Obnoxious behavior in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm lucky. I live in Bethesda and know a lot of really wonderful people. Love that I can walk to the cute downtown and eat and shop at some great places. I'm so puzzled by this thread because I truly love living here. I can't even figure out what on Earth would be creepy about it. I do agree that there can be some entitled people here but fortunately I don't keep those people as friends.

[Anonymous]

Congressional Plaza ... ugh.

I had an experience in Child's Play there that was so irritating I have never gone back. I was in the middle of a purchase -- so an actual paying customer -- when this blondish, thinnish, fiftyish woman who was clearly a regular actually pushed in front of me to ask the owner (who was helping me) for to help her. She interrupted me and reached over me as if I were completely invisible.

What bothered me wasn't this entitled, clueless woman but the owner himself, who kowtowed to her and stopped my transaction. I can't adequately describe how insulting and rude they both were.

I wrote them some feedback through their website and never heard a word. I will not go back, ever.

[Anonymous]

16:11 I dine and shop in Bethesda because I have friends who live in Bethesda and meeting them at restaurants there is convenient. I shop when I'm going to restaurants or seeing the consultant. Plus a friend recommended a hair stylist who is excellent and inexpensive and I see him, too. I am not boycotting the place! I go there once a month at most.

[Anonymous]

I agree that the concentration of rude people seems higher in Bethesda than many other places around here but there are also many decent people in Bethesda.

The worst case of rudeness I encountered in Bethesda was when I was out with my 5 year old daughter and pushing my baby in a stroller. DD opened a store door for me to walk in and before I could walk in, a young woman walked right out through the door without even saying thank you to the child. I stopped her when she cale through and told her that the child was holding the door open for me and my stroller so the least she could do was say thanks to the kid!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was in Congressional Plaza the other weekend and was shocked at how rude a number of women I came in contact with, either passing in the aisles in WF, or one woman who I held the door for at starbucks didn't even look at me or say thank you, just kept on walking. I used to work in that area several years ago and encountered the same things very often.

-Happy Arlington resident.

I used to live near Congressional Plaza...I don't know what it is about that particular location, but that Whole Foods attracts some of the angriest shoppers I've ever encountered. If you go early enough in the morning, though, the crabby shoppers aren't out yet.

I live near Congressional Plaza and absolutely hate that Whole Foods! Well, it doesn't help that the store is very small, but customers there do tend to be very rude. Ugh..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the bashers bashing Bethesda, how many of you live there?

Anyone? Anyone?

Thought so

I'm the Bethesdaitis pp. Yes I live here and gods yes I'd love to move. DH grew up here and doesn't want to leave so that we can take advantage of the schools. I personally think that for what we pay in property taxes etc we could afford to live somewhere a bit more laid back and send the kids to private. Ah well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congressional Plaza ... ugh.

I had an experience in Child's Play there that was so irritating I have never gone back. I was in the middle of a purchase -- so an actual paying customer -- when this blondish, thinnish, fiftyish woman who was clearly a regular actually pushed in front of me to ask the owner (who was helping me) for to help her. She interrupted me and reached over me as if I were completely invisible.

What bothered me wasn't this entitled, clueless woman but the owner himself, who kowtowed to her and stopped my transaction. I can't adequately describe how insulting and rude they both were.

I wrote them some feedback through their website and never heard a word. I will not go back, ever.

All of those shopping centers on 355 are pretty bad. Although technically that's Rockville, not Bethesda (I guess it's kind of on the town line). Many areas near Bethesda, Rockville, and Potomac sometimes seem to share town lines and sometimes an address will say "Potomac" and other times it will say "Rockville" or "Bethesda".

I lived in Rockville for about 2 years. Commuted to Bethesda for some of that time for an internship. My sister currently works in Potomac and up until recently I nannied/worked in Rockville. Some of the people are great. Others are bad enough to ruin an entire day for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You also see some pretty rude entitled behavior in Potomac Village-it's almost funny how many people are walking around with their noses in the air.

What do you expect? It's Monkey County. Potomac and Bethesda are teeming with nouveau riche trash -- both male and female. They pattern themselves after Dynasty re-runs, Bad 80s movies, and The Real Housewives.

Elegant Washingtonians don't live there or go there often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After living in Bethesda all my life, it is amazing how the people who are not from Bethesda come there and think they are from there. They are the ones you all speak off. The people who are from Bethesda don't go to the crappy over priced, over rated stores or restaurants, they don't dress up to go out and be seen, they tend to live in their modest homes and sit there and laugh at the people who spent a million dollars more than they did on the same house, they go to Strohsnider's instead of Home Depot because they treasure it instead of complaining about the high prices. They talk about the Raw Bar, Malarkey’s, Shakey's, Pins n Qs, and Gino's. For us, Bethesda still is great because we don't let the transplants bother us; we just laugh at them and at times let them know they are being a......holes.

Flame on

I agree, AND many of the people who come to downtown Bethesda are not living here in Bethesda, they are the b*tchy older women from DC/MD/VA, successful international types who made it to the DC area and are rude, etc. We live in downtown bethesda and everyone I know here is very low key and nice. The people who live in Bethesda are also dealing with these "types" as well as all of you other nice/normal people. I wonder if some of those high end stores in Bethesda Row are attracting the mean wealthy entitled types. My husband often gets into a squirmish with the older ladies who drive poorly (they drive in oncoming traffic to instead of waiting, use the "bump and feel" method while parallel parking, etc.).

If you look around the parking garage at Bethesda Row, many of the cars are from DC and Virginia. And most Maryland vehicles do not have the Bethesda parking stickers.

But seriously, many of the people who actually live in Bethesda are nice and normal. They are the ones you see in line at the bagel place and hanging out on the benches and coffee shops -- low key.

[Anonymous]

just a sign for you to be extra special nice to waiters and other workers...

[Anonymous]

I'm so glad I have no reason to go to Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are of course some over-entitled people in bethesda, as there are in many areas, but the large majority of people i have met here are pleasant and down-to-earth.

As for people turning down jobs in Bethesda because of the people - please. You are ridiculous.

took the words out of my mouth! you all need to lighten up and not take yourself or the people around you too seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After living in Bethesda all my life, it is amazing how the people who are not from Bethesda come there and think they are from there. They are the ones you all speak off. The people who are from Bethesda don't go to the crappy over priced, over rated stores or restaurants, they don't dress up to go out and be seen, they tend to live in their modest homes and sit there and laugh at the people who spent a million dollars more than they did on the same house, they go to Strohsnider's instead of Home Depot because they treasure it instead of complaining about the high prices. They talk about the Raw Bar, Malarkey’s, Shakey's, Pins n Qs, and Gino's. For us, Bethesda still is great because we don't let the transplants bother us; we just laugh at them and at times let them know they are being a......holes.

Flame on

I agree, AND many of the people who come to downtown Bethesda are not living here in Bethesda, they are the b*tchy older women from DC/MD/VA, successful international types who made it to the DC area and are rude, etc. We live in downtown bethesda and everyone I know here is very low key and nice. The people who live in Bethesda are also dealing with these "types" as well as all of you other nice/normal people. I wonder if some of those high end stores in Bethesda Row are attracting the mean wealthy entitled types. My husband often gets into a squirmish with the older ladies who drive poorly (they drive in oncoming traffic to instead of waiting, use the "bump and feel" method while parallel parking, etc.).

If you look around the parking garage at Bethesda Row, many of the cars are from DC and Virginia. And most Maryland vehicles do not have the Bethesda parking stickers.

But seriously, many of the people who actually live in Bethesda are nice and normal. They are the ones you see in line at the bagel place and hanging out on the benches and coffee shops -- low key.

OK, seriously? Who would bother to go to Bethesda from VA? They have Arlington, Tyson's, Pentagon Row, and can get into DC faster than anyone except a DC resident. No reason whatsoever to venture into MD....and in fact, most Virginians loathe MD......

[Anonymous]

NP here. I saw several people someplace in Arlington recently who were extremely intolerant of small children (not just mine); and at the same place some belligerent man (by himself, go figure) who, after picking a fight with someone in line randomly, cut the entire line when the entrance booth opened.

I personally think Arlington is one of the worst offenders. I can not for the life of me figure out why Arlington people so often think they are superior. Much like what you are saying about Bethesda, OP. Maybe they have not been out of their town much to see what towns actually justify snobbishness.

But then again, I have no idea why anyone in this general geographical area thinks they are superior. It is laughable, but people from here may not have lived elsewhere long enough to realize that there are many much nicer places with much better quality of life.

One of the theories I have heard is that here, when the rude perceive they are losing the pissing contest, they become even more rude. If that is possible. They simply are not living up to what mommy and daddy wanted them to be. And it shows. But really, do they have to make it so obvious by their outrageous and antisocial behavior?

Every time the demonstrate their rude behavior, they announce to the world what a disappointment they really are.

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of nice, thoughtful, down-to-earth people in Bethesda. And there are lots of jerks. This is such a crazy thread. It reminds me of how I only saw pregnant women when I was infertile. You are looking for jerks and finding them.