1. The phrase “1995 Ford F150” is pronounced with 4 “ahs” and no Rs.

2. You get carded buying cold medicine at the CVS but not getting boutique IPA in the Back Bay

3. The public transit system actually takes you where you want to go in a timely manner without having to sit in somebody’s lap, and [as far as I could tell] is completely free of class stigma

4. The football commentary doesn’t even bother attempting non-regional diction [e.g. “75 passing yahds”]

5. There are people to actually help you in real life in the T-Line and will come up to assist you without even being asked

6. They have “Green Cabs”, presumably hybrids

7. Dreads on a white woman are seen as striking an astonishing blow against the dominant culture, as opposed to merely demonstrating a lack of desire to do one’s hair. I’ve never had so many strangers start conversations with me about my hayah.

8. Purchasing Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for $7.99, rather than besmirching one’s character, is celebrated as a triumph of free market economics

9. There really is a Copley Square public library although the hot air blower grate where “Bobby C” met his demise was not readily available due to Green Line construction

10. The manholes are helpfully labelled “SEWER”

1 Comment »

November 15th, 2008 einajs Says:

Re: 7: I have since learned that it’s not actually the dreads that are the remarkable thing here. Many Vermont visitors arrive white and bedreaded. However, they are also rumoured to put the “filthy” in “filthy hippie”. So apparently it’s the dynamic combination of dreads and being relatively odorless [although, well, I'm not saying, I'm just saying.]

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