This is topic You know what I've noticed about people from California? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
 
They don't say the name of their state when reading off their address. Here's what I mean:

*ring ring*

Me: "Thank you for calling Client Services. My name is Glynn. How can I help you?"

They: "Oh yeah sure. Uh, I'd like to know my balance on my four-oh-one-okay, please."

M: "Certainly. Can I have your social security number please?"

T: "Uh, yeah. *insert social here*"

M: "May I have you state your name?"

T: "Joe E. Smith S-M-I-T-H"

M: *eye roll @ spelling "Smith"* "And your date of birth?"

T: "January twenty-third, nine-teen-oh I'm friggin old."

M: "And your complete address, please?"

T: "1234 Living below a damn in an earthquake zone St."

*pause*

M: *rolls eyes* "And the city, state and zip, please?" (I have to say this more often than you'd believe)

T: "Yeah, San Iveneverheardofyourtownbefore 99023"

They skip saying California. I get calls from all 50 states (and Guam) and I never have anyone skip over the name of their state except people from California. Heck, even people from Honolulu say "Hawaii."

It's almost as though I am expected to know that they hail from California. I mean, I know that they do because I can see it on the screen- I'm just verifying information. Still, it seems fairly geo-centric that I am expected to know where you are from.

Hell, even the Latin-American immigrants who don't speak a lick of English at least say what state they are from. Silly people.
 

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Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
 
Yeah, the one I really hate is "I'm from the bay area."

Boston bay?

Chesapeake?

Why are we supposed to know which bay they're talking about? Then they get really incensed when you ask them.
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
I never add "Texas" to the end of it when I tell people I'm from Dallas. Come on, man - there's only one Dallas that matters.

Same for Detroit. "Where did you serve?" "Detroit."
 

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Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
Primal Curve: It's almost worse when they tell you they say they're from "Cali."
 

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Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
 
I'm from the Bay area and yes, there's only one =P

If a zipcode starts with 90 - 96 it's in California. If they give you that much, you should just know, ya know?
 

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Posted by Chris Kidd (Member # 2646) on :
 
what about saying your from the North bay area ;O)

I guess im diffrent from everyone in California cause when im asked where im from I usualy say california.
 

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Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
 
I'm in the South Bay. Which confuses Angelenos because they're silly people.

(edit: corrected a spelling because I was mocked mercilessly. hoqued ohn fanix werkt fer mi!)

[ June 28, 2005, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: The Pixiest ]
 

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 
Saying "Cali" is worse.

<insert cringe here>
 

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Posted by Chris Kidd (Member # 2646) on :
 
I actualy live North of the north bay in sonoma county.
 

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Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
 
How about some people from California? I won't include California when I'm telling my address to someone local -- they generally know where Camarillo is -- but I certainly include it when talking on the phone.

--Pop
 

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Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by The Pixiest:
I'm from the Bay area and yes, there's only one =P

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Ah. So are you from Delaware, Maryland, or Virginia?
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 
Folk from California are ... different. But you knew that, didn't you?

I'm from New Jersey, which we sometimes call "New Jersey", and sometimes call "Jersey", and I've even heard "Nueva Jersey (pronounced 'Yersay')", but never "EN JAY".

We don't like being asked what exit we're from, mostly because we really do know the answer, and hate that we do.
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
On many answer-center systems, typing in the ZIP returns the city and state, although most ZIPs have more than one city in them. I've often been asked for the ZIP first, and then asked to specify the city.
 

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Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
 
Tante: What exit are you from?
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 
(sigh) 9.
 

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Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
 
<---went to high school in Hollister.

There's only one "Bay Area"! *humph*
 

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Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
 
There seriously is only one Bay Area... and I'm glad to see it so well represented on this board.

There may be other bays in the United States (or so people tell me... ), but is there another area that calls itself "the Bay Area?"

What bugs me is when I say I'm from the Silicon Valley, and people ask "Where?" I'm not trying to be egocentric (or geocentric, I guess), but unless you had your head in a hole in the ground during the late 90's, how did you NOT hear of the Silicon Valley?

I've had to settle for saying "an hour south of San Francisco."


Does anyone else from highly-congested areas give distances in time? I always do that and never noticed it until I lived in Germany and the family I was with made fun of me for it.
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 
In New Jersey, we always give distances in time rather than miles.

Question: How far is that from here?
Answer: Oh, at rush hour, it is a good 45 minutes, but otherwise you can make it in under 30.

This is definitely more useful than knowing how many miles away it is.

Have you noticed that when men give directions, they mention distance and direction ("Head East for three and a half miles...") while women mention landmarks (You turn left at the park, then keep going until you see the elementary school with the tire swings in the playground. There is an antique store on the opposite corner)?
 

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Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
 
In time, and based on traffic conditions. *grin*
 

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Posted by Lanfear (Member # 7776) on :
 
Theres absolutely nothing wrong with "cali" .. you would say it too if Your state name was friggin long
 

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Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
 
I'll type it, because my fingers are lazy. I always say "California," though... I think it's a rather pretty name.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 

1. Oooh, lots of broad generalizations about my state! Yippee!
2. If asked my address, I state street address, city, state, and zip. Even though I am not aware of many other cities called Los Angeles.
3. Anyone who says "Cali" should be taken out and shot.
4. Anyone who cannot spell "Angelenos" should be drawn and quartered.
5. Anyone who lives in the so-called Garden State, home of more factories per capita than any other state, has a lot of nerve dissing California.
6. There are many bays. Each has an adjacent area.
7. Not only do I give distances in units of time, I often do not know the actual distance involved without looking it up. Thus, I work 15-20 minutes away from where I live (and it's somewhere in the general neighborhood of 4 miles away, I think).

quote:

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Originally posted by rivka:
Anyone who lives in the so-called Garden State, home of more factories per capita than any other state, has a lot of nerve dissing California.

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The word is "chutzpah", honey.

And it is the Garden State because we grow the world's best-tasting tomatoes in our gardens.

(Mmmm...Jersey tomatoes. Can't wait unti mine are ripe)
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 
As one who used to live in Atlanta, it is "Atlanta", please, NOT "Hotlanta". 'Cause that's just dumb.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
Actually, it's noive.

And I do have fond memories of home-grown Jersey tomatoes.
 

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Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
 
Since this thread is probably attracting anyone with an interest in California:

How many people think that California should be broken up into two states? I would choose not to, simply because it would decrease our economic and political power as a state (and more to the point, who would get Monterey?), but I've heard a number of people suggest it (half in jest, I think).

SoCal and NorCal are two very different places, with different outlooks... (For instance, people in NorCal do not need to know how to spell "Angelenos," Rivka. )
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
If the state gets split in two, where will we get our water from?

And every educated person should know how to spell "Angelenos."
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 

quote:

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How many people think that California should be broken up into two states?

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Um... are we voting to see if we are in favor of big earthquakes?
 

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Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
 
Hmmm... I hadn't thought of that. We could just all go hang out with Hawaii. Alaska can come too.

Rivka: You all could buy your water from us, instead of just taking it.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
We DO!

Or, more accurately, we did.
 

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Posted by lcarus (Member # 4395) on :
 

quote:

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On many answer-center systems, typing in the ZIP returns the city and state, although most ZIPs have more than one city in them. I've often been asked for the ZIP first, and then asked to specify the city.

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Speaking of this, what really annoys me is when they use such a system, incorrectly tell me I live in Kissimmee, and their system won't accept a correction. This happens with HP, for one.
 

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Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
Okay, it's worth pointing out that while California and New Jersey have this bizarre and completely pointless rivalry going on, all the GOOD states are in the middle.
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 
Oh Tom, do you mean all that other stuff besides the sea to shining sea bit? Purple mountains, amber waves, spacious skies, fruited plains, roaming buffalo, deer playing with antelopes, little houses, prairies, and all that?

I've seen it. It was big. A lot of it was flat. Except for the bumpy parts. I remember that there was a whole lot of corn. Or soybeans. Or something.

The middle part. I think that's where we keep the Republicans.

But the Blue States is where it is happening, baby!
 

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Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
I live in a Blue State in the middle. Best of both worlds, really.
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 
And I'm sure that you look lovely in blue.
 

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Posted by kojabu (Member # 8042) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Tante Shvester:
I'm from New Jersey, which we sometimes call "New Jersey", and sometimes call "Jersey", and I've even heard "Nueva Jersey (pronounced 'Yersay')", but never "EN JAY".

We don't like being asked what exit we're from, mostly because we really do know the answer, and hate that we do.

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quote:

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I live in a Blue State in the middle. Best of both worlds, really.

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Hey, me too. And on top of that, I'm on a college campus. Not sure how much more of a blue area you can get.
 

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Posted by socal_chic (Member # 7803) on :
 
This is pretty much the best place to live just so ya' know,so we take a few liberties with how we talk about it...not really a big deal
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
*adds "flat = good" to the list of Tom-isms she comprehendeth not*
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 
Neither Jersey girls nor California girls are particularly known for being flat.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
*eyes 10-foot pole*

Naaaaahhhh.
 

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Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :
 
I live on the island. The island. If you don't know what island that refers to, you obviously haven't lived in or near New York.
 

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Posted by Zamphyr (Member # 6213) on :
 

quote:

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Hey hey, not all people in NJ live off of an exit. The closest four lane highway to me is in New York state. [/QB]

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quote:

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Originally posted by Zamphyr:

quote:

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Hey hey, not all people in NJ live off of an exit. The closest four lane highway to me is in New York state.

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In this case, you fall back to the second answer..."Which mall do you live by/shop at?" [/QB]

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quote:

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*adds "flat = good" to the list of Tom-isms she comprehendeth not*

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quote:

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Originally posted by Jhai:
That's because it's SoCal - I've never met anyone from NorCal (specifically the Bay Area) who didn't want to go back. Despite the traffic.

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And I know several former NorCalers who would never move back.

Of course, that's because they moved to SoCal.
 

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Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
 
Jhai: What's worse is when they don't know where San Jose is. Or that San Jose is in Silicon Valley. We're just the 11th largest city in the country. People know where little towns like Atlanta and Minneapolis are. Yet you tell them you're in a town of 900,000 people and you have to say "we're near SF." (a town they know even by it's initials.)

http://www.city-data.com/top1.html

Civic Pride Pix
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
Most people don't know the way to San Jose.
 

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Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
 
Or they think that 101 is the way to San Jose. People, people: 280 is faster AND prettier - it's only one more exit/junction from SFO.

Edited to say: I've given up saying San Jose - no one ever knows where it is out here in the Midwest. And only Apple-crazed people have even HEARD of Cupertino.
 

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Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
 

quote:

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Most people don't know the way to San Jose.

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quote:

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Originally posted by rivka:
*eyes 10-foot pole*

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Stretch Jankowski? The famous Polish basketball player?
 

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Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
I'm still trying to figure out how the outline of Montana looks like an old man's profile.

Edit: Oh, never mind! I see it.
 

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Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
 
I'm originally from California. It's a nice place to visit.

But I've been away so long I may go wrong and lose my way to San Jose.

Well, I'm from Westminster. I'm not sure I ever went to San Jose. I've been to San Francisco though. I think I could find my way back there. And Modesto.

Say, while we're at it, who has a reaction for "Frisco?"
 

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Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
 
Every woman and many of the men on Hatrack.
 

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Posted by kojabu (Member # 8042) on :
 
Annie I have to use that way of explaining too, even though I'm from NJ. It's weird, sometimes the people in NJ don't even know the county I'm from. I have to say you know how NJ has a point (like so /\), well I live at the tip.
 

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Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Jhai:
SoCal and NorCal are two very different places, with different outlooks... (For instance, people in NorCal do not need to know how to spell "Angelenos," Rivka. )

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Actually, there are three "states" of California that are very different, not just two, and I think the difference is more a state of mind than a state of geography. There is Southern California, which I like to think of as civilization ; there's Northern California, which has its good and its bad places; and then there is The Valley - and I don't mean San Fernando Valley.

Having lived here in what we learned in fourth grade to call "The Great Central Valley", I can assure you that it isn't like either southern California or northern California outside of the valley. Sure, Bakersfield orients more toward L.A. because of its proximity, and Fresno and points north orient more toward San Francisco because the drive is a little shorter than to L.A., but people are just different here. It's much more like the midwest than anywhere else. In fact, driving into many of the small towns around the valley, you would swear that you've suddenly been transported to one of those "in the middle" states.

Having said that, would I like to see California split in two? Three? No, mostly because Fresno would probably end up being included in the the northern state, and I'm a southern California native.

And on yet another subject, calling the San Francisco area "the Bay Area" doesn't really bother me all that much, but it absolutely drives me up a wall when people refer to San Francisco as "The City", as if it is the only one that ever existed, does exist, or will exist. The only thing I will admit to really liking about San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge, which is a magnificent structure, although I like the East Bay a lot, especially Berkeley and all its used bookstores.
 

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Posted by Kitsune (Member # 8290) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Tante Shvester:
As one who used to live in Atlanta, it is "Atlanta", please, NOT "Hotlanta". 'Cause that's just dumb.

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Thanks to Usher, it's "A-Town" now
 

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Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
 
I never say "Michigan".
As Kat says, there's only one Detroit!

 

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Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
 
And how many people specify which state "New York" is in?

I don't even have a problem with people who say they're from "LA," but the "bay area" just drives me nuts.
 

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Posted by jh (Member # 7727) on :
 
I think that saying I'm from the Bay Area is fine when I'm talking to other California natives.
 

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Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
 
Ok, people don't know where Silicon Valley is. People don't know where San Jose is (I've actually had people ask me how it was in Costa Rica) and apparently we're not allowed to say "Bay Area".

And there's no way in HELL I'm going to say I'm from San Francisco.

so I'm out of options.
 

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Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
 
You're allowed to say "Bay Area." Just don't expect people to know what you're talking about.

Unless they're from California. I can see that point. Maybe Nevada and Oregon too, but don't expect someone from the east to understand.
 

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Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
 
But I've gotta wonder, what's wrong with saying you're from San Francisco?
 

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Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
 
Now we're the 10th largest city in the nation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20050630/ts_usatoday/outmigrationcoolstalkofinnercityresurgences

quote:

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There was only one change among the USA's 10 most populous cities, with San Jose replacing Detroit at No. 10.

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You must Learn where we are! =) (I realize a lot of you already know.)
http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?csz=San+Jose%2C+CA&state=CA&uzip=95112&ds=n&name=&desc=&lat=37.340382&lon=-121.892181&mlt=37.340382&mln=-121.892181&zoomin=yes&BFKey=&resize=l&trf =0&mag=6

And I won't say I'm from SF because I don't like that place. They're a smaller town than SJ yet they insist on living directly on top of one another and there's never any place to park and the place is so one sided ideologically that Bush came in third in 2000. (Even Arkansas, which I left in large part for being too conservative, isn't that lopsided.) Plus the cultural aspects of the city bother me. The saying "If I can do it, it ain't art." applies to that town in spades.

Pix
 

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Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
 
Ah! http://tinyurl.com please!
 

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Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
 
I do miss the mountains.

Folks from here in Chicago say "The City," so do folks from NYC. I guess the folks in SF are just doing what people do when referring to the biggest and oldest city around. LA can't be "The City" becasue there isn't one really. Its all spread out with a crappy downtown area.
 

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Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
 
Pix, people usually understand what I'm talking about when I say I was born in the Bay Area, or Silicon Valley. Then again, I live in Oregon, so perhaps that's why people know that Bay Area = San Francisco Bay Area. I sometimes say that it's about an hour away from San Francisco, too. We rarely went there though, except to go to the airport.

Oh, and I've rarely ever heard people give distances in miles. Maybe it's a West Coast thing, but I thought that everyone gave distances in time. I don't even know how far it is to the cities around here, but I can tell you how long it will take to get there.
 

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Posted by Exploding Monkey (Member # 7612) on :
 
South Cali, North Cali: it's all the same to me. I've lived in the armpit of Cali (Bakersfield) since birth and I'm fed up with this state.

The econ here is shot, the housing market is INSANE, gas prices are the worst in the nation, the illegals are taking their country back, and Arnie's up a creek without a boat or floaties. I'm outta here.

The house here is sold (CHA-CHING!) and a new one closes in five weeks in my new home: Portland, Oregon.

Cali has gone to hell and I'm tired of living in it.
 

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Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
 
The problem was that you lived in Bakersfield...


AJ
 

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