New yorkers still don't fit (Houston, Austin: middle school, living, groceries)

[mpope409]

Originally Posted by Spade

Yeah, whatever. No offense to you whatsoever and this is not meant to you at all. But I find the friendliness that is known with Texans to be completely overrated. It probably exists in areas with a population with less than 300,000. But that's about it. The whole southern hospitality thing is such a giant myth. Hope I didn't step on anyone's toes with that comment but oh well.

Lol, not quite. At only 100,000 people, Killeen is one of the rudest cities I've ever been to.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by wisdom4me

I hear there are many northerners who have moved to Texas. I have lived here 28 years and only met a handful. It's not just "yankees" that feel a little home sick at times It's people from all over the USA. It's only natural that we miss the place where we were born and raised. I have developed a good life here in the Woodlands Texas, I have raised 4 kids and now own a restaurant, but in all these years I still feel like a fish out of water. When I go to the store and talk with my Brooklyn accent I still get stares comments.I have not met a Texan who "get"s a sienfeld sense of humor" they just look at you like you have two heads, and try and ask for a cannoli in the grocery store. Don't get me wrong, I have met a lot of great texans, I just miss the ya da ya da ya da...

You could try moving to the Inner Loop of Houston if possible - to hear this from The Woodlands is even surprising because I generally think of that area as transient central, e.g. loads of Midwesterners and people from elsewhere that gets snow in the winter.

In the heart of Houston, it's becoming more and more uncommon to hear what you would traditionally think of as a "Texas" accent - but sometimes it can be frustrating.

[NOTAM]

aint been to Killeen, but have been considering the rural outlying towns outside of Killeen, but i am guessing that i bet you may be right about that, it being a transient military town. i just moved back last year from a three year tour in Ft Stewart GA which is located in the town of Hinesville GA, and the people were so rude there. i would complain about it, and the few native Georgians who i worked with there, told me to PLEASE not rate Georgia and its friendliest or lack thereof, based on Hinesville. it's just a military town thing-you get people from all walks of life and all parts of the country.....so military towns are usually never a stereotype of the state that they are in.

Originally Posted by mpope409

Lol, not quite. At only 100,000 people, Killeen is one of the rudest cities I've ever been to.

[Spade]

^^ That is true.But regardless, that does make Killeen the exception with it being under 300,000 thousand and all. Oh and Waco is pretty rude as well.

[madmann101]

Originally Posted by Spade

^^ That is true.But regardless, that does make Killeen the exception with it being under 300,000 thousand and all. Oh and Waco is pretty rude as well.

Yeah Waco is a pretty rude city,but their are "WAYYYYYYYY" more polite people than rude people in Waco.

[CallMeLaura]

I wonder if some of the transplants to Texas feel unwelcomed because their normal mannerisms are considered rude to Southerners.

*Note: I'm not from Texas OR Wisconsin.

When I moved from Dallas to Milwaukee, I could not get over how rude everyone was. I was baffled by how an entire city could be so rude. I even remember commenting to a friend (back in Dallas) that the only nice people up here were black. Every time I'd visit before I moved, people would stare at me. Throw in winter and I was miserable here.

What I've come to realize is that people are just as nice and compassionate and all that as they are in Dallas, but they have different mannerisms and ways of speaking. I believe locals consider it 'being direct', but it's very offensive to me.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people the posters are interacting with are a bit taken aback and freeze them out because of the different social customs. It's amazing the conclusions people draw about others based on the way they talk (read That's Not What I Meant by Deborah Tannen).

[Willys]

Originally Posted by wisdom4me

...When I go to the store and talk with my Brooklyn accent I still get stares comments.I have not met a Texan who "get"s a sienfeld sense of humor" they just look at you like you have two heads, and try and ask for a cannoli in the grocery store. Don't get me wrong, I have met a lot of great texans, I just miss the ya da ya da ya da...

My grandparents moved across Texas in a covered wagon, east to west, then back east. My parents were born in the country side. I can show you the fence post that marks the approximate location my mother was born, about ten miles from anywhere, not far from Personville.

My siblings, cousins and I are first generation born in 'the city', mostly San Antonio. This just goes to say, although I've struggled to clean it up, I still get reactions over my Texas accent, right here in Texas.

[AnthonySA]

I'm a transplant to the state of Texas and in my 5 years here I have never felt less than welcomed here. I guess its whatever you make of it. If you are not happy to be here, you'll pick every single negative out there and exploit it; likewise for the positives.

Moving anywhere though, you got to acknowledge every place is different, and it is you that has to adjust.. not the place or the people.

[jfre81]

Another thing you might consider is treating everyone with respect and you will more than likely receive it in kind.

Patronize and look down upon people and you will get treated for what you are - a jerk.

You've got a lot of control over how you're treated in Texas.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Another thing you might consider is treating everyone with respect and you will more than likely receive it in kind.

Patronize and look down upon people and you will get treated for what you are - a jerk.

You've got a lot of control over how you're treated in Texas.

This is absolutely true!

Personally, I think one of the biggest "gaffes" transplanted "yankees" commit is, after moving down and finding out the culture IS very different, to start finding fault and telling natives how much different (using negative comparrisons) it was up north. Texans don't care and resent it.

As they (we) see it, if it was so much better there, then why move down here? It is considered very rude behavior and just because the Texan being addressed might not reply angrily back, don't take the silence or tight smile you get in return as agreement. There is another old saying good to keep in mind: "A Southerner will be polite until they are mad enough to kill you."

Naturally, that is not really literally true, but it DOES contain a certain humorous element of truth put in the form of extreme exaggeration. LOL Anyway, the main point being that what might be considered admirable frankness in the North might be taken as tacky rudeness down here.

If one comes to Texas with the attitude that you will want to fit in and "do as the natives do," (or at least accept how they do it! LOL) then you will find no friendlier, neighborly, and hospitable folks in the United States. I have talked to many northerners who frankly say that, once they got used to the "culture shock" (some of it being that strangers will speak to you for no other reason than to just be friendly) they would never again live anywhere else!