Are people in the DC area just a different kind of rude?

[Anonymous]

We travel frequently and NEVER tell anyone we're from Bethesda, NEVER. Learned a long time ago that there is a preconceived notion of "Bethesdanites" and you know what, they are correct. I am embarrassed to be associated with the area, alas it's where I work for now.

[Anonymous]

Flyover is a slur.

[Anonymous]

Completely agree OP.

There is underlying hostility in people in this area.

Always wound up about one thing or another.

And very judgmental (but think they’re not) I think that’s the hardest part for me.

[Anonymous]

I don't think so, but it depends on what you are looking for. I don't really care if strangers on the street smile at me, and I don't like people prying into my business. I have lived in small towns and generally found the people more superficially "friendly" but also more judgmental, gossipy, and prying. But these are, of course, generalizations - there are jerks and kind people everywhere.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PPs that it's not everyone in the area at all, and seems to be mostly a problem with upwardly mobile transplants who tend to be very career and status focused.

However, it's not limited to that group, because it's a kind of infectious attitude that others will pick up on. I've worked in restaurants and gyms in DC and sometimes the staff at these places pick up this attitude simply because they are around these people all the time, and also has to cater to them.

I worked at one gym where our manager would make this huge deal out of certain customers because of stuff like where they'd gone to school or because they'd worked in the Obama administration. I was a trainer and it was super weird to me -- I liked clients who showed up on time, seemed to like working out, and were fun or interesting to talk to. Also, I liked people who wanted ongoing training relationships and would give me holiday tips, because that was my job. But my manager would do stuff like reschedule one of my good, awesome regular clients to accommodate someone she had deemed important, who would show up for one session, complain about how much they hate lifting weights, and then never come back. It was such a weird misplacement of priorities. I basically left the service industry so that I could stop dealing with this stuff because it gets really old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Completely agree OP.

There is underlying hostility in people in this area.

Always wound up about one thing or another.

And very judgmental (but think they’re not) I think that’s the hardest part for me.

+1

Drama where there should be none, and vice versa. Get old quick.

[Anonymous]

What OP describes can be experienced in any urban area. I also think Trump normalized talking to people like they're crap and it's taken off US wide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading all these replies, I can’t help to think it’s very much dependent on your SES and neighborhood. Maybe it’s a thing with the UMC of the DMV who care about status. In the real world (which DCUM tends to ignore….), I don’t find this to be the case. We live in Vienna. Not in a posh neighborhood. All the parents are well educated but everyone is pretty laid back.
If everyone is your circle is an A hole, you probably are as well.

Yep, we live in NOVA but we’re DCUM-poor. I know the types that OP is talking about but I also know a lot of regular nice people.

Actually, I have heard positive (truly) things about Vienna.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes.

Lived in many places. DMV people are the scum of the Earth, grade A aholes.

Comes w/ the territory. They all think they're hot S because they're educated. These are the same people though who have zero qualms about destroying the country through their lobbying/consulting jobs, war machine contractor jobs, etc. etc. It's so funny.

Everyone in the DMV are self-center jerkweeds who think they're god's gift to the world. GET OUT OF MY WAY BECAUSE I'M #1.

Wow, everyone? Logic problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What OP describes can be experienced in any urban area. I also think Trump normalized talking to people like they're crap and it's taken off US wide.

As much as I hate Trump, this attitude prevailed well before him. Though, the holier than thous that OP mentions do happen to be Trumpsters, as it happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like there's a certain brand of obnoxiousness that is generally present in a lot of DC-area people, notably those who are originally from outside the area.

It's hard to describe.

They "made it" by living here now. And they are so proud, bless their hearts. Tear falling.

What about those of us who feel that they have gone backward by moving here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find DC super hostile.
I'm an unpolished white person.
Power-ragey white people look at me like I'm a piece of trash, and black people look at me like I am personally holding them down right now.

Now that I'm mommy/covid-tracked out of my dreams, I resent and regret this whole thing a lot more. I was probably on the track to mommy track anyway, because this shitty world, and the unpolished thing.

You SHOULD be regretful. In another dimension, there are like 15 moms in Silver Lake desperately hoping you invite them to brunch tomorrow who think your "unpolished" look is inspirational and extraordinary beautiful. And no, they aren't wine
Moms. They really see the beauty in you.

The DMV is a wasteland of flyover state upstarts who feel good when you feel as horrible about yourself as possible.

I actually agree with this statement. Very powerful, and very true. Nothing from nothing, and all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently went to Texas for the first time. I’ve been living on the east coast for 15 years and growing up in a “Seattle freeze” zone. I was shocked by how nice people were. People here are cold and sometimes confrontational for no reason.

+1

Absolutely. Too many insecure people in this area.

Any area with class conscious people. NYC, certain Southern cities, Silicon Valley. They each have their own brand of douchiness…

I know - but this area has a very um "special" kind........

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What OP describes can be experienced in any urban area. I also think Trump normalized talking to people like they're crap and it's taken off US wide.

As much as I hate Trump, this attitude prevailed well before him. Though, the holier than thous that OP mentions do happen to be Trumpsters, as it happens.

I am a super progressive person and one thing that drives me nuts about some people in DC is the fact that many of them seem to think they invented progressive politics. Like people will just randomly explain single payer or feminism to me with this condescending voice, and I'm like "Yes, I know. I was a women's studies major ffs." It's this weird thing where people for some reason assume they need to educate you.

So many people in this town are just looking for an audience to lecture at. It's like a group personality disorder.

[Anonymous]

Lots of racism in this thread.