Maybe you mean if you were a slave state then you are Southern. Otherwise you’d have to include all of the states that were former British colonies.
I’ve expressed my opinions about St. Louis many times here, so they won’t be much of a surprise. I also have many anecdotes from having grown up there (Manchester), many of which I’ve shared here before as well.
We just went back there for our annual visit to the in-laws, and literally the first day back, I was taking my sons to get some Lion’s Choice for lunch. I pulled up to turn on to Manchester Road (a four lane road), and we watch as a guy drives past going about 20 miles an hour (where most people are doing between 45 and 50) with his hazards on because he is eating a sandwich. Of course, the people behind him are honking and riding his ass. Also of course, he’s giving them all the finger.
“Welcome back to St. Louis,” I told my boys.
There’s just something wrong with the people out there.
The problem with that is that it includes northern Virginia as part of the South, which it most certainly is not.
I’ll certainly agree with you about St. Louis drivers. The average St. Louis driver seems terribly shocked to discover that there are actually other people on the road.
They are the second worst drivers in the country.
More to the point, however, they are St. Louisans. Another driver there once kicked me in the leg, and another one pointed a gun at me.
Those people have some frighteningly LONG legs, don’t they?
Okey. In order:
I was at the Holiday Inn Viking on Watson Road near the crossing with South Kirkwood/ South Lindburg. There is a Home Depot across the street, back behind the street-fronted Ruby Tuesdays and IHOP.
I am from Philly but learned to drive in NYC, so as far as St. Louis drivers? Fuck dem guys. 
Surrender Dorothy? Brilliant.
It may have been a bit late but not up against closing time. It would have been appropriate to glance over, see me reading my novel and not touching my food. She walked over and offered me a box to take my food out of there with WHILE I WAS CHEWING. Rude. Period.
kittenblue, just so I am clear: she was not rude in her presentation. In fact, they were all very polite and accomodating. It was the fact that I was feeling rushed out the door by their actions that prompted this rant. I didn’t mean to say she was rude in tone of voice. And, I always tip 20% when I eat out, even on the company’s dime. To do less in this day and age is appalling, IMHO.
CaptianCarrot? Of course it is ! They have Waffle House there? It’s in the South. Q.E.D.
Oh, well, there’s your problem.
You weren’t in St. Louis. You were in Kirkwood. (Really, Sunset Hills, but close enough.)
In my experience, “dining” in Misery is interesting at best. My dad lives in a smaller town there, and last time I was there, they still allowed smoking in restaurants.
I’ve not had the experience of rudeness yet, but it’s such a joy to attempt to eat one’s not-quite-right breakfast (no one there seems to understand what cheese is, they all, even the “fancy” restaurants" think it all comes in slices and is marked “Kraft”) when the guy in the next booth is holding his cigarette down and away from his table so that it curls up over you and your breakfast.
Usually IME it’s the ultra-sweet, sorta fake-y seeming “Well HUUNnEEE, what kin I git fer uew now?”
Maybe “your” waitress was just inexperienced and dumb? (it’s a semi-common mistake of new waitress, to ask if the person is done too early). And after you said “no I’m still eating” she felt stupid and didn’t know what to say next, and so the “uuuh, okay” was all she could stutter out?
As to the non-communication of Home Depot employees? Um, isn’t that pretty much country wide? Though it is frustrating, I don’t necessarily consider inability to communicate as “rude”, more stupid or lazy imho.
I pretty much refuse to drive on Manchester. Any part of it.
In all honesty, whenever I go anywhere else I think the people there are just weird because they’re different from what I’m used to. I think it’s weird you can’t smoke in bars in Columbia MO (where I went to college) and everyone drives reallly damned slow.
And screw Kirkwood - what, they think they’re too good to have Lindbergh run through their municipality so they rename it S. Kirkwood road? Eff that. I live where Lindbergh starts on the north end. Represent.
And if you didn’t like your stay in Sunset Hills/Kirkwood, do not come to Florissant. Ever.
Wasn’t every state a slave state in 1776? :rolleyes:
Some of them do, but since this one didn’t, she had to do a stunt-like swerve around me to make me stop, get out and curse at me, and then open up my door to kick me in the leg.
Were you in East St. Louis?
Nah, the articles of confederation weren’t adopted until Nov. 1777.
I spent a month in St. Louis one weekend.
Hey! Kirkwood was there before Lindbergh was a baby!
I grew up in Kirkwood, so watch your ass! Go, Pioneers!
Fried ravioloi eatin’ mother f-ers…
Wait…you went into a Home Depot, and got little to no assistance? I’m pretty sure that’s normal (at least in this state).
<------ laughter abounds. I do love you folks. Look, it is not as though I was carjacked, tapped with a sap on the brain stem and awoke in the bathtub in my hotel room to find myself packed in ice stained with my own blood with a note taped to the toilet seat informing me etc. etc.
The gal who was my waittress was not so young. ( Not a cheap shot, just setting up my reply here. ) The gal who walked over and asked me WAS quite young, maybe college age. She was the one filling my water glass and clearing my appetizer plate, etc. I agree, she was likely in training and how else do you learn to manage such things except by going and doing, and then seeing if it was the right moment or not.
The drivers? I have never been in an area where there were immense half-billboard sized hiway signs that screamed out
No Changing Lanes over DOUBLE YELLOW LINES
Uh. Okay. Doesnt’ every driver know that on the highway, they can shift lanes over dashed lines or sometimes when directed over a single yellow line but never a double yellow line? :dubious:
Well, the night is young.
I have a good memory of St. Louis. When I was sixteen or so, I was hitch-hiking through, and got away from the freeway. When walking aroung a very bad part of town at night and with a backpack, everyone I asked directions of was very helpful. Or at least all but one; the first guy I asked sent me in the wrong direction.