Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So it was back on the road for this boy to yet another trade conference this past week, and this time it was in Daytona Beach.
Tuesday through yesterday, my group came in contact with many other people and of course our credentials around our neck show our name, company, position, and where we are based out of both individually and where corporate HQ is located. Well, these people see my name (a very Italian name) and New Jersey, so immediately they think I have some sort of connection to the mob.
I came in contact with this one woman who was from Ohio, and she sees New Jersey and immediately asks "why on earth would you live there?". Well, Irene Ignorant, they pay me well and I happen to like New Jersey (not love, but like). Another guy from Peoria, Illinois asks if I ever whacked anyone. LOL who asks that?
The best question of the week was from a guy whom resided in Utah. He point blank asks me if it's true that the Turnpike really does catch fire from time to time. LOL what?!?!?
So I asked these people if they've ever been to the Garden State and all three said (shockingly ) NO. Well when I got that NO, I asked what they think of when they think of Jersey. The Ohio girl thought it was all swamps with trash everywhere. The guy from Peoria thought we were a bunch of mobsters who only marry women with mall hair, and mister Utah thought...literally, it was always gray, everything was on fire, and we all lived in Newark.
As I got on that American Airlines flight last night bound for LaGuardia, (first class upgrade!) I sat next to Richard whom was from Riverhead, Long Island. After a while, we started talking and he asked if Hoboken was still a filthy run-down port town. I said no, and then he blurts out "wow, when I think of New Jersey, I think of mountain type people with dirt on their faces". I cracked up laughing, but quickly realized that he was dead serious.
I don't know about you guys, but I was taken back by just how negatively we are perceived. Does this bother me? Not at all, but is it hysterical? Absolutely!
Great stories. I like the one about the burning turnpike best.
I was only in New Jersey once to visit a friend who lived in Matawan (Cheesequake area, I think) and worked in Manhattan.
I've always considered the people from New Jersey to be very oriented on New York, or Philadelphia, educated, somewhat affluent and many professionals. Never did I associate New Jersey with swamps or run down areas. Being called the Garden State I assume it has much scenic greenery and an interesting coastline.
it just showes how ignorant people are, and that instead of at least faking some sort of intelligence, they let their stupidty all hang out...
and it showes that people have a distorted view of the world that they dont even try to put into focus by learning about other places...
I've never gotten the mob type stuff before. That's kind of funny. Many people have been through New Jersey but never really gotten off the pike so they really have no idea what it is like.
Someone from Long Island making jokes about Hoboken I just can't take seriously especially since many of the young from there are living in Hoboken. And Long Island has lots of trash (and no I don't just mean garbage).
But really it would be easy to think "what is this place?" if you never left the turnpike and the garden state is not the best slogan IMHO.
So it was back on the road for this boy to yet another trade conference this past week, and this time it was in Daytona Beach.
Tuesday through yesterday, my group came in contact with many other people and of course our credentials around our neck show our name, company, position, and where we are based out of both individually and where corporate HQ is located. Well, these people see my name (a very Italian name) and New Jersey, so immediately they think I have some sort of connection to the mob.
I came in contact with this one woman who was from Ohio, and she sees New Jersey and immediately asks "why on earth would you live there?". Well, Irene Ignorant, they pay me well and I happen to like New Jersey (not love, but like). Another guy from Peoria, Illinois asks if I ever whacked anyone. LOL who asks that?
The best question of the week was from a guy whom resided in Utah. He point blank asks me if it's true that the Turnpike really does catch fire from time to time. LOL what?!?!?
So I asked these people if they've ever been to the Garden State and all three said (shockingly ) NO. Well when I got that NO, I asked what they think of when they think of Jersey. The Ohio girl thought it was all swamps with trash everywhere. The guy from Peoria thought we were a bunch of mobsters who only marry women with mall hair, and mister Utah thought...literally, it was always gray, everything was on fire, and we all lived in Newark.
As I got on that American Airlines flight last night bound for LaGuardia, (first class upgrade!) I sat next to Richard whom was from Riverhead, Long Island. After a while, we started talking and he asked if Hoboken was still a filthy run-down port town. I said no, and then he blurts out "wow, when I think of New Jersey, I think of mountain type people with dirt on their faces". I cracked up laughing, but quickly realized that he was dead serious.
I don't know about you guys, but I was taken back by just how negatively we are perceived. Does this bother me? Not at all, but is it hysterical? Absolutely!
Well, that's the first time I think I've ever known anyone to think of NJ as swamp-land....
and as far as the Newark statement, I nearly spit out my apple cider when I read that, from trying to contain laughter!
I'm not even a resident (yet), nor born New Jerseyan, but I find the perceptions people have on NJ are getting under my skin more and more (and I know they shouldn't ). A boyfriend of my best friend actually sat and told me how disgusting and smelly NJ is. Needless to say, he's been on the turnpike. Possibly Newark/Secaucus (nothing more than that, if even that much). I think what gets me the most would be the people who have these....perceptions/ideas about NJ have seen only a limited amount (I don't consider being on the turnpike or simply being in or seeing Newark grounds for judging the state as a whole - despite the fact that is what happens) of the state, or have judged NJ because of the media/television (don't get me wrong, I'm a lover of The Sopranos, but it does set a negative image). I don't knock what they're passionate about, nor am I ignorant to judge something simply off seeing something once. Yes, Newark smells, but so do a lot of major cities (take Tampa for example, which is just across a bridge for me), but no one really makes note of that. I can understand someone simply not liking the state, IF they're from there, or have seen enough of the state (or at least a decent enough portion). Not everyone's going to like the place, and I understand that.
I suppose I'm just tired of hearing "Why do you want to move to NJ!? (insert disgust and/or shock)" "NJ sucks, why would you do that to yourself?" "NJ is a landfill." etc, etc. Everyone has their reasons. I originally went to the state to look at a university (for a transfer from my current college), and the area (stayed in western Essex County), and ended up falling in love with the people, the area, etc. I've gone back once after that, and have intentions of going once more before I move. I fall more and more in love each time I go, it seems.
I figure it's ignorance/lack of wanting to expand the mind/stubbornness (they're right, no matter what!), or just simply jealousy. NJ (especially its people) has something that other places don't have. I haven't been able to place my finger on it, but it's something wonderful.
I'm sorry about that little rant....just had to get that off my chest
EB2: You sound like a very intelligent person and I thank you for showcasing that NJ is not all blight and hopelessness. We are a state that has always pulled ourself by its bootstraps and are happy to do it!
EB2: You sound like a very intelligent person and I thank you for showcasing that NJ is not all blight and hopelessness. We are a state that has always pulled ourself by its bootstraps and are happy to do it!
My bootstraps are getting pretty thin these days. I hope against all hopelessness for some property tax relief. The FAIR homeowners' rebate may be a carrot on a stick. I applied for it in 2006 (no rebate yet) and I'm wondering about doing the same thing to get a 2007 rebate which ought to be a bit more than my tentative 2006 refund, being that real estate taxes rose again this year. NJ pays a disproportionate amount of RE taxes. Hey, we're #1, I think!!!
Also, the NJT (New Jersey Turnpike) may not actually be on fire, but a disproportionate amount of drivers on it do drive like they're "going to a fire"
Well, my daughter went to college in Vermont, and apparently everyone there, had preconceived ideas about people from Jersey, in the worst way. In fact, when she first went to school, people were outright dissing her, and saying ugh, I can't stand people from Jersey. She had the worst complex about it. Funny thing was, people say they are "from" whatever major metro area they live in the suburbs of. So a girl from Ardmore says "I'm from Philly" and a girl from Novato says I'm from San Francisco. So, my daughter decided that 10 minutes to the bridge qualified her to say I'm from NYC. People are weird. But whatever, I mean, if they have never been here, they don't know. But it happens to me too, whenever I leave the area.
I'm thinking the only part of NJ some people are familiar with is the Newark airport/turnpike area where there are swamps. Many years ago the Meadowlands used to burn, so maybe that's where the story comes from.
People are clueless. Even my inlaws (actually especially my inlaws) who live in Long Island had no clue about NJ. When we told them were moving to Morris County my Sister-in law said, "Why would you want to move there, it's all farmland". Yeah ok. After my Father-in-law came to visit he said how shocked he was at how beautiful the area was, he thought all of NJ was like Port Elizabeth - and he wasn't kidding.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) NO. Well when I got that NO, I asked what they think of when they think of Jersey. The Ohio girl thought it was all swamps with trash everywhere. The guy from Peoria thought we were a bunch of mobsters who only marry women with mall hair, and mister Utah thought...literally, it was always gray, everything was on fire, and we all lived in Newark. 
). A boyfriend of my best friend actually sat and told me how disgusting and smelly NJ is. Needless to say, he's been on the turnpike. Possibly Newark/Secaucus (nothing more than that, if even that much). I think what gets me the most would be the people who have these....perceptions/ideas about NJ have seen only a limited amount (I don't consider being on the turnpike or simply being in or seeing Newark grounds for judging the state as a whole - despite the fact that is what happens) of the state, or have judged NJ because of the media/television (don't get me wrong, I'm a lover of The Sopranos, but it does set a negative image). I don't knock what they're passionate about, nor am I ignorant to judge something simply off seeing something once. Yes, Newark smells, but so do a lot of major cities (take Tampa for example, which is just across a bridge for me), but no one really makes note of that. I can understand someone simply not liking the state, IF they're from there, or have seen enough of the state (or at least a decent enough portion). Not everyone's going to like the place, and I understand that.
Funny
