Share interesting differences re: SD and the West (San Diego, Kennedy: for sale, apartments)

[Boose]

I lived in MA my whole life and moved here two weeks ago. I love it, love it, love it! I want to list some of my wacky observations and hope you have some to share, too.

-- There are paper toilet seat covers available in every ladies' room I've been in, no matter how small the establishment. Is this a public health law?

-- Boll Weevil restaurants. Not sure how appetizing that sounds.

-- Claim Jumper frozen desserts. Don't have claim jumpers out East.

-- Supermarket carts that disable themselves at the edge of the parking lot. How do you get your clothes to the laundromat? (j/k)

-- You don't have to be a town resident or buy a parking sticker to visit the beach. Take that, Kennedys!

-- No insulation (I live in a 1960s Huffman Hovel). On the sunny side of the apartment, the insides of my kitchen cabinets are hot. If this were MA, I'd be crying when I got my heating oil bill. But here I am wearing shorts in October.

-- Washing machines in unheated porches and rooms.

-- Astroturf lawns. I guess you vacuum them?

-- Auto window tinting stores. In MA, it's all about installing remote starters for those icy mornings.

[BRinSM]

having grown up in CA, i found it strange to find places in the midwest and northeast where there were no "ass gaskets" for the toilets. they are everywhere here, it must be a state health code.

[Suzer]

I lived briefly on the East Coast last year, and what had me completely puzzled was the lack of freeways. I'd just scratch my head over the State Roads and Toll Roads, I kept thinking that I just didn't know how to get to the freeways, when in fact they were just very scarce. I was amazed how little direct access there was to get in and out of New York City. There seemed to be an abundance of stoplights.

It's so easy to get around San Diego with the multiple freeways. One end of the county to the other, in 45 minutes.

[ubringliten]

When I was in NYC, I also noticed that there wasn't any toilet sheet cover. The building that I worked in was brand new and has the toilet sheet cover holder, but without the sheets. I thought okay, maybe they will put in the sheets later on, but after 2 years in that building there still wasn't any.

[SEAandATL]

I guess California is the only place where all public bathrooms have seat covers. A lot of places in Georgia and Japan don't have them, you have to lay toilet paper. Btw, do any public restrooms in San Diego have washlets (the toilet seats that have push button controls to squirt water and dry, and heated seats) yet, like they do in Japan?

[Boose]

I haven't seen any washlets actually installed, but they are available for sale in Kearny Mesa.

Northeastern roads are so difficult to follow because they're based on old horse-drawn carriage paths.

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by Boose

-- No insulation (I live in a 1960s Huffman Hovel). On the sunny side of the apartment, the insides of my kitchen cabinets are hot. If this were MA, I'd be crying when I got my heating oil bill. But here I am wearing shorts in October.

WOOT! Somebody has read my posts. I'm the poster who coined the term "Huffman Hovel" (And now as a resident you know what I mean.)

What I noticed as a difference between New England and the West are freeway onramps where cars entering the freeway have to stop and wait for a break in the traffic rather than being allowed to smoothly merge without slowing down. What a way to slow down both the freeway and to back traffic up onto the surface roads.

Where there are sidewalks, they are made of asphalt. At least they are in Maine.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

What I noticed as a difference between New England and the West are freeway onramps where cars entering the freeway have to stop and wait for a break in the traffic rather than being allowed to smoothly merge without slowing down. What a way to slow down both the freeway and to back traffic up onto the surface roads.

The metering lights actually help improve traffic flow and reduce accidents on the freeway. They regulate how many cars enter the freeway on at once preventing too many cars from trying to merge at once, which creates a bottleneck and backs up traffic on the freeway. Freeways flow better with metering lights than w/o.

[Boose]

Yes, the on-ramp metering was a shock at first, but I can see that it works better than putting the pedal to the floor and hoping someone in the right lane moves over to let you in (Beantown technique).

Kettlepot, I did read your post! I actually wanted to live in a Huffman because of the availability of second-floor apartments. Also, we couldn't afford a Craftsman bungalow. Making the best of it, I'm going to give those Craftsman fanatics a conniption fit by publishing the first coffee-table book of Huffman houses. Picture it: faux-Spanish wrought iron grilles, pseudo-Tudor half-timbering, and that most inexplicable of details, the Atomic Age stuccoed lath that covers the front windows on some of these buildings. I will credit you with coining the "Huffman Hovel" phrase.

Oh dear, I have to get out more.

[sdurbanite]

Whenever I go back East (er, Northeast), I crack up on how there there are so many Dunkin Donuts around.