Why does Chicago have so many "tough guys"...? (Paris: transplants, buy)

[Costa Rica Chica]

Lol, it's all perspective. After living in Philadelphia, (I thought what you think about Chicago about Philly - everyone was grumpy, mean, and unhappy,) and then in San Jose, Costa Rica, (a lot of people hate gringos - especially if you are a woman you get a lot of mean looks from Costa Rican women for some reason,) I find the people in Chicago so friendly! People smile on the street, hold the door open for people, move over on the train. (I hated public transportation in CR - you literally had to climb over someone's lap to sit near a window because people don't move over.) I don't see too many tough guy types, but then again I spend most of my time in the Loop and on the Metra with businessmen (and women.)

[icebergsyndrome]

It is definitely perspective! If you think people lay on the horn too much here then you should take a trip to Latin America.

I don't think there are an exceptional amount of mean muggers in Chicago but then again I've been told that what I think is my "expressionless" face makes me look angry.

[Costa Rica Chica]

Originally Posted by icebergsyndrome

It is definitely perspective! If you think people lay on the horn too much here then you should take a trip to Latin America.

So true! They lay on the horn before the light even changes.

[Lookout Kid]

I personally like the Chicago "don't **** with me" attitude. I can't stand it when strangers walk up and start a conversation, unless they are neighbors or have some other connection to you (like you were both waiting for the same bus for a very long time or something like that). 99 times out of 100 a stranger starting a conversation in Chicago will be asking for money, or will be trying to distract you for a pickpocket or something like that. And then there's the ever cheery Greenpeace canvassers who seem to multiply like rabbits...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by icebergsyndrome

...but then again I've been told that what I think is my "expressionless" face makes me look angry.

I get that too.

[ParkerP]

The reason I "mean mug" was when I used to ride cta so the homeless/crazy people wouldn't bother me. Of course it never worked. No matter if I was reading, had on head phones, etc. It never fails, Here comes crazy sitting right next to me and wants to talk the entire trip home LOL. So glad I drive now.

[chitown85]

The Greenpeace people multiple more bugs. Never seen so many before this year. And I think this was one of the coldest winters on record.

[dementor]

Originally Posted by Ron.

I am what you would call a people watcher. Has anyone ever noticed the dirty looks people give eachother......for no apparent reason?

I mean you can be on a crowded train and just barely touch someone and all of a sudden comes the "mean mug".

Folks give dirty looks like none other. It's as if everyone wants to be "tough" or something.

I just happen to notice a lot of this last week.


Gee-whiz, relax people..........

Yeah. When I first got to Chicago I was like WTF, is everybody looking for a fight here? I did not see that many fights and after a while discovered that these "toughies" are simply scared so they make mean faces to scare off muggers, beggars and everyone else. Pretty funny considering that similar stance in New York would be really dangerous and easily get you into a fight. No kidding.

What is even funnier is that I first thought it was real and was reacting accordingly (you don't want to wait until someone kicks you in a back or stabs you when you are not looking, right?) but soon found out that those "tough" guys fold down so easy... It is rather hillarous, a guys in a baseball hats worn backwards, mean looks, tough stance but as soon as you confront them you hear a weak voice and it turns out that they are actually scared like hell... Of you. I am not saying that there are no tough guys in Chicago but the "toughies" I encountered and all the "mean looks" are fake.

It seems kind of odd however that in a city so populous as Chicago people are still so afraid of contact with other people (see Lookout's post) that they have to take up poses to scare them off.... Odd. The same applies to most people in the loop who are trying so hard to avoid any eye contact with strangers. Again, strange considering how populous Chicago is.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by dementor

Yeah. When I first got to Chicago I was like WTF, is everybody looking for a fight here? I did not see that many fights and after a while discovered that these "toughies" are simply scared so they make mean faces to scare off muggers, beggars and everyone else. Pretty funny considering that similar stance in New York would be really dangerous and easily get you into a fight. No kidding.

You have no clue about anything, and I doubt you're even from New York. All you have to do is watch that segment on Borat to see what happens when you try to engage New Yorkers on the street. New York is the most comically crazy "avoid eye contact" city on the planet.

[analyticalkeys]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

You have no clue about anything, and I doubt you're even from New York. All you have to do is watch that segment on Borat to see what happens when you try to engage New Yorkers on the street. New York is the most comically crazy "avoid eye contact" city on the planet.

Just throwing in the NY perspective: There's certain people you wouldn't want to stare down, but it's not like you're going to get into a brawl with every person you look like. A lot of the "tough people" are pretty meek here too, can't say if it's more or less than there, they're usually all talk, no fight. A lot of random people talk to each other around here, and it's not really considered weird or anything, you'll just talk to them, and then be on your way. A lot of false perception around, and just because you have the mean look in the subway, doesn't mean that people are going to come at you and want to throw down. It just doesn't work like that.