Why are Pittsburghers so rude? (Philadelphia, Penn: hotel, buy, university)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

All of the places that you have percentages for are all around(give or take) or above the national percentage.

True. Oddly, Beaver County as a whole is only 6.4%. (Not all those places are in Beaver County, just Beaver Falls [my hometown!] and Aliquippa.) I'm not sure what this has to do with Pittsburghers being rude, though.

[PGH423]

Originally Posted by wood_lake

Good discussion so far. I fully understand if people can get a little heated over this topic and I accept that. I did get a chuckle over some folks being rude after being accused of being rude though.

Also I will point out that the Raleigh area is 3 separate cities that includes Chapel Hill and Durham. All of them are very diverse in different ways (especially Durham) and have people from different cultures interacting. I just don't see that in the 3 years I've been in Pittsburgh. That's not even scratching the surface of the downright awful racial things I've heard.

I understand your point but the irony works both ways. You want friendlier behavior but accused Pittsburghers of being extremely rude (as if the word "rude" alone wouldn't be sufficient!).

[okaydorothy]

I must chip in here. I did find many of the parents at the school rude. If you didn't come from Pittsburgh, they didn't want to know you ;probably because they didn't have a lot in common with me. I found they brushed things under the rug a lot and have the attitude that things don't happen in the district.

[PGH423]

The south has a "culture of honor" to use a social science term. Friendliness to strangers (or superficial charm to put it less positively) is part of it but that comes with a lot of baggage, and the culture as a whole does not appeal to me. There is more here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult...United_States)

You're not going to change the whole north east US culture though, OP. You could adapt to it, treat it with open curiosity, or decide it is the wrong match for you.

[wood_lake]

As I mentioned before, a smile and a "good morning" isn't about being fake at all. I find it unfortunate that Pittsburghers view a simple polite interaction as something that isn't real. If you are being overly polite to get a tip, then yes that is fake. If you spot someone on a walking trail and say hello that's just being a good person in my book.

Also I don't get the concept of "being on guard" all the time. In Raleigh I've had strangers ask me how I was doing in the middle of Walmart or I've engaged in many conversations with strangers next to me during dinner. Never has anyone tried to get something from me, they were just being polite or wanted to have a chat. Nothing fake about it or something I needed to guard myself from.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Catia

A glimpse into the head of a native.
(snip)

Beaver County native, gone many years now.

Everyone has filters of some sort. You may say you don't, but I bet if you and I talked over a cup of coffee, I could find yours. Gone through hard times? Yes, haven't we all, everywhere? Oh, there may be a few outliers, but the majority of us have dealt with job loss and the like. Just because you lost your job, doesn't mean it's OK to be downright rude.

Having lived in several parts of the country (Pgh area, midwest-downstate Illinois, and Colorado) there are some differences in culture, but there are more similarities than differences overall. There's an active thread on Colorado right now: //www.city-data.com/forum/color...l#post52843538 The complaints are more the opposite-Coloradans are aloof and "cold". People complain about driving everywhere.

[PGH423]

Originally Posted by wood_lake

As I mentioned before, a smile and a "good morning" isn't about being fake at all. I find it unfortunate that Pittsburghers view a simple polite interaction as something that isn't real. If you are being overly polite to get a tip, then yes that is fake. If you spot someone on a walking trail and say hello that's just being a good person in my book.

Also I don't get the concept of "being on guard" all the time. In Raleigh I've had strangers ask me how I was doing in the middle of Walmart or I've engaged in many conversations with strangers next to me during dinner. Never has anyone tried to get something from me, they were just being polite or wanted to have a chat. Nothing fake about it or something I needed to guard myself from.

Take a look at the culture of honor link I posted if you haven't already, especially the parts on women and psychology. You are entirely correct that there tends to be more friendliness and respect to strangers in the south. Having lived in the south, I know that at times, this is quite comforting. This culture of honor has many costs too though (with violence at times being one of them).

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by wood_lake

Also I don't get the concept of "being on guard" all the time. In Raleigh I've had strangers ask me how I was doing in the middle of Walmart or I've engaged in many conversations with strangers next to me during dinner. Never has anyone tried to get something from me, they were just being polite or wanted to have a chat. Nothing fake about it or something I needed to guard myself from.

Again, I'm not from Pittsburgh. I grew up mostly in Connecticut. But I understand the idea of being "on guard" quite well. I can say that up until my mid 20s, strangers would walk up to me and initiate conversations for only three reasons:

1. They were panhandlers looking for money.
2. They were proselytizers looking to convert me.
3. They were mentally ill.

Since moving to Pittsburgh, I've had random conversations with strangers without any ulterior motive happen from time to time. But due to the part of the country I grew up in, my suspicion whenever a stranger tries to make casual conversation always climbs - because in my formative experience, no one sane who didn't want something from you would speak to you without reason.

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Again, I'm not from Pittsburgh. I grew up mostly in Connecticut. But I understand the idea of being "on guard" quite well. I can say that up until my mid 20s, strangers would walk up to me and initiate conversations for only three reasons:

1. They were panhandlers looking for money.
2. They were proselytizers looking to convert me.
3. They were mentally ill.

Since moving to Pittsburgh, I've had random conversations with strangers without any ulterior motive happen from time to time. But due to the part of the country I grew up in, my suspicion whenever a stranger tries to make casual conversation always climbs - because in my formative experience, no one sane who didn't want something from you would speak to you without reason.

I'm from the Hartford area. Agree to a point with this especially in the cities of New England. But you will find people are a little friendlier with less than honorable intentions if they approach you when in smaller towns in New England. At least that was my experience.

I can't say that during my visits to Pittsburgh that I found people to be all that unfriendly. It just seems to be a regional part of life in the Northeast to not simply greet people that you don't know when out and about. Also a trait in much of the Midwest where I've lived as well. Not a big deal to me since I grew up in that kind of environment. But for someone that is accustomed to pleasantries being exchanged by strangers on a daily basis, it can be a real culture shock.

[_Buster]

I find the comments from a few who consider cities like NY and Philly to be more racially integrated, pretty laughable. Its a tourist's view IMO, and maybe eixsts in pockets like central Manhattan and Center City, etc, but does not at all flow out to the other areas in most cases. Its probably just a function of there being more racial diversity and wealth in those areas. Pittsburgh is not really different, but its on a smaller scale. How about Baltimore, no mention of it? Its the closest peer city to Pittsburgh that's on the coast, and its technically southern. Racially integrated, not so much.