Misconceptions People Have

[Maxpowers]

People seem to think NJ is like Jersey City

Or Seaside Heights

Props to my fellow New Jerseyans for mentioning The Sopranos and Jersey Shore as being the biggest misconceptions about us! I'm adding in The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Ugh the housewives. Although to be fair I do run into a lot of people that are housewife-of-NJ-like, but more like the older one with the short red hair.

Middlesex here county BTW.

 

[AlohaNow]

Small world...I interned at an SCI home. Pretty sure that must be what you're talking about.

Yes, our beloved SCI, where numbers trump all! Some day DH would really like to get together some capital and start his own funeral home. Do things the way they should be done, not the corporate way. Which is what he’s always done, so the families loved him, but his employer did not!

 

[georgina]

I believe you are misquoting yourself.
it's the Raiders fans that are most annoying. Followed closely by ones from Kansas City, then Cleveland.

/bleeds orange and blue

Have you never been in Pittsburgh? Steelers fans are the worst. I don't mind Penguins fans or Pirates fans, but the football fans are so obnoxious, as is the local media where Steelers news is often the top story!

 

[AlohaNow]

Have you never been in Pittsburgh?

It has been my experience that one does not need to travel to Pittsburgh to find the obnoxious Steeler fans. They seem to be ubiquitous.

 

[CPanther95]

It has been my experience that one does not need to travel to Pittsburgh to find the obnoxious Steeler fans. They seem to be ubiquitous.

Even when you don't see us, we see you.

Everyone knows it's the Cowboys fan that is the absolute worst if you are having a conversation regarding football. If crashing a tailgate, or they are hosting a party, they can be one of the most welcoming. Eagles fans on the other hand .......

 

[Lilacs4Me]

That a housewife (or husband) must necessarily have it pretty easy and sit around eating bon bons all day or something. That might well be the case for some people, but it is certainly not a given.

In my case, DH travels 80-90% of the time for work. Which means I handle basically 100% of household work, yardwork, bills, etc. I also schedule all of his appoints for doctors or whatnot, around the rare days he is in town. I drive him and his colleagues to airports and train stations nearly every week, I entertain spouses who come into town with his co workers, I research and fill in applications and handle as much as i can for him when applying for visas for some of his trips (once upon a time there were assistants who did these things, but not anymore---as they retired the bean counters decided to not replace them and just overload people already working lots of hours).

I love the flexibility and that I am able to volunteer during normal work hours (I am the OCC for local girl scouts and lead a troop as well as working with the refugees) a nd I do not put in anywhere near a 40 hour week doing "corporate wife" stuff, but I probably put in 15-20 hours most weeks, plus that 100% of house/yard/errand work that we would split closer to 50/50 if i worked and DH had a job with less travel. It totally works for DH and I and we are both very happy with it--but it irks me some (and DH a lot, actually) when people insinuate that I am basically on vacation all the time.

I agree 100%!

 

[indygirl99]

I live in Vancouver Washington. No we do not have a really wonderful garden. That would be Canada. We have a fantastic Fort.

And no I don't see the President daily. He lives on the east coast and I live on the west coast.

 

[Missy1961]

That everyone who lives in the Northeastern part of this country has no manners.

That everyone who is of Italian heritage loves movies/TV shows about the Mafia.

 

[CdnCarrie]

That we all speak French. That it's cold here year round. That we wait months for healthcare.

And for the record I never thought that funeral directors made a huge salary. Honestly I never thought about their wages at all.

 

[bcla]

I live in Vancouver Washington. No we do not have a really wonderful garden. That would be Canada. We have a fantastic Fort.

And no I don't see the President daily. He lives on the east coast and I live on the west coast.

So you're telling me that you don't live on Vancouver Island? You don't say.

I've been to Vancouver, WA. Does it confuse anyone if you say it's a bridge away from Portland, OR?

Actually - last summer I visited those gardens (unless you're referring to someone other than the Butchart Gardens) and passed through Vancouver, WA by train. Really nice scenery all around.

BTW - isn't your city known for these famous last words?

Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!

 

[ronandannette]

So you're telling me that you don't live on Vancouver Island? You don't say.

I've been to Vancouver, WA. Does it confuse anyone if you say it's a bridge away from Portland, OR?

Actually - last summer I visited those gardens (unless you're referring to someone other than the Butchart Gardens) and passed through Vancouver, WA by train. Really nice scenery all around.

BTW - isn't your city known for these famous last words?

Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!

For that matter, Vancouver is NOT on Vancouver Island. You can't visit Butchart Gardens while visiting Vancouver. Butchart Gardens is in Victoria, which is on Vancouver Island.

 

[bcla]

For that matter, Vancouver is NOT on Vancouver Island. You can't visit Butchart Gardens while visiting Vancouver. Butchart Gardens is in Victoria, which is on Vancouver Island.

Well - actually Butchart Gardens technically isn't in Victoria either - it's in Brentwood Bay. I think I did acknowledge Vancouver Island somewhere. I was there last July. In fact I was in Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Island, and Vancouver, WA in the span of four days.

In any case, the poster was referencing Vancouver, Washington. I joke that it's Portland with sales taxes.

 

[ronandannette]

Well - actually Butchart Gardens technically isn't in Victoria either - it's in Brentwood Bay. I think I did acknowledge Vancouver Island somewhere. I was there last July. In fact I was in Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Island, and Vancouver, WA in the span of four days.

In any case, the poster was referencing Vancouver, Washington. I joke that it's Portland with sales taxes.

I wasn't trying to school you bcla, my post was in reference to common misconceptions, and meant to be kind of funny. My bad, I guess it's pretty hard to discern without an emoticon. Here's one . And yes, I understand about Vancouver Washington.

 

[bcla]

I wasn't trying to school you bcla, my post was in reference to common misconceptions, and meant to be kind of funny. My bad, I guess it's pretty hard to discern without an emoticon. Here's one . And yes, I understand about Vancouver Washington.

You did get "Vancouver! Vancouver! This is It!" - right?

If you didn't, it was David Johnston - a geologist with the USGS who was monitoring Mt St Helens in 1980 for a possible eruption. He yelled that into his radio that connected him to the USGS office in Vancouver, WA. The landslide got him within seconds.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I live on Cape Cod, and while there are $7 million to $25 million home 10 minutes from where I live, I do not live in house that expense and I am not rich.

 

[threecrazykids]

What are some misconceptions that people have? It can be about where you live, what you do, your family size...anything! Let's learn about each other!

I'm originally from Iowa, and while the state gets a bad rap, it's not a 100% corn-filled land of desolation and despair. Des Moines is a wonderful city with theater, great restaurants, and wonderful people. Iowa also has one of the highest literacy rates in the country.

My husband is an attorney, and people often think that all attorneys make a lot of money. He's a prosecutor for the state, and his starting salary was $35,000.

What misconceptions do people have about you?

I'm here in Iowa as well, but shhhhhh, don't tell people that it's a wonderful state that is NOT desolation and despair - they'll all move here and ruin our secret! Just joking...kind of.

I'll be 100% honest and admit that I am NOT well traveled here in the US (sadly) and completely buy in to some stereotypes and completely idiotic assumptions. For instance - I have no desire whatsoever to live in NY. Why? Because when I see movies, the news, etc. showing NY, it's all NYC (and mostly Times Square). So I honest to goodness picture the entire state FULL of always late, rushed, get out of my way, wall street broker in a suit, need coffee, high stressed, people. It looks like complete chaos to me!! And I KNOW IT'S NOT ALL LIKE THAT, but it scares the crap out of me just imagining it. It's crazy, I know, and that's why people stereotype people like me, from Iowa!

My cousin lives right in NYC and I seriously am going to go visit just so I can see it for myself. I want to see the craziness of it all...but I also want to see the beauty that the rest of the state holds as well!

 

[Andtototoo]

That midwesterners are friendly (in the sense of wanting to make friends).
That small towns are welcoming and friendly places to move.

 

[threecrazykids]

That midwesterners are friendly (in the sense of wanting to make friends).
That small towns are welcoming and friendly places to move.

I'll agree with you on that 100% - most small towns (and when I say small, I don't mean 15,000 people small, I mean SMALL as in under 2,500) are some of the most un-welcoming communities to move into. What's funny is they know NOTHING about you, but seem to already have you all figured out. Or they'd "heard" that you're somehow related to "so and so" and they know that person's Great Grandma and she was a real bag, so CLEARLY you're going to be just like them. This happened to one of my closest friends - she lived there a year and couldn't believe some of the things she'd heard about herself. It was actually quite comical.

 

[scoutie]

I'm here in Iowa as well, but shhhhhh, don't tell people that it's a wonderful state that is NOT desolation and despair - they'll all move here and ruin our secret

 

[ThistleMae]

*look at avatar*

That because I'm a fan of the Patriots, I/we are the most annoying fans.

Because I live in Massachusetts I must drive like a..... ok, maybe that one is true.

Then you must be a Masshole.....at least that's what some people in NH refer to us as. I live in NH now and have listened to my fare share of this term.