True Confessions

[vantexan]

Left Coast prices always surprise people who live in the Mid-West, South, or Mid-South. It's worth it not to have to live somewhere like Memphis.

The food in Memphis makes up for a lot, and I've seen few places with as genuinely friendly people. Racial issues however.

 

[burrheadd]

The food in Memphis makes up for a lot, and I've seen few places with as genuinely friendly people. Racial issues however.

They invented crunk music

So they've got that going

 

[MrFedEx]

The food in Memphis makes up for a lot, and I've seen few places with as genuinely friendly people. Racial issues however.

10-4 on the racial issues and great food. Probably the ugliest town I've ever visited.

 

[Route 66]

Nutty, crazy drivers in Memphis - and I've been to a lot of places with some real nutty, crazy drivers. Wary cashiers sitting behind bullet-proof glass in every convenience store I went in. Evidence of FedEx everywhere.

Great BBQ though.

Lovely town, Memphis - for some odd reason that old Animals tune "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" kept playing over and over in my head throughout my entire stay.

 

[59 Dano]

Nutty, crazy drivers in Memphis - and I've been to a lot of places with some real nutty, crazy drivers. Wary cashiers sitting behind bullet-proof glass in every convenience store I went in. Evidence of FedEx everywhere.

Great BBQ though.

Lovely town, Memphis - for some odd reason that old Animals tune "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" kept playing over and over in my head throughout my entire stay.

Oh man, the political machinery chased the money to the 'burbs years ago! Germantown, Collierville -- those are the nice areas. It's like any other large city in that there are always bad areas that you probably don't want to waste any time hanging around.

 

[MrFedEx]

Oh man, the political machinery chased the money to the 'burbs years ago! Germantown, Collierville -- those are the nice areas. It's like any other large city in that there are always bad areas that you probably don't want to waste any time hanging around.

I'll agree that Germantown and Collierville are nice, but Memphis itself is a dump. I remember once driving in from the airport and seeing several stripped cars up on blocks on the freeway. If you want a real thrill, drive down to the casinos in Tunica, MS.

 

[59 Dano]

I'll agree that Germantown and Collierville are nice, but Memphis itself is a dump. I remember once driving in from the airport and seeing several stripped cars up on blocks on the freeway. If you want a real thrill, drive down to the casinos in Tunica, MS.

Lots of fields are a real thrill?

 

[MrFedEx]

Lots of fields are a real thrill?

I'm talking about the population along the highway. Pretty scary drive.

 

[59 Dano]

I'm talking about the population along the highway. Pretty scary drive.

There's nothing on the highway but speed limit signs, casino billboards, and utility lines.

 

[MrFedEx]

There's nothing on the highway but speed limit signs, casino billboards, and utility lines.

The road I took had a section full of some very scary folks, and some not so nice homes. Bad enough that I ran a couple of lights when the locals were eyeing me and my rental car. Old Caddy with 4 space saver spare tires and some bad attitudes inside.

Pickwick, Collierville, and Germantown all upscale, and we took some cool back roads with Civil War markers. Sorry, but Memphis is a crap town that is pure ugly.

When I took doubles training in Blytheville, AR back in the mid 90's it was very similar. Ugly, lots of blatant racism, but good food and friendly people, as long as you were White. It gets old being called a Yankee all the time too.

 

[59 Dano]

The road I took had a section full of some very scary folks, and some not so nice homes. Bad enough that I ran a couple of lights when the locals were eyeing me and my rental car. Old Caddy with 4 space saver spare tires and some bad attitudes inside.

Pickwick, Collierville, and Germantown all upscale, and we took some cool back roads with Civil War markers. Sorry, but Memphis is a crap town that is pure ugly.

When I took doubles training in Blytheville, AR back in the mid 90's it was very similar. Ugly, lots of blatant racism, but good food and friendly people, as long as you were White. It gets old being called a Yankee all the time too.

I've spent most of my life in the south, much of it in places less attractive than Blytheville or Memphis. Blatant racism? No. Calling someone a yankee all the time? No.

There are some people who have whatever issues they have with black people, but they by and large keep it to themselves while out in public. And it was like that 25 years ago, too. As for southerners calling anyone a yankee, it's not common for them to even refer to northerners in that manner. It's less common for them to actually call a yankee a yankee. In either case, yankee is a well deserved pejorative.

Some people just have that vibe about them that they are going to have issues in any situation. Looks like that's right up your alley.

 

[Operational needs]

I've spent most of my life in the south, much of it in places less attractive than Blytheville or Memphis. Blatant racism? No. Calling someone a yankee all the time? No.

There are some people who have whatever issues they have with black people, but they by and large keep it to themselves while out in public. And it was like that 25 years ago, too. As for southerners calling anyone a yankee, it's not common for them to even refer to northerners in that manner. It's less common for them to actually call a yankee a yankee. In either case, yankee is a well deserved pejorative.

Some people just have that vibe about them that they are going to have issues in any situation. Looks like that's right up your alley.

My daughter and her classmates twice had incidents in Georgia going to and from Orlando about a month ago. The bus got off I95 and stopped in small towns for them to go to fast food places. Her school is very diverse with kids from many countries. It was her first experience with racism. She said the people, Black and White, but especially Black, were giving them really dirty looks. Their White teachers were very embarrassed by it.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

My daughter and son in law spent a year in North Carolina. She taught at a charter high school while he worked at Lowes. I went down to visit them for a week and she gave me a tour of her school. The kids were the best behaved children that I had ever met. There was this one kid who kind of a smart ass but even he was respectful toward her. Granted, this was a charter school, but if their behavior was indicative of their public school peers....

While I was there we took a ride to the Triad (Raleigh/Durham) and, of course, we went to a Waffle House.

 

[MrFedEx]

I've spent most of my life in the south, much of it in places less attractive than Blytheville or Memphis. Blatant racism? No. Calling someone a yankee all the time? No.

There are some people who have whatever issues they have with black people, but they by and large keep it to themselves while out in public. And it was like that 25 years ago, too. As for southerners calling anyone a yankee, it's not common for them to even refer to northerners in that manner. It's less common for them to actually call a yankee a yankee. In either case, yankee is a well deserved pejorative.

Some people just have that vibe about them that they are going to have issues in any situation. Looks like that's right up your alley.

BS. I watched a FedEx manager call out to a mixed race black/white couple "What are you doing with that N-word, girl?". Off the clock at the Memphis Hilton. In Blytheville, I went out 3 separate nights with 2 black RTDs to the local clubs. I was welcome, and they were not. The contract company doing the training had to fire an instructor for using the N-word in a joke told in a classroom.

And we were constantly called Yankees. You're either blind, or a liar. Maybe both. I'd much rather be a Yankee than a racist cracker.

 

[59 Dano]

My daughter and her classmates twice had incidents in Georgia going to and from Orlando about a month ago. The bus got off I95 and stopped in small towns for them to go to fast food places. Her school is very diverse with kids from many countries. It was her first experience with racism. She said the people, Black and White, but especially Black, were giving them really dirty looks. Their White teachers were very embarrassed by it.

Outsiders (or those who seem like outsiders) of any race get those looks in the south.

 

[Operational needs]

Outsiders (or those who seem like outsiders) of any race get those looks in the south.

I explained to her that her group was not something they were used to seeing. A mixed group of well dressed teenagers with all their teeth. I told her that in the South, the races don't generally mix on that level and that THEY were the strange ones. Still didn't make her feel any better about it. She said, "Half of them didn't even have all their teeth and they were looking at US as if there was something wrong with us!" Lol.

 

[59 Dano]

BS. I watched a FedEx manager call out to a mixed race black/white couple "What are you doing with that N-word, girl?". Off the clock at the Memphis Hilton. In Blytheville, I went out 3 separate nights with 2 black RTDs to the local clubs. I was welcome, and they were not. The contract company doing the training had to fire an instructor for using the N-word in a joke told in a classroom.

And we were constantly called Yankees. You're either blind, or a liar. Maybe both. I'd much rather be a Yankee than a racist cracker.

The only thing missing from your story is, "They had Klan hoods surgically attached to their heads and were getting Confederate flag tattoos on their face as they goose stepped around the burning cross giving the Nazi salute."

 

[59 Dano]

I explained to her that her group was not something they were used to seeing. A mixed group of well dressed teenagers with all their teeth. I told her that in the South, the races don't generally mix on that level and that THEY were the strange ones. Still didn't make her feel any better about it. She said, "Half of them didn't even have all their teeth and they were looking at US as if there was something wrong with us!" Lol.

Yep. Every group has some other group to look down upon.

 

[dookie stain]

BS. I watched a FedEx manager call out to a mixed race black/white couple "What are you doing with that N-word, girl?". Off the clock at the Memphis Hilton. In Blytheville, I went out 3 separate nights with 2 black RTDs to the local clubs. I was welcome, and they were not. The contract company doing the training had to fire an instructor for using the N-word in a joke told in a classroom.

And we were constantly called Yankees. You're either blind, or a liar. Maybe both. I'd much rather be a Yankee than a racist cracker.

As opposed to a racist whatever the hell you are? Bigot

 

[MrFedEx]

The only thing missing from your story is, "They had Klan hoods surgically attached to their heads and were getting Confederate flag tattoos on their face as they goose stepped around the burning cross giving the Nazi salute."

Whatever, Mr. Apologist. The "New South" isn't that different from the Old South. What you people get away with down there would have you shot on the West Coast in many cities.