The unwashed masses

[susanb]

Some recent threads have me thinking.....

Do you use money to separate yourself from the masses?

Some examples would be flying first class, paying for (or getting in free because you are super special) the VIP section of clubs, or not having to wait in line at the bank because of your account type or balance.

What, if any, privileges does your money buy for you?

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

I'm pretty sure I AM the unwashed masses...

[thyme4change]

Anyone who takes a car along a bus-route uses money to separate themselves from literally the unwashed masses.

[susanb]

I consider myself one of the masses also. As Thyme points out, I am not entirely.

I fly coach. I feel pretty special and priviledged to be living at a time in history, in a country and with the income that I can fly, but there are usually some pretty pretty princes and princesses in line who talk about how they are not getting the special treatment they deserve. Or they complain about the unwashed masses surrounding them.

I think that if they were really so special or if they really want such special treatment, they could just pay to be separate and superior.

ETA: I do get super special treament in a couple of ways . I live in Vegas. I don't know if you visit this city and wait for an hour in a buffet line, but if you do and you see people going by you in a special line, not having to wait at all, wave a little wave and think of me, susan b, waltzing right past the unwashed masses. It isn't flying private, but it is kind of fun.

[Peace Of Mind]

Jul 11, 2012 18:14:30 GMT -5 Rocky Mtn Saver said:

I'm pretty sure I AM the unwashed masses...

LMAO!!! That was cute.

In what way? I prefer to live in a nicer area because I like nice things and don't want my house broken into weekly or don't like being shot... stuff like that.

But I'm the type to give a homeless person money if I have it on me or I'm just feeling generous. I don't throw the money at them or run from them when I see them. I hand it to them and look them in the eye and tell them they are welcome when they thank me or bless me. I don't invite them to dinner though. And it would gross me out if they wanted to shower in my shower. But most people would gross me out doing that. It's nothing personal. LOL!!

[Opti]

Hey I shower and take baths. I'm part of the washed masses.

[susanb]

Jul 11, 2012 18:35:37 GMT -5 Opti said:

Hey I shower and take baths. I'm part of the washed masses.

Yeah. I too claimed the masses, not the unwashed.

[Cookies Galore]

Jul 11, 2012 18:16:57 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Anyone who takes a car along a bus-route uses money to separate themselves from literally the unwashed masses.

LOL, I always stand on the el so I don't have to sit with the unwashed masses.

[busymom]

I can't picture Sheldon from "Big Bang Theory" sitting on the el either...

[Peace Of Mind]

"I'm not crazy. My mother had me tested." ;D

[greenstone]

Jul 11, 2012 19:22:35 GMT -5 busymom said:

I can't picture Sheldon from "Big Bang Theory" sitting on the el either...

Sure he would. He just took extra precaution.

When Leonard was mad at him and wouldn't drive him to work, he had to wear his "bus pants".

[busymom]

[Deleted]

I don't usually spend money to rope myself off from other people, but I will attend things where the price of admission is a deterrent for some.

And because I am kind of an @$$hole, when I do hang out with the unwashed masses, we frequently bring cameras and call it a photo safari.

[Tiny]

I sit in the Quiet Car on the train - it doesn't cost extra but I have to get to the train home atleast 10 minutes before it leaves so I can get a seat (and not have to stand). It's so wonderful NOT to have to listen to inane conversations, one sided inane conversations (via cell phone), or someone else's music. I love the Quiet Car.

The few times I have accompanied someone to a "private" or "special" event (something for people who paid alot of money for a ticket or people who had alot of money to spend on frivolous stuff) I found that it was very Jr High mentality - "oooo we're so special! look at the way those dweebs over there are dressed" "Oh girl. I love your nails/shoes/whatever" "ooo tell me about your trip to super exclusive tropical place and about all the money you spent on a new wardrobe!" The kowtowing fawning salespeople made me squirm, too. My shallow/insincerety meter was going off the scale.

Maybe it's just the innane conversations that pass for socializing that bother me... I really like the Quiet Car.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Yes and no. I spent what feels to me like a small fortune for the house we bought in order to make sure our kids had decent public schools. Some of the things our family is able to do has led my extended family to utter "must be nice" on more than one occasion. However, for the area we live in we're firmly in the middle class and are the unwashed masses. I grew up on welfare, and some family members are still there, so it doesn't take much to get the must be nice comments.

[Miss Tequila]

"And because I am kind of an @$$hole, when I do hang out with the unwashed masses, we frequently bring cameras and call it a photo safari. "

Yet you gave me attitude because I didn't want to be sat on by fatties on the plane?? So it is ok to make fun of the poor but not the fatties?? I'm guessing you aren't poor but you might be one of those squishing me on a plane?

[Miss Tequila]

Like Dark and others, I choose to live in a nice area for my children and my own peace of mind. Other than that, I do not intentionally segregrate myself from the unwashed masses. I fly coach unless it is on teh company dime. But, we can afford to go to nicer places (vacation resorts, a nice club instead of the corner bar, etc) so by default I do segregate myself a lot. On the flip side, I am a culinary disaster so my family and I will eat at TGIF's and I slurp down my margaritas with the unwashed masses

There are some things I won't do and won't allow my children to do because of the element of people. I will not nor will I allow my dd to take public transportation. There are certain towns that my DD is not allowed to go to. If she makes friends from there, they are welcome at my house but dd is not going there (the sketchy, poor ass towns overrun with Section 8 apartments). in my area it is hard because the school districts are so large that you can live in a nice, safe area but there will be kids from "bad parts". We haven't run into this yet, but I would also not allow my dd to go to a trailer park. I've lived in government housing and a trailer park and trust me, those are some different kind of people living there!lol

[Deleted]

Hey, I'm not unwashed

I take a shower once a week, and a bath once a month....on the other days I use babywipes and febreeze

[happyhoix]

I have to confess that when we visited Universal in Florida we always paid to stay in one of the on-site hotels so that we could skip the long lines at the rides. The last time we went (not sure if it's the same now) people who stayed on site could fast-pass into a special line that got you right to the front of the ride. Yes we could have gotten a much cheaper hotel right outside the park but no one in my family has the patience to wait two hours for a roller coaster ride. Some things are worth the money.

We did buy a home in the country with a big lot, but that wasn't so we would be seperated from the unwashed masses, we just don't like people in general, rich or poor.

[Deleted]

I am part of the washed masses, but I do the following:

1. refuse to shop at Walmart unless I absolutely have to (the Walmarts around me are Illegals and Ghetto-Fabulous Festivals)
2. live in a upper-middle class town so DS can go to good schools (we joke that he will be seen as part of the unwashed masses. )
3. stay at the moderate resorts at WDW... mostly because the value ones are too damn small
4. this wasn't intentional, but I work in a building that cannot be accessed by public transportation

[Cookies Galore]

Jul 11, 2012 21:33:28 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I sit in the Quiet Car on the train - it doesn't cost extra but I have to get to the train home atleast 10 minutes before it leaves so I can get a seat (and not have to stand). It's so wonderful NOT to have to listen to inane conversations, one sided inane conversations (via cell phone), or someone else's music. I love the Quiet Car.

The few times I have accompanied someone to a "private" or "special" event (something for people who paid alot of money for a ticket or people who had alot of money to spend on frivolous stuff) I found that it was very Jr High mentality - "oooo we're so special! look at the way those dweebs over there are dressed" "Oh girl. I love your nails/shoes/whatever" "ooo tell me about your trip to super exclusive tropical place and about all the money you spent on a new wardrobe!" The kowtowing fawning salespeople made me squirm, too. My shallow/insincerety meter was going off the scale.

Maybe it's just the innane conversations that pass for socializing that bother me... I really like the Quiet Car.

I live in walking distance to regional rail but prefer another route since it's quicker qn gets me home quicker. Whenever I have to take regional rail i always sit in the quiet car. I love it! Except when i had to take it Tuesday and some guy sat on the car with a screaming toddler. Everyone gave him death glares, but no one wanted to be the asshole to tell him to shut her up or move. Normally someone speaks up.

[wvugurl26]

I avoid Walmart here bc it is ghetto fabulous. The cashiers wear plastic gloves and the clientele leaves much to be desired.

My friends and I will drive to Urbana to eat to avoid people here.

I live in a gated apartment complex. I work in a gated complex. Hell maybe they are trying to keep me in

I have season football tickets. I travel a lot.

I went to Hershey instead of the Six Flags that is closer to avoid the unwashed masses. I will go to Six Flags when the Caps rent it out for their season ticket holders.

I do not take public transportation to work as I prefer to get my cardio in the gym not dodging bullets and outrunning losers.

[Deleted]

FWIW, I'm not bashing Walmart in general (even though I don't really like the chain's practices and don't find them to be cheaper than the competition). There are two Walmarts about an hour away from me that are very nice and clean, and you're not waiting 20 mins on line to buy something because they actually (gasp!) have enough cashiers!

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Jul 12, 2012 7:48:58 GMT -5 @daphne87 said:

(I also refuse to shop at Market Basket, aka Ghetto Basket. Hannaford makes me much happier!)

Aaahhhh, a fellow New Englander, except I shop at Market Basket for *some* things. Or, I should say, DH does for me since there is a store right around the corner from his office. So, in Market Basket we are one of the washed masses. But, there is a "precious" Whole Foods a half mile from my house where I prefer to spend WAY MORE than what the masses pay at Market Basket for my produce and meat.

I live in a wealthier suburb (although not in one of the wealthiest) to avoid some of the same issues others choice to avoid (crime, bad influences, etc.). That said, the wealthy suburbs aren't all Leave it to Beaver. They have their issues too, trust me. So, I'm not sure I pay to avoid the unwashed/washed masses as much as I pay to live with different but nonetheless compelling and significant issues.

ETA: to fix grammatical issues. (walking away casually while softly whistling to avoid attracting attention from the grammar police)

[sheilaincali]

We tend to avoid places with large groups of people because we don't like people in general. I avoid Walmart at all costs. I hit up the grocery store while all the holy rollers are in church and the store is virtually deserted.
Public transportation in my city sucks and is not something I would ever ride on or allow my son to ride on. I pulled some strings and open enrolled him into the "good" school in our city even though we are about a mile outside the cutoff and he should by rights go to the other school.
I dropped my Y gym membership because I was sick of all the freaking scholarship/free membership people there. The kids were all ill-behaved and their parents used it as a free daycare drop off. We moved to a different, slightly more expensive gym where everyone pays the full price membership. Best decision I have made all year.

[alabamagal]

When I was in Europe for business several years ago, we had unlimited train passes instead of rental car. We had first class passes (just different cars than the second class). We were there during a heat wave.

We were unable to get away from the unwashed masses!

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

After my first trip on an Italian train, I did learn to use our funds to make sure we traveled only on the Eurostar trains forever more. Local trains don't necessarily sell you an actual seat on the train with your ticket! But, in the defense of the unwashed Italian masses, we met a lovely family on that crowded, smelly, smokey, obnoxious commuter train.

[bean29]

Jul 12, 2012 8:57:21 GMT -5 sheilaincali said:

We tend to avoid places with large groups of people because we don't like people in general. I avoid Walmart at all costs. I hit up the grocery store while all the holy rollers are in church and the store is virtually deserted.
Public transportation in my city sucks and is not something I would ever ride on or allow my son to ride on. I pulled some strings and open enrolled him into the "good" school in our city even though we are about a mile outside the cutoff and he should by rights go to the other school.
I dropped my Y gym membership because I was sick of all the freaking scholarship/free membership people there. The kids were all ill-behaved and their parents used it as a free daycare drop off. We moved to a different, slightly more expensive gym where everyone pays the full price membership. Best decision I have made all year.

This is exactly why I have no interest in belonging to the Y. Even when my kids were younger and I took them for swimming lesson's the Y seemed to have huge numbers of kids running around unsupervised. Then I am expected to pay extra to subsidize someone else's membership. I don't think so. I work to provide for my family not someone else's. I hate screaming kids.

I don't like Walmart. I rarely shop there, but the Walmart by my house is not that bad (suburban). DD and I ran into a Target more on the fringe of Milwaukee's suburbs and we were both surprised at how much the store and the clientel looked like a Walmart. DD said lets just go, and we did.

We have a fairly good income. I am looking for a certain level of quality. I work full time, and don't have time to visit 3 stores to buy my groceries for the week. I shop at the chain grocery store that has a full service deli, meat counter, bakery and liquor dept. There is a fairly nice big box grocer in my neighborhood too, and their prices are lower but the store is about 3x the size of the one I shop in, No fresh bakery, No Deli, and oddly they have good organic meat, but their other meat is too low end for me.
If I need liquor for a party I like to stop there b/c their prices are good though.

I also hate cramped hotel rooms. I have gone to a wedding and stayed at a different hotel than other family members b/c the rooms were too low end for me, bathrooms too small etc. The wedding in particular I am thinking of, I was not the only one of the wedding guests at that hotel, but my Sister and her family and my Parents stayed at the hotel accross the street and Mom and Dad rode with us. I just told my Mom I had no problem dropping them off and picking them up from that hotel, but I was staying accross the street at the hotel with larger rooms and decent sized bathrooms.

[Deleted]

Jul 12, 2012 5:45:10 GMT -5 Miss Tequila said:

"And because I am kind of an @$$hole, when I do hang out with the unwashed masses, we frequently bring cameras and call it a photo safari. "

Yet you gave me attitude because I didn't want to be sat on by fatties on the plane?? So it is ok to make fun of the poor but not the fatties?? I'm guessing you aren't poor but you might be one of those squishing me on a plane?

I took issue with your presentation, not your position. You'll note I maintained from page 1 of that thread that people who couldn't fit in one seat needed to purchase 2. You just seemed mean.

I'm mean too, I'll admit it. Though to clarify, I don't have any issue with poor people. But I do make snarky comments under my breath about people who are still rocking a look from 1983. And they can frequently be found amid the unwashed masses.

[Deleted]

Sorry I am part of the unwashed masses by birth; my wife family wishes she would divorce me already since she has shamed the family.
I do not try to seperate myself from them, it just happened.

But was on vacation last week and went to stay at my mom during wich I visited my cousins/uncles/aunts etc and reminded me how the unwashed masses live and not sure I want to go there.
- taking my aunt to PSEG to pay part of her electricity bill (not the whole amount) and the lines of people that were there. Sorry but I pay my bills online or send in a check
- drove her to get a money order to pay her rent. I send in a personal check
- A 1 year old party (my cousin baby) still did not start at 7 PM (actually started around 8), the previous saturday I went to a party for my wife cousin's 1 year old and by 3-4 party was over.
- Hord d'oeuvres/finger foods have no place at a party, my wife had a get together with her girls for her birthday and only served finger foods (my side of the family would have laugh their asses off at her: where is the rice? where is the chicken? etc)
- Kids running around with no shirts or pants; my wife family would be horrified

I think I have changed a bit but I am far from "bouji"; in many ways I will always be part of the unwashed masses. I can stay away from home for months but the moment I go back I fit right in while my wife seats akwardly in the other part of the room (got to give it to her, she has made some effort).