Hold hands while crossing the street Options

[mipadi]

I'm from central Pennsylvania. In PA, we don't stop to let people cross the street. I've stood out in the pouring rain without an umbrella while cars zipped by. Letting pedestrians cross the street is just not something we do in PA.

I recently moved to Williamsburg, VA. So far, I don't like the South. It's too damn hot. It was 61 degrees when I went to work at 8:30 this morning. Back home in PA, it might reach a high of 61 today. And that's how it supposed to be. Also, the leaves aren't really changing color yet in Williamsburg. They're still green. Fall is supposed to be pretty, and it's not pretty here. But I digress.

One of the weirdest things about Williamsburg is that people actually stop and let you cross the street. I don't know if its a Southern thing, a Virginia thing, or a Williamsburg thing, but that's how people roll here. For instance, when I went to get lunch, I was standing on the curb -- in between blocks, no less -- and cars just stopped and let me cross.

This always throws me off. Normally I end up standing on the curb, and keep letting cars go; and then some local just starts walking out into traffic, and everyone driving their little cars just stop. And then I follow and look like a schmuck because I was standing on the curb for a minute or two when I could've just walked out into the street and crossed right away.

Sometimes, though, people just stop, even when I don't make an attempt to walk in front of them, and basically force me to cross. It's weird. I'm not sure I like it.

Also, at the local grocery store, the baggers actually take my groceries out to my car for me -- and refuse tips, too! It's weird. I don't like that. I can take my own groceries out, myself, but they won't let me. Maybe that's a Southern thing, too.

The South is weird.

[superstitious]

I moved from Pittsburgh to Nashville last year. The south is very strange. The food is awesome though. Also, hang tight for the leaves change, it'll happen and when it does, it's beautiful.

[MissFits]

I went to the south one time for Spring Break.
Everyone waved and smiled and talked to me all friendly like. The boys had manners, the girls had that cute southern drawl, and all the old people called me sweetheart. I really liked it.
I don't know if I could stand to live there, but it's a nice vacation from the bullshit my hometown has to offer.

[sixfive]

Fuck y'all I'm from Texas.


People in small towns are way nicer than say, Houston. If it makes you feel any better, when I woke up to go to class it was 77 out, our high being almost 90. Everything here is green as ever, and probably won't have falling leaves til november~ In those months, it'll get down to maybe (maybe) the 30s for a few days, maybe two weeks, out of the year. Actually, last winter was rather cold, global warming in action ;), jk I'll leave that at the other thread haha.

[LoveToMySilas]

Well, maybe Williamsburg is just nicer. Over here in NY, its basically the pedestrians who cross without paying any mind to the speeding cars. The drivers usually suck as well, or maybe just the ones in my area. I don't like to J-walk but as my friend tells me, "just walk, they're gonna stop for you." So far, his theory has not failed him...but still.

[sixfive]

But NY isn't the south :]

[mmhmichelle]

haha this reminds me of the song Williamsburg from Armor For Sleep.
[/off topic]

And that's sorta weird,cars never stopping for you?
People always sorta slow down when I'm at the curb waiting,and they let you pass and all.
But they don't carry our groceries or whatever out unless you want help or it's just something extremely huge .___.

[Gigi]

Vancouver is half like that. Sometimes you encounter people who are really nice and let you cross, but I always feel like I"m wasting their time if I do accept their offer. It always turns into a really awkward affair where I refuse, they keep waving me past, and then I cross and trip over my feet like an idiot.

And sometimes you just get the dicks who rush by on the crosswalk. *shrug* I never jaywalk in Canada though. I jaywalk LIKE CRAZY in Hong Kong. No pedestrian in their right mind actually follows the light. They just cross when there are no cars - including policemen.

[karmakiller]

Here, it depends on where you are. If you are in the city and in an area where it is expected of people to walk out into the road, cars will usually stop. I had to adjust to being able to walk out in front of cars when I'm on my way to class. People will just randomly stop and let you go.

I've never had anyone carry my groceries to my car, though. I'd be suspicious that they were going to rob me or something.

[no-name]

People are like that in richmond,VA(only 45 minutes from Williamsburg). I think it is a Virginia thing.

[Joanne]

I jaywalk LIKE CRAZY in Hong Kong. No pedestrian in their right mind actually follows the light. They just cross when there are no cars - including policemen.

Are you serious? I'm too scared to J-walk in HK... the cars are moving so freakishly fast! I don't like J-walking in Vancouver either, but it doesn't freak me out quite as much. I still check both sides and then run really fast.

[Tomates]

cars will stop and sometimes let people cross. Though where i live it really isnt difficult to cross in town but sometimes with the more hilly areas it can be because its sometimes hard to tell when theres a car coming.

[*paperplane*]

Do they not offer to take your groceries to your car everywhere? I generally try to tell anyone who offers no, but they do offer a decent amount of the time.

Most of my street crossing is done on campus or in downtown Athens, neither of which really equate to real cities, so I can't say much as to whether people stop more down here. But it really bugs me when I actually have the right of way and people decide to just keep driving anyway. Just because you look angry and make hand motions at me does give you the right to nearly run me over. My turn, not yours.

When I'm in Atlanta I have to remember that I can't just cross whenever I want and assume people will stop like I do here, though.

[coconutter]

I hate the south! People really shouldn't be so nice to strangers.

[lkajsfklajskds]

yea, nobody cares in NYC.
you cross when you want and drive when you want.
to us, it's really just a matter of not killing yourself or someone else

[heyo-captain-jac...]

I don't consider Virginia Southern. I know it is, but I just don't look at it that way.

Also, f**k all of y'all, South Mississippi.

[sixfive]

I don't consider Virginia Southern. I know it is, but I just don't look at it that way.

Also, f**k all of y'all, South Mississippi.

Broski I'm further south than the most southern part of Mississippi.

[towntown2]

It's not like that in Cali.
You cross at the light. And even then it's still kind of dangerous.
Drivers are too impatient to stop.

Jaywalk at your own risk.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

Broski I'm further south than the most southern part of Mississippi.

True, but Texas birthed Bush.

[*paperplane*]

And he's not southern at all...?

[heyo-captain-jac...]

And he's not southern at all...?

No, He's not brilliant.

[sixfive]

There are a lot of idiots everywhere.

[heyo-captain-jac...]

There are a lot of idiots everywhere.

I agree, but none are as powerful as him.

[xoxo_proud]

Cars usually let people cross where I live (outside of Cincinnati). Or you just walk out and they stop for you. I always jaywalk in Cincinnati around Fountain Square. Whenever I'm there there are never that many cars and waiting for the 'walk' signal takes to long.

[lovescream]

In the suburbs of Vegas, people sometimes let me cross and sometimes don't. Mostly they do. I walk home everyday from school and there's always the handful that keeps driving even if you're walking. Haha, this one time I almost got hit because I was in the middle of the crosswalk when a car just drives so quickly past me in a school zone. You would think they'd stop when you're in the middle.

On a side note, when I went to visit my family in Virginia, people never stopped for me. But that was somewhere in Virginia Beach.

I really think it has something to do with location and amount of people living there, because when we were at a small town in Arizona, everybody was sweet and kind. I've never met such kind people.

BUUUUT, I've yet to visit a place that actually takes your groceries out to your car. Dang.

[berrypop90]

Haha I've lived in GA my whole life and that's just how it is here. All the older people(& some younger ones) call you hunny, sugar, darling, etc. You get used to it. And if you don't want baggers to help with groceries, just say so.
Leaves change a little later down south 'cause the warmer weather, just give it time. By late october the leaves will be nice and orange/red/yellow.
People say the south is strange & I don't understand why. Because the people are nice? Because the weather is wonderful? Because the food is good? lol Anyways...

[*paperplane*]

The weather is wonderful? In Georgia? You're kidding, right?

For that matter, the food is good?

[berrypop90]

Well, I like it.

[only-tuesdays]

I don't know if you'd consider Oklahoma the south (I don't, but some people do) but people there don't stop for pedestrians. It's you versus the car, same goes for when you're driving. Whoever has the bigger vehicle wins. Oklahoma has the southern hospitality thing down though, it kind of scared me when I first moved there.

Here in California I think it's the law that you have to yield to pedestrians. And they hand out tickets for J walking. But the people aren't as friendly. They don't hold open doors for you, or say thank you or excuse me....it's insane. Lord forbid you accidentally get in their way.

[DoubleJ]

Yes it is definitely a southern thing. You know how it is up here....every man for himself.

[Gigi]

Are you serious? I'm too scared to J-walk in HK... the cars are moving so freakishly fast! I don't like J-walking in Vancouver either, but it doesn't freak me out quite as much. I still check both sides and then run really fast.

Well you don't jaywalk on a highway LOL. All the streets that you walk on in Hong Kong are pretty much tiny roads with a lot of traffic so it's not hard at all. There are very few streets like that in Vancouver, I can only think of downtown and Chinatown.

[fameONE]

Texas has to be one of the nicest places I've ever lived. There's not a bad thing I can say about my time in San Antonio.

[sixfive]

Texas has to be one of the nicest places I've ever lived. There's not a bad thing I can say about my time in San Antonio.

Cept it's impossible to get a hotel if you don't have a reservation. We went to Fiesta Texas over the summer and decided that we'd rather spend the night instead of driving back at night. We spent the amount of time searching for a hotel as it would have taken us to get back to Houston. Shoulda gone back instead. I almost ended up at UTSA. Twice.

[mipadi]

I lived in San Antonio for a while, and I will say one bad thing about it: Too f**king hot.

[sixfive]

Houston's got all that, and a bag of potato chips. And by a bag of potato chips, I mean high humidity. I guess it's just something you get acclimated to and stop noticing and come to expect. Right now, though, the weather's really nice. We've been staying in the low 80s :D

[fameONE]

Cept it's impossible to get a hotel if you don't have a reservation. We went to Fiesta Texas over the summer and decided that we'd rather spend the night instead of driving back at night. We spent the amount of time searching for a hotel as it would have taken us to get back to Houston. Shoulda gone back instead. I almost ended up at UTSA. Twice.

The tourism industry of the city has grown beyond expectation. City council is trying to play catch up on that one. When I was home on pre-deployment leave, my father brought that up in one of the city hall meetings. Hotels are being built, but they aren't in the most convenient of locations, and the premier hotels downtown are getting more expensive thanks to pricey renovations. The city continues to grow at a very impressive rate.

I'm also a big fan of Austin... just not Austin traffic.

[sixfive]

Austin traffic is horrendous. Dallas, that place is fun to drive. I love their highways.

[fameONE]

Austin traffic is horrendous. Dallas, that place is fun to drive. I love their highways.

I don't know much about Dallas aside from the shopping and the clubs. It seems fun, though.

[sixfive]

I know it has a shitload of business/commerce going on. Lots of job opps.