For all us future Mainers... (Portland, Bangor: credit, homes, schools)

[tlb71]

Elcarim- I don't think it was your clothing, we have lived here going on 3 years now and we noticed the "staring" right away and still get it. I'd like to think we are normal looking, average height,thin but even my 12 yr old gets stared down. The weird thing is when you make eye contact they don't look away. It's like in the cartoons, I expect to hear crickets chirping and that noise that goes with a slow blink- "blink...blink, blink. Would someone from here please tell me what the staring is about!!

[Elcarim]

We just started greeting people who were staring as we walked by. The really cool thing is that they actually talked back! It was like all they needed was to be engaged, and we had SO many wonderful conversations with everyone. As soon as we broke the ice, we got all the questions starting nearly every time with "What the hell are you doing up here this time of year???" Most everyone was extremely nice. I can't wait to get back!

When you address a stranger here in our part of Texas, you get a cold "What the hell are you talking to me for???" look back. Half the time they won't even acknowledge you've spoken to them.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by mr wzrd

We need one sayin [Maineic -born an bred]

Not a problem... let me get my head out from the project at hand for this weekend (big festival at my local museum... I am their main graphics person and photog) and I will design one for y'all...

(and I know... I need to stop with the y'all... but I said it in the OTHER Portland, long before I ever lived in the south... just think it's a good word...ahhh... expression?)

[tlb71]

Most of the time we notice the staring is in restaurants, so greeting isn't an option. Other times we have said hello and sometimes we get a response and sometimes we don't. It doesn't bother me anymore once you get passed wondering if you have food stuck in your teeth or something like that, I am just curious as to "why".

[Abbymoulton]

Originally Posted by lovemaine

Here's one for you native Mainers:

Maine Born and Bred. White T-Shirt : maine t-shirt : CafePress.com

That is the one I want.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by tlb71

Most of the time we notice the staring is in restaurants, so greeting isn't an option. Other times we have said hello and sometimes we get a response and sometimes we don't. It doesn't bother me anymore once you get passed wondering if you have food stuck in your teeth or something like that, I am just curious as to "why".

i say hi to everyone,,cant figure why folks would just stare at ya???
do you have a hillary clinton for prez pin???

i travel alot around the state,,say hi to most and most of the time i get a greeting or grunt back,,,but every so often,,i'll say hi to (usually a man/woman in thier 60's) and they will just stare at ya and squint..all squirrely..like..

and to this day,,,i dont know what that squirrely squint ..is....whether i remind them of someone who died,,, or they are just having a terrible day, and forgot how to say hi,,,or they've been seeing black helicopters over thier house,,and looking for marks on my ears/neck..


years ago, when all the lovely maine ladies would go out shopping,,they'd leave those attractive multi-colored rollers in thier hair,, you would sometimes get that squirrely squint...and no greeting.. i figured it was because there head looked like a beaver-dam...with the different size rollers...
and they were glaring at ya,,to see if you were about to laugh.

[mainewannabe]

Originally Posted by tlb71

Most of the time we notice the staring is in restaurants, so greeting isn't an option. Other times we have said hello and sometimes we get a response and sometimes we don't. It doesn't bother me anymore once you get passed wondering if you have food stuck in your teeth or something like that, I am just curious as to "why".

If it makes you feel any better I have experienced the same thing passing through the Miami airport.... so much that I stopped into the loo and checked whether I had anything hanging out, zippers down, holes I wasn't aware of, .... black line from forehead to chin from rolling a penciled quarter down it and forgetting .... ?? I mean they were staring HARD.

went back out to the concourse ... more staring. It was slightly unnerving. I finally settled on how beautiful I must be :roll eyes: ................................. unless I had toilet paper trailing from my shoes........................................: D
I did actually stop into a second loo to be POSITIVE about that, too. I can't help it ... they stared that hard. Really if you can survive the Miami airport .... there are HUGE CROWDS THERE. All heads turning as you pass. It was very very strange and cool.

I'll LOVE being stared at. I'm so used to it. Will be like old home week. All I'll need is directions to the snowshoe store and I'm all set. .......

They'll REALLY stare as I learn how to use those. LMAO !!!!

[mainewannabe]

They'll say ;;;;;;

mah god ... lookey there ... that girl's nummer n a hake !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tlb71]

LOL!!
It is sooo funny you referred to it as "squirrely" because that is exactly how we describe it! My theory is the small town feel here- you see the same personalized plates on cars, same faces at the gym, etc. so maybe they are trying to place where they have seen me/us before. It is exactly how you described it though, the squint and stare and not a curler in sight! Too funny... I have another question but will start a new thread so this doesn't get deleted for OT!

The web page for the t-shirts is a good one. I ordered a mug from them last year and it arrived early, lots of cute stuff.

[tlb71]

oh yeah, not Hillary pin in sight either