Is Auburn just a lower class of people? (serious question) (Seattle: low income, consignment)

[BellevueNative]

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

But turn up in various corners of the U.S., you'll get some peculiar pockets of ideas and cultural norms that are sometimes less-than-savory. Mostly I'd call it, "resistance based on fear." I've seen it in Bangor Maine and Seattle WA, also in Key West FL. Haven't spent any time in San Diego and San Ysidro, though SoCal is one big megapolis from the border up to the San Gabriels anyway so that hardly counts.

"Ethnocentric" is the word I've used to describe Southern California for many years. It's amazing how many people who live there have never lived elsewhere or traveled outside of CA/AZ/NV. And their ignorance of US and world affairs shows because of it. Northern CA is quite different.

[RotseCherut]

There is plenty of "white trash" in Seattle as well. Just take a trip to Capitol Hill to see all the freaky, foul-mouthed, tatted and pierced up people who probably came and immigrated to Seattle from all the low-end parts of the country. Not to mention all the foul mouthed and aggressive people I see just hanging out on the Ave in the U-District.

The dilemma you face is an American problem, not a Washington problem. If you live in smaller, lower-end blue collar towns you will see people who may be a bit rough around the edges and Kent and Auburn definitely qualify there. I live in a small blue collar Washington town and can attest that the people can be a bit rough and gritty.

However, overall the crime isn't too bad and most people are respectful and polite. You have your trailer park and foul-mouthed redneck types and it's best to try to ignore them.. I wouldn't hesitate to report a person who is making inappropriate sexual comments in front of children though. If you are not pro-active in your community then the jerkoffs will never be put in check.

Places like Bellevue may not have all the grit of a place like Auburn, but you also have rather less friendly, more impersonal people , whereas place like Auburn you probably can get to know your neighbors more..

Washington definitely has its share of gritty blue collar folks, I won't deny.. Most of them are decent people, but the few losers give a bad impression of all of them.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

There is plenty of "white trash" in Seattle as well. Just take a trip to Capitol Hill to see all the freaky, foul-mouthed, tatted and pierced up people who probably came and immigrated to Seattle from all the low-end parts of the country. Not to mention all the foul mouthed and aggressive people I see just hanging out on the Ave in the U-District.

The dilemma you face is an American problem, not a Washington problem. If you live in smaller, lower-end blue collar towns you will see people who may be a bit rough around the edges and Kent and Auburn definitely qualify there. I live in a small blue collar Washington town and can attest that the people can be a bit rough and gritty.

However, overall the crime isn't too bad and most people are respectful and polite. You have your trailer park and foul-mouthed redneck types and it's best to try to ignore them.. I wouldn't hesitate to report a person who is making inappropriate sexual comments in front of children though. If you are not pro-active in your community then the jerkoffs will never be put in check.

Places like Bellevue may not have all the grit of a place like Auburn, but you also have rather less friendly, more impersonal people , whereas place like Auburn you probably can get to know your neighbors more..

Washington definitely has its share of gritty blue collar folks, I won't deny.. Most of them are decent people, but the few losers give a bad impression of all of them.

On the opposite end we have people like Leona Helmsley. She didn't pay taxes."We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."

[shaylahc]

I've noticed people cuss a lot here....F bombs left and right. Coming from the conservative south, that was hard to get used to.

[joyinthejourney]

^^ Yeah, I really can't believe how much people swear in front of their children. Not to mention smoking while holding infants -- mind blown.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by GatsbyGatz

Even in Kirkland or Redmond, the people seem incredibly provincial by my standards. Once you leave Seattle and Bellevue, it feels very unsophisticated and rural.

This is true. When East coast people would ask what Seattle was like and I'd remark "It's a small city. You can drive 20 miles out and feel like you're deep in West Virginia" Which not to say you can drive 20 miles on any road, but doing the same in the DC area you're not even in the exurbs yet.

[kaonevar]

I think the cussing is also a generational thing. I grew up cussing and swear like a sailor without issue. Words are just words. *shrug*

I will say that I know many people with tattoos and piercings who make a ton of money and aren't "white trash" at all. I moved here from Texas--I've seen "white trash," and a lot of those folks in Capitol Hill aren't it. I don't get the aversion to tats, piercings, etc. by people from the south.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by kaonevar

I think the cussing is also a generational thing. I grew up cussing and swear like a sailor without issue. Words are just words. *shrug*

I will say that I know many people with tattoos and piercings who make a ton of money and aren't "white trash" at all. I moved here from Texas--I've seen "white trash," and a lot of those folks in Capitol Hill aren't it. I don't get the aversion to tats, piercings, etc. by people from the south.

Not all people with tattoos and piercings qualify as "white trash".. I am actually going by the element of people I see in the area and it is their behavior that I am more critiquing than their appearance. I have experienced the same foul-mouthed, close-minded and degenerate attitude from people there in Capitol Hill, as I would in some backwoodsy redneck town. Basically, what I am saying is that low-class, foul-mouthed and inconsiderate types of people dwell in both cosmopolitan urban centers as well as less wealthy blue collar working class towns.

Not all people in lower income, blue collar towns are trashy either. As a matter of fact there are many great people in these areas.. However, it's a misconception to think that there isn't trashy elements of people in Seattle, as they exist there too..

I went to a bar in Tangletown, for example, where dirty sex talk and swearing was pretty much the common topic of conversation for most people. On the other hand, I went into some blue collar or more rednecky bars in Tacoma and Puyallup where people were polite and respectful..

[bostonguy1960]

Gee, and I get upset here in Boston when I encounter trashy types, at least according to me. Tats, piercings, smoking, spitting, swearing, awful grammar...

I realize not one particular activity automatically makes one trashy, but some lower-class areas in and near Boston exhibit multiple behaviors I just described. Heck, I do not smoke or curse but am FAT...and yes, that is trashy to many.

One would expect better in Boston, as its reputation is of intelligence, though most are not Ivy Leage grads, of course.

When I visited the Seattle area for two weeks two years ago, I don't recall any especially trashy people as mentioned by locals in this thread. I guess my mind was in vacation mode.

I live nine miles from Fenway Park and some of the best colleges and hospitals America offers. But even in Boston, we have our white trash suburbs like anywhere else, depending on zip code. I realize that's mean to say. Even Quincy where I live is trashy to some...plus I rent in a non-desirable building and always will, so that's trashy to many also.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by joyinthejourney

I moved to Auburn about a year ago from CA. I live in a pretty decent area in Auburn but I just can't get over how low class people are here. Example from today: at the pool it was me and my kids along with a party of about 6 adults and their 8 small kids. The fathers were just throwing around f-bombs like it was no big deal and making jokes about anal sex. I was so ticked off but these kinds of things just seem to happen on a regular basis here. So seriously, is it just Auburn in particular or is the whole state of WA like this?? I'm moving to Bellevue soon and crossing my fingers that there will be a higher class of people there.

That's weird they'd do that with theirs and other kids around. Bellevue will be different, I guarantee you. Good choice.