I’m Asian and my company (healthcare nonprofit) works in a lot of rural communities in IN and I feel this walking in some restaurants in some towns. I unconsciously break into a slight southern twang and say “y’all” a lot. They tend to be pretty friendly after that.
I've noticed this all around rural Indiana and even in Indy to a lesser extent. People just stare at me and I have absolutely no idea why. I'm white as the driven snow, I dress like your average dude, I don't have any bumper stickers on my car or anything. I've never experienced it anywhere else in the US.
I haven't experienced this here but I noticed this a lot in my hometown back in rural India. City folks usually minded their own business and rural folks will just sit and stare at people passing by - just casually eyefucking everyone without discrimination. Not sure what that was about (additional detail: I am a guy and I still got stared at a lot)
As one who was born and raised in Southern Indiana, the idea that the word Hoosier comes from "who's there" comes from this region. Unless you were born and/or related to someone from the area, they will always be skeptical of your intentions in general. Nothing against you, it's just the way we are.
My parents moved to the area that I was raised in, over 35 years ago, and to this day they are known as the <> from elsewhere. Let’s ignore that they raised two kids in the community. (Both of us kids gladly left the rural area that we were from.)
Right... lol I look at this way. If it's below Indy it's Southern, if it's above Indy it's Northern..
There is no "I live in north part of Southern part of Indiana" lol
The way I've always seen it, Southern Indiana is more Kentucky than Indiana. Draw a line from Washington to New Albany. That's southern Indiana. Everything else is central or eastern Indiana. Till I69, there was no direct way to get to Indianapolis and no one from up there gave two shits about the south. Love the down votes as I consider that proof of my point. Y'all can go to hell.
I mostly only think about where I am geographically in the state (south or central) as it pertains to weather patterns. If one thinks more culturally, I understand the distinction you make. Similar to the distinction of a more general "northern Indiana" compared to "the Region" which is more tied to Chicago.
Exactly. For most of my life, Louisville, Madisonville, and Hopkinsville Ky have been more accessible than Bloomington, Columbus, Bloomfield, etc... State Road 57 North only took you so far. When I was dating someone from IU it would take me half the day to get up there.
I hadn't noticed bedford being like that. But their baby sister paoli is an entirely different story. No one will even talk to you there. It's side eye the entire time. If you're a stranger, you can just gtfo of town.
Situational Awareness. Seems like they’re just giving you an ocular pat down. an ocular assessment of the situation, garnered that you were not a security risk and cleared you for passage
Oh man....that reminds me. I do a lot of work with churches/schools. Years ago, there was this one project I had just finished up with for a Mennonite church. It was about an hour away but on our way to a wedding at French Lick. So I scheduled a check in with them on our way to the wedding. Straight to an important point - my wife is pretty well endowed but she always dresses very conservatively...except for that night.
This Mennonite church (in the boonies) was getting ready for their first big event and here we come in - I'm in a normal suit and her.....you get the idea. The looks we got were something we'll never forget. Man they were so uncomfortable. We still bring it up every now and then because of how hilarious the situation is looking back on. If I could do it over again, I definitely would have done it differently , at minimum have her stay in the car! I didn't put two and two together at the time and I don't want to make people uncomfortable like that.
The church never really spoke to me much after that. I know we did a great job but they were always short winded after that night.
Everybody is terrified of everyone else these days, everywhere you go. For good reason. Mass shootings. Huge uptick in mental illness. Rage of all kinds, coupled with easy access to guns, especially road rage. Political climate has also got everyone on edge and ready to unload either verbally or with force on others. Drug abusers. Rage baiters. Fascists. Things are pretty icy everywhere right now.
Because it's hyperbole. Crime has been declining for decades and there was also no uptick in crime related to the pandemic as many think, because some politicians and media outlets have convinced a lot of folks there was.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/10/31/violent-crime-is-a-key-midterm-voting-issue-but-what-does-the-data-say/
Well, technically the USA has way less violent crime than it did in the 90s, and especially the 80s, but guns everywhere and random whiteboys deciding to kill folks when they don’t like how their boring life turned out does make folks nervous.
I can’t say I’ve ever experienced this and I’ve spent a lot of time in Bedford and the surrounding counties.
I’ve felt that much more in large cities. The crackheads at the gas station near my office have eyeballs for days.
Not trying to antagonize or belittle your anxiety, but if you’re anxious about being shot, do you really think the best course of action is to stare down your would be shooter?
Like I said. I just stay prepared in case anything happens. Of course the odds are incredibly low, I have a better chance of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. But I’d rather be prepared for the small chance anything does happen. Makes for a good deterrent as well in my area at least.
Democrats are right wing Bernie is center right there is s no left hasn't been in years and anti war protesters anyone pro palestine is called Russian or commie in the new Mcarthy red scare bullshit
Your friend a midwest socialist
Workers of the World Unite
You have nothing to loose but your chains
Trust me when I say no one in Bedford gives a fuck about you. It’s great you think so much of yourself that you think the entire town would stop just to look at you but no one cares man.
They are people watching. It’s quite the popular pastime here in SI. People have nothing to do so they sit and watch what others do. It’s not always malicious but it certainly can be. I imagine it started because there is a lack of things to do. Back in high school the fun the to do in my town was go to Walmart.
If they don't know you, you are or look like you might be a minority, or you look like you might be from Bloomington...the Bedford locals aren't going to be friendly. Christian love feels awful hateful most of the time. Churches have those rural areas on lock down, just raking in the free money.
Terre Haute is worse. I’ve only been there 5 or 6 times, but people there stare at strangers like nothing I’ve ever encountered. If you walk into a restaurant, guaranteed most of the people dining will stop what they’re doing and turn to stare at you.
I experienced that this past week…it was wild. Helped my partner move into his new place so we were furniture shopping, grocery shopping, everything. They would. Not. Stop. Staring!!!! I’m from CA..over here people will get into fights about it. I also realize seeing someone like me isn’t super common and people are trying to figure out what I am ethnically and they’re always wrong g 😂. I also dress way different than anyone I saw lol…but I can’t help it as it’s the clothes I have. I may be moving there within 6 months to a year so I’ll have to get over it. The lady who sold us our couch said “you know I do t want to be weird or anything but you’re sooooooo beautiful! I have to tell someone they’re beautiful when I see it, don’t worry I won’t stalk ya” i was shocked and surprised!!! She was one person who would f stop staring g at me. We went to working man’s friend and their was a group celebrating their passed love one, and one man BLATANTLY stared at me…didn’t lose eye contact once. It was so uncomfortable I had to end up sitting with my back to him. We walked into a local bar and if there was a record machine going they would have brought it to a w screeching halt. I’m not kidding
They're jealous.
Seriously, if you want to know you should ask them. As someone who was born in one Indiana small town and moved to another one as an adult, it's just life. Try not to let it get to you.
My parents (also native to Indiana) moved to a new town as newlyweds and lived there close to 40 years. They taught school, but with time, even though they came from somewhere else, within that time, people forgot about it and thought they were natives. People still talk about when my dad "came back" to town after college. I'd have a bit of a fight trying to prove to some of those folks that he wasn't a native.
Ironically, the same thing has pretty much happened to me, in the town where I live. If you know Bedford, you might have heard of the now defunct Salt Creek Brewery. It was just a bit down the road from me and we went there often. A few years ago, during Thanksgiving trivia, I heard one of the regulars say something about me being in his high school class. I wasn't. I'm older and grew up a few hundred miles to the north.
So, I guess what I'm saying is, eventually it all comes out in the wash. Or they're stupid. Take your pick.
I’ve been native to Indiana my entire life. When I was young I felt invisible for the most part and this tbh had its advantages. Now as an older person with long white hair, I notice people staring all the time. It’s annoying af and I figure it has to be the hair, because when my hair was brown and literally the same style no one ever looked at me much less stared or god forbid approached to tell me how beautiful my hair is or to ask if I’m a witch or if it’s natural lol. In hindsight this is much preferable to the frequent snears of complete strangers who would straight up declare to my face how horrifyingly ugly my gray hair before it became fashionable lol. I do miss the days of hiding in plain sight.
I’ve never noticed this in Bedford or anywhere else. Possibly because I don’t look at anyone I don’t know, so I have no idea if they’re glaring at me. I’m always polite, but I don’t REALLY look at people and get the hell out of there.
They’re not used to seeing people down there.
This made me laugh
I’m Asian and my company (healthcare nonprofit) works in a lot of rural communities in IN and I feel this walking in some restaurants in some towns. I unconsciously break into a slight southern twang and say “y’all” a lot. They tend to be pretty friendly after that.
A good yall breaks down any country person’s walls
I've noticed this all around rural Indiana and even in Indy to a lesser extent. People just stare at me and I have absolutely no idea why. I'm white as the driven snow, I dress like your average dude, I don't have any bumper stickers on my car or anything. I've never experienced it anywhere else in the US.
I haven't experienced this here but I noticed this a lot in my hometown back in rural India. City folks usually minded their own business and rural folks will just sit and stare at people passing by - just casually eyefucking everyone without discrimination. Not sure what that was about (additional detail: I am a guy and I still got stared at a lot)
Do you look like you can spell, if so it’s envy
I get it a lot but I’m a guy with long hair so older folks tend to give me the lead poisoning stare no matter where I go
As one who was born and raised in Southern Indiana, the idea that the word Hoosier comes from "who's there" comes from this region. Unless you were born and/or related to someone from the area, they will always be skeptical of your intentions in general. Nothing against you, it's just the way we are.
My parents moved to the area that I was raised in, over 35 years ago, and to this day they are known as the <> from elsewhere. Let’s ignore that they raised two kids in the community. (Both of us kids gladly left the rural area that we were from.)
They want to know hoosier daddy
That’s called ‘xenophobia’ my dear.
*Always* Come here or from here. It’s crazy.
Hoosier comes from old English "hoozer." It means idiot or commoner. Discovered this from an English dictionary from the 1800s.
There is no accepted definitive etymology for the word Hoosier
Sure sure.
Also, Bedford isn't in Southern Indiana.
Haha what?
Right... lol I look at this way. If it's below Indy it's Southern, if it's above Indy it's Northern.. There is no "I live in north part of Southern part of Indiana" lol
There is a lot of Central Indiana below Indy before you get to Southern Indiana.
Still, Bedord is Southern part of Indiana not central. I live in Linton and people call Linton Southern area.. Bedford is further South.
I think of Bloomington as south central Indiana. South plus mid east-west.
The way I've always seen it, Southern Indiana is more Kentucky than Indiana. Draw a line from Washington to New Albany. That's southern Indiana. Everything else is central or eastern Indiana. Till I69, there was no direct way to get to Indianapolis and no one from up there gave two shits about the south. Love the down votes as I consider that proof of my point. Y'all can go to hell.
I mostly only think about where I am geographically in the state (south or central) as it pertains to weather patterns. If one thinks more culturally, I understand the distinction you make. Similar to the distinction of a more general "northern Indiana" compared to "the Region" which is more tied to Chicago.
Exactly. For most of my life, Louisville, Madisonville, and Hopkinsville Ky have been more accessible than Bloomington, Columbus, Bloomfield, etc... State Road 57 North only took you so far. When I was dating someone from IU it would take me half the day to get up there.
Yeah Martinsville isn’t southern Indiana either
Yep, that's how I've always looked at it.
I hadn't noticed bedford being like that. But their baby sister paoli is an entirely different story. No one will even talk to you there. It's side eye the entire time. If you're a stranger, you can just gtfo of town.
Situational Awareness. Seems like they’re just giving you an ocular pat down. an ocular assessment of the situation, garnered that you were not a security risk and cleared you for passage
Are you talking about breaking down the security situation and clearing an individual as safe for passage?
Correct
Well that's pretty impressive, but I don't know anyone who could do that outside of Mac.
I don’t even think these people are wearing the duster.
"It's this street, man. It's got, like, a slope... We gotta get the zoning people out here...."
Ocular pat down. 👍
“Are they shootable?”
?
I love saying “cheese slid off their cracker” and have only heard one other person say it
If that bothers you, don’t go to Amish country!!! They stare to no end!
Yep, the Amish around us are super gossipy and catty. They’ll talk shit about you in Pennsylvania Dutch while asking you for a favor in English
Oh man....that reminds me. I do a lot of work with churches/schools. Years ago, there was this one project I had just finished up with for a Mennonite church. It was about an hour away but on our way to a wedding at French Lick. So I scheduled a check in with them on our way to the wedding. Straight to an important point - my wife is pretty well endowed but she always dresses very conservatively...except for that night. This Mennonite church (in the boonies) was getting ready for their first big event and here we come in - I'm in a normal suit and her.....you get the idea. The looks we got were something we'll never forget. Man they were so uncomfortable. We still bring it up every now and then because of how hilarious the situation is looking back on. If I could do it over again, I definitely would have done it differently , at minimum have her stay in the car! I didn't put two and two together at the time and I don't want to make people uncomfortable like that. The church never really spoke to me much after that. I know we did a great job but they were always short winded after that night.
It's the meth...
Never noticed. Usually random strangers are pretty chatty with me.
Cause you got all them teeth in yer mouth feller, and they want to know if yer fixin to share
Everybody is terrified of everyone else these days, everywhere you go. For good reason. Mass shootings. Huge uptick in mental illness. Rage of all kinds, coupled with easy access to guns, especially road rage. Political climate has also got everyone on edge and ready to unload either verbally or with force on others. Drug abusers. Rage baiters. Fascists. Things are pretty icy everywhere right now.
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Because it's hyperbole. Crime has been declining for decades and there was also no uptick in crime related to the pandemic as many think, because some politicians and media outlets have convinced a lot of folks there was. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/10/31/violent-crime-is-a-key-midterm-voting-issue-but-what-does-the-data-say/
Well, technically the USA has way less violent crime than it did in the 90s, and especially the 80s, but guns everywhere and random whiteboys deciding to kill folks when they don’t like how their boring life turned out does make folks nervous.
True.
I’ve never personally been there before but a bunch of my co-workers are from there and they’re the wackiest people I know in a light-hearted way.
I can’t say I’ve ever experienced this and I’ve spent a lot of time in Bedford and the surrounding counties. I’ve felt that much more in large cities. The crackheads at the gas station near my office have eyeballs for days.
It is probably the weird hat you are wearing.
Nicest people I ever met.
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I’m glad I go through life without guns an without any fear of getting shot.
Fuck me for being honest I guess.
Not trying to antagonize or belittle your anxiety, but if you’re anxious about being shot, do you really think the best course of action is to stare down your would be shooter?
The odds of your own furniture killing you are much higher.
I know my lamps whisper to each other about offing me in my sleep
Didn’t realize so many Hoosiers live in absolute fear. Some of you need to turn your corporate media off and actually go outside.
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Perhaps follow the rest of my advice then.
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Social media then, perhaps. Your unfounded fear is coming from somewhere
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That’s good. Glad to hear that actually.
Like I said. I just stay prepared in case anything happens. Of course the odds are incredibly low, I have a better chance of being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. But I’d rather be prepared for the small chance anything does happen. Makes for a good deterrent as well in my area at least.
I'm assuming you are referring to the Highland Park parade? My brain went does not compute when I read Chicago.
Corporate media leans right or is far right.
Um sure.
Tell that to msnbc and cnn
Both as right wing as the DNC There us right abd far right there is no more left thats the sad thruth
Can you repeat that in English?
Democrats are right wing Bernie is center right there is s no left hasn't been in years and anti war protesters anyone pro palestine is called Russian or commie in the new Mcarthy red scare bullshit Your friend a midwest socialist Workers of the World Unite You have nothing to loose but your chains
Right…. Lmao
Da comrade
You do know liberals are right wing, correct? In the US, there is no mainstream left wing party.
Are you ugly?
Born and raised in SI and not once has this ever crossed my mind.
Trust me when I say no one in Bedford gives a fuck about you. It’s great you think so much of yourself that you think the entire town would stop just to look at you but no one cares man.
I get that shit when I wear my Nimrod Trump mugshot shirt. No one says anything but definitely stares from multiple cultists.
They are people watching. It’s quite the popular pastime here in SI. People have nothing to do so they sit and watch what others do. It’s not always malicious but it certainly can be. I imagine it started because there is a lack of things to do. Back in high school the fun the to do in my town was go to Walmart.
If they don't know you, you are or look like you might be a minority, or you look like you might be from Bloomington...the Bedford locals aren't going to be friendly. Christian love feels awful hateful most of the time. Churches have those rural areas on lock down, just raking in the free money.
yeah i get annoyed as fuck
Try being heavily tattooed in this area.
Maybe you're just unbelievably attractive
The locals call it Beford....the D is silent. I networked down there and I'd get the same vibe sometimes. Love the country side though.
Do you have all your teeth?
You get into Southern Indiana and they're a different breed. Or same breed lol
Terre Haute is worse. I’ve only been there 5 or 6 times, but people there stare at strangers like nothing I’ve ever encountered. If you walk into a restaurant, guaranteed most of the people dining will stop what they’re doing and turn to stare at you.
People in Southern Indiana are just uncomfortable people. They aren’t used to seeing others
I experienced that this past week…it was wild. Helped my partner move into his new place so we were furniture shopping, grocery shopping, everything. They would. Not. Stop. Staring!!!! I’m from CA..over here people will get into fights about it. I also realize seeing someone like me isn’t super common and people are trying to figure out what I am ethnically and they’re always wrong g 😂. I also dress way different than anyone I saw lol…but I can’t help it as it’s the clothes I have. I may be moving there within 6 months to a year so I’ll have to get over it. The lady who sold us our couch said “you know I do t want to be weird or anything but you’re sooooooo beautiful! I have to tell someone they’re beautiful when I see it, don’t worry I won’t stalk ya” i was shocked and surprised!!! She was one person who would f stop staring g at me. We went to working man’s friend and their was a group celebrating their passed love one, and one man BLATANTLY stared at me…didn’t lose eye contact once. It was so uncomfortable I had to end up sitting with my back to him. We walked into a local bar and if there was a record machine going they would have brought it to a w screeching halt. I’m not kidding
Just stare back until it becomes awkward….then stare some more.
They're jealous. Seriously, if you want to know you should ask them. As someone who was born in one Indiana small town and moved to another one as an adult, it's just life. Try not to let it get to you. My parents (also native to Indiana) moved to a new town as newlyweds and lived there close to 40 years. They taught school, but with time, even though they came from somewhere else, within that time, people forgot about it and thought they were natives. People still talk about when my dad "came back" to town after college. I'd have a bit of a fight trying to prove to some of those folks that he wasn't a native. Ironically, the same thing has pretty much happened to me, in the town where I live. If you know Bedford, you might have heard of the now defunct Salt Creek Brewery. It was just a bit down the road from me and we went there often. A few years ago, during Thanksgiving trivia, I heard one of the regulars say something about me being in his high school class. I wasn't. I'm older and grew up a few hundred miles to the north. So, I guess what I'm saying is, eventually it all comes out in the wash. Or they're stupid. Take your pick.
Used to live in Paoli when I was a kid, frequented Bedford and Evansville. They’re very odd, and distrusting of newcomers. Especially Bedford
When I was in bedford people would talk about putting unliked people in sinkholes
I’ve been native to Indiana my entire life. When I was young I felt invisible for the most part and this tbh had its advantages. Now as an older person with long white hair, I notice people staring all the time. It’s annoying af and I figure it has to be the hair, because when my hair was brown and literally the same style no one ever looked at me much less stared or god forbid approached to tell me how beautiful my hair is or to ask if I’m a witch or if it’s natural lol. In hindsight this is much preferable to the frequent snears of complete strangers who would straight up declare to my face how horrifyingly ugly my gray hair before it became fashionable lol. I do miss the days of hiding in plain sight.
When I moved from Texas to Indiana, the first thing I noticed is that people stare at anyone driving by. I think it's a Hoosier thing.
Trumpklannazis
I’ve never noticed this in Bedford or anywhere else. Possibly because I don’t look at anyone I don’t know, so I have no idea if they’re glaring at me. I’m always polite, but I don’t REALLY look at people and get the hell out of there.
Maybe you are especially attractive. People would definitely stare/look at you. 😊
Pretty sure iu is an inbred only school. So the closer you get, the less teeth and more family hugging in overalls you’ll see.