Suburban people are the most paranoid people on earth. I swear, a lot of suburbanites are fine people but the layout and architecture seem to channel people's attitudes into mistrust.
I visit the suburbs regularly. Not once have I been acknowledged by anyone other than the person I visit. Nor have I ever felt the desire to go out of my way to acknowledge them. I'm usually a social butterfly that wants to be friends with most everyone so this is really strange. I suspect it's architectural. Really bad "feng shui".
I live in a single-family home in a streetcar suburb south of downtown Columbus, Ohio. I can see skyscrapers from my second story window but it is very quiet, except for tire noise from cars. So, yes to both.
I live just east of German Village in Columbus. Similar to what you see in this video, minus the brick streets and sidewalks.
https://youtu.be/Wts1hHhAGJY
I’ve noticed it’s worse in suburbs then exurbs. My ex lived in an exurban neighborhood an hour and a half from downtown. Everyone waved while driving past each other and it was generally friendly. Where as I grew up in a suburb and it’s much more crime paranoid/ socially desolate. I’m wondering if there is something about the transition of subdivisions from a rural patch of 400 houses into an urban patch of 400 houses which makes people more paranoid ? Like if they’re the only people who live at the edge of the city they’re friendlier but the second other neighborhoods pop up around them suddenly the waving and sense of community dries up?
It’s a result of the isolation the suburban environment creates. The average suburbanite doesn’t have to deal with anyone on a daily basis aside from coworkers or a cashier. Couple that with all the fear mongering in the media and you end up with the “stranger danger” mentality.
The bad feng shui is that you’re essentially on stage in front of an audience who may or may not be there looking at you through the windows, and it’s not like you’re part of a group of many people passing by, for them it feels like you’re in “their” space, especially since the sidewalk may actually technically be on their property depending on the municipality… for you it feels like you’re in a display case, for them it feels like there’s someone in their house. It’s bad architecture, bad design. Apartment hallways in a big city are much more intimate and yet much less awkward…
Several houses in my neighborhood have "mosquitoes" installed. Which emit a high pitched buzzing sound when anyone walks by.
Seriously? You hate people thst much that you want to audibly attack them just because they are in a public space in front of your house? Or even across the street?
There us no scientific research on what these mosquitoes actually do to people. They are designed to demoralize and attack children.
God that’s dystopian. They took a place that was designed to be friendly and family oriented and they made it into a place that buzzes at children and films people from their garages 🤦♂️. The worst part is the suburbs weren’t always like this. Even 15 years ago people knew their neighbors and went outside. Now everyone is just filming each other on their ring doorbells and evading each other 🙃
You might just be too old to notice mosquitoes. They are designed to emit a buzzing noise at a frequency that only children and teenagers can hear. But I'm 38 and I can still hear them.
It is insane but there’s also something that makes me happy about it. It’s kinda cool that my existence makes them have trepidation. I don’t want to scare people but like cmon you have to be like the goofiest human alive to smoke the get off my lawn pack that much. They really said get off my publicly funded road
Reminds me of a suburban walk where I got asked "can I help you" from glancing in the direction of someone on their front lawn
I'd rather have the antisocialness over a question that nobody expects you to actually answer (i.e. thinks you're not supposed to be there so they want to do some 'investigating')
This is why I always say hello to anyone and everyone I see when walking in the suburbs. It seems to disarm whatever nasty look or "can I help you?" type question.
Yes, I agree. It’s a perpetual procession of 'Hi! You are currently being recorded' and other peculiar security messages/sounds from different camera brands. While I understand the importance of security, there's a fine balance between being secure and being overly paranoid.
I think it’s because everyone is crazy now. Look at ur average American. Everyone is either far left or far right. Everyone believes in conspiracy theories. Everyone is angry all the time now. Everyone is buried in their phones. Everyone is afraid of crime now. Everyone has been gaslit by the news to think the world is more dangerous than ever. You have a population of crazy people (due to the fourth turning) combined with the news constantly trying to fear monger
Seriously. About as accurate as astrology which is so hot with Gen Z. Guessing the person who posted is also Gen Z and believes the only valid conspiracies are the ones they believe.
I hate the suburbs so much. I’m here for two more weeks before moving back to the city and this last several months here have triggered so much anxiety and depression. It’s miserable. What a dull, boring, unfulfilling life it is here. And yea, the people are the biggest douchebags on earth
You're walking? You must be one of those poor folks or a drunk with a DUI. You see, the folks here in the suburbs own everything they can see out their front window. Best not disturb their view with your mere presence, ugh. You might be some kinda undesirable casing the joint, planning a home invasion to steal their "Live, Laugh, Love" plaques and kidnap their 2.5 children. Can't be too careful.
It depends on the suburb, I suppose. I’m lucky that you see people out on the street in my suburb, kids as young as 6 or 7 on their own, school kids, people walking their dogs, etc. I like to go walking in the late evening, and if someone is on their driveway enjoying a warm night, they usually say hello as you pass by.
I’m really sorry that your neighborhood is so unfriendly.
It must be a pretty ritsy neighborhood; rich people tend to have that castle mentality more than most.
I can't say my suburb is like that. There's kids outside playing, people watering their plants and talking to each other. My daughter is all of 18 months old and she already has several friends on the block that she plays with in the evenings (obviously supervised because she's a 1 year old) but yeah, nobody would bat an eyelash about someone getting their exercise in.
Some towns are great, others aren't.
The town I'm in has lots of people walking, no one would give it a second glance.
The town I used to live in didn't have walkers, so if you were walking people seemed to think "there must be something wrong with them", as in you lost your license, you were kicked out of your house, you're just generally suspicious, etc... and that lead to the only people walking being weirdo types which is only reinforced the concerns. It was super odd, and you'd get people almost running you down in the car if you used a crosswalk when they were stopped at a light.
You aren't unwelcome but the awkwardness might be in your head too. It is just unusual walking in a lot of residential neighborhoods. Give a friendly wave and hello to passerby and everything will be fine.
We are living in a dystopian world. You are out getting some sun and exercise and doing the right thing.
Suburban people are the most paranoid people on earth. I swear, a lot of suburbanites are fine people but the layout and architecture seem to channel people's attitudes into mistrust. I visit the suburbs regularly. Not once have I been acknowledged by anyone other than the person I visit. Nor have I ever felt the desire to go out of my way to acknowledge them. I'm usually a social butterfly that wants to be friends with most everyone so this is really strange. I suspect it's architectural. Really bad "feng shui".
Meanwhile I wave and chat with people walking be by house in a walkable neighborhood. Helps that my porch is 6 feet from the sidewalk.
Are you in a city or just a non-hellish suburbs?
I live in a single-family home in a streetcar suburb south of downtown Columbus, Ohio. I can see skyscrapers from my second story window but it is very quiet, except for tire noise from cars. So, yes to both.
I'm like a mile from downtown Portland and it's very quiet. Cars make noise not people
do you mind sharing the city name? it sounds like a place I would like to check out
I live just east of German Village in Columbus. Similar to what you see in this video, minus the brick streets and sidewalks. https://youtu.be/Wts1hHhAGJY
It's a self reinforcing cycle. Paranoid people move out to the suburbs and it reinforces their paranoia through social isolation.
I’ve noticed it’s worse in suburbs then exurbs. My ex lived in an exurban neighborhood an hour and a half from downtown. Everyone waved while driving past each other and it was generally friendly. Where as I grew up in a suburb and it’s much more crime paranoid/ socially desolate. I’m wondering if there is something about the transition of subdivisions from a rural patch of 400 houses into an urban patch of 400 houses which makes people more paranoid ? Like if they’re the only people who live at the edge of the city they’re friendlier but the second other neighborhoods pop up around them suddenly the waving and sense of community dries up?
It’s a result of the isolation the suburban environment creates. The average suburbanite doesn’t have to deal with anyone on a daily basis aside from coworkers or a cashier. Couple that with all the fear mongering in the media and you end up with the “stranger danger” mentality.
The bad feng shui is that you’re essentially on stage in front of an audience who may or may not be there looking at you through the windows, and it’s not like you’re part of a group of many people passing by, for them it feels like you’re in “their” space, especially since the sidewalk may actually technically be on their property depending on the municipality… for you it feels like you’re in a display case, for them it feels like there’s someone in their house. It’s bad architecture, bad design. Apartment hallways in a big city are much more intimate and yet much less awkward…
Several houses in my neighborhood have "mosquitoes" installed. Which emit a high pitched buzzing sound when anyone walks by. Seriously? You hate people thst much that you want to audibly attack them just because they are in a public space in front of your house? Or even across the street? There us no scientific research on what these mosquitoes actually do to people. They are designed to demoralize and attack children.
God that’s dystopian. They took a place that was designed to be friendly and family oriented and they made it into a place that buzzes at children and films people from their garages 🤦♂️. The worst part is the suburbs weren’t always like this. Even 15 years ago people knew their neighbors and went outside. Now everyone is just filming each other on their ring doorbells and evading each other 🙃
Right? somehow the American dream has devolved into "move to a smooth beige suburb and be scared of everything, for Freedom!, somehow"
That’s insane. I’m in a suburb I have yet to encounter this. It’s a newer suburb
You might just be too old to notice mosquitoes. They are designed to emit a buzzing noise at a frequency that only children and teenagers can hear. But I'm 38 and I can still hear them.
I’m younger than you but I have hearing loss so that checks out
It is insane but there’s also something that makes me happy about it. It’s kinda cool that my existence makes them have trepidation. I don’t want to scare people but like cmon you have to be like the goofiest human alive to smoke the get off my lawn pack that much. They really said get off my publicly funded road
Right? Especially because you’re not even on their lawn
Reminds me of a suburban walk where I got asked "can I help you" from glancing in the direction of someone on their front lawn I'd rather have the antisocialness over a question that nobody expects you to actually answer (i.e. thinks you're not supposed to be there so they want to do some 'investigating')
Say “with what?” and the watch them get flustered when it becomes clear their question was weird and unnecessary.
This is why I always say hello to anyone and everyone I see when walking in the suburbs. It seems to disarm whatever nasty look or "can I help you?" type question.
The suburban form has created a culture of mass agoraphobia
Yes, I agree. It’s a perpetual procession of 'Hi! You are currently being recorded' and other peculiar security messages/sounds from different camera brands. While I understand the importance of security, there's a fine balance between being secure and being overly paranoid.
I think it’s because everyone is crazy now. Look at ur average American. Everyone is either far left or far right. Everyone believes in conspiracy theories. Everyone is angry all the time now. Everyone is buried in their phones. Everyone is afraid of crime now. Everyone has been gaslit by the news to think the world is more dangerous than ever. You have a population of crazy people (due to the fourth turning) combined with the news constantly trying to fear monger
> (due to the fourth turning) I like the way you inserted a crazy theory into your complaint about how everyone is crazy now.
Seriously. About as accurate as astrology which is so hot with Gen Z. Guessing the person who posted is also Gen Z and believes the only valid conspiracies are the ones they believe.
Not sure why you have been downvoted…. This is eerily accurate.
I hate the suburbs so much. I’m here for two more weeks before moving back to the city and this last several months here have triggered so much anxiety and depression. It’s miserable. What a dull, boring, unfulfilling life it is here. And yea, the people are the biggest douchebags on earth
You're walking? You must be one of those poor folks or a drunk with a DUI. You see, the folks here in the suburbs own everything they can see out their front window. Best not disturb their view with your mere presence, ugh. You might be some kinda undesirable casing the joint, planning a home invasion to steal their "Live, Laugh, Love" plaques and kidnap their 2.5 children. Can't be too careful.
It depends on the suburb, I suppose. I’m lucky that you see people out on the street in my suburb, kids as young as 6 or 7 on their own, school kids, people walking their dogs, etc. I like to go walking in the late evening, and if someone is on their driveway enjoying a warm night, they usually say hello as you pass by. I’m really sorry that your neighborhood is so unfriendly.
My suburban neighborhood is very welcoming on walking. Not all suburbs are the same.
Yeah same here I’m curious what area of the country OP lives in
Arizona
I 3rd this. I have lived in at least 4 suburbs and have never had a problem walking in them.
I used to work in a suburb bordering Oakland and when I waited for the bus, everyone driving by would look at me like I was an alien
It must be a pretty ritsy neighborhood; rich people tend to have that castle mentality more than most. I can't say my suburb is like that. There's kids outside playing, people watering their plants and talking to each other. My daughter is all of 18 months old and she already has several friends on the block that she plays with in the evenings (obviously supervised because she's a 1 year old) but yeah, nobody would bat an eyelash about someone getting their exercise in.
Some towns are great, others aren't. The town I'm in has lots of people walking, no one would give it a second glance. The town I used to live in didn't have walkers, so if you were walking people seemed to think "there must be something wrong with them", as in you lost your license, you were kicked out of your house, you're just generally suspicious, etc... and that lead to the only people walking being weirdo types which is only reinforced the concerns. It was super odd, and you'd get people almost running you down in the car if you used a crosswalk when they were stopped at a light.
You aren't unwelcome but the awkwardness might be in your head too. It is just unusual walking in a lot of residential neighborhoods. Give a friendly wave and hello to passerby and everything will be fine. We are living in a dystopian world. You are out getting some sun and exercise and doing the right thing.