Oct 15
JeremySociety and Culture, Travel Boston, eye contact, manners, New England, rude, Travel
Yet again today, I read a comment online today about how Boston is the rudest city in the country, implying that visitors (or even residents) should not expect courtesy here. Sadly, I hear this all too often and, even sadder, it’s born of misperception rather than truth. The people of Boston and the surrounding communities, the ones who were raised here and whose families have lived here for years, are not fundamentally rude. They are, however, culturally different from their counterparts in other cities. Once you understand the fundamentals of how the people of the Northeast operate, you will see them in a new light and understand how to interact with them. Keep in mind that Boston was founded by Puritans and 350 years later that still affects the way we act and what we consider to be proper manners. To help get you through, here are a few rules of the road:
Rule #1: Don’t look anyone in the eye. Okay, you can look some people in the eye, but only people you know well and only in a clearly social or private business situation. In a public setting, making eye contact is considered an invasion of privacy and, hence, very rude. The irony is that when someone passes you on the sidewalk and doesn’t look at you, they are trying to be polite by Boston instinct rather than being rude as is perceived.
Rule #2: If eye contact is bad, greeting people is worse. Bostonians don’t greet anyone they don’t know well, unlike other cities where friendly folk may say hello to everyone they meet. Basically, here are the rules. For people you don’t know at all, no eye contact, no nothin’. For people with whom you are vaguely acquainted, but necessarily remember their names or only met them once or twice, a brisk nod suffices as a proper greeting when passing. (Like the guy I went on a date with a couple years ago who shows up on the T once in a while.)
Rule #3: Ask for help if you need it. People won’t go out of their way to offer your assistance. Yep, it’s that privacy thing again. It’s rude to get involved in the troubles or difficulties of others unless requested. Clearly, imminent threat to life and limb is an exception to this rule, but it is otherwise true. The problems of other people should be kept private. Of course, that doesn’t mean that behind closed doors, problems can’t be discussed. We’re talking about public behavior here. Out of sight, you can talk to your friends about them and you can be damn sure that, if you’re in a small town, others are talking about your problems out of the public eye. But they are not going to offer help unless you ask for it.
Rule #4: Asking for help is a sign of social or moral weakness. You should be able to handle anything life throws at you, in true Puritan fashion. Life is hard, full of trials, and that’s just the way it’s supposed to be. It is simply unseemly to need help. Again, imminent harm is the exception. This seems to be in direct contravention of Rule #3, but there you have it. Corollary to both of these rules is “if you’re going to ask for help, you’d better damn well need it.” Don’t show weakness; people don’t want to see it in public. Just suck it up and figure it out.
Rule #5: Above all, practicality. At heart, Bostonians are ridiculously practical people. They don’t walk with their heads in the clouds. Unfortunately, this dour attitude often comes across as cynicism or pessimism. In reality, it’s more like prepare for the worst and don’t dare hope for the best. That way, you can be pleasantly surprised when something comes out right. So when someone puts down your idea, don’t take it personally. It’s just that pesky realism.
Rule #6: Get a Nav System and Don’t Trust Directions. Yeah, this is unrelated to any of the above, but it’s an important one, unless you grew up here. The directions you get from any true resident of the Northeast will NOT get you where you’re going. The landmarks they will give you are ones that existed years ago, not those that exist now. And the names of roads (yes, even the ones with numbers) might just be different. (“Old Rt. 1″ isn’t just a cute term…) We’re not trying to be jerks and get you lost on purpose. It’s just the way we give directions here.
Remember these six rules because they will make your life easier if you’re new here, but take them with a grain of salt, too. There will always be people who suck, no matter where you are. There are also people who move to Boston, get told that everyone is rude, and then proceed to act rudely believing that they have been given license to. They are the exceptions rather than the rule. If you adopt the Boston point of view, you’ll see the behaviors very differently. Politeness is in the eye of the beholder.
Jul 07
AndrewPolitics and Nation Boston, Government
The Environmental Protection Agency has backed a rule change in the city of Boston that would make it illegal to dump the contents of onboard toilets into Boston Harbor. The rule affects about 4,000 boats docked in the harbor that are equipped with onboard toilets. Fines for violations are up to $2,000.
The push to clean the water quality of Boston Harbor comes as the EPA also accused the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority of failing to properly treat 22 billion gallons of wastewater that ended up in Massachusetts Bay over a four-year period beginning in 2001. Though the MWRA disputed the charges, it agreed to pay $610,000 in penalties that would go to fund remedies in the water quality in the Bay. Upgrades to the MWRA water treatment plant were completed in 2005.
Apr 18
JonathanSports baseball, Boston, Red Sox
A week ago, the Boston Red Sox returned home to Fenway Park for their home opener. They obliterated the Seattle Mariners in their first home game of the season, 14-3. But, interestingly, the opener wasn’t the most anticipated game of that series. That distinction was reserved for the Fenway debut of Daisuke Matsuzaka, squaring off against the Mariners and fellow countryman Ichiro Suzuki.
And while the story of this game was supposed to be the premier Japanese matchup of all-time, the focus was stolen. The Red Sox ran into a buzzsaw in 20 year old pitching phenom Felix Hernandez. To watch him pitch that night was to cower in the fear of ever having to face him again. He was brilliant, throwing a 95 mile per hour fastball with sharp movement, mixing in devastating breaking pitches. The Sox were lucky to get their one hit. Matsuzaka pitched fine. Not great, but not bad. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near good enough that night. But, for all my concern about the Red Sox this year, they responded to the 3-0 loss last Wednesday by turning that around and blowing the Los Angeles Angels out of the rapidly falling water.
When the Angels lifted off to leave Boston on Monday night, they must have scarcely known what hit them. On Friday the 13th, Tim Wakefield kicked off the Angels’ bad luck by throwing 7 strong innings and allowing only a single run. Though the game was close into the 8th (Jonathan Papelbon got two impressive outs in the top of the 8th to preserve the 3 run lead at the time), the Sox exploded for 6 in the 8th and finished off a 10-1 win. On Saturday, a dominating Curt Schilling threw 8 strong innings on the way to an 8-0 shutout. After a rainout on Sunday, Josh Beckett shut down the Angels’ offense en route to a 7-2 victory. In all, it was a 3 game sweep with a combined score of 25-3. In all, the homestand included 5 wins and a single loss, the hometown team outscoring Seattle and Los Angeles (Anaheim) 39-9.
It’s true that the Angels didn’t play their best baseball, but the Sox pitching is on a roll. The top 4 starters have ERAs of 1.38, 1.50, 2.70, and 2.84. Despite two hard-luck losses for Matsuzaka, including Tuesday night in Toronto, the rotation looks impressive. And though the offense has run hot and cold, at least David Ortiz looks to be on track after 2 homers and 8 RBI in the Angels’ series. Manny is next. But, in a division that is going to come down to whose pitching stays the healthiest, the Sox, even with two 40-year-olds in the rotation, are in the early lead. Four Yankees starters are currently on the shelf (Wang, Mussina, Pavano, and Karstens) and the Blue Jays just lost their closer, B.J. Ryan, for at least a month.
Now we get to find out if the Boston buzzsaw is for real. The Red Sox play AL East opponents for the remainder of the month of April, including two series with Toronto and two with New York. We’ll see what is for real in the next two weeks because the Sox might be running ahead in early pitching health, but Toronto still has a powerhouse lineup, even with some injuries, and the Yankees have one of the best lineups of all time. The Sox are going to need all five starters at their best. If they can get those kinds of performances, they might leave April with not only the healthiest pitching staff, but a healthy lead in the AL East.
More Notes from the Cheap Seats
If the current salary climate for big league pitching lasts, Tim Wakefield‘s current contract might turn out to be one of the greatest of the era. Before last year, Tim decided that he wanted to stay in Boston for as many years as he has left in his knuckle-balling right arm. He signed an unusual deal where after each season the Red Sox have an option to pick up a fresh one-year deal for $4 million. Judging by how long successful knuckballers like Wake can pitch and what $4 million buys you on the open market these days (the answer is a mediocre middle reliever), if Wakefield continues to pitch like he has so far this year, he will be one fantastic value for several more years. And the Sox could really use some good value, especially if they want to save their pennies to lure Roger Clemens back to Boston.
After struggling with the long ball and inconsistency last season, Josh Beckett has looked like the guy the Red Sox thought they were trading for in late 2005. Considering that they gave up Hanley Ramirez, last year’s NL Rookie of the Year, and Anibal Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter last season, they really need him to live up to the expectations. At 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA, he’s been working in more curveballs and following Jason Varitek’s lead on pitch-calling. Curt Schilling is on record saying that watching Beckett now is “watching a special time in what will be a special career.” Though it was doubtful all last year, if he can keep improving, it may turn out that his contract extension, for 4 years at $10 million per year, may look like a serious bargain come 2009 and 2010.
It would be hard to consider any pitcher a bargain at $13 million. But, Curt Schilling is a borderline Hall of Famer and has never shied away from taking the ball in the most pressure-packed situations. Every team that wants to contend for a championship needs at least one big-game pitcher and Curt of the Bloody Sock is definitely that. After back to back excellent performances, his opening day implosion has already been forgotten. If Red Light (nicknamed for his love of any open microphone) can keep the media from obsessing about his contract situation (he’s a free agent at the end of the year after the Red Sox declined his offer to re-up for another season at the same salary), with his impressive preparation, he’s got a good shot to keep his status as the ace of the staff
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