Melissa5

Ruff: You asked me "Why do you assume that people in DC are so different from those in San Diego that they want to be called black vs. African-American or vice versa?"

My answer: First of all, I find that east coast attitudes are generally somewhat different from west coast attitudes. I grew up in Jersey and have lived in California since my teenage years.

I visit relatives on the east coast. I do find that customs and attitudes definitely differ. Second, I don't know any black people or African-Americans here...I do know lots of Latinos, Mexican-Americans, and persons whose families have emigrated to the USA from many of the Asian nations. Here in San Diego, over the years, people tend to change what they like to be called. Generally I find no reason to refer to people by their race, except for the fact that on this forum the subject of the population of DC being 60% black or African-American happened to come up.

Now, Ruff, I have a question for you. Why do you like to answer questions with questions instead of with answers?

I was merely trying to be politically correct and use the terms that people would prefer, which does differ from coast to coast sometimes. I know it differs because when I visit east coast relatives they use different words and have different attitudes. I also have relatives who have visited the south, and they reported different customs and different words being used in the south as well.

Melissa5

Devonmcjgt;/b> I am fully capable of being obsessive and spontaneous on the same trip! When I plan trips I always obsess over details because I enjoy it and besides getting a great trip in the end, I learn so much. When we arrive, I always have a schedule which works for the different personalities of my family...and that schedule includes times in every day to be spontaneous! We are a family of strong personalities, so they like the planned parts of the trip becaue it prevents wasting time squabbling upon arrival. The planned parts take the needs of the whole family into consideration.

Yes I will write a nice long trip report upon my return. No I won't stop obsessing over hotels and restaurant. I love it! Yes we do spontaneous things on our trips as well as planned things.

Now I have some advice for you. On your next trip, don't leave so much to chance. Do more detailed planning. Oh wait...maybe that is not your style?? We each have our own style. If I sound cranky it's because I haven't had dinner yet.

Thanks for trying to give me tips. I'm sure you mean well.

Melissa5

Devonmcj: I am fully capable of being obsessive and spontaneous on the same trip! When I plan trips I always obsess over details because I enjoy it and besides getting a great trip in the end, I learn so much. When we arrive, I always have a schedule which works for the different personalities of my family...and that schedule includes times in every day to be spontaneous! We are a family of strong personalities, so they like the planned parts of the trip becaue it prevents wasting time squabbling upon arrival. The planned parts take the needs of the whole family into consideration.

Yes I will write a nice long trip report upon my return. No I won't stop obsessing over hotels and restaurant. I love it! Yes we do spontaneous things on our trips as well as planned things.

Now I have some advice for you. On your next trip, don't leave so much to chance. Do more detailed planning. Oh wait...maybe that is not your style?? We each have our own style. If I sound cranky it's because I haven't had dinner yet.

Thanks for trying to give me tips. I'm sure you mean well.

Melissa5

Devonmcj: Oops, that entirely bolded reply to you above was a boo-boo. Sorry about that. I tried to correct it, but only ended up posting twice instead. It was a typo that caused the whole thing to be bolded.

Melissa5

vjpblovesitaly: I am surprised that 2 people didn't understand my question asking which term is politically correct in DC...black or African American. Here in San Diego, where I have lived for many years, the preferred terms keep changing for people who are proud of their ancestry...I like to use the terms which people prefer. Also, I have relatives on the east coast and I live on the west coast. I know from visits to my east coast relatives that attitudes and politically correct terms do indeed differ from coast to coast. I know because for example in Jersey people say things that would NOT be acceptable in San Diego. I merely wish to be a polite and respectful visitor in DC, as I try to be when I travel anywhere in the world. Customs do differ. Attitudes differ. Words and meanings of words differ.

If no one wants to answer this question, just ignore it! It's no big deal because I will soon learn in DC what the customs and preferred words are by listening to the people around me. I don't understand why no one has answered my question. But that fact in itself is revealing.

Here is what I am picking up just from "listening" to this forum. It is apparently not okay to use either word... Apparently this is a taboo subject. So I will simply drop this taboo subject. Apparently when visiting DC one may not discuss race at all. I am cool with that. Race does not exist. I am accustomed to San Diego attitudes, where people are interested in their ancestry and do talk about it.

I am picking up on this DC forum that sometimes people prefer to tell you something is wrong with your question, instead of answering it! Is that how things are really in DC, or is it just this forum?

Thanks for all the help you folks have provided. I have gotten a lot of help here. I have also gotten a bit of hassling but that's the way the forums are.

This is my last post on this subject. I close the book on this particular question.

Melissa5

Ruff: We have an outdoor escalator at our zoo and I hate when people with strollers and children stop right at the top and look around! Traffic jam!

FauxSteMarie

Don't obsess about Metro escalators either. DC residents (MOST OF THEM) are tolerant of the tourists not knowing the "stand to the left; pass on the right" rule. A simple "excuse me" if you want to pass generally has the desired result.

Melissa5

FauxSteMarie: Actually it wasn't me who was obsessing about the Metro escalators. Other people thought I should have lots of advice about it though!

I'm going to let this post go and won't be posting here any more. Thank you everybody for all the advice and help.

I don't know how this post got under the USA section instead of the Washington DC section. I prefer to work on only one forum when planning a trip.

Anyway when a post drifts onto any off-topic subjects that could be misunderstood by anyone I prefer to let them go, especially if there is a chance anyone could feel offended, which is never the intention. So I'll let this one sink away. Peace, everybody.

I'll probably be posting some more specific question under the Washington DC forum as I work on the trip.

Happy travels, all of you, to the places of your dreams. 8-)

MikeT

Is it possible that your "unique" posting style is what causes the problems, Melissa? The line between charmingly neurotic and relentingly obsessive can sometimes be thin.

wyatt92

Melissa, there is no Washington DC forum. All posts go under the US forum.

vjpblovesitaly

I actually thought your question was kind of funny (ha-ha funny, not dopey funny). I doubt the subject will come up really. I have lived here for only 6 years but haven’t spoken about race with anyone other than my boyfriend who happens to be Black and he uses the term Black. But I am not an outgoing person, so I don’t talk to too many people about anything. I do hear Black people here at work using both Black and African-American. Not to be funny, though, if the subject really does come up and you don’t know whether the person in question is actually American, I would use the term Black because there are many people here from Africa and they wouldn’t technically be African-American.

I was over-exaggerating about the Metro escalators. Sometimes you will hear on the message boards that people will push or yell at someone who stands on the right. I have never seen that happen. Most people just say excuse me (esp. on weekdays) or give up and just stand themselves (weekends).

Devonmcj

You might also want rethink discussing the notion that "DC's population which is 60% black is ruled by a bunch of white guys who don't even live in DC." It is true that the US Congress has the ultimate control of DC's budget and the authority to approve legislation - an authority that is sometimes used as political leverage with little consideration for the citizens of DC. But the implications of the statement you quoted are deep and painful in a city with a long and complex history of race relations. You can be assured that their are many, many people of all races who work very hard to successfully run the services, schools, courts, and other needs of the big cosmopolitan city that is DC.

FauxSteMarie

Melissa, I was not lecturing YOU about the escalators. I was replying to the unnecessary lectures posted by others to you.

A certain degree of politeness, which can be absent on message boards, solves these "problems".

circa2

To: Faux Ste.Marie

Thanks for the reply...agree...if on tight time table public trans may not work......thanks for the clearification.

Only wanted to mention (original post) so if anyone wanted to "brave" the metro/bus routine, it is doable.

NewbE

Wow. That's all. Just. Wow.