Friendless in Seattle

[GladToBeFree]

I wonder how people like him acted in high school, or college? Did they drop that posture for a while, and later get re-captured? Or did they always act as if they were afraid of contact?

Ha

After having spent 14 years in VA, I suspect he wasn't interested in contact with someone he felt wouldn't be receptive to a suggestion that I attend his church. I had a lot of that over time. Never could understand why people were surprised I didn't want to embrace their form of fundamentalism.

Jim.

 

[audreyh1]

Oh Wow! LOL!

And I thought it was just because we had TX license plates

Finally - it's explained!

Seriously, I thought one look at our license plates and WA folks blamed us for George Bush! LOL!

But since we never really got that reaction from other states, maybe the WA "chill" was the true reason.

Audrey

 

[Achiever51]

... After I moved in, I was working on my car one afternoon. A neighbor walked up and introduced himself. Being neighborly I offered him a beer. He said "No thanks", turned around and walked away. He never spoke to me again for the 14 years I lived there.

This reminded me of an incident shortly after we moved into this house. I was out on our driveway when the neighbor who lived behind us came over with a loaf of freshly-baked bread. She handed me the bread, noting that she made it herself from scratch, and started to ask me questions like "Do you own or lease your car?"; "Are you married or just living together?"; "I see you have a child. Has she ever been in any kind of trouble?"

At first I thought it was funny, but then I realized she was serious. I gave very non-committal answers, trying to be "neighborly" but thinking I was dealing with a kook! She apparently didn't like my responses, because she took the bread out of my hands, turned around and walked away. She didn't speak another word to me for the next six years -- and then moved out (thank goodness!) Before she moved, I caught her spying on me numerous times; once she was watching my house with binoculars!

 

[Fireup2020]

Wow - interesting tales. I grew up in CA, have lived in VA (military town) and southeast MI before moving to NJ (military transfer at the time) I fell in love with the locals...crazy, psychotic, "in your face" - with warmth! (and most would do anything for you - and talk your ear off. I am home now! Visiting relatives regularly in CA still amazes me. People look at you crazy if you give a hand or talk to them in public (ie - at a neighboring table in a cafe) I guess the lack of warmth is up & down the west coast?

 

[W2R]

Wow - interesting tales. I grew up in CA, have lived in VA (military town) and southeast MI before moving to NJ (military transfer at the time) I fell in love with the locals...crazy, psychotic, "in your face" - with warmth! (and most would do anything for you - and talk your ear off. I am home now! Visiting relatives regularly in CA still amazes me. People look at you crazy if you give a hand or talk to them in public (ie - at a neighboring table in a cafe) I guess the lack of warmth is up & down the west coast?

I never noticed that living in San Diego in the 1980's, or living in San Francisco in the 1960's. Maybe I was just lucky! Or, maybe times have changed.

 

[Moemg]

People make fun of New Yorkers and New Jerseyians but they really are in your face friendly and they'll tell you their whole life in minutes after meeting you !

 

[Janet H]

Hmm... I never found Seattle to be unfriendly. Anyone with a tan can instantly be identified as a tourist and I've had total strangers walk up to me and ask where I was from. Oddly most were trying to sell copies of the Real Change news...

 

[Khan]

I never noticed that living in San Diego in the 1980's, or living in San Francisco in the 1960's. Maybe I was just lucky! Or, maybe times have changed.

California has changed much from the '60s and '70s when it was low cost and laid back.

 

[Brat]

I grew up in the Wmt. Valley, worked for a couple years in the NY Metro area, and have been living in the Seattle area for 10+ years.

Just guessing, perhaps 50% of the population has immigrated from other areas of the US in the last 15 years for professional level jobs and are working long hours. Add to that the fact that culturally earlier settlers were English, Scandinavian, New England-er, Japanese and Chinese (typically Cantonese). The first four groups tend to formal until they know you well. Cantonese Chinese are gregarious within their own ethnic group and with others they know well, otherwise they are also formal socially.

Most social interaction is affinity group based, whether it be cycling or genealogy.

In Portland Thirst Thursday is the evening to get out and mix. There is a very active singles group that sponsors lots of activities. There are a bunch of us 'old farts' who didn't appreciate the newly arrived fuddy-duddes quashing a favorite fund raiser: the annual pub crawl for the symphony. Honest, we do party.

We have our full quota of odd-balls, but generally folks don't intrude in the private business of others.

 

[Grizz]

I live one province to the right of the coast, and it's odd, but I've found those on the west coast here in Canada to be a much more easygoing and friendly lot than here, or anywhere else in Canada, well, except for the Newfies.

Of course in British Columbia, marijuana posession and usage is very accepted and generally punished with a similar severity as jay-walking in the states. I guess when I think about it, If I had to choose between a pot smoking hippie, or one of the many drunken rednecks that reside in my province, I know which I'd choose.