Threads Pertaining To People Disliking PA

[Summering]

Having lived in NJ most of my life.......I now live in PA.
Really the worst drivers I encounter have NY plates. They are in an extreme hurry......Even if your driving over the limit, they pass you in speeds well above that.
I have watched them cut off people, curve around people,and do everything they can to keep the speed up.
PA drivers.....are so much more relaxed. They know they will get there in due time. The need for speed is just not in the thought process.
Oh gosh yes.........95 in Virginia is a nightmare. The beltways are the utmost worst experience....
Besides.......maybe.........driving in Times Square!!

[jodigymgirl]

here, here!
Born and raised in Pa, ( Hershey area) and his points are all valid. We are moving on out of here and sooooo happy to be rid of PA!

[R.J. MacReady]

Originally Posted by Summering

PA drivers.....are so much more relaxed. They know they will get there in due time. The need for speed is just not in the thought process.

Yeah they are usually the ones dong 10 miles below the speed limits, not using their turn signals, hogging up two lanes meant for turning and keeping straight traffic going, and constantly ride slow in the passing lane of a two lane road. They cause more issues/accidents than the fast drivers IMO.

[IHATEPA!!!]

Originally Posted by Shizzles

I think it's bad to try and stereotype an entire state. There's too many variables that go into who someone is and there are too many subgroups in PA to generalize all 12 million residents.

However, having said that, having spent the full latter 50% of my life here, I can defintely say there is some truth to the negitive stereotypes of PA people. Here in Bucks Co, there is definetly alot of snobbyness and pretentiousness regarding class and wealth. Once in working class sections, the overwhleming macho-tough guy-wanna be gangster attitude is prevelant. Both these groups for some reason tend to be found in abundance here in PA. And the high rate of seniors also lends itself to the overall culture being around 20-30 years behind in terms of ideology, tolerance, culture, etc. Things like intellectual curiosity, race relations, thoughtfullness, anger, etc all seem noticeably worse here than in most of the rest of the Northeast US. Now, alot of it is NY/NJians coming here with their own Upper-class suburban attitudes, but alot of it is homegrown as well.....

About the macho tough guy thing, I wouldn't necessarily call it a "gangsta" mentality(although you DO see that here as well!). To me, it appears to be more of a thing where folks think that just because they work in industrial unionized labor and they can routinely drink 25 beers in one shot and not feel a thing that they are tough guys who can lick any SOB in the house. They seem to love and celebrate their rough edges.

Also, I feel that while most people can and do leave their work at work, the people mentioned above can't seem to do so. Meaning, these tough guys can't seem to leave all of the macho behavior, dirty jokes, bad language, etc. at the mill, plant, factory, etc. where it belongs. They take it with them everywhere. Thus, they tend to alienate a lot of people except for those who share their mentality.

It seems as though being tough is an obsession with lots of people in PA. Having a rep as a "hard-ass", especially in some parts of PA, will get you far, unofrutnately. Too many folks here in PA think being nice is a sign of weakness as well.

[sgr215]

It's all personal opinion really. I moved from MD to PA and can honestly say I hate living in PA but I must because of my job. You'd think moving out in the country would be quieter but for some odd reason people out here love to be as loud and obnoxious as possible. It's as if they modify their trucks to be louder than jets on purpose and every other vehicle is an obnoxiously loud Harley Davidson too. I'll see guys on bikes go driving down the street randomly revving their bikes hoping someones looking at how "cool" they are. I lived in a largely populated area in MD and it was MUCH quieter than where I'm at now and yet it's far less populated here. Everyone seems to love noisy trucks and bikes here. I can understand a noisy car if it's fast but whats the point of making a pickup truck insanely loud and yet still crazy slow? It makes no sense.

Also racism and a hate for homosexuals seems to be the norm where I'm at in PA. I'm Caucasian and straight but it's still a culture shock. Where I lived in MD being homosexual or a different race was pretty much a non-issue. Also, being atheist wasn't an issue too. Sure their were exceptions but it was far more rare than here. Where I'm at now it's pretty much the majority.

There are pros to living in PA though. People generally are much nicer in PA than MD. Where I lived in MD people generally minded their own business. There was no interaction with strangers for the most part. In PA it's not uncommon a random stranger will start a conversation with you at the store or hold open the door for you; assuming your white and not homosexual of course. Religion seems really big here too so if you're looking to raise your family in that type of environment you'll probably like it. (If your atheist or agnostic you'll probably just want to keep it quiet though.)

Honestly, it's all personal opinion and deals a lot with your type of personality. I personally can't wait to move but I'm sure someone else would love where I'm at. Also, while the area I live in might be this way I'm sure other areas in PA are probably vastly different than here. (or at least I'd hope so ) I definitely liked where I lived in MD. It was much more open and diverse. I also liked the anonymity of MD. I'm not really into starting conversations with random strangers and all that stuff but some people love that sort of thing.