Time's Square...I just don't get it.

[vicrider 0]

First off, I'm a guy who has a great hatred for crowds of smelly people bumping into each other. I hate the thought of living in the land of tall buildings. A three story building is too big for me. Why do people subject themselves to the hours of agony waiting for a big ball to slowly lower itself to the ground? Wife and I watched the ball drop in the Square and there was miles of people packed elbow to elbow, or at least blocks of people. There are no satellites. No stores with bathrooms. They talked about people being there for hours to get good spots and wearing diapers to make it through the hours of wait. Boy, I bet it must smell like New Orleans during Mardi Gras, another place I made it through life without having visited. This year it was cold, raining buckets, and generally miserable but don't think that meant you could find a spot to stand. Packed with people who really considered that enjoyment.

 

Okay, so I'm an old curmudgeon but I wish you guys a Happy New Year and may you find your peace on a quiet lake or river and not in throngs of elbow to elbow bodies.

 

Nick

[tjm 0]

I'll give up curmudgeonry long enough to wish you and all the rest of the forum Happy New Year, Nick.

So, Have a better year coming than the one leaving all of youse.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Nick you and I are a lot a like in that respect. You could not pay me to be in that mess. I don't like being around people when I have to go to Walmart so you can imagine how much I would hate being in NYC for that crap. Funny you brought this up because my family was over tonight and my Niece was texting back & forth with one of her friends whom had went to Times Square for the drop. He said they got there at about 9 or 10 am, had to go through an unreal amount of checkpoints, then stand there for 12 hours in the rain (not allowed umbrellas) with no food, nothing to drink, and no rest rooms at all.

 

Why someone would want to subject themselves to that is beyond me.

[Piker20 0]

I'm with you guys. I find 'forced' social enjoyment all a bit fake anyway and the idea of time square sounds like hell on earth.

[mikechell 0]

1. Cold ... I hate it.

2. Being wet and cold ... my version of hell.

3. Crowds ... I get punchy in crowds. Usually, someone gets hurt. (At my age, it might be me ... but it wasn't in the past)

4. Organized, large scale events ... I hate them. You couldn't drag me into a concert, ball drop, mardi gras or any other event with more than a couple people.

 

I'm more like the Druids. New Year started on December 22, when the days started getting longer.

 

All that said ... I do wish you all a very prosperous and healthy New Year !!!

[Poopdeck 0]

Our youth is the first thing to go followed by our memory of our youth on the long road to Curmudgeoury. When I was young I loved to be where it's at. I always enjoyed new places and new experiences but not so much anymore. I like to think I did a lot of things and went to a lot of places and now I just enjoy not being where everybody else is. I haven't gone out on New Years Eve for 20 years. I've been to time square on a regular day and I hated it so I'm sure I would not want to be in time square, or anywhere in NYC, on New Years Eve.

 

My Daughter who grew up in the affluent burbs of Philadelphia works in Manhatten and lives in Hoboken. She absolutely loves NYC and would not want to be anywhere but NYC on New Years Eve. In time this will change and she will grow to hate it like the rest of us. Until them I hope everybody who goes to time square to watch the ball drop has the time of their lives while I sit and enjoy watching them from my couch.

 

Wishing everybody a happy and prosperous New Years.

[cphubert 0]

Yep could never understand anyone enjoying something like that. But thank God they do, it keeps them all together and allows me my solitude. Imagine wearing depends because they do not allow restrooms (one of my wife's relatives said that's what they use) and cold wet depends be it rainwater or waste water? WTF is wrong with people. Besides all that I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, New Year. Tight lines for 2019.

[rstaight 0]

In my younger days I regularly would go 48 hours without sleep. Today I can't set in a chair with out dozing off.

 

Crowds are not for me either. Would much rather be fishing or setting on the deck drinking an ice tea or an adult beverage.

 

Anyway, I hope everyone has a splendid new year.

[mikechell 0]

When I was young I loved to be where it's at.

I never had that desire. I've been a loner all my life. As a kid in school, I couldn't wait to get home and to the woods behind our house. I'd rather be walking through the woods than anywhere near a school event.

I didn't like kids, even when I was one.

 

As cp says ... it's good that all those ... people ... like to be in crowds like that. Keeps them from ruining my "alone" places.

[vicente 0]

I have always liked concerts, I enjoyed the mosh pit when I was younger probably still would though I imagine being not in as good of shape and 33 I would be substantially more sore for the next week. I have never understood the draw top simply stand there in a crowd with nothing actually interesting happening for the sake of "being there". I've always hated cities I have little doubt that if I lived in NYC I would undoubtedly be driven insane.

[Dave G. 0]

My interest in new years eve is 0 ,nyc or not but especially there.

[Steeldrifter 0]

 

1. Cold ... I hate it.

2. Being wet and cold ... my version of hell.

3. Crowds ... I get punchy in crowds. Usually, someone gets hurt. (At my age, it might be me ... but it wasn't in the past)

4. Organized, large scale events ... I hate them. You couldn't drag me into a concert, ball drop, mardi gras or any other event with more than a couple people.

 

Mike we are WAY too much alike. Except for the cold, I could stand in a cold river mid winter all day long as I had a rod in my hand.

 

My New Years Eve was perfect the way it was last night. Making my Niece & Nephew bankrupt in a cut throat game of Monopoly

[vicrider 0]

It's funny mikechell but I had you in mind as I typed the OP. There was no doubt in my mind you'd feel the same as I did. Unlike you I have to admit I've grown into my curmudgeonous lifestyle over time. When young and in High School I did often spend time in very crowded party crowds and loved it. Somewhere along the line I decided I had enough of Chicago and it's rapidly expanding suburbs and downtown partying when I really found myself longing to get back to the trout streams of northern WI and MN. The solitude of the woods and rivers beckoned and at 26 I escaped Chicago for a small town in WI, then an even smaller town in MN. After that I could not bring myself to even visit major cities. When forced by job shutdown and need to make a living for family I had to spend 22 years in Mnpls/St.Paul suburbs and within weeks of retirement I was back into a town so small we don't have a stop light in the county or a single fast food franchise.

[Steeldrifter 0]

For me I've always been an introvert, but I have gotten worse as I have got older. When I was in my 20's I use to go to New Years Eve parties at bars with girlfriends and be around people in crowds, but even back then I would NEED to have alone time the next day or two just to recharge. Now a days though I avoids the crowds at all costs. I honestly do my best to be alone as much a possible anymore. Outside of my family and about 3 good friends I really avoid most sisuations that put me in groups of people these days.

[Piker20 0]

My wife needs to read this post. She tries to tell me I'm depressed. I just don't want to spend half a day around other people, especially given my job is a public facing job for 47hrs a week. When I'm off work I can't get far enough away from Joe public.