Re: Why Do Yinzers Come Off As 'Unfriendly'? (Pittsburgh, Millvale: buying, pierogies)

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by 8YearsinPittsburgh

I'll tell you one place where Yinzers are WAY TOO FRIENDLY................TRAFFIC. I wish people actually were more selfish in this sense and just keep the hell moving!

Too True! Even in my years of biking around Pittsburgh, I was either getting practically run off the road and cussed out OR being waved through stops signs and lights when the car had the right of way. There wasn't much in between.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by ferraris

Too True! Even in my years of biking around Pittsburgh, I was either getting practically run off the road and cussed out OR being waved through stops signs and lights when the car had the right of way. There wasn't much in between.

whether on a bike or in a car, i refuse to abide by a "hand wave", even if a hotshot behind me is using his horn. it would take a split second for a hurried motorist behind the hand waver to whip around and t-bone you, or kill you if you were on a bike.

[wanderlust76]

Originally Posted by 8YearsinPittsburgh

I'll tell you one place where Yinzers are WAY TOO FRIENDLY................TRAFFIC. I wish people actually were more selfish in this sense and just keep the hell moving!

A lack of actual merge ramps and roads that connect properly together might have something to do with that. You have to help someone out because it's like some sort of a battle against the road system that is a warzone. If you don't they either end up dead or M.I.A.

[HarryRSpooner]

Originally Posted by 8YearsinPittsburgh

I'll tell you one place where Yinzers are WAY TOO FRIENDLY................TRAFFIC. I wish people actually were more selfish in this sense and just keep the hell moving!

Too true, totally not assertive or proactive. This happens too with respect to customer service. I've noticed Pittsburghers are bit a shy.

[fjy3]

I guess I'm technically a "Yinzer", since I moved here when I was 14, and I've lived in Pittsburgh for twenty-three years.

My friends and I have always used "Yinzer" in a derogatory way. I'm generalizing in a mean spirited way here, so please forgive me. A bonafide Yinzer is a Pittsburgher stuck in the past. A Yinzer is uneducated and racist, "Stillers" obsessed, and somewhat trashy. The "Yinzer" has a very specific look. Fashion consists of Pgh sports jerseys, mullet or dated chunky highlights, and lots of makeup and fake tan and nails for a Yinzer chicks. They blatantly chain smoke in front of a "No Smoking" sign while yelling at someone named Chauncey on their cell phone.

It's kind of a classist generalization, but a Yinzer is usually a working poor Pittsburgher who hates anything besides the traditional, old school Pittsburgh culture. They like to break rules, reminisce about the past, and ***** about things. They are tough as nails and a little scary. If you mess with a yinzers friend, watch your back. Seriously...

The most refreshing thing about a "Yinzer" is the lack of artifice in social relations. A Yinzer will bluntly tell it like it is. Pittsburghers are loud (myself included) and painfully honest. I don't particularly think Pittsburghers are unfriendly, but I'm a biased local. If I'm lost somewhere, I've always received detailed directions and elaborate stories from my Pittsburgh tribe. Pittsburgers at the bus stop have told me their life stories. I don't feel like I have to put on airs when I'm talking to a fellow Pittsburgher.

The transplants I typically meet are Millennials at Pitt who have totally different lifestyles. Sometimes I'm intimidated by transplants because they come across as privileged and highly cultured. That's certainly not a bad thing, but my stories about family vacations at the Linesville Spillway or Put-in-Bay, Ohio seem pathetic. I often feel like I'm too loud and "off key." I just can't relate to studying abroad, fancy internships, and backpacking in Europe. I haven't met many older transplants, so this is my main exposure to them der outsiders, n'at.

[gg]

Originally Posted by fjy3

I guess I'm technically a "Yinzer", since I moved here when I was 14, and I've lived in Pittsburgh for twenty-three years.

My friends and I have always used "Yinzer" in a derogatory way. I'm generalizing in a mean spirited way here, so please forgive me. A bonafide Yinzer is a Pittsburgher stuck in the past. A Yinzer is uneducated and racist, "Stillers" obsessed, and somewhat trashy. The "Yinzer" has a very specific look. Fashion consists of Pgh sports jerseys, mullet or dated chunky highlights, and lots of makeup and fake tan and nails for a Yinzer chicks. They blatantly chain smoke in front of a "No Smoking" sign while yelling at someone named Chauncey on their cell phone.

It's kind of a classist generalization, but a Yinzer is usually a working poor Pittsburgher who hates anything besides the traditional, old school Pittsburgh culture. They like to break rules, reminisce about the past, and ***** about things. They are tough as nails and a little scary. If you mess with a yinzers friend, watch your back. Seriously...

The most refreshing thing about a "Yinzer" is the lack of artifice in social relations. A Yinzer will bluntly tell it like it is. Pittsburghers are loud (myself included) and painfully honest. I don't particularly think Pittsburghers are unfriendly, but I'm a biased local. If I'm lost somewhere, I've always received detailed directions and elaborate stories from my Pittsburgh tribe. Pittsburgers at the bus stop have told me their life stories. I don't feel like I have to put on airs when I'm talking to a fellow Pittsburgher.

The transplants I typically meet are Millennials at Pitt who have totally different lifestyles. Sometimes I'm intimidated by transplants because they come across as privileged and highly cultured. That's certainly not a bad thing, but my stories about family vacations at the Linesville Spillway or Put-in-Bay, Ohio seem pathetic. I often feel like I'm too loud and "off key." I just can't relate to studying abroad, fancy internships, and backpacking in Europe. I haven't met many older transplants, so this is my main exposure to them der outsiders, n'at.

You are a real Pittsburgh'er to be able to write this. Well done. I agree in the general sense pretty much with all of what you said here. Of course yinzers are on a sliding scale from the extreme to less extreme. I am not a yinzer and grew up in Pittsburgh. Have plenty of yinzer friends however and you are right, they have your back to the point of scary to many.

I think my favorite thing about a yinzer is they tell it like it is with no filter. That part I feel is very valuable because it is to the point and you know were they stand. Makes life easier to know the truth instead of a bunch of bs and talk behind one's back as we see with most any other group. I also feel they have a very hard work ethic. Again, this is a generalization. They are tough as nails, but the ones I know are getting older as I am and.... well you change. I don't know if any really young people are "yinzers" anymore. I think that is fading away as people get softer. Heck, men have 50% less sperm than only 40 years ago so I just don't think young men are going to be able to be like an old yinzer or really anyone back in the 70's or earlier. We are physically changing into softer people. Gone are the tough as nails days, but it isn't needed these days.

[HarryRSpooner]

Originally Posted by gg

You are a real Pittsburgh'er to be able to write this. Well done. I agree in the general sense pretty much with all of what you said here. Of course yinzers are on a sliding scale from the extreme to less extreme. I am not a yinzer and grew up in Pittsburgh. Have plenty of yinzer friends however and you are right, they have your back to the point of scary to many.

I think my favorite thing about a yinzer is they tell it like it is with no filter. That part I feel is very valuable because it is to the point and you know were they stand. Makes life easier to know the truth instead of a bunch of bs and talk behind one's back as we see with most any other group. I also feel they have a very hard work ethic. Again, this is a generalization. They are tough as nails, but the ones I know are getting older as I am and.... well you change. I don't know if any really young people are "yinzers" anymore. I think that is fading away as people get softer. Heck, men have 50% less sperm than only 40 years ago so I just don't think young men are going to be able to be like an old yinzer or really anyone back in the 70's or earlier. We are physically changing into softer people. Gone are the tough as nails days, but it isn't needed these days.

True about the sperm count. Some darn good points. Do "we" face other forms of toughness nowadays? In some ways it was a simpler time back in the day. Much less confusion and much more social cohesion. Or so they say...

[gg]

Originally Posted by HarryRSpooner

True about the sperm count. Some darn good points. Do "we" face other forms of toughness nowadays? In some ways it was a simpler time back in the day. Much less confusion and much more social cohesion. Or so they say...

Other forums of toughness? What like a cell phone gets a broken screen? lol Come on.

[HarryRSpooner]

Originally Posted by gg

Other forums of toughness? What like a cell phone gets a broken screen? lol Come on.

All relative, no? I'm not sold on romanticizing the past. The past is in the past, no? I think a lot of it is propaganda. Some people worked their tails off back in the day. But I doubt everyone was tough as nails. I just doubt it. Granted, there wasn't as much of a social safety net decades before the War on Poverty.

[gg]

Originally Posted by HarryRSpooner

All relative, no? I'm not sold on romanticizing the past. The past is in the past, no? I think a lot of it is propaganda. Some people worked their tails off back in the day. But I doubt everyone was tough as nails. I just doubt it. Granted, there wasn't as much of a social safety net decades before the War on Poverty.

Bottom line is the young folks have 50% less sperm. Nuff said.