Epic Yelp Freeze Thread [Part 4]

06/05/2007 Gavin N. says:

Yeah I agree..there is definitely a Seattle freeze
here…I felt it a lot at Gonzaga in Spokane, but a
lot of people who went to my school are from the
Seattle-area. I mean a lot of people here are very
nice to strangers in regards to quick smiles, head
nods, simple courtesy. But that’s pretty much it. In
Guam..if you make eye contact, smile at someone,
etc…expect to hear this “what are you staring at,
want to fight?” or a nervous girl walking away and
grabbing her bf to kick your ass for eying her. Here
it’s a little more friendly than that..but that’s
where it stops. If you make conversation with a
stranger, it kind of ends there. And clubbing forget
about it. Pretty much anyone and everyone I’ve met in
this area has been from school, work, or friends of
friends..or on line.
 Back home you dint get that initial friendliness, but
once you get past that barrier, say you meet people at
a bar or some random party or just make a random joke
and you’re not a weird stranger..you hear things like
this “hey dude I’m having a party/fiesta..come over
bring a six pack and party dude”. yeah nothing like
that here. Anyway that’s my experience with I guess
the Seattle freeze…”Hi have a nice day” AKA “Hi have
a nice day..somewhere else”
~G
 06/05/2007 chris l. says:

i experienced the “freeze”  on this site yesterday.
not really sure if there was a reason.  but it was
disheartening 😦
 06/06/2007 Robin R. says:

Chris:  what happened?
 06/06/2007 chris l. says:

doesn’t matter, im probably just bing to sensitive.
wont be attending any events tho.
 06/06/2007 Michael O. says:

Who freezed you? Do tell. It might help if you had a
picture, any picture. Doesn’t have to be you. Could be
a dog, or a flower or a potato. I admit to being a bit
biased toward those with pictures and at least
partially filled out profiles vs those who don’t.
Seems a lot of people just come on here to snipe and
do a drive by nasty review to someplace and then
leave. I feel like if someone wants to participate
here at least put a little effort into it. *shrug*

But still I try not to freeze anyone out if
approached.
 06/06/2007 Scott F. says:

Interesting conversation, but I don’t think there is
anything to be done about it – most new people who are
normally extroverts figure out the situation fairly
quickly.  I didn’t need “the freeze article” to
explain what was going on, but it was nice to read
that others were experiencing the same thing.  Most
area natives ‘shrug’ and don’t seem to get it, because
to them it is normal.  I find that on the surface,
Seattlites are VERY friendly – it is very easy for me
to meet people here.  But as many have noted, it’s
tough to make friends.  No big deal – you learn to do
things on your own more and enjoy that time –
eventually you make friends.   Also, it surprises me
to hear that some of you find people being
‘unfriendly’ – that’s different to me from ‘the
freeze’.  (Last time I use that term).

BTW – I moved here 10 months ago from the SouthEast.
It’s a different culture – not better or worse.
Seattle is very different, and that is why I’m here –
I don’t expect or want the people here to change for
me 🙂 – just trying to figure them out, fit in, have
fun.
 06/06/2007 chris l. says:

doesn’t matter who did the freezing.  actually i had
my picture on here.  pulled it down yesterday…..  it
is old news now.
 06/06/2007 Maia H. says:

Are people still in the business of freezing people? I
thought that went out with Jeffrey Dahmer.
 06/06/2007 Kristin K. says:

I’m another California transplant (yeah, yeah — go
ahead. I’ve heard it all). I came from San Francisco,
but also lived in Washington D.C. (which is brisk —
not chilly). Even though I’m a native, I felt San
Francisco was somewhat unfriendly too — people are
just self-absorbed. But it was really easy to make
friends.

Here — I don’t know what the deal is. Granted, we
bought a house over on the Eastside, so maybe that’s
it. I was so crushed when our neighbors
avoided/ignored us for months and months. I thought
that was the whole point of living in the ‘burbs —
community, bake sales, kids playing. When our home was
robbed over Christmas, the cops told us that our
neighbors were sheepish when they admitted they didn’t
know us — didn’t even know our names. Things have
changed a bit since then.

I completely agree with Ellen L’s post that there
seems to be a low-level anger here. I also get that in
colder climates people tend to wall themselves off a
bit more than in warm ones. When I was in St. Pete,
Fla., on business in February, everyone waved, said
hello. It was startling.

My hubby and I have been here for 18 months, and
despite the “Seattle Freeze,” we love it here and have
made a lot of friends. But I think it’s telling that
ALL of them are from somewhere else, too.
 06/06/2007 Scott F. says:

That’s strange.  Maybe it’s because I live downtown,
but I don’t sense any ‘low-level anger’ – on the
contrary, the politeness is almost weird at times.
Good point about all your friends being from somewhere
else.  This will sound kind of bad, but one way I’ve
adapted to this situation is that when I find out
where someone is from, if they are a native to the
area I am more careful not to get very personal with
them, because it’s generally not only a waste of time,
but likely to offend by getting in their personal
space.
 06/06/2007 Katie S. says:

Yes, well.. as someone who has lived here for years, I
can’t really speak to the ‘Seattle Freeze’, but I’m
sorry that many of you have had this experience here..

That said, I experience the same thing whenever I’m in
NYC. I love that city and have friends there, but in
general people seem to be cold and unhappy. I’m a
really outgoing, happy person and it tends to get me
no where there. Just sayin’.
 06/06/2007 Robin R. says:

Scott F: some of us did need the article, though.  For
years I’ve wondered what I was doing wrong, why I had
so little luck here finding friends, in comparison to
the other places I have lived.  I’ve lived abroad and
in other regions in the US and did not have these
social issues, but I still wondered if the problem
here was me.  The article gave me some validation.
Mind you, the article did not give me the excuse to
just throw up my hands and stop trying to make friends
here.  I will still make the effort, but I no longer
feel so alone in this matter.
 06/06/2007 Miss Mary Ann D. says:

well, after a week of 70-80 + degree temperatures, I
am FREEZING my butt off at 58 degrees …. BRRRRRR
 06/06/2007 Maia H. says:

ha ha, me too Miss MAD. I almost busted out the wool
coat this morning!
 06/06/2007 Kevin W. says:

I haven’t felt like I was on 56k in a looooong time.
This is exactly why Yelp needs to implement ‘pages’
for threads
 06/06/2007 Ian M. says:

MMAD, indeed, it feels like it’s March again.  Or
April.  Or November.

Kevin, agreed.  This forum implementation is, hmm,
lacking.  Woefully.  There’s a thread in the SF region
that has over 1,500 replies.  Had I been amongst the
initial contributors, I would have given up trying to
read or reply after a couple hundred posts.
 06/06/2007 Mark In The Dark S. says:

Ha!  Scott F (several posts above) you are SO cool!
The first person on this thread to actually suggest a
way to deal with this strange aspect of the Pacific
NorthWest natives!

Scott F sez, “One way I’ve adapted to this situation
is that when I find out where someone is from, if they
are a native to the area I am more careful not to get
very personal with them, because it’s generally not
only a waste of time, but likely to offend by getting
in their personal space.”

That is IT!  Just back off the clannish locals and
politely be receptive only to those who have lived
elsewhere, when you’re lookin’ for real friends!
America is one of the most mobile societies, there are
many, many non-locals in the Pacific Northwest, just
like everywhere else.

It’s a somewhat sad state of affairs but, I think he’s
probably quite on target!   Life is too short!
 06/06/2007 nate j. says:

This might not be indicative of all Seattle area
natives, but I rarely get too engaged with new people,
whether they be natives or not, for fear that they
might think I’m being too pushy or intrusive on their
space.

Also, I never make it a point upon meeting a new
person to initially say, hey, where are you from?  And
certainly, I wouldn’t launch into conversation and
abruptly cut it off when I discover you’re from Tulsa
or Bakersfield instead of Tukwila or Burien.

Lastly, there is a certain amount of wishy-squishy
when it comes to making plans, and it isn’t
necessarily penciling in an appointment until
something better comes along.  Usually more like guy
#1: “hey let’s go mountain biking sometime!”  Guy #2
(a native): “that’d be cool.  I’ll call you.”  Guy #1:
“Great.  Later.”  I don’t think guy #2 has any clue
guy #1 might be sitting around waiting for the call to
go biking, nor does he realize it’s rude to totaly
sort of make plans and never follow through, nor does
he realize guy #1 might not like guy #2 anymore due to
the realization guy #2 is flakey.
 06/06/2007 Miss Mary Ann D. says:

when someone is interested in chatting with me, I ask
them what part of california they are from – haven;t
missed yet.
 06/06/2007 Maria C. says:

ahem…
 06/06/2007 Scott F. says:

Mark – when I see my words repeated they sound
terrible!  It’s just that I am cognizant of the fact
that the natives have different social interaction
rules and I have to respect those rules.  Here’s an
example that we’ve all seen elsewhere, but probably
not as often as in Seattle:  if a local says “Hey,
let’s get together – I’ll call you and we’ll go have
dinner”  ….  it means nothing unless they are
already a friend.  But if the same situation occurs in
Texas, you’ll probably get a call.  The difference is
that in the South they won’t make the comment unless
they mean it, but in Seattle that sort of thing gets
thrown around a lot and generally doesn’t mean
anything.  Superficially very friendly but no
follow-through – gives newcomers and tourists a false
sense of friendliness that is only skin-deep.  It’s
still a great place and I think friendships will
gradually develop here like anwhere else, just slower
– I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
 06/06/2007 GG A. says:

Seattle Freeze, otherwise known as “an external point
of blame that sad, lonely people can put on their
social failures”.  Every region experiencing a high
influx of people has some similar urban legend, and
it’s always written about in the local metro paper
that’s written in the Village Voice format, because
this is the kidn of thing those papers write about..
When I moved to New York, there was a similar moan
fest.. When I moved to SF, same thing..  Philly?
Ditto.  When a large group of people move to an area
at once, then there’s just a communal feeling that
gets vocalized “hey, it’s hard to meet people here,
the locals might suck” by one or two people, and the
next thing you know it’s fact, which helps create an
equally and opposite reaction from “locals” about
those damned invaders.  Whatever, it’s paranoia.

I’m a jerk, yet I’ve made 1/2 dozen friends in the 3
months my family & I have been here. If I can make
friends, then the rest of you need to shut the fuck
up, go out, meet some people, and get over it.
 06/06/2007 Robin R. says:

Instead of insulting us, how about some solid
suggestions?  Where are good places in Seattle for
meeting new people, who we can convert into our own
half-dozen friends?  Any recommendations for speaking
to the people here?  Any ideas how to “get over it”?
Thanks in advance.
 06/06/2007 Zachary P. says:

“I’m a jerk, yet I’ve made 1/2 dozen friends in the 3
months my family & I have been here. If I can make
friends, then the rest of you need to shut the fuck
up, go out, meet some people, and get over it.”

birds of a feather flock together…
 06/06/2007 Scott F. says:

First rule of the internet Robin – don’t feed the
trolls.
 06/06/2007 Kevin W. says:

*runs out the door crying*
 06/08/2007 Robin R. says:

Scott F. you’re right, unfortunately it was too
tempting to ask how I can make a half-dozen friends in
three months also!
 06/08/2007 Ian S. says:

I love this thread.

Here’s what you do.  Post a lot on the internet and
never go outside.  After the first month, go to your
bathroom at midnight and stand in front of the mirror.
 Whisper “I need to get out more” three times with
your face 1″ from the mirror.  Make out with your
reflection if necessary, but say it three times.

Saint Yelpstrum, the One True Founder and First of the
Venture Capitalists of Yelp will appear with a shaker
of martinis and be your Best Friend Ever!

After that, it’s all downhill to social success, a
wealth of orgasms, and unlimited disposable income.*

Please post your success stories summoning Saint
Yelpstrum to this thread to let us know it worked for
you.

* : PS – I will have your humility.
 06/08/2007 Rebecca L. says:

Ian S,
a wealth of orgasms?  Do you deposit that wealth into
a bank or redistriubute?
 06/08/2007 Alan G. says:

Ian S. is right.  I’ve been here in Seattle for 15
years now, and have been able to court over 41
friendships in that time.  (For proof look at my
friend list.  http://www.yelp.com/user…  That’s
right 42 baby!  And growing every day!)  Sometimes my
friends compliment me, or send me messages, and then I
write them back.  It makes me feel like a really real
person in a way that a live human never could.  Yelp
is the best thing that could’ve EVER happened to my
“social life”.
Thank god the HH’s aren’t mandatory.  I haven’t left
my closet/room/house in over three years, and don’t
plan on starting now.
 06/08/2007 Maia H. says:

I think a wealth of orgasms are certainly tangible
throughout the group. Compliments are like foreplay!
 06/08/2007 Scott F. says:

I know that the ‘internet/yelp friends’ comments were
made tongue-in-cheek, but there really is something to
be said for that.   You will say things to people over
the internet who you barely know, that you wouldn’t
say so early in a ‘relationship’ in real life – then
if you physically meet, it’s easier to get to be
friends (you know, that thing that is deeper than what
you have with the guy at the coffee shop who says “Hi
Bill” to you every morning).

So maybe a partial solution is to participate MORE in
these internet forums, meet a few people here from the
Seattle area, then actually physically meet at some
point.  Just a thought…I don’t plan on doing it, but
it might work for you all. 🙂
 06/08/2007 Alan G. says:

Actually, when I made those comments my tongue was,
um, well… let’s just say it WASN’T in a cheek.
 06/08/2007 Ian S. says:

Scott:  You might be surprised what I say to people I
don’t know well in person.

Not that I meet people in person, mind you.  I’m too
busy partying in my parent’s basement or in a van down
by the river.
 06/08/2007 Tiffany S. says:

Ian – I’m amazed you’ve found room amongst the bodies
to “party.”

PS. Bodies are not friends.
 06/08/2007 Ian S. says:

Tiffers:  It’s the closets that are full of skeletons.
 The zombies are out in the woodshed.  The basement is
strictly for mad scientists and their monsters.
 06/08/2007 Marissa S. says:

Scott…..funny..I am exactly the same in person as I
am online. Which might be a bit frightening. I am not
scared to say anything in person that I would say
online. And I get annoyed when people are different in
person….REALLY annoyed.
 06/08/2007 Marissa S. says:

Scott…..funny..I am exactly the same in person as I
am online. Which might be a bit frightening. I am not
scared to say anything in person that I would say
online. And I get annoyed when people are different in
person….REALLY annoyed.
 06/08/2007

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 06/08/2007 Marissa S. says:

wow Roger, that was really harsh….

I wouldn’t nearly go that far. I come from the South
(Texas)…and have lived in 2 of the top 15
friendliest cities….(Austin is where I feel most
comfortable outside of Seattle)…and it has been very
difficult to make friends up here…in fact I have
only made 1 really close friend, and he is also from
Texas…
Until Yelp, Thank god for Yelp!

I still think it is hard to make CLOSE friendships
with locals…..but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I
wouldn’t want to…I just haven’t been able to.

now….get me with some other Southerners and then I
might let some harsher things slip 😉
but there are locals in here who are VERY nice!
 06/08/2007

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 06/08/2007 Miss Mary Ann D. says:

Roger N says:

“”passive aggressiveness, insularity, conformity,
xenophobia, nosiness, (negative) sensitivity,
duplicity, and smugness that help form the “Seattle
Freeze” are not traits most people (outside of the
Pacific Northwest) really value in their friend””

I just wanted to see that again…

alright – I admit it

I am Roger N in real life….
 06/08/2007

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 06/08/2007 Robin R. says:

Roger N.:  I agree that, at times, it is best to leave
an area if you dislike the social scene.   It’s not
always the case,  as there is more to a city than its
social scene.  Leaving is not an option for me at this
time, for career and personal reasons.  There are also
non-social aspects about the city I do like, including
the recreational opportunities and the theater scene.
 Overall, I find Seattle “worth it” but I am
interested in talking about some of the problems here
in hopes of finding solutions.

The suggestion you offer that one might want want to
just avoid friendships with natives is an interesting
one.  You are correct, passive-aggression and
duplicity here are more common than in other places
I’ve lived. There are some other regions where people
will come right out and tell you when they think you
“suck”, and why they think that.  While it’s never
enjoyable to be told that, I’ll take that over the
style here where people who seem unbothered by you and
instead screw you over in an extended, subtle fashion.
 06/08/2007 Mark In The Dark S. says:

I think the long, long neverending discussions on this
topic both here an on Portland Yelp pretty much prove
“something is up.” I don’t expect the locals to
change, it really doesn’t matter to me.  I’ve just
lived all over the country and notice the difference.
I enjoy noticing the subtle differences in the
different parts of the country, I think most of them
are cool and should be appreciated. They are rare.
What brought it to our attention here in the PNW was
the way people avoided eye contact when we said “hi”
to them in public here.  Some, not all, here seemed
really surprised to be spoken to in public.  So now
it’s just kind of a hobby to watch  that kind of
reaction from some people I am exposed to.  I often
speak to people on purpose just to see which “version”
they are!!!  I used to think they were cold, but now I
believe they’re just not comfortable around people
they don’t know.  No better, no worse.  It’s just the
way they grew up.
 06/09/2007 Ian S. says:

Well at least we can all agree that Portland sucks and
that Seattle roolz.

That’s something, anyway.

Go team go!
 06/09/2007 Scott F. says:

Mark, in reference to what you just stated, great
stuff, but regarding the part I’ve quoted below, I
don’t find this to be true; on the contrary, people
are MORE likely to make eye contact and say ‘hello’ in
Seattle (with me, anyway).  Maybe you have a wandering
eye or something?  They are just less likely to get
any deeper than that.  This is just my experience, but
perhaps it has to do with living downtown and having a
cute dog?  I’ve always lived in the suburbs, so
perhaps downtown areas are friendlier in general, and
if I lived anywhere else I would be blown away with
the friendliness.

City perspectives are interesting.  I always heard
that the French were real snotty toward Americans, but
after spending a week in Manhattan, then a week
following in Paris, I had MANY more rude experiences
with New Yorkers (and I interact a lot).   I can
honestly say it’s very, very rare to have anyone be
rude in Seattle…until you get to know them better 🙂

Also, this is a great thread – as a result of these
shared experiences there are probably a few people
thinking “Cool – it’s normal – I’ll just deal with it
and have fun”, rather than saying “This place is
unfriendly – I’m out of here.”

“…What brought it to our attention here in the PNW
was the way people avoided eye contact when we said
“hi” to them in public here.  Some, not all, here
seemed really surprised to be spoken to in public.  So
now it’s just kind of a hobby to watch  that kind of
reaction from some people I am exposed to.  I often
speak to people on purpose just to see which “version”
they are!!!  I used to think they were cold, but now I
believe they’re just not comfortable around people
they don’t know.  No better, no worse.  It’s just the
way they grew up.
 06/09/2007 Miss Mary Ann D. says:

“”I can honestly say it’s very, very rare to have
anyone be rude in Seattle…until you get to know them
better 🙂 “”

exactly.
 06/09/2007

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 06/09/2007 Amanda S. says:

I agree with Roger’s answer to the infamous Seattle
Freeze, I am from the south, Jacksonville Florida to
be exact, and I have been in Seattle for over a year
now.  Manners are completely out the window in regards
to passing strangers.  I understand Seattle is a big
city but when I lived in NYC for 6 months, it was
always easy to say hello to someone passing by…..  I
have gotten used to the culture here though and
adjusted quite nicely because my ideals of people have
changed.  By doing this, I found that people are more
approachable once you back off and not worry about
every single action someone did or did not do.    🙂
 06/09/2007

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 06/09/2007 Amanda S. says:

LOL Roger, I agree with everything you said!!  At
least you would get a rise out of bleeding heart
consevatives in the south as opposed to blank stares
and silence     :).  I never mentioned that you have
OCD over every little action, I did though, and I just
learned to stop listening to what the rude,
overbearing Seattleites have to say and just go with
the flow.  I completely understand what you are saying
and glad you spoke up about it because it seems like
people in general just keep everything inside and end
up being pessimistic and downright negative about
everything  🙂
 06/09/2007

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 06/09/2007 Ian S. says:

Ladies and gents, Roger N.  Please don’t all throw
your panties at once.
 06/09/2007

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 06/09/2007 Miss Mary Ann D. says:

good to hear roger – maybe you could write some
reviews
 06/09/2007

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 06/09/2007 Robin R. says:

An example of Seattle passive-aggression and moral
finger-wagging:

I sometimes transport a disabled friend.  As a favor,
I pick this person up from work and/or retail stores.
This means I park my car using the friend’s disabled
parking permit, then retrieve said friend.  Many times
I have returned to my car, with my disabled friend, to
an  anonymous note waiting under my windshield wiper.
The writers deem that I “don’t look handicapped”,
claim they’ve called law enforcement, make assumptions
about my morality, and sometimes threaten me.  I
similarly helped out a different disabled friend where
I used to live several states away, and literally
never had this happen.

First off, I don’t know what a disabled person
supposed to “look” like.  I doubt even a physician
could determine a fully clothed person’s disability
status from the distance these writers apparently had
when they viewed me.  How morally pompous can one get?
 Secondly, if the message is important to throw out
threats,  why don’t they have the ovaries to tell me
to my face?  I can’t imagine anything more
passive-aggressive.
 06/09/2007 g g. says:

So you’ve returned to your car to find a nasty note,
which indicates you weren’t around to see who placed
it there. And yet, you deduce it was a female who is a
Seattle native. Did they leave a “born and raised”
lipstick imprint on the note? I had one  on my car
once calling me a proud f*ck because I parked too
close to the line on one side whilst rushing into an
establishment to pick up a sick friend. I didn’t
assume the gender or native residency of the writer. I
was just glad I didn’t see who put it there because I
would have gone to jail after planting my foot up
their arse.

And Roger N. – this, non-Seattleite isn’t buying the
one-sided ‘freeze’ rationalisation. There are enough
rude, judgmental or whiny posts in this thread against
natives to reveal it is certainly not a situation
which can be attributed to or blamed solely on the
locals. When your attitude sucks, so will your
experiences – and that cuts both ways.

Finally, when I am operating out of my Seattle home,
the quality of the city is the scenery first …then
the people. I’ve met the same type of people there
that I’ve met in other parts of the country and the
world, so the idea that they make the area doesn’t
really apply. Thus, non-constant is the different
environments and surroundings of a particular place.
At least that is how it is for me…
 06/10/2007

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 06/10/2007 Scott F. says:

Roger, I’m wondering if you live in my building – I
know the woman you describe below!  Actually, I had
forgotten about these incidences, but I’ve had a few –
seemed to me like road rage for people who don’t
drive.   You might be right in the way you describe
the characteristics of people from the NW, but I know
I’m not going to change an entire culture and I don’t
want to – currently just trying to fit in and if that
becomes such a pain that it overrides living up here,
then I’ll go somewhere else.   Some of the things you
describe were glaring when I first moved here, now
they aren’t so bad – in my case, I’m adjusting by
doing more stuff alone than I did in the past.  More
sightseeing, touristy things, and less ‘friend’
things.

“The biggest thing that gets to me is when some 40ish
woman decides to go out of her way to scowl, hiss, or
otherwise chastise someone whose otherwise minding
their own business for some minor infraction of the
unwritten Seattle social code. “
 06/10/2007 Robin R. says:

G.G.: I do not assume that the people who leave the
notes are female.  If you’re assuming that from my
mentioning that I wonder why they don’t  “have the
ovaries” to say it to my face, I could easily turn it
around and ask why I would use the term “have the
balls” when I don’t know if they’re male.

I don’t necessarily assume that the note writers are
female, but it’s interesting that I did not have this
problem when I helped out a disabled friend in my old
city.  Seattle is not unique in having a lot of
transplants, it just seems to think it is.
 06/10/2007 Robin R. says:

Correction, second paragraph, should be “I don’t
necessarily assume that the note writers are NATIVES”.
 My bad.
 06/10/2007

This post was removed because the yelper who wrote it
has closed their Yelp account and is no longer a
registered yelper.
 06/10/2007 Devin G. says:

It seems to me that many of these recent posts are
merely perpetuating the hostility and stigma of the
“Seattle Freeze.”  I’m a native of the “other”
Washington and also spent a few years in North
Carolina before moving out here.  I can honestly say
that I have experienced far worse there than I have
here.  In NC people are nice to your face but tend to
be very judgmental and superficial.  I’m not trying to
make a blanket statement- these were just  some of my
experiences.

I’m also not trying to minimize the experiences people
have had here.  I know several people who have felt
the Seattle Freeze.   Just last week a woman drew a
crowd while repeatedly screaming at me and calling me
an “f-ing b****” no less than 20 times- all because I
parked a foot from the line in my space- a foot FROM
the line, not over the line.

However, in the three years I have been here I have
had almost entirely positive experiences.  I’m a
little shy and heard about the Seattle Freeze before I
moved here and was a bit worried.   I am lucky enough
to work in a place where there are several other
like-minded people with similar interests.  Only
hanging out with work friends can be a bit restricting
though.  I had to get outside my comfort zone and put
myself out there.  I joined an ultimate league, got
involved with local craftsters, volunteered with
organizations where I have found great people and also
met some great people to go to shows with.   I even
met some awesome people who are now some of my closest
friends by responding to or posting on the platonic
craigslist section.  While that carries a bit of a
stigma because people sometimes don’t feel like they
should have to “advertise” for friends, it’s a reality
of our times and is becoming pretty commonplace.  It
also comes with the assurance that others are also
looking to meet new people. With the exception of a
few restaurants with snobby wait staff, I have found
people here to be pretty polite and nice.

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