[sedriskell]

Originally Posted by smel

Yes, it does. I have traveled all over the United States and when I open my mouth in the Northeast, people think they can take advantage of me. They seem to equate the slowness of my speech with the speed of my mind. When people find out I am from Alabama, they always act like I am a differnet species. It is so weird. I remember going on vacations to St. Petersburg, FL as a child and the Northeners there making fun of my brother and me. They would ask us to repeat ourselves and laugh. As a child, it really bothered me because I was not rude, so I didn't know what to do when adults were. Now I live in an area that is full of "snowbirds". I don't understand why people who hate us so much come here.

I know exactly what you mean. Except for me, whenever I went to DC, people never believed that I was from Alabama, because I don't really have an accent. True, I was not born in Alabama, I was born in Tennessee. But, either way, I've lived 19 years of my life in Alabama, and never has an accent developed. I had to show people my ID to prove where I was from... after that, I was looked at as stupid. That is, until the couldn't recall the various capitals of Europe and South America and I was forced to come to their rescue. Oh, and when they couldn't find their way around Capitol Hill, who came to their rescue?

Recently, when I was in Los Angeles for the national championship game (lord was that a trip) I realized how out of the ordinary it is for waiters and waitresses to be treated kindly. You'd be surprised how much your service improves when you thank them.

I wasn't surprised by how many people tried to take advantage of me in LA when I wore an Alabama shirt. "Oh, you're not from around here? Where are you from?" "Alabama! Wow, you're a long way from home! Let me show you something I think you'll really like!" .... No thank you, I'm just fine. "No! But you really mu-" No, I really don't need to pay 10 more dollars for something that I am actually already wearing, and already own.

Or this one! "What would you like to drink?" I'll have a Coke *sneaky grin from the waitress "What kind?"

^^ That was the end of that conversation

It's funny how people look down on you for the way you talk, or where you from. That is, until they realize that they need your help, or can't do something without your assistance.

[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by smel

Yes, it does. I have traveled all over the United States and when I open my mouth in the Northeast, people think they can take advantage of me. They seem to equate the slowness of my speech with the speed of my mind. When people find out I am from Alabama, they always act like I am a differnet species. It is so weird. I remember going on vacations to St. Petersburg, FL as a child and the Northeners there making fun of my brother and me. They would ask us to repeat ourselves and laugh. As a child, it really bothered me because I was not rude, so I didn't know what to do when adults were. Now I live in an area that is full of "snowbirds". I don't understand why people who hate us so much come here.

It's funny you should mention St Pete....about a year ago my husband and I went down there for a weekend away. He was fishing so I wandered thru the shops.
I struck up a conversation with one of the owners asking the usual...where ya from what do you do blah blah blah.
I told him that I was from Orlando and he replied..well you're already in Florida what part are you going to retire to? I said none, we're planning to go to Alabama. The shocked look on his face was unreal.
So I asked...What's with the look? He was just disgusted! He said, you mean with all of THOSE people? So I went with it...I said what people?
I got the usual speil on the racism, KKK, inbred garbage. He finally got done and ask...how could you live with people like that?

My reply was....I find people from Alabama very charming and very tolerant of others, unlike some of the people I've met in Florida.
I promptly put down about $300.00 in merchandise that I was going to purchase and left the store. The new look on his face was priceless.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Granny Sue

I promptly put down about $300.00 in merchandise that I was going to purchase and left the store. The new look on his face was priceless.

Good for you, Sue!! LOL!

[sedriskell]

Originally Posted by Granny Sue

It's funny you should mention St Pete....about a year ago my husband and I went down there for a weekend away. He was fishing so I wandered thru the shops.
I struck up a conversation with one of the owners asking the usual...where ya from what do you do blah blah blah.
I told him that I was from Orlando and he replied..well you're already in Florida what part are you going to retire to? I said none, we're planning to go to Alabama. The shocked look on his face was unreal.
So I asked...What's with the look? He was just disgusted! He said, you mean with all of THOSE people? So I went with it...I said what people?
I got the usual speil on the racism, KKK, inbred garbage. He finally got done and ask...how could you live with people like that?

My reply was....I find people from Alabama very charming and very tolerant of others, unlike some of the people I've met in Florida.
I promptly put down about $300.00 in merchandise that I was going to purchase and left the store. The new look on his face was priceless.

I think I'm in love with you, Granny Sue.

[419gottaminute]

Originally Posted by smel

Now I live in an area that is full of "snowbirds". I don't understand why people who hate us so much come here.

I hear yah...

I've yet to figure that one out myself...

Maybe thats why I want to move from here...

[cpg35223]

Personally, whenever I hear somebody bitching about life here, I always say, "Hey, Delta is ready when you are."

I stole that line from Lewis Grizzard.

[skinem]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

They have an ireport video on the visit.

An Arab in Arab, Alabama - iReport.com

At least they got an education. Maybe next time they will bring someone dressed in a chicken suit? Those guys in camo looked pretty dangerous.

Given my experiences in different parts of the country, I expect she got a better reception in Arab than I would as a white guy wearing either camo or cowboy hat would in parts of San Francisco or NYC...

[GROC]

Originally Posted by smel

It is probably based on all the love experienced on CD from our Northern brothers and sisters to us Southerners. You would think that we existed on a completely different planet or something. For instance, recently I read a thread about whether the South should secede from the rest of the country or not. What is that about? Sadly, many people voted yes. It seems to be okay in the United States to be prejudiced about the South, especially, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

And of course, Southerners have never been prejudiced against Northerners...never ...ever.. never, throughout history?!? As far as the thread you read about whether the South should secede from the rest of the country...I've never seen it...are you saying the "many" that voted yes ..were Northerners?....for myself, I would never agree to it just like my forebears didn't, circa 1860. We either stand together as one or we fall...divided!
I, for one, judge and treat people the way I am judged and treated, no matter who or where they are from.
Lastly, your comment, "You would think we existed on a completely different planet or something".....is exactly what some Northerners think
when they go down South, yet, some have wonderful experiences, as well. I guess it all depends on who you are dealing with at the time, just like for you when you go up North.
Stereotypes exist because people perpetuate them, based on ignorance, or in the case of many well known comedians, for the sake of humor.

[GROC]

Originally Posted by skinem

Given my experiences in different parts of the country, I expect she got a better reception in Arab than I would as a white guy wearing either camo or cowboy hat would in parts of San Francisco or NYC...

Yes, because we all know nobody there dresses out of the ordinary!
My guess is, you'd fit in rather nicely. My Texan father in law had been asked several times when wearing his rather large cowboy hat and his cowboy boots, "where they could be bought" because these people asking, liked them so much. Oh, but then again this was in the "tolerant" state of Massachusetts...so go figure!

[GROC]

Originally Posted by oldtimebanjo

Atleast they were shown the true southern hospitality from that couple.

But "I hope this doesn't get violent"...what the hell is that suppose to mean. If anyone were to get violent it's driving down town in southeast san diego or LA. I got my car broken into and they ripped off my bumber sticker that said "these colors don't run" with the American flag and the Rebel flag on it. I also had a sticker on my old car that was an American flag that said God bless America. Somebody wrote "chicano pride" on it...

Perhaps, even if you had a picture of the pope taped to your car it still would have gotten broken into....so whats your point??