My old stomping grounds ! The small culture shock is when I moved to Colorado in 1995 and at the time I worked at MCI as a contractor. I had to step out to take my car to the shop and stopped for a bite to eat at a Taco John’s. I ran across a couple of co-workers and kind of got the brush off when I asked if I can join. Kind of odd compared to being in Indy. Back in Indy, if you were out to lunch, it was kind of socially expected to ask someone to join you if you see a co-worker.
But the people who gave me the brush off, as I knew them better later, they were from the East Coast (Maryland & Wash DC) and one of them had the reputation of being into political correctness. After I got laid off, a year after I saw Ms. P.C. when I went to the grocery store to get cigars for poker, she was rather curt with me and asked what I was doing there and basically told me I didn’t belong in Colorado. When I still worked at MCI, that woman told me she didn’t like my accent and remarked she didn’t like rednecks.
Also at the time, the national speed limit was on its way out and there was discussion on a 75 mph speed limit and she of course remarked that we should stay at 55 mph and remarked on how states like Maryland believed in safety and kept it at 55 mph.
But back in Indy, definitely nice folks but it also depends on what part of Indy. The folks on the East-side were not friendly and that area has gone downhill even more since the 1980’s or even late 1960’s.
> I have found the people of Indianapolis the nicest, friendliest folks around.
Well, I live in MD now, and, in general, not nice. I was in Indy several times on business between 7 and 12 years ago, and I could not get over that strangers would say “Hello” to me when I was walking around downtown. Just nice, old fashioned, American folks.