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Moving To Maplewood
Citizen
Username: Movin2mplwood
Post Number: 4
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 9:52 pm: | 
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I have recently had some of the most unpleasant experiences in town with "attitudes" and I'm just shocked at how little people use the words "please" and "thank you" or just the plain lack of respect for each other. I'm still fairly young so I'm suprised that I too am having this mid life crisis but jeez, this is Maplewood, not Summit! Is it just me or has Maplewood lost it's charm and the respect for others that we loved so much when we first moved here. I know it's still out there, we just have to learn to use it more! C'mon people!
I think teaching manners and respect is invaluable to our children. I hope we can all think about using it more and sincerely meaning it.
For those of you who are wonderful out there, this is not attacking you. It's confronting those people who don't say it, don't teach their kids to say it, pull the illegal u-turn parking in town, leave their dogs poop on yards, ya know, the basics... |
Jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 765
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 10:14 pm: |
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Hey, I was at Grove Park with my son and a little girl was behind him to go on the slide.
She said, "Excuse me."
I watched her and when I saw her join her mother. I told her mother that her daughter had said, "excuse me," that she should be proud, and that I was teaching the same thing at our house, and thanks for giving me a teaching point to my son.
J.B. |
Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 3121
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 10:18 pm: |
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Oh please...
okay, not really
no, really
um, not really
really
excuse me... |
MeAndTheBoys
Citizen
Username: Meandtheboys
Post Number: 3700
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 10:21 pm: |
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Even Barney knows please and thank you are the magic words!
And to answer Moving to Maplewood's (have you moved, if so you should probably be "Moved to Maplewood") question: no I don't think Maplewood has lost it's charm. I still find people to be kind and polite overall. I just think you had an "off" day! |
Jersey_Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 777
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 11:47 pm: |
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Please, it's spelled "happened."
Thank You,
J.B.
 |
wunderdog
Citizen
Username: Wunderdogny
Post Number: 100
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:17 am: |
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We moved here two years ago and have found M'wood suffering from a split personality. On the one hand we meet people in the park everyday who are friendly and wonderful. On Saturday I was doing some back breaking work in my yard and my neighbor from across the street came over and helped me - gave me a couple of hours of hard work on his day off. When I commented to another neighbor how much I liked her blue flowers, she came over the next day with a gift - a potted plant of that same flower. Still another neighbor snow-blows our sidewalk and driveway in the winter.
On the other hand, once most people get behind the wheel of their cars in this town, they do not know anyone else exists, nor do they care. They are the rudest drivers ever, yapping on the phone, running redlights, not paying attention, pulling out in front of you, tailgating. And they would not let you in their lane if their lives depended on it, yet if they want in your lane, a blinker is all it takes and sometimes not even that.
In line with that are the kids walking home from middle school who have completely trashed our lawn and trampled our shrubs, turned over my two year old's playhouse, broken a window, shot a b-b gun into another window, and generally use the lawn as their own trash recepticle.
So, it's a mixed bag around here, but so far the good outweighs the bad in my book. The wonderful kindness of friends, neighbors and strangers (so long as they aren't driving) is heart warming. |
Handygirl
Citizen
Username: Handygirl
Post Number: 687
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:32 am: |
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I agree that people are disrectful (and dangerous) drivers, but I disagree that it is a Maplewood or SO thing. I would say that it is a NJ or Northeast thing. I work in Morristown and the drivers in that area are just as bad or worse than the drivers that I encounter in Maplewood/SO. I am originally from the Midwest, and I had never encountered such disrespectful and dangerous driving habits before coming to NY/NJ. It is shocking, really.
As for please/thank you - also not a Maplewood/SO thing. I find that around here most people are polite, some aren't. We should all treat our neighbors in the manner that we would like to be treated, and teach our children to do the same. Not everybody does though, which is unfortunate. New2Maplewood, I doubt that you will bring anyone over from the dark side with this thread. Maplewood isn't a utopia. It is just a nice town with lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds. [If everyone was perfectly pleasant and always polite it might get a little spooky.] The best that you can do is teach your own kids manners, and treat everyone you encounter with respect, whether they deserve it or not - which it sounds like you already do.
Peace |
colleen
Citizen
Username: Bean2005
Post Number: 29
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 1:18 pm: |
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WHat drives me nuts is the soccer/softball/lacrose moms and dads at memorial park who double park in their ginormous suv's right when the rush hour train gets in. In the past 2 weeks (I park on that street that runs through the park) - i have been blocked in 5 times - 3 of those time i had to get out of my car and ask the driver of said vehicles to move!!!!! It is rude - not to mention dangerous and unneccesary.
For this reasson I am glad they are paying over $100 for a tank of gas!!! |
Seagull
Citizen
Username: Seagull
Post Number: 93
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 1:22 pm: |
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Shouldn't all this be in Soapbox? |
Andy
Citizen
Username: Mapleman
Post Number: 647
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 1:56 pm: |
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Did you ever notice how nobody says "please" or "thank you" anymore? It's not like it was in the old days when you'd stop in at the soda shop and old Pops behind the counter would greet you with a hearty hello and a smile. And then when you left, if you passed a young gal on the way, you'd be ashamed if you forgot to tip your fedora to her. And whatever happened to men's hats? In those days, every self-respecting man wore a hat (usually a fedora, but sometimes a stylish porkpie, or maybe a derby). Now we all walk around in the cold with the wind blowing our few strands of grey hair all over the place. I like hats. They keep your head warm. And they keep your strands in place. Wouldn't want the strands blowing.
Of course some men do wear hats these days, but it's mostly baseball caps. There was a time when you didn't wear a cap unless you played for the local nine. And if you did wear a cap, you tipped it when you passed a pretty girl on the street. Of course nowadays you can't call them pretty girls. They're all "women," not "girls."
I miss the good old days. Some people say I'm cranky about the world today. And I say, "You're darn right I am. The world today is an awful place, full of rude SUV driving, latte sipping, self-involved idiots. And no one says 'please' or 'thank you.'"
The world is going to hell. |
Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 651
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 1:59 pm: |
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Andy, still alive? Looking forward to working with Katie? What a team you'll be! |
Andy
Citizen
Username: Mapleman
Post Number: 648
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 2:00 pm: |
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Please. |
Former Cowgirl
Citizen
Username: Formercowgirl
Post Number: 63
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 8:39 pm: |
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Speaking as a soon-to-be soccer mom, in a 'ginormous' mini-van, double parking anywhere is horribly RUDE. However, the parking situation is awful at Memorial Park and I often cannot take my son there because the lack of parking. Seriously, I've had to cancel playdates because I cannot find parking.
I also think commuters who park on side streets in Maplewood in front of people's homes all day long is pretty rude, but feel for their lack of parking situation as well.
What I have very little patience for is the people who drop off commuters around the town circle in South Orange...and the pause for one last kiss...and then puase because they forgot to tell them about something...and then pause again because the commuter forgot her blackberry. Etc., etc.
Oh...and as a mom who still walks her child in a stroller, I find it very rude when people don't stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
When is this moving to soapbox?
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