Why are people in MA so rude? (Boston, Harvard: lawyers, home)

[FCMA]

I need to do some more traveling, to remind myself how anti-climactic (and expensive) coming home to MA is. It's comfortable and familiar here but I miss $2-3 beers at happy hour (instead of $8 back here) and meeting interesting laid-back strangers who don't seem to always be judging you or waiting to be impressed by your degree or something, or asking me over and over how I can stand living so fahhh outside 495. It's because I ****ed up and studied something I liked so I ended up working for a nonprofit instead of in a shiny office park off 128. Chill out and leave me alone, Massaholes! It's tiring explaining to overstressed well-paid E MA people who can actually afford this state why some of us don't get to have nice things.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by movingcat23

big black suburban

That should not be surprising

I also avoid walking behind cars pulling out, myself

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by FCMA

Southerners may secretly be Bible Thumpers but the mood on the street down there is social and welcoming.

I love the midwest, but the South is alllll fake nice.

[goyguy]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I love the midwest, but the South is alllll fake nice.

Give the "wrong" answer to "What church do 'yewww' (or 'y'all') go to?" The facade cracks pretty fast!

Is it just me, or is there a disproportionately large number of threads in this forum (and that of Boston) started by transplants taking out their sad violins? ("It's soooo expensive here. " "What totally sucky weather! " "The traffic and drivers are awful! " "All of the buildings are so old, and the streets don't have 14 lanes and tons of parking spaces! " "Somebody was mean to me today, just like everyone here! ")

As they say at card tables, "Shut up and deal."

[Pruzhany]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

While I'm a bit confused by the OPs situation, there are plenty of drivers who don't respect or appreciate pedestrians. I've gotten the finger for having the audacity to walk on a sidewalk in front of someone pulling out of a parking lot. I didn't let her hit me, of course, but I didn't just let her go, either, even though she made it clear that's what she wanted. If you can't wait for pedestrians who clearly have the right of way you shouldn't be driving.

In your case you have ROW automatically since you are walking on the sidewalk. If you were in a crosswalk and walked in front of the car while the car had a green light, then you would get ticketed for jaywalking to go along with your injuries. In the case of the OP, it is up to the pedestrian to know that they are walking in a automotive roadway and to be aware that cars have blind spots and thus have common sense to stop walking.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by timberline742

I love the midwest, but the South is alllll fake nice.

Rude is about how you treat strangers you'll likely never see again--the guy on the subway or the lady at the shopping mart. Fake or real has little to do with it because there's it's generally just a one time interaction. The New England aloofness is something different (and something I'm fine with). When I think rude it's the guy he lays on his horn because I'm letting an old lady get through the crosswalk or the able-bodied 20-something on the commuter rail who gets snippy when an older lady asks her to move her bag so she can sit down, too.

Originally Posted by goyguy

Give the "wrong" answer to "What church do 'yewww' (or 'y'all') go to?" The facade cracks pretty fast!

Is it just me, or is there a disproportionately large number of threads in this forum (and that of Boston) started by transplants taking out their sad violins? ("It's soooo expensive here. " "What totally sucky weather! " "The traffic and drivers are awful! " "All of the buildings are so old, and the streets don't have 14 lanes and tons of parking spaces! " "Somebody was mean to me today, just like everyone here! ")

As they say at card tables, "Shut up and deal."

If you can't complain anonymously on the Internet, where can you complain? I like a lot about this state, but there are a lot more aggressively rude people than other places I've lived.

Originally Posted by Pruzhany

In your case you have ROW automatically since you are walking on the sidewalk. If you were in a crosswalk and walked in front of the car while the car had a green light, then you would get ticketed for jaywalking to go along with your injuries. In the case of the OP, it is up to the pedestrian to know that they are walking in a automotive roadway and to be aware that cars have blind spots and thus have common sense to stop walking.

If i walked in front of a car that had a green light I'd be much more worried about getting hit than getting a ticket for jaywalking. And there are cases where cars have a green light and pedestrians still have the right of way, such as in a crosswalk when the car is turning right.

While it is important for pedestrians in parking lots and sidewalks to maintain situational awareness about traffic, the responsibility for avoiding collisions ultimately rests with the motor vehicle operator. Directly behind a vehicle is not a blind spot in most passenger vehicles, it's just that many drivers fail to look for or care about pedestrians. Cars win almost every collision with people--so being in the right isn't really enough, though. As a pedestrian (or cyclist) you have to prepare for and assume drivers aren't going to follow the law and may hit you even when you have the right of way--but there's no reason you have to like it.

[Boston_Burbs]

I would have given you the finger too. Sounds like you were looking for a confrontation as a way to prove people in MA are rude. Had I been the pedestrian I would have made the logical conclusion that the SUV does not see me so I either go across quickly or wait. Not stand in the way.

[miu]

1. Parking lots are primarily designed for motor vehicles to enter, park, then exit.

2. There are no signs posted that say that the pedestrians have the right of way, but sometimes there are posted speed limit signs.

3. Sometimes there are indicated pedestrian crosswalks marked on the pavement, although the pedestrians rarely bother to use them.

That said, it is up to the pedestrians to walk in the parking lots to be alert and cautious, and to use commonsense. And since they came in a motor vehicle themselves, it is expected they have some sympathy for the drivers and not try to impede the progress of the motor vehicles.

And this advice especially includes anyone pushing a baby carriage. Just because you are pushing a baby carriage, doesn't mean that others are going to give you special treatment. Protect your babies and children, be very alert and cautious. If you can't handle the distractions of your children and be alert to your surroundings, leave them at home with a caretaker when you go shopping.

BTW since everyone is thinking green these days, pedestrians insisting on their right of way in crosswalks is not very green. For instance, when I walk through Harvard Square, I never enforce my pedestrian right of way and cause several cars to have to stop and idle (wasting gasoline), but I time my crossing with the natural gaps in the traffic flow. Thanks to other traffic signal lights, there are always gaps in the motor vehicle flow where I can cross safely to the other side. And that is one of the many things I do in an effort to live a green lifestyle.

I don't expect others to do this, but at least try to cross with a large number of people and quickly as possible. Don't walk slowly either. The upside is that more calories are burned while walking briskly.

[miu]

Originally Posted by wheelz

A pedestrian has the right of way no matter where they are. Nowadays with electric vehicles you may not even hear the motor running and who's to say their back up lights are working? It is your responsibility as an operator of a motor vehicle to not run over people in a parking lot or any place else. Yes, you should be cautious when walking, but that is simply common sense. The same thing has happened to me in a parking lot before and the drivers reaction was completely the opposite as the OP's experience. Are you the type to get angry at someone because you as a driver aren't paying attention. Plain and simple, the driver of the Suburban was wrong. What if the woman was pushing a baby carriage and you squashed it, are you going to say the kid deserved it because the parent was stupid?

I hope that you aren't teaching any children that they have the right of way in a parking lot or while crossing the street outside of a crosswalk.

Working reverse lights are part of the annual motor vehicle inspection. But you are right, they could be broken. I also listen for any sounds of a car doors being closed. If I hear that sound, I look for the driver exiting. If I don't see that, then I look for the drive in their car and starting their engine While walking in any parking lot, the pedestrian MUST be on high alert. It's just commonsense.

BTW wearing earbuds and listening to music or using a cellphone while walking in a parking lot is not very smart.

[Shizim]

There is a difference between being actively rude and just not wanting to be bothered with someone random.

I hate toe break it to all the transplants here but if you randomly start chatting me up at a bar/game/etc. and I seem disinterested, its because I am. i don't want to small talk with a stranger i will never see again.

just because i am not giving into your desire for random (and weird BTW) conversations with strangers doesn't mean i am rude as long as i am civil in blowing you off.

And i have to agree with GoyGuy.... it feels like 25% of all the new threads are whining about how someone wasn't "nice" or its too expensive to live here making $15 an hr. boo hoo... move to ATL is you want a cheap city where people are outgoing.