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News & ArtsThursday, January 12, 2012
Books Anonymous Posters in South Lake Union Chastise "Am-Holes"
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 10:17 AM
The unfortunately named "News Chick" reported yesterday:
Rogue flyers* went up yesterday in [South Lake Union], and have been taken down by this morning, defining the thousands of Amazon employees who now work in South Lake Union as "Am-holes."
This isn't an Occupy Amazon stunt focusing on income inequality; these flyers seemed more like an I, Anonymous begging for civility in South Lake Union, and railing against Amazon employees who "walk 6 people wide on the sidewalk" and can "barely resist snapping [their] fingers at service people." If you needed any more convincing that South Lake Union has become a real neighborhood, here's your proof: People are using the sidewalks as meatspace comment threads. Paul Allen must be so proud.
* Special note to the News Chick: I'm pretty sure the flyers weren't rogue. I think they were probably made out of paper.
1
Not all the Amazon people are rude to service industry workers. When I worked at a coffee shop down there most of them were really nice, although not very good tippers.
2
"Amazon employees who walk 6 people wide on the sidewalk"
That's not much different than Capitol Hill on a weekend.
That's not much different than Capitol Hill on a weekend.
9
Amazon is only incidental. Anytime you get an influx of young people who grew up in the suburbs and are now (what they think are) making decent money in the city you're going to see this bullshit. In most cases the city is big enough to absorb and retrain the behaviour, but SLU is unfortunately more likely to allow this to go on as the employees feel like the neighborhood is merely their campus and everyone else is little more than a college janitor who should be happy to have a job cleaning up their mess.
10
Do people actually snap their fingers at service employees? It's a great image that conveys contempt from what I thought was a bygone era, but If somebody I was with did that now, I wouldn't let it go unnoticed...
12
The original flyer has got lost in all the reposting:
http://images.bimedia.net/images/Take+th…
The flyer's author noted: "Most of you Amazon people are pretty cool" and "To those of you Amazon people that act friendly and normal, thank you and we're glad you're here"
http://images.bimedia.net/images/Take+th…
The flyer's author noted: "Most of you Amazon people are pretty cool" and "To those of you Amazon people that act friendly and normal, thank you and we're glad you're here"
15
Wow, just last night we had a run in with a group of about 8 chubby guys in their late 20's with backpacks on Terry Ave outside the Tom Douglas monopoly spaces (Brave Horse, etc). We were walking behind the group on a set of stairs. The Am-borg suddenly froze and blocked the stairs to confer through silent blinking and simultaneous head twitches, stopping everyone behind them. Finally my girlfriend loudly exclaimed "Excuse me, move it!" and busted through the group. I think they fell down like bowling pins. $5/each with free shipping.
16
Walking six abreast and snapping fingers...maybe its time for a remake of West Side Story using gangs entirely made up of geeks!
17
I think these signs speak more to the insecurities of the person/people who posted them, than to the group of people they are complaining about.
18
I work in South Lake Union, although not for Amazon. I think @9 has it right on the money. Most of the Amazon employees that cause problems strike me as being young, and having never worked or lived in a city.
They just need some practice at being urban.
They just need some practice at being urban.
19
They are mostly just social rejects like the rest of Seattle.
Seattlites: don't block the sidewalk, don't jaywalk into oncoming traffic, don't stop your car in the middle of the street (for people turning left, because you're lost, because you're turning or otherwise), say 'excuse me' and 'hello' for little or no reason, get out of the elevator quickly and move your ass if someone is holding the door for you, tip, go into shops and cafes even if no one is in there and even to just look around, smile, say 'goodbye' when you leave, shake peoples' hands and feel free to kiss their cheek, stop being so goddamned cheap, don't be self-righteous, be optimistic and hopeful.
Seattlites: don't block the sidewalk, don't jaywalk into oncoming traffic, don't stop your car in the middle of the street (for people turning left, because you're lost, because you're turning or otherwise), say 'excuse me' and 'hello' for little or no reason, get out of the elevator quickly and move your ass if someone is holding the door for you, tip, go into shops and cafes even if no one is in there and even to just look around, smile, say 'goodbye' when you leave, shake peoples' hands and feel free to kiss their cheek, stop being so goddamned cheap, don't be self-righteous, be optimistic and hopeful.
22
@15,
How do you know they worked for Amazon?
Anyway, my strategy for dealing with zombies like that is to just plow through them without saying anything. They seem to get more outraged if you say "excuse me" than if you just pummel them. Kind of like how Seattle drivers fly into a rage if you honk at them, even if you're just trying to warn them not to crash into you.
How do you know they worked for Amazon?
Anyway, my strategy for dealing with zombies like that is to just plow through them without saying anything. They seem to get more outraged if you say "excuse me" than if you just pummel them. Kind of like how Seattle drivers fly into a rage if you honk at them, even if you're just trying to warn them not to crash into you.
23
@19/20 I find your desire to give an entire city lessons in how to behave to be a good reason to ignore your advice.
Why would I take advice on human interaction with someone with an ego larger than a medium sized urban area?
Why would I take advice on human interaction with someone with an ego larger than a medium sized urban area?
25
@15, your lovely story suggests an addendum to biffp's rules: you stop wearing a backpack in the city when you enter the tenth grade.
26
@23, and you dare to criticize me? What does that say about your ego friend. That's some chutzpah!
@25, that's definitely a start to the addendum. I might add that sleeping bags are for camping, and not for wearing as a parka in 40+ degree weather.
@25, that's definitely a start to the addendum. I might add that sleeping bags are for camping, and not for wearing as a parka in 40+ degree weather.
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