Do you have something against big cities or do u just prefer small towns? (gas, smallest)

[NVplumber]

Originally Posted by City_boi

Hmm, well I would not feel comfortable leaving my house unlocked in many of the small towns I've been to. Maybe all the small towns around where I live suck, I don't know. But I don't see what would make people in small towns any less likely to do violent crimes. (I am not saying that everyone in a small town is going to do crime, I'm just saying people are people and there can be crime anywhere unless the town is some upscale, wealthy town.) Anyway, while large cities can have sections of crime, that doesn't mean that there aren't safe areas as well.

What you said could be true but that is not the impression I got from my cousin at all. Plus, it was a middle school. They'd let 6th, 7th and 8th graders shoot guns? And I think the school is in town.

Besides thinking it is weird that kids go to school with guns and that a town has a communal outhouse, I have NOT belittled people for living in small towns. You think I started this thread because I look down on small towners, while in fact I started this thread because I got the impression that small towners look down on city-goers like me. I NEVER bashed anyone for choosing to live in a small town. If I did, I would like you to show me the quote and I will gladly apologize. I said that I would hate to know everyone in town and I can see how that could come off as bashing. For that I apologize. I was just saying that many small towners hate how you don't know everyone in a city and that many people would hate to know everyone. Anyway, I may be saying all of this stuff about crime in a slightly belittling way, but it is because I know that not all small towns are perfect and crime-free .I was trying to do was get rid of the stereotypes that all cities are crime-ridden and that all small towns are friendly and safe. It's not that black and white. I am not denying that cities have crime, and I am not denying that a small town can be friendly and safe. I am just saying that you can't be naive and think that cities are always one way, while small towns are always another way. There are many variables and gray areas. I started this thread to stop stereotypes and am now being accused of holding a stereotype because I tried to put an end to a streotype that all small towns are safe. I see my attempt has failed.

LMAO, my son is 13 and has been shooting competition for two years. He started action pistol this year. Does that strike you as odd? As to the safety of small towns, there are a few that I won't stop in if my tanks on vapor. But these are rather exeptional places. Rural America has it's bad neighborhoods, nobody has denied that from what I've seen. If your trying to break stereotypes about city folks with those of us who live in the weeds, it wouldn't hurt to relax a little and listen. Ask your questions and refrain from judgement. Don't call things 'weird' out of hand. Just like you, we have our reasons for doing things the way we do. usually out of necessity. Extreme rural living can require a large amount of adaption and impovisition day to day just to keep things working. We don't have the convienience of a Home Depot two block away, and even medical attention can be a far piece off. It breeds a vehament sense of independence and pride, and comments about our lifestyle, irregardless of context, can spark a fuse. If someone is percieved (emphasis on that word) as being judgmental of our way of doing things, we take offense. It's a natural reaction. It's not an easy life out here. So, try to be a little mot=re open minded, and we might just do the same. Personally, I'd like to compare our lifestyles and reasonings on a more ..practical..level. Why do rural/urban folks do things the way they do? There is a reason for everything ..right? Why not discuss those reasons from a standpoint of rationalization, rather than instant judgements? The answers may surprise everyone.If you want to break a stereotype, the best way to do it is to find out what makes the thing tick.

[Swampmonster]

Originally Posted by City_boi

My aunt's 90-something year old grandmother who lived in a town with less than 60K people was stabbed in broad daylight.

Who are you to say small towns don't have violent crimes? Just because your town doesn't doesn't mean others don't.

What I find absolutely amazing is the fact that you are so clueless as to think a CITY of 60,000 is "small" or "rural"

The average town around here ranges in population from about 75 to 800 people and you would have to drive a LONG way to get to a CITY with nearing 60,000 in it.

Originally Posted by NVplumber

LMAO, those were the days my friend! The OP thinks this is weird. We used to be able to do that here, we just left our rifles or shotguns in our truck racks when we went to school. Funny, we never had a school shooting or any kind of problem. They have recently. Sign of the times? I don't know. Youth issues are not unique to either rural or urban settings. There's more people in the cities so, I guess we hear about their issues more. When something bad happens in the school here it takes about ten minutes before the whole valley knows, we don't have to wait for the paper to come out. There are plenty of druggies and lowlifes out here as well. Thats not specific to urban or rural settings either. We just know who they all are as opposed to them having a large population to get lost in. There have been a few labs busted out in the desert as well. Remote locations appeal to these cretins, but we don't tolerate them when we find them. Nobody has a bit of issue 'getting involved' and no one is scared of these idiots. They are nuts and they are dangerous, but so can we decent folks be as well. Our local SO is death on these clowns. Zero tolerance. It's not as easy to hide out here as the lab runners think it is. Something that is out of place gets noticed. Another benefit of the open spaces. Rural life is not what I grew up with these days. No place is immune from the problems and we don't blame the city folks for the stuff popping up out here. I will go out on a limb and say that our plugged in way of life has something to do with some of the issues. We are not so isolated from such things as we used to be, my sitting at this laptop is proof enough of that. Here I am, in the middle of the desert, talking with folks from all over the place. urban rural and everywhere in between. Plugged in indeed.............

You are spot on NV.....when I was in high school we carried our rifles in the back window of our trucks,hunted or ran our traps before and after school,traded guns in the school parking lot(heck,I sold to and bought guns from teachers in the school parking lot,no big deal at ALL).

My Dad gave me a nice Buck skinning knife when I was around 8 yo that I carried on my belt IN SCHOOL and everywhere I went from that moment on and NEVER had a teacher say ANYTHING to me about it or give it so much as a glance unless they needed it to cut something like a package open.

So yes,times have changed and where it started and why we let it change I will never know.

I also agree with you on the small town crime.METH....THAT's our major crime here and it drives other crimes now such as theft,child abuse and unfortunately the occasional murder....but to say crime in the rural areas percentage wise comes ANYWHERE near what it is in a city is just plain stupid.....I'll take my chances out here where I'm at against these rural criminals....I'm a good ways back in the brush here and if my dogs don't get you,I will

[TKramar]

Perhaps it's different KINDS of crime?

[RVlover]

'Do you have anything against big cities and big city people ?'

REPLY: I dont have anything against the people, per se, but heres some genuine concerns on going to a Big City, like Chicago/Miami/New York City , for instance :

1. The crime rate is definetly higher . Drive by shootings are frequent each day. Im not as safe as in the country , and I feel im not as safe based on the daily Media reports of offenses in the Big City.
2. The people encountered in the Big City on any given day , are hurried, stressed out, short with you, and seem not very approachable. Generally, they look worn out, unhappy, or P.O.'d .
3. Road rage is much more prevalent. Many more discourteous drivers.
4. Its a hassle getting around the downtown area of the Big City , and usually even on the expressways.
5. Its often hard to find a parking space. Often, you have to resort to a Car Park and pay $5 + even if its for a small amount of time.
6. Its too noisy and congested in general. It appears so chaotic , unorganized, and alot of car horn blowing.
7. When you go to a sit down restaurant, its usually rushed and you feel like they just want your money and you OUT, asap. You typically get your main course before youre done with your soup or salad.
8. When you reach the Restaurants parking lot to get your own car , some Guy has his hand out for a tip when he hasnt done a thing to earn it. I find that offensive.
9. You see lots of undesirable people wandering around on the streets and sidewalks and you wonder if theyre going to come up to your car at a stoplight and stick a gun or knife in your face because they need money to survive.
10. After about 2 hours (max) of entering the Big City, I just want to escape it.

Do you see any or all of these legitimate concerns of mine, valid or invalid ? And why ?

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by RVlover

'Do you have anything against big cities and big city people ?'

REPLY: I dont have anything against the people, per se, but heres some genuine concerns on going to a Big City, like Chicago/Miami/New York City , for instance :

1. The crime rate is definetly higher . Drive by shootings are frequent each day. Im not as safe as in the country , and I feel im not as safe based on the daily Media reports of offenses in the Big City.
2. The people encountered in the Big City on any given day , are hurried, stressed out, short with you, and seem not very approachable. Generally, they look worn out, unhappy, or P.O.'d .
3. Road rage is much more prevalent. Many more discourteous drivers.
4. Its a hassle getting around the downtown area of the Big City , and usually even on the expressways.
5. Its often hard to find a parking space. Often, you have to resort to a Car Park and pay $5 + even if its for a small amount of time.
6. Its too noisy and congested in general. It appears so chaotic , unorganized, and alot of car horn blowing.
7. When you go to a sit down restaurant, its usually rushed and you feel like they just want your money and you OUT, asap. You typically get your main course before youre done with your soup or salad.
8. When you reach the Restaurants parking lot to get your own car , some Guy has his hand out for a tip when he hasnt done a thing to earn it. I find that offensive.
9. You see lots of undesirable people wandering around on the streets and sidewalks and you wonder if theyre going to come up to your car at a stoplight and stick a gun or knife in your face because they need money to survive.
10. After about 2 hours (max) of entering the Big City, I just want to escape it.

Do you see any or all of these legitimate concerns of mine, valid or invalid ? And why ?

I don't live in a BIG city like NYC or Chicago, but alot of your concerns have been directed by rural folk toward my city, Indianapolis. So, I will address them as someone who has nothing against rural people.

1) Generalization. Sure, in parts the crime is higher, but at least where I am, I have never had any trouble with crime *knock on wood* - I know it is possible, but it is not something I think about. Ever.

2) I can not say that I have ever noticed this on my travels.

3) There are some angry drivers here; but I have also seen people in downtown Indianapolis slam on the brakes for geese.

4) I have never had a problem getting around in any downtown, Chicago included, but I am used to downtown. I would say that people who have trouble navigating downtown are people who not experienced with downtown.

5) When I go downtown, I never pay to park unless I am down there during a weekday.

6) I have never noticed this too be true either; seems 4,5, and 6 should all be in one concern rather than spread out.

7) That is strange, when I go out, the waiter is practically begging me to buy some cake or ice cream for dessert, every time.

8) I have never encountered that, not really sure what you are even talking about.

9) In Indianapolis, they just tried to pass a law prohibiting panhandling along city streets. This failed passing by one vote. A week later, one of those panhandlers carjacked a lady who was giving her money. My advise, DO NOT FEED THE PANHANDLERS! I never give money to them from my car. Beyond that, I never really think about pedestrians. Most carjackings occur when the car is not running.

10) I feel the same way when I spend two hours in a rural area. To each his own.

[NVplumber]

Originally Posted by muleskinner

What I find absolutely amazing is the fact that you are so clueless as to think a CITY of 60,000 is "small" or "rural"

The average town around here ranges in population from about 75 to 800 people and you would have to drive a LONG way to get to a CITY with nearing 60,000 in it.


You are spot on NV.....when I was in high school we carried our rifles in the back window of our trucks,hunted or ran our traps before and after school,traded guns in the school parking lot(heck,I sold to and bought guns from teachers in the school parking lot,no big deal at ALL).

My Dad gave me a nice Buck skinning knife when I was around 8 yo that I carried on my belt IN SCHOOL and everywhere I went from that moment on and NEVER had a teacher say ANYTHING to me about it or give it so much as a glance unless they needed it to cut something like a package open.

So yes,times have changed and where it started and why we let it change I will never know.

I also agree with you on the small town crime.METH....THAT's our major crime here and it drives other crimes now such as theft,child abuse and unfortunately the occasional murder....but to say crime in the rural areas percentage wise comes ANYWHERE near what it is in a city is just plain stupid.....I'll take my chances out here where I'm at against these rural criminals....I'm a good ways back in the brush here and if my dogs don't get you,I will

Fact skinner. I , personally, do believe that rural people are much more...passionate...about violations of our space. Plus, as you said, we view things like firearms and knives as tools of our daily life rather than deadly weapons. Not unusual at all to see a kid waking down the hall in the school with a good sized folder on their hip, wearing boots covered in guacamole and a hat that looks like it went through the War between the States. Many local establishments here still have hitch racks, for horses, outside , local and even state law still grants horses the right of way on public roads as well. Things are different out here. It's just the way it is.Some of our ways of doing things may seem quaint, novel, or 'wierd', to folks from the city, but there is a reason things are the way they are. And I like it. It suits me. I was raised the bulk of my life out here. When my Dad retired from the Navy, this is the life we chose. Thank God!

[Swampmonster]

Originally Posted by NVplumber

Fact skinner. I , personally, do believe that rural people are much more...passionate...about violations of our space. Plus, as you said, we view things like firearms and knives as tools of our daily life rather than deadly weapons. Not unusual at all to see a kid waking down the hall in the school with a good sized folder on their hip, wearing boots covered in guacamole and a hat that looks like it went through the War between the States. Many local establishments here still have hitch racks, for horses, outside , local and even state law still grants horses the right of way on public roads as well. Things are different out here. It's just the way it is.Some of our ways of doing things may seem quaint, novel, or 'wierd', to folks from the city, but there is a reason things are the way they are. And I like it. It suits me. I was raised the bulk of my life out here. When my Dad retired from the Navy, this is the life we chose. Thank God!

AMEN Brutha'

Same here.....I have had to work in the cities on occasion and would run home the second the job was over.You couldn't GIVE me the best place in Chicago,LA or NYC if I had to keep it and live there.

Around here it's 4x4s,horse,mules,cows and dogs and I like it just fine.

We have a hitching rack at our place and kids walking/riding down the streets/roads with fishing poles OR guns are a VERY common site here...if it wasn't,I wouldn't be here

[PaperTrail]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

I don't live in a BIG city like NYC or Chicago, but alot of your concerns have been directed by rural folk toward my city, Indianapolis. So, I will address them as someone who has nothing against rural people. ...

As someone who was born and raised in Indiana and who went to school about 45 minutes outside of Indianapolis, I have a lot of love for my Hoosier bretheren. My opinion is that Indy is one of the cities that may not rub a rural person the wrong way -- at least not as much as places like NYC, D.C. or other bigger, more chaotic cities would.

I disagree with some of your replies (even in Indianapolis, people are hurried and short with you), but you are right in saying that things like parking spots and the valet experience aren't as tedious in Indy as they can be elsewhere.

[City_boi]

Originally Posted by muleskinner

What I find absolutely amazing is the fact that you are so clueless as to think a CITY of 60,000 is "small" or "rural"

I know a city of 60,000 isn't a small town, but compared to a place like NYC it is . I am not clueless. I live in a city of 60K people and I have been to plenty tiny towns.

Originally Posted by RVlover

1. The crime rate is definetly higher . Drive by shootings are frequent each day. Im not as safe as in the country , and I feel im not as safe based on the daily Media reports of offenses in the Big City.
2. The people encountered in the Big City on any given day , are hurried, stressed out, short with you, and seem not very approachable. Generally, they look worn out, unhappy, or P.O.'d .
3. Road rage is much more prevalent. Many more discourteous drivers.
4. Its a hassle getting around the downtown area of the Big City , and usually even on the expressways.
5. Its often hard to find a parking space. Often, you have to resort to a Car Park and pay $5 + even if its for a small amount of time.
6. Its too noisy and congested in general. It appears so chaotic , unorganized, and alot of car horn blowing.
7. When you go to a sit down restaurant, its usually rushed and you feel like they just want your money and you OUT, asap. You typically get your main course before youre done with your soup or salad.
8. When you reach the Restaurants parking lot to get your own car , some Guy has his hand out for a tip when he hasnt done a thing to earn it. I find that offensive.
9. You see lots of undesirable people wandering around on the streets and sidewalks and you wonder if theyre going to come up to your car at a stoplight and stick a gun or knife in your face because they need money to survive.
10. After about 2 hours (max) of entering the Big City, I just want to escape it.

Do you see any or all of these legitimate concerns of mine, valid or invalid ? And why ?

1.) I don't know about the other boroughs, but there were definitely no drive-by shootings when I was in Manhattan. Did you know that NY is in fact very safe?
2.) That may just be fast-paced cities. More laid back cities such as Houston or Austin aren't like that as much.
3.) I live in a 60K town, and I know that's not a small town but the drivers here suck too.
4.) and 5.) may I suggest public transportation?
7.) I've been to NYC, London, Seattle, Vancouver, LA, SF, Houston, etc. and have never felt rushed at a restaurant.
9.) From my experience, there are a lot more weird people in Austin, TX than Manhattan.

Originally Posted by NVplumber

If your trying to break stereotypes about city folks with those of us who live in the weeds, it wouldn't hurt to relax a little and listen. Ask your questions and refrain from judgement. Don't call things 'weird' out of hand. Try to be a little more open minded, and we might just do the same. Personally, I'd like to compare our lifestyles and reasonings on a more ..practical..level. Why do rural/urban folks do things the way they do? There is a reason for everything ..right? Why not discuss those reasons from a standpoint of rationalization, rather than instant judgements?

Ok, I apologize for calling some things weird.

Originally Posted by NVplumber

comments about our lifestyle, irregardless of context, can spark a fuse. If someone is percieved (emphasis on that word) as being judgmental of our way of doing things, we take offense. It's a natural reaction.

Same for city people.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by NVplumber

.. . If your trying to break stereotypes about city folks with those of us who live in the weeds, it wouldn't hurt to relax a little and listen. Ask your questions and refrain from judgement. Don't call things 'weird' out of hand. Just like you, we have our reasons for doing things the way we do. usually out of necessity. Extreme rural living can require a large amount of adaption and impovisition day to day just to keep things working. We don't have the convienience of a Home Depot two block away, and even medical attention can be a far piece off. It breeds a vehament sense of independence and pride, and comments about our lifestyle, irregardless of context, can spark a fuse. If someone is percieved (emphasis on that word) as being judgmental of our way of doing things, we take offense. It's a natural reaction. It's not an easy life out here. So, try to be a little more open minded, and we might just do the same. Personally, I'd like to compare our lifestyles and reasonings on a more ..practical..level. Why do rural/urban folks do things the way they do? There is a reason for everything ..right? Why not discuss those reasons from a standpoint of rationalization, rather than instant judgements? The answers may surprise everyone.If you want to break a stereotype, the best way to do it is to find out what makes the thing tick.

Well said NVplumber! Love this response . . . .