Are people in Pittsburgh down to earth? (Washington: 2015, moving to)

[Kippy]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

A stranger smiles and says "Good morning" to you as they enter your elevator? Uh-oh! Better whip out the iPhone and pretend to look important instead of returning the pleasantry.

A fellow motorist waves you out of a parking lot onto a busy road? Uh-oh! Better whip out the iPhone and pretend to look important instead of giving the old-fashioned "thank you wave".

The motorist in front of you stops to wave a mother pushing a stroller across a crosswalk? Uh-oh! Better honk in a knee-jerk fashion because your iPhone screen prevented you from noticing that mother and her stroller waiting to cross.

Overall I love living here. I just wish Apple had never invented the iPhone. I finally bought one recently for work purposes, but I yearn for the era in which people weren't such screen-obsessed vapid zombies.

Maybe you are doing it wrong? I can not recall a single time in my life that someone has not returned a pleasantry, let alone whip out their iPhone as a defense mechanism.

People using iPhones behind the wheel are being careless and selfish, but I doubt they are trying to look important.

In addition, I have never had someone honk at me when allowing a pedestrian to cross the road. Are you stopping short or something?

I, too, am not a fan of the new social media culture. Therefore, I don't partake; no Facebook or Twitter for me. I do like my Apple products, but like all things in life, in moderation.

You cannot blame Apple for people's conscious choice to drive while distracted. Similarly, you cannot blame Apple for people's vapidity. Both predate the introduction of the iPhone.

Point in case:

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I work two jobs. I typically work M-F 8-4:30 at one job and then 5-10:30 at another job as well as shifts at one of my jobs on Saturdays and Sundays. I'm behind the wheel of my car pretty much just as many hours per week as I'm asleep. As such I will admit to texting while driving and will continue to do so. I've texted while driving for years and have never been in an accident that was my fault. All of my recent accidents here were determined by the police, witnesses, and insurance adjusters to be entirely the fault of other drivers. Until I actually have a close-call that may serve as a "wake-up call" to me I'll continue to text while driving. I simply wouldn't be able to maintain a healthy social life at all otherwise.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by wanderer25

I know there are all types of people everywhere but in general are people in Pittsburgh down to earth or more pretentious ? I will be visiting in my but would still like to know! Thanks

Most walk on the ground, yes.

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm a a transplant from Northern Virginia and would say that overall Pittsburghers are down-to-earth and lack the same level of pretense a larger proportion of the population exudes in many other large metropolitan areas.

With that being said the nuisance items known as iPhones have become pervasive not only here but in American society at-large.

A stranger smiles and says "Good morning" to you as they enter your elevator? Uh-oh! Better whip out the iPhone and pretend to look important instead of returning the pleasantry.

A fellow motorist waves you out of a parking lot onto a busy road? Uh-oh! Better whip out the iPhone and pretend to look important instead of giving the old-fashioned "thank you wave".

The motorist in front of you stops to wave a mother pushing a stroller across a crosswalk? Uh-oh! Better honk in a knee-jerk fashion because your iPhone screen prevented you from noticing that mother and her stroller waiting to cross.

Overall I love living here. I just wish Apple had never invented the iPhone. I finally bought one recently for work purposes, but I yearn for the era in which people weren't such screen-obsessed vapid zombies.

To be fair, you're only comparing Pittsburgh to ONE area, and NOVA isn't even "the city". However, I do think most would agree that the DMV area is pretty pretentious.

Originally Posted by Kippy

Maybe you are doing it wrong? I can not recall a single time in my life that someone has not returned a pleasantry, let alone whip out their iPhone as a defense mechanism.

People using iPhone behind the wheel are being careless and selfish, but I doubt they are trying to look important.

In addition, I have never had someone honk at me to allow a pedestrian to cross the road. Are you stopping short or something?

I, too, am not a fan of the new social media culture. Therefore, I don't partake; no Facebook or Twitter for me. I do like my Apple products, but like all things in life, in moderation.

You cannot blame Apple for people's conscious choice to drive while distracted. Similarly, you cannot blame Apple for people's vapidity. Both predate the introduction of the iPhone.

Point in case:

Your experiences are different than mine, nation-wide. They may return a "hello", but then whip out the phone.

[PghYinzer]

What more do people want? A lasting friendship built on the basis of one elevator ride? I always check my phone in the elevator. I will return a pleasantry but I am not going to say hello to everyone who steps into the elevator. It is an elevator not a happy hour and I am not a doorman.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

What more do you want? A lasting friendship built on the basis of one elevator ride? I always check my phone in the elevator. I will return a pleasantry but I am not going to say hello to everyone who steps into the elevator. It is an elevator not a happy hour and I am not a doorman.

Where do you get all that from my post? Good Grief!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

What more do people want? A lasting friendship built on the basis of one elevator ride? I always check my phone in the elevator. I will return a pleasantry but I am not going to say hello to everyone who steps into the elevator. It is an elevator not a happy hour and I am not a doorman.

I draw smiley faces on the foam clamshell take-out containers for many of my orders because I tell myself that maybe that one pleasantry could turn a stressed-out recipient's frown upside-down. In similar fashion I will continue to smile and say "good morning" to people on elevators or as I pass them in a hallway or sidewalk, regardless of what you think about it. Your reply indicates that Pittsburgh, while down-to-earth relative to other areas, truly isn't as "friendly" as the cheerleaders on here convey.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Kippy

Maybe you are doing it wrong? I can not recall a single time in my life that someone has not returned a pleasantry, let alone whip out their iPhone as a defense mechanism.

People using iPhones behind the wheel are being careless and selfish, but I doubt they are trying to look important.

In addition, I have never had someone honk at me when allowing a pedestrian to cross the road. Are you stopping short or something?

I, too, am not a fan of the new social media culture. Therefore, I don't partake; no Facebook or Twitter for me. I do like my Apple products, but like all things in life, in moderation.

You cannot blame Apple for people's conscious choice to drive while distracted. Similarly, you cannot blame Apple for people's vapidity. Both predate the introduction of the iPhone.

Point in case:

I'm not exactly a very physically attractive person, so perhaps people look at me and then don't give me a second thought of being worthy of returning pleasantries.

I was just honked at again today on O'Hara Street because somehow it was my fault that a steady stream of student pedestrians just wouldn't stop entering the crosswalk right at the point I was about to hit the gas and advance.

I do text while in the car. It's sparingly, and it's only when my vehicle is parked or stopped for what I know will be an appreciable period of time, such as hitting the red at that long light on Bigelow.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I draw smiley faces on the foam clamshell take-out containers for many of my orders because I tell myself that maybe that one pleasantry could turn a stressed-out recipient's frown upside-down. In similar fashion I will continue to smile and say "good morning" to people on elevators or as I pass them in a hallway or sidewalk, regardless of what you think about it. Your reply indicates that Pittsburgh, while down-to-earth relative to other areas, truly isn't as "friendly" as the cheerleaders on here convey.

Actually, my reply indicates that I am not as "friendly" as some would like me to be as a Pittsburgher.

I say hello when someone says it to me, but I am not going to say hello to everyone that I pass on the street or that enters an elevator. If someone said hello to every single one of the ten people that enter an elevator in the mornings or afternoon that person wouldn't be considered friendly but strange instead.

[slamont61]

Pittsburgh and it's people are friendly and warm when compared to other large urban areas. How can anyone think anything less?

Doesn't mean there aren't a few bad apples on board but they're few and far between.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Actually, my reply indicates that I am not as "friendly" as some would like me to be as a Pittsburgher.

I say hello when someone says it to me, but I am not going to say hello to everyone that I pass on the street or that enters an elevator. If someone said hello to every single one of the ten people that enter an elevator in the mornings or afternoon that person wouldn't be considered friendly but strange instead.

This.

It's a sensitive world to many out there. Wayyyy too sensitive.

[charisb]

Originally Posted by Kippy

In addition, I have never had someone honk at me when allowing a pedestrian to cross the road. Are you stopping short or something?

Whew! I was starting to think I was a freak or something. I have never had this happen, either.

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm not exactly a very physically attractive person, so perhaps people look at me and then don't give me a second thought of being worthy of returning pleasantries.

Aha! Now I understand why everyone seems friendly to me--I'm gorgeous!
(And I suspect you are fine looking, SCR)