Living in Houston sucks big fat hairy fucking donkey balls.

[Lady Effingbroke]

I hate it here.

That is all

[Swede]

1. Why?

What's up Lady?

[Lady Effingbroke]

8. lack of ANY kind of public transportation.

the fact that I can't avoid driving, try as I might.

a (generally) clueless populace.

the fact that they renamed Intercontinental Airport after Poppy.

the fact that Poppy and Babs live here.

the fact that summer lasts about 9 months here.

the fact that this city is UGLY!!! (no natural beauty what - so - ever.)

I could go on, but you get my drift.

[Swede]

10. I gotcha.

Sounds pretty grim. A huge city with no public transport is ridiculous.

[Lady Effingbroke]

15. This city was built entirely on the premise of an endless supply of cheap

oil and mass use of central A/C.

Once Peak Oil really kicks in, this place is doomed.

I try to ride my bicycle everywhere humanly possible (yes it's hot, but I'm used to it - you sweat like a lathered horse, you stink, life's a bitch. At least I can take a cool shower and wash the body funk off when I arrive at my humble home-on-wheels). But it is impossible to completely avoid driving, the city is so huge and sprawling.

[Orangepeel]

17. 635-4000. Dixie drive your cows in.

635-4000. Dixie rhymes with 63. Drive your rhymes with 54. Cows in rhymes with thousand. 635-4000. Dixie drive your cows in.

That was the copy for Metro's radio ads when I lived in Houston years ago. Bloody stupid ad, but it was memorable (as evidenced by the fact that I can quote it verbatim 10 years later).

I used to ride the bus from UH to the Galleria every day, so I was very familiar with their phone number. It wasn't convenient, but it was doable.

[Lady Effingbroke]

19. I remember that ad!

Sadly, the buses don't run where I live, as is true with most places here, and our "light rail system" that the city officials love to brag about is a frickin' JOKE - 7 whole miles of it down the middle of Main Street in the Medical Center.

When it first became operational, people were wrecking their cars into the cute widdle choo-choo on a daily basis, as they were not used to the idea of mass transportation - it simply does not compute in the minds of most people here. If it ain't a car or the occasional bus, they don't know what it is!

[lavenderdiva]

27. Hey neighbor!

I live in Houston too! I hate it too! and for all the reasons you mentioned, and more! I moved here from New Orleans, where it wasn't perfect, and there was lots wrong, but more things were right. It was a beautiful city, very cool people, great food, NO BUSHES even though there were lots of Repubs there really were more Dems. Can't really say much positive about Houston, but that my husband is here, so here I must be for now.

[Lady Effingbroke]

28. Hi, lavenderdiva!

Nice to see that there are other Houston DUers! :hi:

[Benhurst]

2. You are not alone. There are scads of places

like that in BushAmerica. :hurts:

[kedrys]

3. If it wasn't kind of late already

I'd invite you over so you could mellow out with the kitties.

It's not great, but it doesn't suck. Much suckier alternatives abound. :hug:

[Syncronaut Seven]

4. I've been to Houston and I concurre.

Oregon is nice, but you can't come here with big hair. In fact, we don't even shave our armpits here. :silly:

[bridgit]

5. well all right, but what about living in the midst...

of all that economic prosperity in the most corporation, tax breaks to the super rich friendly, wild mid west root'n toot'n state in the union...that's got'ah be worth something :shrug:

[Lady Effingbroke]

12. It is certainly lovely for the conservative super wealthy,

but I am an impoverished, lowly (and lonely) trailer-park liberal.

I am living in the wrong damn place (and I can't afford to move). :(

[bridgit]

20. i hear'ya, hon, it's still all good...

cause we got us spirit :hi: :kick: :patriot:

[Not_Giving_Up]

23. Hey! I'm a Texas Trailer Park Liberal Too!

I'm not in Houston, but I'm close enough to smell it. I know what you mean. Metro doesn't come anywhere near me, so I have to drive, no choice.

[Lady Effingbroke]

29. Hello, Not_Giving_Up!

Sorry for the late reply!

I get to smell Houston up close and personal -- I live near the Ship Channel. x(

[Not_Giving_Up]

31. Oh P.U.!

I spent a large portion of my childhood in Stinkadena. I'm out in Brazoria County now, not far from the BP Amoco Chocolate Bayou plant that just finished burning today (started Wednesday). Ah! The childhood memories!

[blue sky at night]

6. Not only are you surrounded by right wing fascist.........

assholes, but it is only about 110 degrees in the shade. To me, living in texas would be akin to being married to a right wing neocon smoker who doesn't shave her legs or armpits and stomps on kittens for fun. Other than that its ok. Did I mention Tom Delay? George Bush? Oh, thats right, it was in my subject line.

On edit, its ok, you can be happy anywhere, just teasing.

OMG, I forgot to tell you I live in OHIO. There we are even.

[Lady Effingbroke]

9. I have lived here since 1977 (grew up here).

I am long past ready to get the hell out! x(

[Fenris]

7. Hey! You sound like me all through high school!

Graduate of the Woodlands High School class of 2002! x(

[mitchtv]

11. Sorry Lady E,

too bad you're not out by the pool with us. I'd blame the Pukes.

[Vinnie From Indy]

13. Frickin' Hilarious! Great Post!

n/t

[sasquatch]

14. Move to Ohio

Are cities are awesome and we need the votes.

[Lady Effingbroke]

16. Do you have cities with good public transportation up there?

That is my #1 criterion for choosing a place to live. :)

[sasquatch]

21. All of them have pretty good public transportation

It's not NYC level public transport but it's a whole helluva lot bettter than "HEYOUSTON'S".

[Lisa]

18. you should get together with Bouncy Ball!

She posted a great rant a while back. I think she's still in a suburb of Dallas?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2967888

[Redstone]

22. I figured that out in 1978.

What took YOU so long?

Redstone

[Lady Effingbroke]

25. I moved (or I should say was moved) here in 1977 when I was 7.

This is pretty much the only "home" I have ever known.

I grew up here, and my attitude for much of the time was "well it sucks, but it's home".

I am embarrassed to admit I am not well-traveled - my parents were not the type who dragged their kids all over the country on vacation, and since becoming an adult, I have really never had the money to travel and see what the rest of the world looks like, so I guess I just have never known any better.:blush:

This place has become much less tolerable in the past 5 years - I wonder why. :sarcasm:

I have one more year of school, and then I hope I can find a job in a more congenial city.

[Arugula Latte]

24. Why are you there? Can you get the hell out?

Did you grow up there? Move there for a job?

GET OUT!! Life is too short!!

[Lady Effingbroke]

26. Oh, you're in Portland!

I want to move there so bad, I'm crying right now. :cry: You are SO lucky to live there!

I can't afford to move. I am going to school and working as a sacker in a grocery store for 5.15 an hour.

I can't even afford to drive across town (granted, it's a looong way, but still...).

I ride my bicycle everywhere I can, but it's impossible to escape driving here.

I am a lonely bicyclist, too, as the clueless masses roar by me in their Expeditions, Tahoes, and H2s, pausing only long enough to look at me as if I just landed from Mars.

My only consolation is that if gas prices keep going up (and they will), their asses are gonna be out there pedaling right next to me at this time next year!

[Beausoir]

30. I have visited Houston many times.

All for extremely happy occasions...the adoption of my children.

I think the people are very nice. I'm from Minnesota....home of Minnesota Nice (which is really just a label we give ourselves while we shred our fellow human beings to pieces with our pent-up hate and anxiety)...and I think Houstonians are very good people.

But..WOW! Y'all don't obey traffic laws down there. I mean...you all drive on the grassy median, make exits where exits don't exist and just overall MAKE your own damn road for where ever you need to go.


It's kinda cool....if you can stay alive long enough to enjoy the coolness.

[Not_Giving_Up]

32. LOL

Driving in Houston is an acquired skill. I don't drive on medians or make my own exits, but please, just get the hell out of my WAY!!!

[Lady Effingbroke]

33. Yes, there are many nice people here.

I am just ready for a change of scenery, political and otherwise -- I would love to live in the Pacific Northwest. I have never been there, but it looks so beautiful!

[Not_Giving_Up]

34. I thought getting away from the pollution would help my sinuses/allergies

We moved to South Carolina. In the middle of nowhere. My allergies were worse there because there was so much MORE pollen...Now that I've got asthma to boot, I'm wondering where the fuck I should live.

I'm on a mission here though. Determined to get this state back to blue.

[Lady Effingbroke]

36. I admire your courage and determination, and I feel like a wimp for

wanting to "run away". I know I should stay and fight, but I really would like to live somewhere else for a while.

[Wetzelbill]

35. the air is nice I heard.

:)

[Lady Effingbroke]

37. From what I can see, it's lovely!

:P