Most Common Mistakes Newcomers Make (Chicago, Hoffman Estates: rental car, transplants, apartments)

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Aleking

don't listen to people who tell you a car is optional

Originally Posted by Aleking

i love only driving my car once or twice a month but i absolutely need it

Lived without a car in Chicago for 15 years now. Never had a problem getting a job, dating, anything. I do rent cars occasionally, but as far as *owning* a car - absolutely optional here unless your job requires one.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Stillers

When you take a cab, don't give the cab driver the exact address. It's a dead giveaway that you're new, and some may take the longest way possible to get a higher fare. Instead, give them the nearest cross street.

I always give addresses if I'm going to private place, but then again I'm not at all afraid to give a driver an earfull if they try to take me for a ride. Hell, I stiffed a driver in San Francisco once because he thought he could get tricky with an out of towner, so you can believe as a local drivers here better not try to yank me around. That said, always, ALWAYS treat cabbies with respect until and unless they prove they don't deserve it.

Originally Posted by MassVt

Go ahead and put ketchup on your hot dog; perfectly normal in most parts of the country, but...

I do this, but only in the privacy of my own home.

Originally Posted by jwaiter

...
They wrote my condo association a $1500 ticket for garbage cans being overflowed, as an example of a non-car ticket the city can levy.

Mine, too. And it wasn't even our garbage, it was our a-hole neighbor (not part of the condo association) leaving bags outside our dumpster. When I called him on it (rather politely, considering he'd cost us $1,500), he had the nerve to call ME an a-hole. If he hadn't been dying of cancer, I'd have been tempted to sock him in the nose.

Originally Posted by jwaiter

And our tree branches in front of the building were hanging too low... another ticket. They're devious.

As someone who hates getting poked in the eye walking down the sidewalk in the middle of the night, I think I side with the City on that ticket.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by marothisu

5) Thinking that they will make tons of good friends right away in a new city. Unless you're in college, it's going to take longer than that unless you get really lucky. People here are friendly, but they aren't over eager to be your best friend at the drop of a dime after meeting you for 2 minutes...usually. Look at Meetup groups, join a health club, etc etc.

I disagree with this one.

I met awesome people right out the gate. Within a month, I had other new comers to explore the city with. It was fun because we didn't have silly hangups on not going to this area or that side of town.

Social Media helped a lot.

If you go and sit in a bar it's not going to happen.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

I disagree with this one.

I met awesome people right out the gate. Within a month, I had other new comers to explore the city with. It was fun because we didn't have silly hangups on not going to this area or that side of town.

Social Media helped a lot.

If you go and sit in a bar it's not going to happen.

That's fine, but it's not the norm - I can tell you that. It's easy to meet people if you're social, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about peole whom you call your great friends.

[ChiGuy2.5]

Originally Posted by Aleking

don't listen to people who tell you a car is optional

I don't get this. I was going to say the most common mistake is people who think they DO need a car. Anybody who works in the loop or other close public trans areas and live anywhere from Lakeview to South Loop to Logan Square don't need to be concerned about having a car.

[TBideon]

Don't be naive around bums and panhandlers. We've got the worst in the country, and the city doesn't do a damn thing about it.

Don't get drunk by yourself no matter where you are. There are scumbags all over ready to mug you or do worse.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by emathias

As someone who hates getting poked in the eye walking down the sidewalk in the middle of the night, I think I side with the City on that ticket.

Hear, hear! I didn't even realize the City ticketed for this. I think I'll start calling in violations.

[Just1Fan]

One common mistake newcomers make is...
settling into a place or area to live, before landing a job - which often leads to terrible commutes. If possible, get a job first, then find a place to stay that is most convenient.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ChiGuy2.5

I don't get this. I was going to say the most common mistake is people who think they DO need a car. Anybody who works in the loop or other close public trans areas and live anywhere from Lakeview to South Loop to Logan Square don't need to be concerned about having a car.

Agreed - you can easily live in the city without a car depending on your lifestyle and where you work

[Bucktownbabe]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Which part of the skit? I haven't found it to be overly accurate other than people here and there actually having those accents (but I haven't run into TONS of people with that accent).

A LOT of people here have that accent, and are every bit as obsessed with sports as those guys were. I assume that's what the poster was referring to.