Baltimore is weird (Mayo: sale, house, buying)

[jonjj]

I don't do the bus too often; usually rush hour when I do. I haven't experienced any issues on them although I hate the bus. It's slow; often late. I can usually walk home and not be that much later than taking the bus. And, I do agree with handsupthumbsdown. The primary reason most folks don't take the bus is that it isn't convenient.

[MDguy99]

No one has answered my question- what is your ethnicity, style of dress and your demeanor? What bus are you taking? There are big differences between a bus in Towson and a bus in East Baltimore.

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by MDguy99

No one has answered my question- what is your ethnicity, style of dress and your demeanor? What bus are you taking? There are big differences between a bus in Towson and a bus in East Baltimore.

White guy, professional, no tie, quiet. I usually stick to the front of the bus. I take the 30 express from/to downtown or the 10 up Eastern to downtown. I use the Circulators quite a bit. Sometimes up Charles.

[MDguy99]

Originally Posted by jonjj

White guy, professional, no tie, quiet. I usually stick to the front of the bus. I take the 30 express from/to downtown or the 10 up Eastern to downtown. I use the Circulators quite a bit. Sometimes up Charles.

That is interesting. I'm glad it works for you. I used to take the bus in the late 70s, early 80s. Not anymore. I've seen some sites while riding the bus the few times I did. In 2008 I got on one from the Harbor all the way up to Towson by the Target off of Putty Hill. There was a woman so f'd up on something (my suspicion would be crack) she was falling out of her seat, mumbling and stumbling around the bus, brushing up against passengers and asking incoherent questions. My immediate thought was "why did they let her on the damn bus?". There were about 25 people on that bus and my sister and I were the only white people on it and received the "this is my territory, why are you here?" stare from plenty of people while walking on and off the bus. And, we are down-to-earth working class people. It was one of the most uncomfortable 20 minutes of my life. I would rather take my own vehicle somewhere, or not go at all to be honest!

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by MDguy99

No, everyone I have spoken to doesn't ride the bus because they don't want to surround themselves with those types of people. I don't blame them. I don't know what bus you take or what your clothing style or demeanor is, but trust me- the intimidation factor is there for most middle class white people.

White male, late 20s.

Nos. 36, 8, 48, 44, 57, 8, 22, 40, 3, 11, Subway and light rail.

Business casual on work days, straight casual on non workdays (jeans, etc).

I'm not denying the intimidation factor - it certainly exists. Most of my peers (middle-class professionals in late 20s, early 30s) would ride it if they could be sure to get work on time. These are people who visit New York and Boston all the time and travel via transit. But here they can't bet on getting where they need to go in a reasonable amount of time.

Lots of people my age see driving as a hassle and an stupid expense. I don't have a car not entirely by choice, mine rusted away into nothingness. Instead of getting a new one I wanted to try getting by sharing a car with my fiance and biking and riding transit. It's been about four months, been pretty good thus far and saving us a ton of money - priority number one right now.

I do miss the Seattle buses. Cheap, on time, quick, run late, get you all over, pretty safe. If the MTA could accomplish that it would see more riders who would rather safe several hundred dollars per month than be intimidated.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by MDguy99

That is interesting. I'm glad it works for you. I used to take the bus in the late 70s, early 80s. Not anymore. I've seen some sites while riding the bus the few times I did. In 2008 I got on one from the Harbor all the way up to Towson by the Target off of Putty Hill. There was a woman so f'd up on something (my suspicion would be crack) she was falling out of her seat, mumbling and stumbling around the bus, brushing up against passengers and asking incoherent questions. My immediate thought was "why did they let her on the damn bus?". There were about 25 people on that bus and my sister and I were the only white people on it and received the "this is my territory, why are you here?" stare from plenty of people while walking on and off the bus. And, we are down-to-earth working class people. It was one of the most uncomfortable 20 minutes of my life. I would rather take my own vehicle somewhere, or not go at all to be honest!

Sorry that happened to you. The worst thing that ever happened to me was a drunk vomited immediately upon boarding a No. 40. It smelled awful - I just got off at the next stop and waited for the next one.

[Merc63]

I don't do the bus because it seems to not go where I need it to. But I use the Metro from Milford Mill in Pikesville downtown and back on a regular (walk the couple blocks to the metro station then take it down to Lexington market, Charles Street, or Shot Tower depending on where I'm going). I've ridden that all hours of the day/night and never had a problem. I'm 47 and white and I've been riding it for a decade. I've talked with and laughed with other riders, black and white.

And as for the OP, I don't see why it's so hard to see why there woudl be a difference between Baltimore and DC. DC is based on being the nation's Capitol. it's about the business of the governemnt, contractors, and law offices. And embassies. Very international, even in it's more run down areas. Baltimore is, as was mentioned, more of a blue collar working class town, based a lot on the old port, but with other manufacturing (some still around, some moved on) mixed in. There's a lot more money in the city of DC than there is in Baltimore.

And yet, of the two, I'd rather be in Baltimore. Even with the reputation it has, and yes, a growing downtown attitude that's a bit of a sense of entitlement that is annoying, it's still a more friendly place, where people are much more likely to chat to one another on the street or in businesses. When I moved here in '99, it felt like the world's largest small town, even more chatty and friendly than the Seattle region, where I came from. Much moreso than other mid-atlantic and northern East coast cities and towns I've visited.

[MDguy99]

Merc63- " it felt like the world's largest small town, even more chatty and friendly than the Seattle region, where I came from. Much moreso than other mid-atlantic and northern East coast cities and towns I've visited."

That could be because it is not in the Northeast.

[Merc63]

Originally Posted by MDguy99

Merc63- " it felt like the world's largest small town, even more chatty and friendly than the Seattle region, where I came from. Much moreso than other mid-atlantic and northern East coast cities and towns I've visited."

That could be because it is not in the Northeast.

I waas going to say "east coast" but so far, Charleston has been as friendly.

Since it's not the South (yes, it's below the Mason Dixon line, but there's a HUGE differnce betwen here and, say, Georgia or SC...) it's more of the industrial type city that Philly and Jersy cities, and even the CT mill towns are like.

[MDguy99]

Originally Posted by Merc63

Since it's not the South

Your opinion.

Originally Posted by Merc63

it's more of the CT mill towns.

No.