Should the official Pittsburgh abbrv. be changed from PGH to PIT? (Midway: plantation, title)

[ElijahAstin]

MPLS is universal? Universal as to whom, Twin Cities area natives? I'll ask my Minneapolis-native girlfriend for clarification as to what the locals do later tonight, but as an outsider, I've only ever heard people use "MSP."

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

MPLS is universal? Universal as to whom, Twin Cities area natives? I'll ask my Minneapolis-native girlfriend for clarification as to what the locals do later tonight, but as an outsider, I've only ever heard people use "MSP."

But you could figure it out in context, right?

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Everyone used listened to Ludacris can tell you ATL is Atlanta because the acronym has been pop cultured...but ask them where's PGH, and you the one who looks like an idiot.

I don't bother pop culture so why should it bother me?

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

But you could figure it out in context, right?

Next to the word "Minneapolis," sure, but the missing "N" would probably throw me off a bit if I were to see it standalone.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

Yet that has never been the case, in the decades I have had that handle... until you mentioned it.

Yeah Right.....Ok..I think you'll say whatever....Anyway how would you know, can you read the minds of everyone that has come across your handler... Most are probably so sure that you're a female from Pittsburgh with "Pitt Chick" they had no reason to think you may be mean a University of Pittsburgh student (not to mention you have SW PA listed as your location, and Pitt is located in Pittsburgh)...

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I don't bother pop culture so why should it bother me?

Well that solves the Puzzle for me.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

MPLS is universal? Universal as to whom, Twin Cities area natives? I'll ask my Minneapolis-native girlfriend for clarification as to what the locals do later tonight, but as an outsider, I've only ever heard people use "MSP."

When I say Universal I mean Locally, National, and in some cases International....Minneapolis is funny because you also have MSP for Minneapolis-St Paul as a market...but I know that's not as well branded as MLSP for Minneapolis.

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

The question isn't whether "PIT" makes more sense, but rather, what the alteration of an abbreviation, within a class of abbreviations that is rarely seen by people outside the airline industry (and your random amateur pilot hobbyist) will actually accomplish.

The reason why it's "AYE-TEE-ELL" and not "attle" is because ATL is an obvious acronym. People are going to see "PIT" and automatically think of the word, which, if anything, would fit in much better with people's supposed conception of the place as a "smokey redneck hellhole," given that calling someplace "the pits" is not exactly a term of endearment.

ATL just happens to work for Atlanta, but there are a whole slew of airport city codes that would do a terrible job at marketing a place (no one calls Miami "the MIA" or Denver "America's DEN").

As a proud University of Pittsburgh alumnus, I always used "Pitt" to describe the school and "PGH" to describe the city and region. I don't claim that my personal usage is, or should be, indicative of the area at large, but I will say that more important than finding a snazzy abbreviation is finding ways to turn Pittsburgh into a genuine tourist destination. While Pittsburgh has improved leaps and bounds as far as everyday living goes, there isn't much to experience as a visitor unless you're be guided by a well-versed friend who can take you to all the "well-kept secrets."

Actually "MIA" is very well used in Marketing Miami, I hear and see MIA used all the time in place of Miami. DEN is there a conflict with another acronym used by Locals?

[groar]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Ok Whatever.....you just going to say whatever to oppose me, rather than make an argument of any validity.

yes, i am just randomly opposed to you for no reason. i'm not sure what kind of argument i can make except to say that your sweeping generalizations about this barely consequential issue are wrong. you say only narrowminded pgh natives know what the abbreviation means or prefer it. you are wrong. the existence of me and my experience proves you wrong. i moved here from nyc and i NEVER referred to the city as "PIT" in my life. i never came across an abbreviation that i liked or felt the need to use until "pgh" (which i also don't recall having any problem recognizing as an abbreviation for pittsburgh - same with mpls for minneapolis for that matter). two syllables and ten letters are really not that hard to use.

the rest is just opinionzzz. and mine apparently make me stupid, illogical, narrow-minded, a native of pittsburgh, etc etc.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by groar

yes, i am just randomly opposed to you for no reason. i'm not sure what kind of argument i can make except to say that your sweeping generalizations about this barely consequential issue are wrong. you say only narrowminded pgh natives know what the abbreviation means or prefer it. you are wrong. the existence of me and my experience proves you wrong. i moved here from nyc and i NEVER referred to the city as "PIT" in my life. i never came across an abbreviation that i liked or felt the need to use until "pgh" (which i also don't recall having any problem recognizing as an abbreviation for pittsburgh - same with mpls for minneapolis for that matter). two syllables and ten letters are really not that hard to use.

the rest is just opinionzzz. and mine apparently make me stupid, illogical, narrow-minded, a native of pittsburgh, etc etc.

Again just proves my point about insular natives that live in bubbles....Goodbye...This conversation is obviously over your head.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Actually "MIA" is very well used in Marketing Miami, I hear and see MIA used all the time in place of Miami. DEN is there a conflict with another acronym used by Locals?

I've never heard MIA used to market Miami, but I'll admit Miami is probably a poor example anyway, given that its proper name is already nickname-length. But if you google MIA and Miami together, all the search results on the first few pages relate to the airport. PGH and Pittsburgh immediately turn up non-transportation-related links, though I personally think "the 'Burgh" may be able to best do the trick as far as a marketing campaign goes.

I don't know what the locals call Denver. I just know that DEN, like PIT, isn't an alluring name, despite the fact that it's used as the airport moniker.