Why the hatred of Chicagoans? (Milwaukee, Green Bay: appointed, house, buy)
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I officially left living in the Chicago area back in 1978. I came back to work for a Downtown Chicago based company but traveled around the Midwest for a living, so I chose NOT to live in Illinois. I lived just outside of Milwaukee in West Allis. It was ok, but no big deal. Hardly anything like the rest of the wonderful State of Wisconsin. After moving out to the SF Bay area for 10 years I and my wife settled in the Salt Lake City area. Ironically I began life as a National Sales Manager for a manufacturer in which I began covering 17 States by car. Yeah I know it could be brutal at times driving all those miles, but never a dull moment.
Of ALL of the places I traveled from Ohio to the West Coast for work by car, the cities I hated driving in or near most were Chicago and Seattle. What they have in common is the drivers have a "death wish". They drive averages of 20-30mph or more over the speed limits and tailgate as if you aren't even there. It drove me nuts. I frankly never learned to drive that way in drivers ed in Highland Park High School in the late 60's so I have NO idea where the Chicagoans learned this behavior, other than the fact there are way too many cars on the road in the first place.
Frankly I always had a bit of a love affair with Wisconsin (and the people there for that matter). They were my best customers for work and it was my #1 best producing State as well for sales. I much preferred to get North or West of Milwaukee whenever possible just to avoid traffic congestion, but it wasn't bad unless I was in the typical rush hour driving times. I had no issues with Milwaukee frankly and enjoyed many a good restaurant in the metro area there as well. I used to visit my mom and brother in Highland Park right up until I no longer had this position in 2004. But quite frankly it was getting so absurdly traffic congested on the North Shore right up to the State line it was crazy. A virtual gridlock after 3pm so I avoided it like the plague.
Frankly I pity those that have to live that lifestyle of congestion in Chicagoland, but it is their choice not mine. That I don't miss at all, but I DO miss my travels around Wisconsin. At least I have my memories of it. And my client were the best!
I officially left living in the Chicago area back in 1978. I came back to work for a Downtown Chicago based company but traveled around the Midwest for a living, so I chose NOT to live in Illinois.
Frankly I pity those that have to live that lifestyle of congestion in Chicagoland, but it is their choice not mine. That I don't miss at all, but I DO miss my travels around Wisconsin. At least I have my memories of it. And my client were the best!
I would agree with your post. People north of the cheddar border are some of my best clients currently. Almost always on time with payments, always accessible, etc. People up there, especially in Milwaukee, need to take a little more pride in their own home rather than be so self destructive and negative, or feel inferior or whatever. It may sound like I'm kissing their cheeseluvin butts haha, but its not about that-- it's about building bridges and stronger economies.
If I sat around and dwelled on the negative of Chicago or Palatine all day, the list of gripes could reach from here to Timbuktu. You just try to make the place better and if you don't have the money to do so, you vote in politicians who can get it done or volunteer your time.
I've had the opportunity of 3 views on this - I was born and raised Chicago.. cummulative 32 years of living in the Chicago Metro. I have lived in Cheesehead Central - Green Bay - 12 years. I have lived outside those areas for a total of 10 years. Here's what I see -
People from Chicago do have the "we own you" attitude for the most part, as for a percentage I'll say it's more with that attitude than not. I too while living at the 'neck' of Door County grew to not tolerate people from where I was raised. Frankly their attitude and way of acting pissed me off something terrible. So much so it reminded me of a drunk Bears fan.... ignorant, stuck up, obnoxious, and stupid.
Now before all you Chicago people get upset READ THIS FIRST -
As for the people of Wisconsin...while you are not the obnoxious people of Chicago you do fullfill the other 3 qualities (again most not all the people). These people RARELY leave the state - I frequently heard the anxious families looking forward to summer vacation - at the Dells??? They never leave the state!!! People I met up there are completely stuck up, and in a politically correct way - rude.
So there really is a problem with both 'cultures' - we opted as much as the Wisconsin people are "out there" and we really did love living in GB over Chicago.... we rathered to live in a real world situation. So we moved.
Frankly - just to clear up the Wisconsin thing before I get hate mail.... The Packers are owned by the people - who know nothing about football management. While 'city ownership' is sort of cool, it's also the deficit of that team. I would never want to see the team move so 1 point for the ownership structure. the raising of someone who doesn't deserve it to superstar god status? just lost the point you gained. saw it many times - one example Chmura.
Amax41 - Bummer for you that you don't like people. I have sort of the opposite life than you. 48 years in WI, married and rasied a family there. Now have lived in Chicago area for about last two. Granted it is not the longest time to spend in one place but it is long enough to form some opinions.
I have met many great people in both places and many a-holes in both places. Personally I think this whole topic is "made up."
Oh and by the way. All my life I have heard about the terrible IL driver. My 35 years of driving experience tells me that the dumbest drivers in the midwest, for the most part have WI tags on the cars. Now maybe they are IL people driving their WI buddies cars - but I doubt it.
Amax41 - Bummer for you that you don't like people. I have sort of the opposite life than you. 48 years in WI, married and rasied a family there. Now have lived in Chicago area for about last two. Granted it is not the longest time to spend in one place but it is long enough to form some opinions.
I have met many great people in both places and many a-holes in both places. Personally I think this whole topic is "made up."
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Ahhh, finally, the sweet sound of a voice of reason.
Amax41 - Bummer for you that you don't like people. I have sort of the opposite life than you. 48 years in WI, married and rasied a family there. Now have lived in Chicago area for about last two. Granted it is not the longest time to spend in one place but it is long enough to form some opinions.
I have met many great people in both places and many a-holes in both places. Personally I think this whole topic is "made up."
Oh and by the way. All my life I have heard about the terrible IL driver. My 35 years of driving experience tells me that the dumbest drivers in the midwest, for the most part have WI tags on the cars. Now maybe they are IL people driving their WI buddies cars - but I doubt it.
Chicago guy here. I have to disagree..alot. Driving in Illinois during heavier traffic is like putting your life on the line. The only place I've ever seen people cut across 2 lanes of traffic because they were not paying attention for an exit. Wisconsinites do drive "slow" but that's how they drive. We can't just continue to race through their state at 80, which is a typical speed for people with Illinois plates in both states. I slow it down when I cross the border into any state. And I do NOT cruise in the "fast" lane as Illinois drivers call it. It is a passing lane. And oddly enough, Wisconsin drivers seem to understand this more. I find myself getting pissed at way more Illinois plates that Wisconsin plates.
I've never noticed any sort of hatred from either side towards the other. I live in Chicago and I've met plenty of Wisconsinites who now live here, especially UW-Madison alumni, and tons who visit Chicago, and everyone seems to get along perfectly without any sort of tension. I've also spent some time in Madison, Milwaukee, and Door County and know that there are a lot of Chicagoans who live in both cities and many Chicagoans who vacation in Door County and everyone there seems to get along perfectly without any sort of tension. The only "tension" I see is in sports with the Bears-Packers, and to a lesser extent a Cubs-Brewers rivalry when the Brewers are doing well...but that is not tension or hatred in my opinion, its just good ol' rivalry. I know the large majority of Chicagoans don't think or care about Wisconsin enough to even have a "we're better than you" attitute towards Wisconsinites as some people have said in this thread, and from my experiences in Wisconsin, I can say that most Wisconsinites don't think or care about Chicago enough to have any bad attitudes towards Chicagoans. The two places don't have enough connections with eachother to have that sort of tension or "hatred" that, for example, New Yorkers and New Jerseyans have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WildWestDude
Well, recently the two metro areas are counted as one! The MSA, metro statistical area, now is comprised of the greater Milwaukee, Chicago and NW Indiana areas for a total of 10 mil +
The cities are merging and becoming more homogeneous.............
Just a heads up, that is definitely wrong. According two the most current information on the census website which designates MSAs and CSAs, both areas are definitely completely separate. Chicagoland technically goes as far north as Kenosha, WI and the Milwaukee Area goes as far south as Kenosha, WI by some non-census measures, but Milwaukee and Chicago never actually include eachother in their metropolitan area by any standards and are not one metropolitan area on the basis of sharing one single suburb.
Amax41 - Bummer for you that you don't like people. I have sort of the opposite life than you. 48 years in WI, married and rasied a family there. Now have lived in Chicago area for about last two. Granted it is not the longest time to spend in one place but it is long enough to form some opinions.
I have met many great people in both places and many a-holes in both places. Personally I think this whole topic is "made up."
Oh and by the way. All my life I have heard about the terrible IL driver. My 35 years of driving experience tells me that the dumbest drivers in the midwest, for the most part have WI tags on the cars. Now maybe they are IL people driving their WI buddies cars - but I doubt it.
Since when do you get from an analytical point of view that I don't like people. Nice judgement, with that and your driver statement you just proved what I said about Wisconsites. Also if you want to talk about drivers - both WI and IL are bad. Chicago drivers are nuts and WI (northern) drivers are slow and a pain.
I've never noticed any sort of hatred from either side towards the other. I live in Chicago and I've met plenty of Wisconsinites who now live here, especially UW-Madison alumni, and tons who visit Chicago, and everyone seems to get along perfectly without any sort of tension. I've also spent some time in Madison, Milwaukee, and Door County and know that there are a lot of Chicagoans who live in both cities and many Chicagoans who vacation in Door County and everyone there seems to get along perfectly without any sort of tension. The only "tension" I see is in sports with the Bears-Packers, and to a lesser extent a Cubs-Brewers rivalry when the Brewers are doing well...but that is not tension or hatred in my opinion, its just good ol' rivalry. I know the large majority of Chicagoans don't think or care about Wisconsin enough to even have a "we're better than you" attitute towards Wisconsinites as some people have said in this thread, and from my experiences in Wisconsin, I can say that most Wisconsinites don't think or care about Chicago enough to have any bad attitudes towards Chicagoans. The two places don't have enough connections with eachother to have that sort of tension or "hatred" that, for example, New Yorkers and New Jerseyans have
Having lived in both places, thats been my experience as well.
And as my mom always told me,,you get back what you give.
Since when do you get from an analytical point of view that I don't like people. Nice judgement, with that and your driver statement you just proved what I said about Wisconsites. Also if you want to talk about drivers - both WI and IL are bad. Chicago drivers are nuts and WI (northern) drivers are slow and a pain.
The point of view is based on the obvious displeasure of both WI and IL people evidenced in your comments. You got nothin good to say and you asked readers to flame away - I did; per your request.
I agree that there are good and bad drivers/people in each place. No real issue on that.
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