*cue music* Chicago moooments! (Muncie: home, wedding, closing)

[coldwine]

When you live for a very long time in a city, you develop those specific tendencies that aren't obvious until you go someplace else for the time being.

This past January I went to see friends in California for a wedding. I'm the only person from "the north", the others are either from Cali or Florida. We arrived and I got off the plane in all black, what small amounts of makeup I had on looked like war paint (it was late January, you know how it gets by that point) and after I don't know how many flights through O'Hare I was elbowing my way through that crowd like a knife through butter. I had my luggage and was commandeering a cab at the top of my voice because, well, I'm used to having to fight for these things.

Everyone else around me was in floral colors with lots of jewelry and makeup. Except for those who had also come from Chicago (and the two New Yorkers, both of which had almost ousted me to the luggage track) I never felt so out of place. Winter claustrophobia, the grim pace of life you have to adopt...

I can look back now and laugh. What are your Chicago moments?

[Chinolala]

I once moved to out of state and while driving, when people would let me cut in in front of them, I'd do the "courtesy wave". As I started making friends and driving with locals, they asked me if I knew the people that I was waving at. I said, "No, I'm just waving because they let me merge in.". They never heard of that and thought it was funny. Maybe it's a midwest and/or Chicago thing?

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by lisak64

I once moved to out of state and while driving, when people would let me cut in in front of them, I'd do the "courtesy wave". As I started making friends and driving with locals, they asked me if I knew the people that I was waving at. I said, "No, I'm just waving because they let me merge in.". They never heard of that and thought it was funny. Maybe it's a midwest and/or Chicago thing?

95% of the drivers that I let in always wave back. And youre right, I dont get that in other areas of the country. At least not nearly as much as I do here.

[Chicago60614]

Yeah, the wave is something people back in Iowa weren't use to. I think it's because traffic was never so bad you had to kinda squeeze out in front of people. You can just wait 5 seconds and get a clear break for it on your own.

I also did the Chicago thing where you pass people on the right at intersections when you pull up to a red light to kinda jump ahead. That and turning left into traffic when there's JUST the right amount of room. People back at home kinda freaked out, they'd rather just wait for a few more cars to go by and you had a loooot of free room to turn into.

That and checkout people chatting with you and taking their time at grocery/retail stores. I was just like "yeah, ok, just shut the f#*@ up and ring me already!!!"

[Mel2882]

Originally Posted by lisak64

I once moved to out of state and while driving, when people would let me cut in in front of them, I'd do the "courtesy wave". As I started making friends and driving with locals, they asked me if I knew the people that I was waving at. I said, "No, I'm just waving because they let me merge in.". They never heard of that and thought it was funny. Maybe it's a midwest and/or Chicago thing?

I've lived in California all my life and we always do it too. If someone doesn't I always think they're being rude!

[PAKennedy]

Sometimes, in Muncie, i'll get off of a public transit system busses and think in my head...."THIS IS JACKSON"..."DOORS OPEN ON THE RIGHT AT JACKSON"... or **DING DONG** "DOORS CLOSING"