that it's never on schedule, and if you go in the opposite direction a slightly further distance, the stop is better and the area is better to wait around in.

See the difference? There's an element of "oversharing" in Indy that most certainly does not exist in LA. And while in the above example it may be useful, in many other instances it's annoying--like asking for directions to a local bakery, and getting that and a story about how when she was a little girl her grandmother always took her there on Sundays after church. A story that goes on for several minutes beyond your threshold of caring one iota.

[ocnblu]

zzzzzzzzzzzz...

Oh sorry, dozed off there for a sec...

Building on Croc's stereotyping of LA residents, maybe it's because everyone's a starving artist/actor/writer/waiter/porn star and they have no time for anything except that next audition, that next submission, that next adult film gig. Unless you are somebody who can help them make it big, you ain't nothin'.

[Croc]

Haha that's another "funny because it's true" stereotype, but certainly not universal. You can spot those people just walking down the street easily.

I dunno, for me, the thing I hated about Indianapolis was that everyone was so far up into everyone else's business. LA is almost the polar opposite, so I like that.

[trinacriabob]

zzzzzzzzzzzz...

Oh sorry, dozed off there for a sec...

Building on Croc's stereotyping of LA residents, maybe it's because everyone's a starving artist/actor/writer/waiter/porn star and they have no time for anything except that next audition, that next submission, that next adult film gig. Unless you are somebody who can help them make it big, you ain't nothin'.

I almost NEVER agree with YOU, but there's a lot of truth in what you say,...I grew up in a fairly nice area 3 or 4 miles south of UCLA, and there is a real PROBLEM with that on the West Side. Meaning, the "loser" who waits on tables trying to be spotted (David Hasselhoff was one of the few that broke through that way) taking a class at Santa Monica College or an artsy extension class at UCLA has a surliness that is based on "coolness." In other words, I'm too cool and everything about me has to be calculated and effected, so this is all you get. Surliness in a lower class area (the "flip" answer from people belonging to marginalized minority groups) seems to be more based on an "I don't want to talk to you, whitey (or gringo)." I agree, in the Midwest, you may get "more info than you need" because there isn't that "pressure." Also, since I did grad school in the Midwest, there is a "canyon" between North Shore Chicago folks and those from anywhere else in the regional "cachement area" for that particular university. Meaning, the Chicago North Shore folks tended to be jerks and the others were super nice, and rarely of the TMI variety. Also, there are plenty of regular folks in SoCal, and they are usually eclectic (transplants, have lived in different areas, are from another country), who don't want to be in THE INDUSTRY, and aspire to have regular jobs in companies, firms, school districts or have small businesses.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I almost NEVER agree with YOU, but there's a lot of truth in what you say,...I grew up in a fairly nice area 3 or 4 miles south of UCLA, and there is a real PROBLEM with that on the West Side. Meaning, the "loser" who waits on tables trying to be spotted (David Hasselhoff was one of the few that broke through that way) taking a class at Santa Monica College or an artsy extension class at UCLA has a surliness that is based on "coolness." In other words, I'm too cool and everything about me has to be calculated and effected, so this is all you get. Surliness in a lower class area (the "flip" answer from people belonging to marginalized minority groups) seems to be more based on an "I don't want to talk to you, whitey (or gringo)." I agree, in the Midwest, you may get "more info than you need" because there isn't that "pressure." Also, since I did grad school in the Midwest, there is a "canyon" between North Shore Chicago folks and those from anywhere else in the regional "cachement area" for that particular university. Meaning, the Chicago North Shore folks tended to be jerks and the others were super nice, and rarely of the TMI variety. Also, there are plenty of regular folks in SoCal, and they are usually eclectic (transplants, have lived in different areas, are from another country), who don't want to be in THE INDUSTRY, and aspire to have regular jobs in companies, firms, school districts or have small businesses.

[Croc]

I almost NEVER agree with YOU, but there's a lot of truth in what you say,...I grew up in a fairly nice area 3 or 4 miles south of UCLA, and there is a real PROBLEM with that on the West Side. Meaning, the "loser" who waits on tables trying to be spotted (David Hasselhoff was one of the few that broke through that way) taking a class at Santa Monica College or an artsy extension class at UCLA has a surliness that is based on "coolness." In other words, I'm too cool and everything about me has to be calculated and effected, so this is all you get. Surliness in a lower class area (the "flip" answer from people belonging to marginalized minority groups) seems to be more based on an "I don't want to talk to you, whitey (or gringo)." I agree, in the Midwest, you may get "more info than you need" because there isn't that "pressure." Also, since I did grad school in the Midwest, there is a "canyon" between North Shore Chicago folks and those from anywhere else in the regional "cachement area" for that particular university. Meaning, the Chicago North Shore folks tended to be jerks and the others were super nice, and rarely of the TMI variety. Also, there are plenty of regular folks in SoCal, and they are usually eclectic (transplants, have lived in different areas, are from another country), who don't want to be in THE INDUSTRY, and aspire to have regular jobs in companies, firms, school districts or have small businesses.

I've never even had too many problems with Westsiders. Most of the pretentiousness comes from Studio City and thereabouts, IMO.

[G. David Felt]

Be glad none of you work at Microsoft. They have a serious large amount of gay and lesbian. Course the girl girl thing is kinda hot, but then you do have to watch out where you bend over if you are not careful you could end up surprised.

It was an amazing experiance working at Microsoft. Glad I did it, but more glad I am not there any longer.

[trinacriabob]

You need to get out more, PCS, and see more of the world...

[G. David Felt]

MAYBE we should take one person a week here on C&G and hit on them, that way everyone will feel loved and can practice their PCS skills.

[Satty]

You should all practice "Gay Thursday." Basically, on a Thursday, you act really, really gay, and get others to act extremely gay as well.

[Croc]

You should all practice "Gay Thursday." Basically, on a Thursday, you act really, really gay, and get others to act extremely gay as well.

Thursday is soooooooooooo clicheed.