Are These The Unspoken Rules of Grand Rapids?
Every city has its own thing. In Chicago, everyone knows the Bean is the most overrated tourist attraction known to man. In LA, you know to avoid taking the I-405 unless you absolutely have to. Same idea with NYC; only the bravest (or most foolish) among you casually go to Times Square, and you don't dare try driving around there.
You get the point. But does Grand Rapids, the second largest city in Michigan and one that is rapidly (no pun intended) growing, have unspoken rules to live by? Users over on the r/grandrapids subReddit certainly do and people had a lot to say (over 400 comments).
Unspoken Grand Rapids Rules?
The most common of these is that if you're taking photos to show you were downtown, Grand Rapids' iconic Blue Bridge is going to be in the photo in some way. This is a must. This time of year, it's rare not to see a high school/college graduate taking photos on the bridge. From there, the unspoken rules get far more niche.
Multiple users had rules about driving:
- Zipper merging is a concept that Grand Rapids drivers either fail to get taught or only care for themselves and don't let anyone in, thus creating a larger traffic backup. It's a fun time.
- Avoid 28th Street at all costs in the morning or at night. That road is scary for an infinite number of reasons.
- Do not drive a Kia.
- Speed limits are only a suggestion, most people drive ~25% above the posted limit (going above the speed limit is illegal but that doesn't stop anyone.) The left lane is only for those of the brave of heart.
A few honorable mentions:
- If you're from Grand Rapids, your source of weather predictions is a random glowing ball on the side of the highway.
- My personal favorite: Yeah no means no and No yeah means yes.
- There is a proper way to cheers someone when you're having a drink. 1, 2, 3.
You can view the entire list of unspoken rules here. If there are rules that I didn't mention, let me know.
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