Seattle Freeze/ Washington State Rudeness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former Washington state resident here. I always called it the "Pacific Northwest sense of superiority." People who live there, especially who are from there, believe it to be the greatest place in the world and if you disagree well F You. Also, if you're not from there, F You.

I got away as fast as I could and that was 15 years ago. With the Seattle boom in sure it's worse now.

I don't get that AT.ALL and I moved here from Falls Church nearly 15 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved recently and now live outside seattle. People are super nice, both newcomers and people who've lived here for a long time. People are more apt to chat while in line. People working in customer service are just friendlier. I've lived all over the east coast and in the south. I'm Asian so I've found people are more accepting.

Your experience is....not the norm, to say the least.

New poster. This was our experience as well. We found the people in Seattle to be very warm and welcoming when we moved there. We lived in Seattle for four years and loved it! We have lived all over this country and overseas. People in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Southeast are by far the nicest folks in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved recently and now live outside seattle. People are super nice, both newcomers and people who've lived here for a long time. People are more apt to chat while in line. People working in customer service are just friendlier. I've lived all over the east coast and in the south. I'm Asian so I've found people are more accepting.

Your experience is....not the norm, to say the least.

New poster. This was our experience as well. We found the people in Seattle to be very warm and welcoming when we moved there. We lived in Seattle for four years and loved it! We have lived all over this country and overseas. People in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Southeast are by far the nicest folks in the country.

+100000

[Anonymous]

Lived there for work for many years and I have a ton of theories about this. People on this thread talk about the transplants but I found it to be a surprisingly local and provincial place. People wouldn't be interested in inviting me places because they had a million friends from growing up on Bainbridge (or whatever) and their parents were from there too and they had a whole life there that was also based in how GREAT it is there. So some east coaster rolling in made no sense. Why would they include me?

I remember at my job there, many of the people in the same position were my age and life space (single). I used to make small talk and be like, "Oh, doing anything fun tonight?" And then they'd be like, "Yeah, we're all going to happy hour." And I'd say, "Oh sounds fun! I love happy hour." And then they'd be like, "Yeah it's the best. Whelp, see you later."

Eventually, after a year or two, suddenly the freeze thawed and I was embraced and had a wonderful group there and we all ended up at each others weddings and having kids at the same time. So that was nice and all, but christ, it took so. long. and a stupid amount of effort to make a single friend.

[Anonymous]

For example, the south is renowned as being extremely friendly and helpful to strangers

Ah, no.
Artificially "nice"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For example, the south is renowned as being extremely friendly and helpful to strangers

Ah, no.
Artificially "nice"

Not true in my experience. People in the south are very, very kind.

[Anonymous]

I have had to spend a lot of time in Seattle for work. Sometimes months at a time. I HATED it. People were so awful. Either downright rude or fake nice. I have lived in DC, the south and NYC and have traveled extensively throughout the US. My top 2 cities where I hate the locals are Seattle and Boston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

For example, the south is renowned as being extremely friendly and helpful to strangers

Ah, no.
Artificially "nice"

Not true in my experience. People in the south are very, very kind.

Sure, if you're heterosexual, and go to the right church.

[Anonymous]

Really? I lived in Seattle for a year and the 90s and was always freaked out by how friendly people were. I thought they were all serial killers because people were always chatting me up. I'm from New England.

[Anonymous]

Find your people.

Everyone's interpretation of behavior is different.

[Anonymous]

You'll find what you're looking for OP. Maybe stop stereotyping and people might be nicer.

[Anonymous]

I spent a lot of time in Seattle in the late 90s, and I thought it was paradise, with the nicest people. My husband had never been there, so we visited this summer with the kids. I have no idea what happened to the place I fell in love with in the 90s, but it's gone. I was prepared to love it again, but frankly, it was not pleasant. The people were rude and the aggressive driving was on par with a crappy day in DC. It was surprising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For example, the south is renowned as being extremely friendly and helpful to strangers

Ah, no.
Artificially "nice"

I don't care if they're genuinely nice, artificially nice, or whatever nice. I just want to be able to get my bloody grocery shopping done without everyone wanting to be my new best friend. These southerners are smothering me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

For example, the south is renowned as being extremely friendly and helpful to strangers

Ah, no.
Artificially "nice"

Not true in my experience. People in the south are very, very kind.

Sure, if you're heterosexual, and go to the right church.

NP. Nope. Signed, an out lesbian who does not go to church. YOUR close-mindedness is showing tho...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had to spend a lot of time in Seattle for work. Sometimes months at a time. I HATED it. People were so awful. Either downright rude or fake nice. I have lived in DC, the south and NYC and have traveled extensively throughout the US. My top 2 cities where I hate the locals are Seattle and Boston.

As a DC native never did I ever think I would find a place that makes DC residents seem like socially gifted homecoming queen types! The level of rudeness/unfriendliness/ poor social skills makes DC look really good in comparison- and I think that says it all!