What I learned after 3 days in DC...

[liberal N proud]

Just returned from 3 days in DC. We went to celebrate Independence Day, it is always big in DC.

The fireworks works were not as spectacular as we hoped, I am sure everyone has heard all the negativity flying about about that and PBS. That's not what this is about.

We love to get lost in the museum exhibits, we have been known to spend a whole day in one exhibit in the American History Museum or another. We stop, we read, we study. So the majority of people come through these exhibits and don't even slow down long enough to know what they are looking at. Others will walk up to an exhibit, look at the artifact and then wrongful tell their friends who have accompanied them. Case in point, an exhibit on the American Revolution I listened to some one tell their friend that a sword in a case was front the TV series Turn. Another told his daughter that the Smithsonian was wrong about the Wright Bothers and where their first flight took place and the a woman debated her husband that the plane in the air and space museum couldn't be Amelia Earhart's because the don't know where she disappeared. The young lady and her friends on the Capitol lawn waiting for the concert thought a National Park Ranger was a state trooper and argued it with her friends.

Dozens of cases like this, it was hard not to correct them or tell most of them to read. If they would only READ! Read the short description next to the item on display.

People are just lazy!

[Warpy]

1. Yeah, and they're there for the vacation of a lifetime and hotels are hideously expensive

compared to the ones in Dixie and the heartland so they've only got a week and they want to do EVERYTHING so they go through the Smithsonian at a dead run so they can go up the Monument, visit the memorials, look at the Capitol rotunda, and generally do what tourists used to be able to take at least two weeks to do in a single week or less. I've mostly felt sorry for them.

I've been lucky enough to live in the vicinity twice, so I've been able to take my time with a lot of this stuff and like you, read the damned signs to know what I was looking at.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

2. I know lots of folks just like that, here in the midwest.

They don't read because they lack the capability if grasping and absorbing the material. Even with simple subjects. It's like they understand words, until they are strung together in sentences. Plus, for some of them, I think it's genuinely painful to exercise any actual thought.

Yeah, they're lazy alright, but there is also a strong under current of willful stupidity.

[Odin2005]

14. Functional Illiteracy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_illiteracy

[SheilaT]

3. And keep in mind, that many of these people vote.

Truly scary thought.

[liberal N proud]

4. I said that to myself each time a misinformed opened their mouth

[Jitter65]

5. Now you know why Trump has such good poll numbers

[liberal N proud]

6. That sums it up

[phylny]

7. I was with my friend at a Philadelphia theater watching a great performance of

"The Book of Mormon" and during intermission, a man behind us was "explaining" to his wife how the entire show is prerecorded and the performers are lip synching.

I couldnl't help it. No, I said, the performers are singing live.

"Are you sure?"

Yes.

"But that can't be - where's the orchestra?"

I pointed under the stage.

He was incredulous.

[HughBeaumont]

8. Ah, the D.C. tourists . . ..

Hey, let's walk six abreast. And block both lanes on long escalators. And share our expertise at history, economics and government. And monopolize exhibits. And let our kids run into your legs.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu . . . .

[justiceischeap]

12. When I was a daily metro rider I hated summer

In DC, for those that don't know, you stand to the right on the escalator so people can walk on the left. It's how we worker bees get to work on time.

When you politely say excuse me to someone standing to the left, they generally get all indignant about having to move over a few steps.

I always breathed a sigh of relief when tourist season was over.

[Odin2005]

15. Wait, people WALK on escalators?

Doesn't that defeat the point of them???

[HughBeaumont]

17. The Metro escalators in DC are 4-6 times larger than what most cities have.

The Metro is way beneath the surface and the elevators are usually being worked on.

People are just in too big a hurry to be putzing around behind relaxed tourists blocking walking lanes. Why any of the tourists are riding the trains during rush hour is beyond me - most of what they want to see doesn't open until 10 anyway.

[liberal N proud]

18. Many have no actual stairs

Stand Right, walk left is the rule.

There are some really deep and long escalators and people do step up and down them and don't just stay stationary.

[justiceischeap]

19. Yes, in DC people walk on escalators

It's quite busy in the metro during rush hour, and the escalators are old and slow. Also, they're often not functioning because they're so old. So many daily commuters just walk down them.

[UTUSN]

9. How'bout some political gossip/mood/ what's-in-the-air?!1 n/t

[liberal N proud]

11. We mostly stayed out of the political arena not venturing to Capitol Hill

We didn't even go near any monuments.
We did the culture festival that was taking place on The Mall. It is always interesting to learn about other cultures. We did a couple of museums and visited the Archives (They now have what they call the Public Vaults which puts many documents on display and access to a lot of interesting stuff.

Then we did the fireworks as disappointing as they may have been. 3 days of enjoying the exhibits in the Smithsonian.

[B2G]

10. We are so smart and clever and

superior to the masses in every conceivable way!

I need to get out of here for awhile.

[demmiblue]

13. Yes, this is how it comes across. n/t

[ChisolmTrailDem]

20. OP is right, there are some stupid, lazy people out there. Despite your insult. nt

[betsuni]

16. I think some Americans get the idea that reading is too difficult and boring the same

way they've been convinced by advertising that cooking is too difficult and time-consuming so they should buy more expensive processed food.