Kansas City-area "friendliness" (Overland, Center: neighborhood, school, living in)

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by northbound74

Almost every time I am behind somebody else as I merge onto the freeway, they're going 45 or something, and I'm like, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?? It's an epidemic around here. I wonder what the stats are for that type of thing causing wrecks?

You think 45mph in KC is slow? I have seen many people go 30mph on the on ramps onto the highway here in NH. It is ridiculous and very dangerous.

[OneKC]

I think the lack of eye contact is a result of our auto-centric/suburban community. Everyone drives, everyone drives into their garage and shuts their door and we tend to avoid personal contact with each other as much as possible.

Obviously not everyone does this, but I do think it is a troubling trend, not just here, but across our country.

NYC, while it has its share of rude people, is much friendly IMO than the reputation it gets. People seem very willing to help you out when you're walking about, whereas here, I've had people look like I was going to attack them when I approached them asking for help.

Again, broad stereotype that is not always true - there are many friendly people in KC too. In other ways, I think we are friendly - we tend to be very charitable, we seem to keep friends longer, and once our guard is down (like at bars or at parties), we tend to make friends really easily.

[OneKC]

Originally Posted by ryanswindle

The law in America is actually that pedestrians *always* have the right of way in a parking lot, driving in a parking lot should be viewed as driving on a side walk. This is how I and most people in Denver are taught, maybe it's because we have so many enormous parking lots full of people.. either way, the two things you just don't play funny with in a car are pedestrians and motorcycles, one mistake in your car and that person is dead. D E D, dead. A parking lot, a highway, or a cornfield, always yield to pedestrians, unless you think their life is a viable cost for being a pedestrian that is not purveying his responsibility..

100% agree! Cars should ALWAYS yield to pedestrians. Its good manners, and if you want to avoid a manslaughter charge its good common sense!

Speaking of awful merging, I just want to vent for a second how awful drivers are around the construction on south 69 in Overland Park. The construction has eliminated many of the merge lanes, but people are driving as if they are still there. Hey idiot, if the sign says YIELD that means you STOP and wait for an opening in oncoming traffic. IT DOES NOT mean you blow right through the yield sign and nearly collide into the car already humming along at 55 mph. I never understand why people don't alter their driving at all through construction zones. That's how people get killed.

[ryanswindle]

With people across the country screaming their heads off at senators in public health care debates, this makes Kansas City sound friendlier than many other areas... I especially like the tomatoes as gifts.

KC religious leaders call for health care reform at forum - Kansas City Star (http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/1414952.html - broken link)

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by OneKC

100% agree! Cars should ALWAYS yield to pedestrians. Its good manners, and if you want to avoid a manslaughter charge its good common sense!

Speaking of awful merging, I just want to vent for a second how awful drivers are around the construction on south 69 in Overland Park. The construction has eliminated many of the merge lanes, but people are driving as if they are still there. Hey idiot, if the sign says YIELD that means you STOP and wait for an opening in oncoming traffic. IT DOES NOT mean you blow right through the yield sign and nearly collide into the car already humming along at 55 mph. I never understand why people don't alter their driving at all through construction zones. That's how people get killed.

That is really a pet peeve of mine! I hate it when people do that. Then they honk at me when I don't move over for them. Hello, the yield sign is for YOU!

It was a major problem at 435 and Metcalf years ago too. I only know that because it happened to me every day. But I think they've since redone those on-ramps to help with that.

[chelmail]

Sorry you have had such a bad experience here. I guess it is all in who you meet. I am from a small town in Northwest MO but now live in Johnson County, KS and though I admit there are people like you describe, I find that the majority are not like that and are down to earth, helpful and easy to get along with. I must admit however, I am frequently frustrated when driving. There are many rude drivers. But I've experienced this more in my car rather than walking. I think people feel like no one will know it is them when they are in a car and when anonymous they feel more free to be rude. Sorry if you've had some bad experiences. Hope things turn around for you.

[famusdarlin]

Boston, I could not agree more. It is a superficial kindness in most cases. I think there are certain areas of the city where things are different IMO. Like in Liberty. I find people are a little friendlier in general when you are on the Liberty side of the city. I also find things are different when I'm playing with my children on a playground in Grandview vs Leawood. I often attribute it to race, since I am African-american and there are not many of us in Leawood.

We consdidered moving to Brookside when we bought our current house and I am so glad we did not. I am in Brookside alot as I've mentioned before since my girls go to school in the area. We often shop there and when I attempt to make eye contact or speak I am often snubbed. So, I'm glad we didn't buy there although that is one of my only issues with the area.

I am with OneKC on his assessment of being a car-centric community. We drive in a garage, don't interact with our neighbors and go in our back yards to spend time outside on our decks behind our privacy fences. I can't wait until people get back into front porch living, walking neighborhoods, speaking to our neighbors and having block parties!

[Kristin_09]

Wow, BostontoKC, easy does it. There isn't any reason to be rude, I'm simply explaining why you get the reaction to your "honking while driving" that you do. It's a regional difference I'm sure, but in the midwest that is considered rude. No one is telling you that you can't honk, but understand that the reaction you are getting isn't because the people in KC are rude or unfriendly.

[dnw]

being from southern Missouri, I can say people in KC are generally much less friendly to strangers and make less eye contact at least in public compared to what I was used to.

I think my expierence can explain part of it. When I first moved to downtown I would make eye contact and just generally be the friendly southern-type of person that I am. Because of this I was getting bothered by people wanting money, cigs, bus passes, ect nearly daily. I realized quickly that if I just looked unfriendly that I could walk by these same type of people down the street and they wouldn't say a word to me so I joined the KC unfriendly club, well at least when walking near bus stops.

[kcmo]

Just drive like me!


YouTube - High speed crazy traffic from Downtown KC to suburbs