Sitting on connecting interstates and home to a major international airport, Philadelphia is easy to get away from. While we love our fair city, there are times where we just need to get out of here — when the weather is filled with freezing rain and we haven’t seen the sun in 37 days, for example. However, when we do, strange things start to happen. Here are eight terrible things that happen to Philadelphians while traveling.
Photo: Khairil Azhar Junos/Shutterstock
8 Terrible Things That Happen to Philadelphians While Traveling
1. The people we meet immediately ask us about cheesesteaks…
Philly cheesesteaks seems to be the one and only aspect of our city that outsiders know about. It’s sad to think that a sandwich variety is seen as Philly’s greatest achievement when there’s so much more to our city and its food than that. It’s our duty to dispel myths and tell the world that the Philadelphia culinary scene is one of the best in the US.
2. … or Rocky Balboa…
Rocky is one of the best Philly movie series out there — perhaps the only truly Philly movie series out there. That said, the bronze statue in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art gets way too much hype in comparison to the incredibly impressive collection of art that is actually inside the museum. Rocky is great, but the Philly art and culture landscape is much broader than the 1970s franchise.
3. …or New York City.
Yes, Philly is sort of near New York City. But, it’s a very different, very separate city, and we don’t take kindly to this comparison. We’re the third-largest city in the US and the birthplace of this country for your information.
4. We often need to use the New Jersey Transit system.
If we’re leaving the city by train, there’s a fair chance it’s going to be through the God awful system that is NJ Transit. There’s no telling what will happen when you board — it’s like the Wild West of train travel out there. Likely, it will involve you stumbling off, dazed, seven hours past when you were supposed to arrive at your destination.
5. A trip to the airport is full of road dangers.
The amount of crater-sized potholes lining the exit ramps to the Philadelphia airport is mind-blowing. We may know the potholes are there but that doesn’t mean we know how we’re supposed to get around them without swerving into oncoming traffic. At least you know that you’ll have company when you pull over to change your now beat-up tire.
6. We lose our minds to the gridlock of I-95 on Fridays in the summer.
Always double the amount of time you think it’s going to take to reach your destination and expect a lot of heads yelling out of car windows, fist shakings, and nervous breakdowns. Traffic on I-95 is the worst way to start a weekend getaway.
7. We censor ourselves.
It’s true that Philadelphians have a specific jargon that may not suit every situation out there or be understood by everyone in the country. It’s a tough endeavor to change how we speak but we do make some effort to communicate with the rest of the world — when we feel like it.
8. People think we’re all a-holes.
We know that our reputation in other parts of the country is not always the kindest. We’re a little rough around the edges, but give us a chance. When you get past our defensiveness and sarcasm, we’re pretty darn nice. 