People who hate Pa and think EVERYONE is rude... (Pittsburgh: low income, apartments)

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by idesignstuff

I'm not from PA, but am not foreign to being a foreigner in a strange land. from nj, moved to the mountains of west virginia.
My attitude towards those around me determines theirs in return. if you are walking around with a chip, looking for any sort of confrontation, it will be there. So what people don't drop to their knees thanking God you are now their neighbor, be yourself, get involved with groups that have same interests, ask your local neighbors for help , recommendations, step out of your comfort zone and you be the one to reach out.
That is my 2 cents worth as my grandmother would say.

To a point. There are people in every state who resent "outsiders" coming in and trying to "change" everything, even if there was no one else to volunteer to chair a committee, run for council, etc. I do not think the newcomers should have to be the ones to reach out, all the time. I think the old-timers (not referring to age, mind you) should try to welcome the newbies, let them know what is going on, what volunteer activities are available, etc. This is not unique to Pennsylvania, BTW.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by MovingSouthGal

2 PA advocates: if the northern cities want 2 b known as friendly/w/good community, etc they have 2 b more like charleston, the deserved "friendliest city in america" ....hmmm -- charleston --good size city yet rated friendliest ...and ...... in the SOUTH.

When I visited Charleston in the Spring I saw no difference in how friendly they were to how I feel Pa. people are. In fact I felt like I had not even left home. There was no difference. Being friendly here, being friendly there........it was all the same. I think soon our state will win the prize.......
I'll hand the trophy out at the next Pa event. Come to think of it, there are some other awards........but, thats another story.

[appalachiangirl]

I grew up in West Virginia and in a small town in a rural county in PA, 30 miles from the state line of WV (I won't name it). I also lived in Pittsburgh, Frederick,Md, and Virginia. And to be honest the nastiest people were in the small rural PA town. I quit a job I would have liked to stay in because of the viciousness of my supervisor and co-worker-it affected my health! One of the co-workers was extremely spiteful when I got promoted--chip on her shoulder a mile wide! the supervisor was her friend so nothing was done about the situation. Nothing was worth that hell! Most of the Pittsburgers were friendlier,and the people in Virginia and West Virginia were for the most part, very kind and courteous where I worked. I think it depends on where in PA you live. In a more progressive town you won't have as much as that chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.

[diamondgrrl]

I love visiting Pennsylvania because I think the people are nice! I live in Southern California, which is populated by the rudest, most self-centered, self-absorbed group of people you could ever meet in your life. You will NEVER here the words "excuse me," "I'm sorry," "thank you," or "pardon me" in San Diego, but I've heard it plenty of times in Philadelphia. Believe me, there are plenty of rednecks here, though the majority of the population is obnoxious 20-year-olds. I'm hoping to move to Pennsylvania in the next six months. Those of you who hate Pennsylvania are welcome to take my place in the Land of "Hey, I'm Doing My Own Thing, and It's Tough for You If You Don't Like It."

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by appalachiangirl

I grew up in West Virginia and in a small town in a rural county in PA, 30 miles from the state line of WV (I won't name it). I also lived in Pittsburgh, Frederick,Md, and Virginia. And to be honest the nastiest people were in the small rural PA town. I quit a job I would have liked to stay in because of the viciousness of my supervisor and co-worker-it affected my health! One of the co-workers was extremely spiteful when I got promoted--chip on her shoulder a mile wide! the supervisor was her friend so nothing was done about the situation. Nothing was worth that hell! Most of the Pittsburgers were friendlier,and the people in Virginia and West Virginia were for the most part, very kind and courteous where I worked. I think it depends on where in PA you live. In a more progressive town you won't have as much as that chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.

Unfortunately, office politics is everywhere. I had a very bad situation in Champaign, IL, a supposedly "liberal" community. It's just the chemistry of the office, which in the above case, was very bad.

[Tama]

OK-I think this thread needs to be taken off the front page. Can we agree that it is plain silly to extrapolate one's singular experience into a blanket indictment of a huge state with various regions, small towns, big cities, east coast culture, midwest culture, liberal and conservative areas, and lots of diversity? I lived in Phila. and upstate. They are different. I am sure Sunbury is different from Kutztown which is different from York which is different from Pittsburgh which is different in its town center and its environs. Even in Phila. there is a big difference in the relationship of neighbors and other personal interactions and with that in the public sector like SEPTA drivers. Different communities react to newcomers in different ways also. Some are very closed and some are used to and welcome newcomers. College and university towns are different from those with single industry multigenerational families in isolated areas. The whole thread is misdirected. Give it a rest Hate PA posters and the rest of us need to let it die.

[appalachiangirl]

Yes I agree one shouldn't base like or dislike on one experience. I just meant, as you stated, it depends on the area in the state you live in-the attititude of the people,if they are open or closed minded,etc. I had more than one negative experience in that area in rural PA,but I wouldn't say I hate the state. In general the more econimically depressed the area,(Just an opinion) the more likely people will have negative attitudes and treat people less kindly (Maybe it's an "I'm unhappy in life so I'll make you unhappy" way of thinking) There are many beautiful areas in PA with friendly people--Pa Amish country comes to mind.

[Foodmuse]

Everyone has a right to express their views, that's what this board is about, isn't it?

[Summering]

Thats right.........Its questions and answers, news and pictures, facts and figures.
Thats City-Data for ya'
And we're all here having a great time. Plus, hopefully giving out helpful information.
Some is bias, sure.........people love their hometowns, as "the best" most likely.
It helps also to let people be aware of things, when they don't read our papers on a daily basis.

[The_Fairfaxian]

I went to college for a while in PA and as for it being rude, I have to admit that in the cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, I have had higher run-ins w/ rude people. But in my experiences, for most of the state, including Philly and Pitt, the amount of very genuine and laid-back people have out-numbered the number of rude people, something that I can't say about most of the other Northeastern states, and especially for that craphole state that I'm stuck in and dominates most of the land under PA. If you want to see rude, heartless, and self-centered people, go to NY, NJ, DC and MD.

Late last month, I went to visit some friends that I made while I attended U-Pitt. Every time I visit them, even though I haven't been there for months, it was like I never left at all, and this time was no exception. What made the recent visit stand out was the night before (and the early morning) when I had to leave. Since my train was schedule to leave early in the morning, I originally planned to either stay up by myself watching TV at their apartment or stay at the station for the night and wait for the train. Instead, my friends literally stayed up through the entire night with me so I wouldn't have to stay up alone (and these same guys usually go to sleep at midnight). On that trip back, recalling all of the generous and selfless experiences I faced, I was fighting to hold black tears when I was leaving Pitt and Philly. After living a life where you think rudeness and self-conceitedness is the standard but finally seeing something different, I just couldn't help being emotional.

I know the story may not seem like much, but I never remembered people going out of their way like this in many places I've been so far. This is just one of the many stories of generosity I have while I was attending U-Pitt (and PA in general).