Pittsburghers are friendly and passionate people but, beware, there are some things you really don’t want to say or to do unless you want to see all that passion turn into anger. Here are 15 sure-fire ways to make a Pittsburgher mad. (And, for some of these, we do them ourselves, making other Pittsburghers mad.)
- Steal our parking spot.
Flickr/meryddian That chair in the snowy parking spot? It’s there for a reason. We sweated in the frigid temperatures to shovel out and clean our cars and plopped that chair down to ensure we have our space to park in when we return home. See a chair claiming a parking spot? Keep driving.
- Insult the Steelers.
Flickr/Lunafish Photography Pittsburghers bleed black and gold and - as much as we cheer for the Pens and the Pirates - we truly live in Steelers country. If you really want to make a Pittsburgher mad, go ahead. Insult the Steelers. Claim they suck. You might just walk away with your tail between your legs.
- Say the Pens or the Pirates suck.
Flickr/rickmastfan67 Pittsburgh’s a sports town and Pittsburghers are loyal sports fans. Say the Pens or the Buccos suck and be prepared to face the wrath of an angry Pittsburgher.
- Root for the Ravens while in Pittsburgh.
Flickr/Emmett Tullos You’re either really brave or absolutely nuts if you walk into a Steelers game - or anywhere in Pittsburgh, for that matter - in Baltimore Ravens’ gear, cheering for the Ravens. Good way to make a Pittsburgher mad.
- Insinuate we hate everyone from Philly.
Flickr/Tyler Sprague Sure, Pittsburgh and Philly have a pretty intense interstate rivalry. But, hate is a pretty strong word and one that doesn’t accurately describe that lifelong rivalry.
- Claim we are uneducated.
Flickr/Jon Dawson Pittsburghers may have what outsiders consider a “funny accent,” but we are far from uneducated. In fact, we live in a city with world class universities like Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Robert Morris University, and Point Park University.
- Tailgate
Flickr/Doug Kerr Most of us have complained - either under our breath or quite loudly - about the always-frustrating bumper-to-bumper traffic we often face on Pittsburgh’s major roads. But, if you really want to make a fellow Pittsburgher mad, just tailgate him or her.
- Ask us if there’s anything to do in Pittsburgh.
Flickr/rblood Question if there’s anything to do? Surely you jest. Pittsburgh offers so much to do - outdoor and indoor activities, museums, restaurants, shopping, sports, and amusement parks - that the biggest challenge is deciding how to spend a free day.
- Question if it’s really smoky in Pittsburgh.
Flickr/Joseph Novak Join us in the 21st century, won’t you? Pittsburgh may have a storied past that stars steel mills and smoky skies but those days have given way to blue skies as Pittsburgh has become a medical, technological, and educational hot spot.
- Troll us on social media.
Flickr/Esther Vargas Go on any local news site’s Facebook page and pick a story. Then troll. You will make more Pittsburghers mad than you can handle.
- Take two parking spots.
Flickr/iris The picture above? That’s how to park a car, right? In between the two white lines. Not taking up too spaces, especially in a crowded parking lot.
- Hurt an animal.
Flickr/RNCB Pittsburghers love animals and fight for their rights so respect them both if you want to keep a Pittsburgher from getting angry.
- Tell us the only thing to do in Pittsburgh is drink.
Flickr/Benny Mazur Okay, sure, Pittsburghers enjoy drinking at the many eclectic restaurants and bars scattered throughout the city. But, Pittsburgh offers so much more to do, from world class museums to outdoor activities.
- Ask us why the New Year’s Eve ball goes…up.
Flickr/erin m. So, maybe Pittsburghers don’t technically get angry - maybe more amused or perhaps a little annoyed - when someone asks us why the New Year’s Eve ball goes up instead of down. Pittsburgh’s New Year’s Eve ball juts to toward the sky to ring in the New Year as a way of looking toward the future.
- Insist we are rude.
Flickr/saeru Those who insist Pittsburghers are rude certainly have never stood at a bus stop, sat on a park bench, or taken a stroll only to meet a stranger and engage in a long conversation. Pittsburghers are notorious for their friendliness.
Sure, there are some sure-fire ways to make a Pittsburgher mad but Pittsburghers are friendly and proud of the city we call home.
Flickr/meryddian
That chair in the snowy parking spot? It’s there for a reason. We sweated in the frigid temperatures to shovel out and clean our cars and plopped that chair down to ensure we have our space to park in when we return home. See a chair claiming a parking spot? Keep driving.
Flickr/Lunafish Photography
Pittsburghers bleed black and gold and - as much as we cheer for the Pens and the Pirates - we truly live in Steelers country. If you really want to make a Pittsburgher mad, go ahead. Insult the Steelers. Claim they suck. You might just walk away with your tail between your legs.
Flickr/rickmastfan67
Pittsburgh’s a sports town and Pittsburghers are loyal sports fans. Say the Pens or the Buccos suck and be prepared to face the wrath of an angry Pittsburgher.
Flickr/Emmett Tullos
You’re either really brave or absolutely nuts if you walk into a Steelers game - or anywhere in Pittsburgh, for that matter - in Baltimore Ravens’ gear, cheering for the Ravens. Good way to make a Pittsburgher mad.
Flickr/Tyler Sprague
Sure, Pittsburgh and Philly have a pretty intense interstate rivalry. But, hate is a pretty strong word and one that doesn’t accurately describe that lifelong rivalry.
Flickr/Jon Dawson
Pittsburghers may have what outsiders consider a “funny accent,” but we are far from uneducated. In fact, we live in a city with world class universities like Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Robert Morris University, and Point Park University.
Flickr/Doug Kerr
Most of us have complained - either under our breath or quite loudly - about the always-frustrating bumper-to-bumper traffic we often face on Pittsburgh’s major roads. But, if you really want to make a fellow Pittsburgher mad, just tailgate him or her.
Flickr/rblood
Question if there’s anything to do? Surely you jest. Pittsburgh offers so much to do - outdoor and indoor activities, museums, restaurants, shopping, sports, and amusement parks - that the biggest challenge is deciding how to spend a free day.
Flickr/Joseph Novak
Join us in the 21st century, won’t you? Pittsburgh may have a storied past that stars steel mills and smoky skies but those days have given way to blue skies as Pittsburgh has become a medical, technological, and educational hot spot.
Flickr/Esther Vargas
Go on any local news site’s Facebook page and pick a story. Then troll. You will make more Pittsburghers mad than you can handle.
Flickr/iris
The picture above? That’s how to park a car, right? In between the two white lines. Not taking up too spaces, especially in a crowded parking lot.
Flickr/RNCB
Pittsburghers love animals and fight for their rights so respect them both if you want to keep a Pittsburgher from getting angry.
Flickr/Benny Mazur
Okay, sure, Pittsburghers enjoy drinking at the many eclectic restaurants and bars scattered throughout the city. But, Pittsburgh offers so much more to do, from world class museums to outdoor activities.
Flickr/erin m.
So, maybe Pittsburghers don’t technically get angry - maybe more amused or perhaps a little annoyed - when someone asks us why the New Year’s Eve ball goes up instead of down. Pittsburgh’s New Year’s Eve ball juts to toward the sky to ring in the New Year as a way of looking toward the future.
Flickr/saeru
Those who insist Pittsburghers are rude certainly have never stood at a bus stop, sat on a park bench, or taken a stroll only to meet a stranger and engage in a long conversation. Pittsburghers are notorious for their friendliness.
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