San Francisco v. Los Angeles

[lawrocket 3]

Perhaps this is a bias, but I've just spent another couple of days in downtown SF on business.

But, dammit, SF is weird. Mainly, in downtown SF the people are pretty rude.

Having spent 4 years in downtown LA, I learned that in LA people are polite and considerate and will often give a smile and an acknowledgement just walking down the street.

In SF, just this morning walking the few blocks to a deposition, I encountered something entirely different. I'd made it to MArket street fairly easily. Everybody kinda minding their own business. Shortly thereafter, some dude bumps me and keeps on going. Instincively I say excuse me (I shouldn't have been walking on the right side of the sidewalk, I guess) and he gives a dirty look and keeps going.

Then I'm standing at a light and it turns. So some other guy decides to make a right turn and almost runs me and some lady next to me over. I made some comment and she said, "I wish I were in LA. People there are so much more polite." So I small talked with her for a few seconds and find out she's never spent time in LA, but she hears people are nicer.

The day went on and I was walking back to my car, and as I'm trying to leave, a couple of people decided they didn't want to wait for alight behind the line. They decided that they'd rather wait out the light in the middle of the intersection, thus ensuring that everyone heading down Sansome will have to wait for the next light (for important people like them, I guess we should wait).

And, God help your ass if you use a turn signal to indicate a change of lane on the freeway! Any opening will be immediately closed by the person behind you in the lane you want. Of course, they prefer, without variation, to hang out in the blind spot just off your rear fender. I was waiting for those people to flash me the finger for the audactiy to want to get on the 580.

I've got my guess. In Los Angeles, people shoot you for pulling shit like SF folks do. That incident in Pittsburg, CA, where the guy shot the folks for cutting him off last night? Maybe there will be some temporary politeness on the SF roads.

Did I just have a bad couple of days in SF? Or is this kinda the way it goes there?

p.s. One thing - the bums in SF were pretty polite compared to the LA ones...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Shark 0]

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Did I just have a bad couple of days in SF? Or is this kinda the way it goes there?

I used to live in the East Bay and took the BART everyday. I never took mass transit until I moved up there for a year. It was indeed culture shock. For the most part people were pretty cool, but I did sense a little rudeness. I suspect that it is because it is The City. I also discovered that many people were New York transplants. After all, it is Wall St. West.

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p.s. One thing - the bums in SF were pretty polite compared to the LA ones...

Or the San Diego ones... BTW, is Charlie Manson still at the Montgomery St. BART station???

[kallend 1,621]

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Perhaps this is a bias, but I've just spent another couple of days in downtown SF on business.

But, dammit, SF is weird. Mainly, in downtown SF the people are pretty rude.

Having spent 4 years in downtown LA, I learned that in LA people are polite and considerate and will often give a smile and an acknowledgement just walking down the street.

In SF, just this morning walking the few blocks to a deposition, I encountered something entirely different. I'd made it to MArket street fairly easily. Everybody kinda minding their own business. Shortly thereafter, some dude bumps me and keeps on going. Instincively I say excuse me (I shouldn't have been walking on the right side of the sidewalk, I guess) and he gives a dirty look and keeps going.

Then I'm standing at a light and it turns. So some other guy decides to make a right turn and almost runs me and some lady next to me over. I made some comment and she said, "I wish I were in LA. People there are so much more polite." So I small talked with her for a few seconds and find out she's never spent time in LA, but she hears people are nicer.

The day went on and I was walking back to my car, and as I'm trying to leave, a couple of people decided they didn't want to wait for alight behind the line. They decided that they'd rather wait out the light in the middle of the intersection, thus ensuring that everyone heading down Sansome will have to wait for the next light (for important people like them, I guess we should wait).

And, God help your ass if you use a turn signal to indicate a change of lane on the freeway! Any opening will be immediately closed by the person behind you in the lane you want. Of course, they prefer, without variation, to hang out in the blind spot just off your rear fender. I was waiting for those people to flash me the finger for the audactiy to want to get on the 580.

I've got my guess. In Los Angeles, people shoot you for pulling shit like SF folks do. That incident in Pittsburg, CA, where the guy shot the folks for cutting him off last night? Maybe there will be some temporary politeness on the SF roads.

Did I just have a bad couple of days in SF? Or is this kinda the way it goes there?

p.s. One thing - the bums in SF were pretty polite compared to the LA ones...

Well, the laid back people in the Bay Area are to be found in Berkeley, not SF.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[rehmwa 2]

So the Berkeley people are pretty relaxed, huh?

Hey Rocket, when the car stops and sits in the cross walk, just walk straight through and across the hood of their car. When the driver gets mad, just turn, smile, and show him your pack of Mentos. He'll just smile and shake it off. TV taught all of that just a decade ago.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Sebazz1 2]

Fiirst off dodo head, you should let some of us know when you come to our neck of the woods. That being said... Whatever feels more like home go there.

I'm a bay area baby and love the bay area far more than So Cal or LA for that matter. Granted I don't go to the city often cause, well it's the city ya know Anything past Santa Barbara in my book is so cal. And then you have that little island of coolness called San diego down there. San Diego is cool fo sho. But LA? yuck For me that is. Plus if you had a choice between the dodgers and the giants? No choice in my book. Dodgers suck!! In the nicest possible way of course.... NOT!! So that being said hmmm... The people? I used to think so cal-ers where mean and the no cal-ers where nice and now? I think they're all the same. Very few natives and tons of imports. Not just over sea's but from all over our country. Ah whatever...

I probably did not help one bit but I choose No Cal over So Cal anyday... just me though. And I have been known to be nice occasionaly too.

[lawrocket 3]

Well, one thing I can say is that it was the firt time I've been to Frisco (Y'all hate that, don't ya) and not gotten lost. And you do have a nice ballpark. I was probably the only Angels fan there that day, when the Giants played the A's. Of course, I was rather quiet about my preference of teams, lest I infuriate several thousand people.

And, I am getting used to San Fran. I do like how many people walk. I also like the fact that there is a coffee place every 20 yards.

I'll probably get used to SF once the culture shock wears off. I'll probably also learn not to use my turn signal for those times that I am up there. (With one of my best friends from New York, I was informed many years ago I'd get killed if I lived there).

My lady loves SF, though. Therefore, I better love it. That post was, most likely, just the ramblings of someone tired and fed up with getting cut off on the roads.

It was much nicer in Palo Alto...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Deuce 1]

When I'm in work mode, I get all the space I need from folks on the street. I haven't noticed any difference from SF to LA.

I can guarandamntee you that NorCal folks are WAY more considerate of people driving motorcycles. I've spent plenty of time on my scooter in both areas, and SoCal folks are just aggressively rude to motorcycle riders while they are lane-splitting. They pull towards the lane divider to make it near impossible to get through.

In NorCal, just about in any area of the greater Bay Area, folks pull out to the other lane divider to make plenty of room for bikes. More often than not as you pull closer to cars, they make room. It seemed just as often in LA and environs they shrink the split just to be rude.

Every motorcycle is one less car.

[RevJim 0]

Awww geez. Enough of this NO Cal, SO Cal sheeeat!

Petition your Terminator, um, er, I mean Governor, to make your state more like others in the country. Yes, I mean like the Dakota's and the Carolinas. Draw a line across the middle of the state, dividing NO Cal and SO Cal. Problem solved, and a brand new rivalry started! Instead of an imaginary line, you get 2 states!

If you did that, I might actually consider moving to CA. North California to be specific.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[Sebazz1 2]

For an out-of-stater I like the way you think there Rev

[RevJim 0]

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For an out-of-stater I like the way you think there Rev

I may not live there, but I've delivered enough cars there to know that North California (if it were to become its own state) would be THE place to be.

LA can keep the fruits and nuts. I'm happy with the flakes.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[Lioness 0]

Well I live 45 min from SF, and 10 min from Pitt.
SF is fun to party at, and have great food and night life. But yes the people (esp. during the work days) SUCK!! I refuse to drive there, I'll take BART or someone else can drive. Unless I'm just going to the airport. Some of the bums can actually be real cool, I have found myself partying it up with them outside of some of the clubs. I have been to LA, but haven't hung out too much there. So I can't really compare.

As far as the shooting in Pitt. last night... well that's expected in Pitt. Road rage in Pitt. is asking for trouble. Boy do I have some scary Pittsburg driving stories.... oh yah I'm here now cuz I work here! lol

______________________________________
Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.

[billvon 2,380]

>In NorCal, just about in any area of the greater Bay Area, folks pull
>out to the other lane divider to make plenty of room for bikes.

I almost killed a motorcyclist doing that about a month back. I was driving home, and I saw a motorcycle trying to make the squeeze between me and the car to my right. I moved a little to the left (still within the lane) to let him pass. I heard a screech of tires, and looked to see another trying to pass me on my _left._ He screamed at me, then passed me and drove away.

Last time I move out of the center of the lane for a motorcycle.

[lawrocket 3]

On Highway 99, just south of Madera, is a landmark in the center divider. It apparently divides NoCal from SoCal. A few feet south of the Pine tree (NoCal) is a Palm Tree.

And SoCal peeps wouldn't mind dividing the state. We already get NoCal's water. We could make the SoCal Capitol in a convenient spot, like El Centro (well, more convenient that Sac Town).

And my beloved Raiders will still be in my heart...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[SadSue 0]

Hi Law,

Yeah I don't recommend driving in the city if you can avoid it. I dunno how the hell these people get licences. We have got great public transportation tho, and it's always good to hook up with some people there and see how the real city is. There are a lot of tourists in the city, persoannly I like to TRAVEL where the real people are, so if you decide to show up again, I'd be happy to show ye around. The good the bad and the UGLY!

I agree that the homeless are usually polite, and generally I dont find people in SF to be very rude.

I still love this city though, I think people in LA have to drive so perhaps thats why there better at it, LMAO

xxx

Hope you don't get Banned!

[blazetailman 0]

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On Highway 99, just south of Madera, is a landmark in the center divider. It apparently divides NoCal from SoCal. A few feet south of the Pine tree (NoCal) is a Palm Tree.

And SoCal peeps wouldn't mind dividing the state. We already get NoCal's water. We could make the SoCal Capitol in a convenient spot, like El Centro (well, more convenient that Sac Town).

Please let's divide the state. Then we can charge socal for the water and if you don't want to pay for it, then mono lake will be what it used to be. Yeah, norcal profits either way.

[snob]yeah[/snob]

www.canopyflightcenter.com
www.skydivesac.com
www.guanofreefly.com

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[kelpdiver 2]

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>
I almost killed a motorcyclist doing that about a month back. I was driving home, and I saw a motorcycle trying to make the squeeze between me and the car to my right. I moved a little to the left (still within the lane) to let him pass. I heard a screech of tires, and looked to see another trying to pass me on my _left._ He screamed at me, then passed me and drove away.

Last time I move out of the center of the lane for a motorcycle.

The moral of this story is that bikers should opt for splitting between the 1 and 2 lanes whenever feasible, and should never trail another biker who is splitting one line over, for exactly the situation you list.

Any biker who has to lock the brakes in that situation was traveling too fast. I rarely use my brakes at all, but can split anywhere from 20-50mph depending on the freeway.

[kelpdiver 2]

Bay Area drivers are vastly more competent than the norm for Los Angeles, but they're also significantly more aggressive. If you sit waiting for traffic to let you do something, you'll never get anywhere. I can always tell when I'm getting close to the LA basin when I have to start passing cars on the right.

As a rule the local residents are more self centered, self righteous than the mellow type typical in LA. Always need to save the world from itself. In time it becomes more amusing than annoying. Especially funny are Giant fans - 80% of a so called Giants Dodger rivalry is on this end.

[lawrocket 3]

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Especially funny are Giant fans - 80% of a so called Giants Dodger rivalry is on this end.

Yeah, I know about that. When I got to college, I found out how much the Dodgers were hated. I was (still am) an Angels fans, and never really rooted for the Dodgers until college. I found it was pretty fun to support the Dodgers simply because the Ginats fans hated them.

Not that I hated the Giants. They really weren't worth hating... But the A's. Now, THOSE are some GREAT fans...

My wife is hotter than your wife.