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Sunday, March 8, 2009

The Dark Mark?

Less than one week after reading this post by Scraps, I found myself in Brooklyn. And hungry. So I strolled into the nearest familiar food purveyor and found the store empty (one of the advantages of keeping odd hours) but for two individuals embroiled in a heated conversation across the takeout counter. This was definitely a good time to mind one's own business, so I patiently skimmed the menu, mentally debating the relative appeal of various entrees, until the fellow behind the counter paused to ask what I wanted.

When I had successfully completed my transaction without becoming entangled in anyone else's affairs, I thanked the cashier and was about to beat a hasty retreat when the woman on my side of the counter pointed right at me and said, "See? She has manners, and I bet she's from In Town!" At which point, of course, I became inescapably involved in the skirmish, which at least I now understood.
"Oh yeah?" the cashier retorted, turning towards me. "Where are you from?"
"Uh, actually I'm from Near Town," I offered, inching towards the exit.
"SEE?!" exclaimed both combatants simultaneously, launching phase two of the battle to determine whether Near Town qualified as In or Out-of Town.
Patting myself on the back for successfully saving the face of Near Town, I ducked out of the line of fire once more.

And if you are still wondering who has better manners and where, in fact, Near Town falls, I leave you with the following maxims to guide your ruminations:
Town is in the eyes of the beholder.
Out-of-Town is as Out-of-Town does.

6 comments:

Erachet said...

LOL.

That's great.

nmf #7 said...

What about Semi-close town? Or In-Town for so many years that you've seized to be OOT?
Loved the quotes.

Something Different said...

Wouldn't you say that being obsessed with what is in-town vs. What is out-of-town would be charachteristic of in-town?

Ezzie said...

LOL!!

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't you say that being obsessed with what is in-town vs. What is out-of-town would be charachteristic of in-town?

Au contraire - I've only ever heard OOTs discussing it...

Something Different said...

Lon- I dunno. I know a LOT of Brooklyn girls who spend a LOT of time obsessing over the fact that they are SO not the Brooklyn type..