Question for NON SA Natives... Do People Stare at You in Restaurants? (Houston: transplants, shop)

[BearCounty]

This is a question for the transplants. I'm just curious if anybody else feels the same. I moved here ten years ago but I have NOT gotten used to the looks that I get at EVERY place I go to. Every restaurant, store, etc. It's like a broken record when I walk in with my family. We're not scruffy, trashy, ghetto. We're a normal nicely dressed family with well behaved children (3), so I don't get it. People stare at us like we're the dinner. They literally stop eating and blankly stare at us. It's rather creepy. I'm not being paranoid either, it's 90% of the people just can't help but look at you. I feel like I have "OUT OF STATE" written on my forehead. All my friends and family that come to visit from different states thought we were crazy until they visit and experience it themselves. Anyhow, I hope this doesn't offend anyone, maybe it's the local thing to do? Or maybe they can just sniff out the Non Natives easier than I thought.

[Chaka]

I've been here full-time for 5 years, part time for 2.5 years before that.

I am from California but moved here from Indiana.

I have NO CLUE what you're talking about. I have never noticed any one giving me strange looks anywhere.

Maybe people think you're someone famous or something? Either that, or it's your imagination.....


Wait - my 2.5 yr old daughter does get a lot of stares, but that's due to her big blue eyes which everyone marvels about. And the fact that she's dang cute

[merc11ty]

I've been here for 8 years now. I don't really notice any strange looks, other than when I'm on the East Side..but that's the ghetto, and it's understandable.

[DC4u]

Maybe it's the places you go out to eat. Try something not serving roadkill.

[deek102]

9.5 here... being an average-looking white guy nobody pays any attention to me

maybe your family is exceptionally gorgeous?? or maybe you've been spoted from re-runs of america's most wanted??

Hispanic (maybe Mexician-specific?) does have a superstituion that if they admire a child (maybe more than just children?) they have to touch them. My wife got this a lot as a child b/c she has long, beautiful strawberry, blonde hair.

Do you get that?

Cultural Superstitions (http://www.epcc.edu/nwlibrary/borderlands/11_cultural_superstitions.htm - broken link)

[eger]

Originally Posted by BearCounty

This is a question for the transplants. I'm just curious if anybody else feels the same. I moved here ten years ago but I have NOT gotten used to the looks that I get at EVERY place I go to. Every restaurant, store, etc. It's like a broken record when I walk in with my family. We're not scruffy, trashy, ghetto. We're a normal nicely dressed family with well behaved children (3), so I don't get it. People stare at us like we're the dinner. They literally stop eating and blankly stare at us. It's rather creepy. I'm not being paranoid either, it's 90% of the people just can't help but look at you. I feel like I have "OUT OF STATE" written on my forehead. All my friends and family that come to visit from different states thought we were crazy until they visit and experience it themselves. Anyhow, I hope this doesn't offend anyone, maybe it's the local thing to do? Or maybe they can just sniff out the Non Natives easier than I thought.

Yes, I agree with you.

My gf and I dress up a lot of the time to go out, a lot of people from here dress casually, or look like they've rolled out of bed. We have a different look than people here, probably more trendier and flashier.

While I find that not all people from SA are like this a majority are. It's almost as if people are clones of one another.

I've been told that SA is a couple of years behind with regards to styles.

[sinsativ]

Im from Houston, but been here for 34 years, so, I don't see nuttin funny.

[deek102]

Originally Posted by eger

Yes, I agree with you.

My gf and I dress up a lot of the time to go out, a lot of people from here dress casually, or look like they've rolled out of bed. We have a different look than people here, probably more trendier and flashier.

While I find that not all people from SA are like this a majority are. It's almost as if people are clones of one another.

I've been told that SA is a couple of years behind with regards to styles.

San Antonio is a casual-style city. Maybe it's the combination of the tourism and the riverwalk and the culture?

Who knows.. but you're absolutely right, the styles are behind and it is very unusual to see ppl dressed up in suits to go out. I've called up a nice bar before and asked about the dress attire and the response was "well, one guy is wearing a suit, another lady jeans, another lady in a skirt, and some other guys are in shorts and flip flops so I guess wear whatever you want."

I'd say SA is more than a couple years behind the styles -- but so am I, I shop at Target!!

[kevcrawford]

I think you're probably more paranoid than anything. I doubt that it's as bad as it is in your head.

[kevcrawford]

Originally Posted by deek102

I'd say SA is more than a couple years behind the styles -- but so am I, I shop at Target!!

I think it's more that we've just got a more casual mindset and don't really care about style.

Style is nothing more than caring what people think of you. Maybe we're just a little less superficial than other places, to which I'd say that's not a bad thing.

Some of the most successful and wealthy people I know wear jeans and sandals to work.