How is life slower down south?

[Wishing on a star]

I don't care if it takes a few minutes for a menu, but I still don't understand why restaurants up here don't give you a glass of water without you asking for it. Please don't ask me if I'm ready to order 47 seconds after you handed me the menu, and then when I tell you I need a minute or two, disappear for 15 minutes before you actually take my order. Don't snatch my plate out from under me without asking me if I am through because I might not be. You really don't have to clear the table until after I leave. And don't rush me with the check; I want to sit after dinner and enjoy my coffee or drink and chat a little.

And learn how to make sweet tea, damn it!

LOL!!!

LOVE your post!!! You just perfectly captured and gave real meaning to my mention of eating at a restaurant 'up-north' and how it can sometimes come off as 'rude'!!!!

PS: Disney World is in the South, obviously, in FL.. I couldn't find any sweet tea down there either, damn it!

 

[heart4pooh]

I moved from Ft. Lauderdale, where I was born and raised, to the 'south' in NC ten years ago. I found myself finishing people's sentences for the first 6 months. Then I finally began slowing down enough. At first, as soon as I began talking to someone, they'd say "You're not from around these parts..." Oh really, how could you tell??? Things I noticed were that people slowed down enough to show courtesy and concern. When they asked how are you, they really wanted to know. Not just you, of course, but all your kin...My husband is a local yokel, speaks very slowly (as does our DS 7), takes his time with everybody he meets. I can't tell you how many times he has run late, and his excuse is that he ran into somebody he hasn't seen in a while...After ten years, "Bless her heart" rolls off my tongue easily. I love the slow pace and have no desire to live in a big city or up north. BTW, even though I was born in S Florida, my husband considers me a Yankee, seeing how my parents are Yankees...

 

[4Cs]

PS: Disney World is in the South, obviously, in FL.. I couldn't find any sweet tea down there either, damn it!

Even tho Florida is in the South, most southerners don't consider it a "true" southern state. We consider it to be more like the Carribean Islands.

 

[browneyes]

PS: Disney World is in the South, obviously, in FL.. I couldn't find any sweet tea down there either, damn it!

Florida is further south than where I live (GA), but it's not a typical southern state.

WDW doesn't have sweet tea OR Dr. Pepper.

And to the OP, I always heard life is supposed to be slower down here too, but I've never understood how either.:

 

[mrsgus06]

Down here when I ask my kids if they want a pop, it means stop what you are doing and if you choose not to, I will pop you on your butt! Up north, I have learned that pop is generic for a soft drink. In the south our generic for a soft drink is coke or pepsi! A majority of southerners think that if you have to shovel snow just to get in your car or out of your house, you have done more than just your full time job. I haven't seen snow since 1989 and have not missed it at all. We can not, I repeat, CAN NOT, drive in snow! We went to the girls school on Thrs night to meet the teachers and stayed for way over 2 hours. Ya just have to stop and talk to everyone!

 

[Papa Deuce]

Down here when I ask my kids if they want a pop, it means stop what you are doing and if you choose not to, I will pop you on your butt! Up north, I have learned that pop is generic for a soft drink. In the south our generic for a soft drink is coke or pepsi! A majority of southerners think that if you have to shovel snow just to get in your car or out of your house, you have done more than just your full time job. I haven't seen snow since 1989 and have not missed it at all. We can not, I repeat, CAN NOT, drive in snow! We went to the girls school on Thrs night to meet the teachers and stayed for way over 2 hours. Ya just have to stop and talk to everyone!

Only in certain areas. In Philly we NEVER say "pop". We say soda or juice but NEVER "pop". In 43 years I never heard anbody order a pop in this area.

 

[S. C.]

I don't care if it takes a few minutes for a menu, but I still don't understand why restaurants up here don't give you a glass of water without you asking for it. Please don't ask me if I'm ready to order 47 seconds after you handed me the menu, and then when I tell you I need a minute or two, disappear for 15 minutes before you actually take my order. Don't snatch my plate out from under me without asking me if I am through because I might not be. You really don't have to clear the table until after I leave. And don't rush me with the check; I want to sit after dinner and enjoy my coffee or drink and chat a little.

 

[MinnieM3]

As posted above, it is really funny that down here "Coke" is generic for any soft drink! Now sometimes I will say soda, but Coke could mean a Mt. Dew down here! LOL!

Speaking of over-talking down here....my parent open house was Thursday and I had 30 minutes....talked for almost 60.....

(first 10 minutes of course was telling my background, how I grew up here, who I was (ie, the past 5 generations of my entire family, etc.)
j/k

 

[Bichon Barb]

Wow! It took a whole 16 or 17 replies before someone used "Yankees" and "rude" together in a sentence--bless your hearts!

 

[LoraJ]

Once I was staying at a hotel in Mississippi and I had to get to a meeting down the street at a Casino. They had a shuttle bus that ran every 15 minutes. I even called them and asked them what time the next shuttle was going to arrive so that I knew I would make my meeting on time. They said "10 minutes". 10 minutes turned into 30 and when I complained at the desk they looked at me as though I were nuts. They said "we told you it would be 10 minutes" and I was like "it's been 30" and they still didn't understand. I guess 10 minutes in southern means 10 minutes to an hour or whenever it happens.

 

[mrsgus06]

As posted above, it is really funny that down here "Coke" is generic for any soft drink! Now sometimes I will say soda, but Coke could mean a Mt. Dew down here! LOL!

Speaking of over-talking down here....my parent open house was Thursday and I had 30 minutes....talked for almost 60.....

That's probably because I live in West Ashley! The open house must have been at St. Andrews Elem! It was the social event of the week! Ended with a drive across the new bridge!

 

[Beauty]

I think my DH would die without sweet tea!! Oh and you can't go to Wal-Mart without seeing everyone you know and talking. There is no such thing as going in Wal-Mart quickly, it just isn't going to happen.

If it snows 2 inches everything from the mall to the grocery stores close down and there is no way we are driving in that. Even if we get flurries the kids start watching the T.V. for no school.

 

[wednesday]

Florida is further south than where I live (GA), but it's not a typical southern state.
:

You just have to know where in Florida to look... I grew up in a farming town in north central florida and you should hear my accent and spend a weekend in my hometown (1 redlight) Its very southern and relaxed. I hear there are still some true Florida southerners in the southern part of the state but I havent ran across too many down here.

 

[bcvgal]

WDW doesn't have sweet tea OR Dr. Pepper.

And the whole state of Florida don't sell Cheerwine.
We've always called sodas "drinks" like "What kind of drink do you want?" and it's not the alcohol kind.

 

[mrsdon]

I lived 8 years in SE Ga about 5 miles from the FL border.
I had moved from CT!!
What a shock to my sysytm.
People actually held the door open for you.
The didnt come up behind you on the interstate and flash their lights.
I now live in Memphis and while it is considered the MidSouth it feels too far north to me.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Y'all can find great sweet tea at Liberty Tree Tavern.

I had a Northern friend once ask me why all Southern children call adult women, Miss Jennifer or Miss Sherry etc. I asked him, "why wouldn't they?"

Lori

 

[Beauty]

Is that a Southern thing? I'm always called Miss Beth instead of Mrs. ...... I thought it was the norm.

 

[jrydberg]

Is that a Southern thing? I'm always called Miss Beth instead of Mrs. ...... I thought it was the norm.

Yes, it's a southern thing.

As to the original topic and responses, I assure you that the way they do things in the south is neither better nor worse than anywhere else. It's different. It works better for some people -- more power to 'em! Doesn't work so well for me, so I'll go with what works for me

 

[teacherforhi]

WDW doesn't have sweet tea OR Dr. Pepper.

And the whole state of Florida don't sell Cheerwine.
We've always called sodas "drinks" like "What kind of drink do you want?" and it's not the alcohol kind.

You can't find Cheerwine much past SC, can you?

 

[monarchsfan16]

Is that a Southern thing? I'm always called Miss Beth instead of Mrs. ...... I thought it was the norm.

I'm a northerner. I refer to women as Mrs. (last name). The only people I called Miss (first name) were my girl scout leaders in 6th grade. They didn't want quite such a formal title, but also didn't want total disrespect.
As for the southern thing; I think the slowness would be a shock to my system. I live in a small town, so it takes me (on average) 45 minutes to get through the post office because people like to chat. But here when you ask someone how they are, it's simply a greeting; you always respond with "fine", "good", or "alright". Nobody wants to hear about your problems. That's ok with me. Nobody needs to know any of my business. My mom has southern friends. Time and punctuality are not concepts they have a firm grasp of. They'll get there when they get there. Here, being punctual is being late. We had a get together today with my new college roommates and each one of them apologized profusely for being late, even though they'd called to say they were lost or stuck in traffic. Even if they hadn't called it wouldn't have been a big deal; but we're raised to believe it is. We talk fast, walk fast, and drive fast here. Do I like it? Not always. But it's what I'm used too. I've seen southerners in action. And it is different. I couldn't live like that, but that's because of the way I've been raised.