You might be a true Clevelander if... (Lakewood, Minerva: live in, bike)

[october2007]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Here's an interesting article on the East Side/West Side split and its historical roots:

CLEAVING THE CROOKED MIRROR: WHAT'S REALLY BEHIND THE EAST & WEST SIDE RIVALRY

Thanks - that looks interesting. I do get the sense that people tend to just stay on the one side or the other.

[Urban Peasant]

As the O.P. himself says it is all tongue in cheek. I once read a post in the Buffalo forum that mentioned how Buffalonians think that J.C. Penney is high class, that going to Toronto or NYC are considered "great trips" and how the poster overheard a woman exclaiming how excited she was to visit Philadelphia as if it were Paris. There probably are such individuals out here on the East Coast and everywhere else as well. They represent the high degree of provinciality that permeates through working class neighborhoods. We all know that not everyone shares these characteristics and it is difficult if not impossible to define a "true whomever" like defining a function. Like all stereotypes though there is a grain of truth to the points.

[RocketSci]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

They represent the high degree of provinciality that permeates through working class neighborhoods. We all know that not everyone shares these characteristics and it is difficult if not impossible to define a "true whomever" like defining a function. Like all stereotypes though there is a grain of truth to the points.

The word "provinciality" implies that the lack of exposure/sophistication is purposeful, rather than a result of economic or social circumstances. I get it, the peasants are revolting.

[Minervah]

East side, West side. Chicago, Il. Ft.Wayne, Indiana, LA California, Portland, OR, Dublin,Ireland, London, England and many more I am sure all have rivalries or just plain indifference on either side. These are a few I could think of offhand either of which I've personally witnessed or have read.

Cleveland doesn't have a lock on it's east-west lack of exposure. It's a typical city thing, much of it I would imagine has to do with how each part was settled and also distance in between locations. As the link posted here about Cleveland's separation, there are other historical opinions regarding the reasons for other separations in various cities as well.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by RocketSci

The word "provinciality" implies that the lack of exposure/sophistication is purposeful, rather than a result of economic or social circumstances. I get it, the peasants are revolting.

And what economic or social circumstances might those be?

People in this country are more than capable of rising above their circumstances if they care to. I know, because I did it.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I wrote this one all by myself. Please accept it in the spirit of the Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism videos, and relax. It's completely tongue in cheek.


YOU MIGHT BE A TRUE CLEVELANDER IF…

- You’re at least 100 pounds overweight – and you flaunt it.

- The only music you listen to is Classic Rock – and your kids only listen to Rap.

- You regard cigarette smoking as the greatest achievement in the history of the human race.

- Your fashion sense is at least ten years behind the times.

- You regard people who take good care of their health with suspicion.

- Your idea of “fine dining” is Olive Garden.

- You regard seedy, rundown surroundings as “normal”.

- Your house is worth less than the price of a new car.

- Your kids don’t do any better in life than you did – and you’re OK with that.

- You’re still waiting for the Stockyards to come back.

A couple more:

- You walk down city streets slowly and lackadaisically, without the slightest sense of urgency, even downtown during rush hour.

- You regard an escalator as a "ride" and have absolutely no concept of Walk Left, Stand Right.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by andrew61

A couple more:

- You walk down city streets slowly and lackadaisically, without the slightest sense of urgency, even downtown during rush hour.

- You regard an escalator as a "ride" and have absolutely no concept of Walk Left, Stand Right.

Yep, we Clevelanders are clueless bumpkins with without a modicum of good manners or good taste and literally no place meaningful to go... Unlike those hip and cool, totally with it God's gifts to the human race in Chicago...

[bjimmy24]

You might be a clevelander if you're not a self important narcissist who thinks everyone should plan their days around where YOU need to be at any given time and how quickly YOU would like to get there.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

You might be a clevelander if you're not a self important narcissist who thinks everyone should plan their days around where YOU need to be at any given time and how quickly YOU would like to get there.

Sounds like the thinking of someone who would get onto an expressway and do 40 in the passing lane.
Real cities would come to a complete halt if everyone in them thought like this.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by andrew61

Sounds like the thinking of someone who would get onto an expressway and do 40 in the passing lane.
Real cities would come to a complete halt if everyone in them thought like this.

I just don't have such a high opinion of myself that I get angry when someone else isn't as fast as me.

I bike every day to and from work, I go to a boxing gym. I promise you would slow me down quite a bit if I were behind you in any situation. That's fine. I don't pretend my time is actually all that important. Guess I'm not a real person.