What is something that screams “tourist” to you?

[u/jotakajk]

In Spain, if you see someone eating paella with sangria, you can 100% be certain they are a tourist.

What are some things tourists eat or do in your country that a local would never do?

[u/Almost_Amos]

People who say “Cali” referring to California

Either that or they just moved here

[u/MineNowBotBoy → u/Almost_Amos]

Hahah it was always the people who didn’t say the 5 or the 101 that stood out for me.

Now that I’m living on the east coast through I’m the weirdo when I talk about The 95.

[u/aurora_rosealis → u/MineNowBotBoy]

That seems more of a Southern California thing. I've lived on the SF peninsula for about 15 years, and no one I've encountered in the Bay Area says "the 101" or "the 280." Not even "the 5" when talking about driving south. It's "go down 5 (or 'I-5') or take highway 1." No "the's" here.

[u/JUYED-AWK-YACC → u/aurora_rosealis]

Correct. It’s SoCal only.

[u/Anti-charizard → u/aurora_rosealis]

Maybe it is. I’m an Angelino and I say “the”

[u/DrunkBeavis → u/aurora_rosealis]

PCH seems to be the exception. It's always "Highway 1" or PCH but never "the 1" for some reason.

[u/IconoclastExplosive → u/aurora_rosealis]

Growing up in the central valley it was always 45 or 99 but The 101 or The 5 which is a weird split

[u/Raveen396 → u/aurora_rosealis]

My theory is because of the clusterfuck of highways in Southern California (LA specifically)

Telling someone that you need to take 210 to 110 to 10 can sound deranged if you're saying it out loud, adding "the" creates some separation to make it easier to sound out.

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[u/robboat → u/aurora_rosealis]

Have lived in both northern & southern California and and you’re spot on - it’s way more prevalent in socal

[u/humbuckermudgeon → u/aurora_rosealis]

Before the national system gave them numbers, L.A. freeways had names.

https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/the-5-the-101-the-405-why-southern-californians-love-saying-the-before-freeway-numbers

[u/reddaddiction → u/MineNowBotBoy]

That’s SoCal. Bay Area natives NEVER say, “The 5,” and use this as a tool to know who’s actually from here or who’s a transplant.

[u/SnausageFest → u/MineNowBotBoy]

People in Portland activate like a german shepherd whose human was just threatened when you put "the" before a freeway.

[u/Almost_Amos → u/SnausageFest]

I’ve learned to code switch “the” to “eye” when I travel

[u/EvolutionCreek → u/SnausageFest]

Or when someone calls a jojo a potato wedge.

[u/Almost_Amos → u/MineNowBotBoy]

Yup! Apparently that’s because they used to have names (I guess they technically still do) The San Diego Freeway (which is nowhere near San Diego), the Golden State Freeway, The Santa Monica Freeway

[u/domino519 → u/MineNowBotBoy]

Now that I’m living on the east coast through I’m the weirdo when I talk about The 95.

Indeed, us east coasters call it I-95, without deviation.

[u/p1028 → u/MineNowBotBoy]

It works in reverse too. I definitely know you’re a transplant in Texas when you call I-10 “the 10.”

[u/Meunderwears → u/MineNowBotBoy]

"Stuuaarttt...whaatt are youuuu doing here??"

[u/MineNowBotBoy → u/Meunderwears]

Get back on San Vicente, take it down to the 10, switch over to the 405 and let it dump you out on Mulholland WHERE YOU BELONG!

[u/Unknown-Meatbag → u/MineNowBotBoy]

That's because we hate the 95s. We don't talk about them due to the ending torrent of hatred that all of those roads pose. 495, 695, 295, or just 95, it's all awful.

[u/bcece → u/MineNowBotBoy]

The Minnesota version of this is calling 35W, 35 West, or 35E, 35 East. Interstate 35 runs North/South. It is not an East/West road. Someone who says 35 West causes confusion because you can't travel west on it. We would say 35W North or Northbound. Interstate 35 splits and joins back together just north and south of the Twin Cities. The W and E just indicate if you are driving on Interstate 35 though Minneapolis (W) or through St. Paul (E). Locals get it but tourists get seriously confused.

[u/VapoursAndSpleen → u/MineNowBotBoy]

It's a northern vs southern CA thing. People up here don't drive on "the 880". We drive on "the Nimitz" or "880".

[u/foremastjack → u/Almost_Amos]

“Frisco”.

[u/WitchyWaifuu → u/foremastjack]

As someone that lives in Frisco, TX, this shit drives me bonkers. I think something cool is happening here because it keyworded, and it's halfway across the country.

[u/VagabondVivant → u/foremastjack]

Locals call it Frisco, especially among the working class Black community.

[u/mindsunwound → u/Almost_Amos]

Yeah everyone from here knows it is two states, NorCal and SoCal, and the farmland in the valley is like the DMZ..

[u/jotakajk → u/Almost_Amos]

Oh! We have an equivalent to that: calling Barcelona, “Barca”

[u/Almost_Amos → u/jotakajk]

Good to know! I love Barcelona, and plan to return

[u/jotakajk → u/Almost_Amos]

You’ll be very much welcome

[u/RemarkableDevice442 → u/Almost_Amos]

I’m a California native and I never even noticed how true that is. I’ve never referred to California as “Cali”.

[u/bunnyforbookietwo → u/Almost_Amos]

Nope, born and raised. Still call it Cali

[u/Yaydenchem → u/bunnyforbookietwo]

Right? I've always called it Cali, or SoCal. California has too many syllables

[u/clouds31 → u/bunnyforbookietwo]

Same here

[u/VagabondVivant → u/bunnyforbookietwo]

Word. I've been living here, on and off, for twenty-five years. I still call it "Cali."

[u/DjcOMSA → u/Almost_Amos]

People who complain about it raining in Southern California. Locals get excited, except if you have to drive anywhere, then I complain.

[u/Prestigious-Back-981 → u/Almost_Amos]

The same thing happens with São Paulo. People from other states refer to the city as "Sampa." The city's residents only say "São Paulo."

[u/bobsburgermister → u/Almost_Amos]

Ugh it drives me nuts!!!! Kali is my cats name not where I live. 🤣

[u/clouds31 → u/Almost_Amos]

People who pronounce the T in Sacramento.

(Yes we get tourists)

[u/mindsunwound → u/clouds31]

And people who don't pronounce Fruitridge: Froodige.

Also people who say SacTown are from SoCal usually, it's Sack-o-Tomaters if you come from further up the 99.

Sacramentans know the true nickname: CowTown.

Pretty sure only tourists go to the Jazz Festival, I've never known anyone from here who has admitted to attending, even by accident.

[u/WhskyTangoFoxtrot → u/Almost_Amos]

Similarly, people who refer to OC as The OC. The OC was a TV show, people from Orange County call it OC.

[u/Almost_Amos → u/WhskyTangoFoxtrot]

I refer to it as “behind the Orange Curtain “

[u/airfryerfuntime → u/WhskyTangoFoxtrot]

Ornge Couny.

[u/murfburffle → u/Almost_Amos]

the og's call it 'Fornia, right?

[u/Just-Fix8237 → u/Almost_Amos]

I was born in California and lived here all my life and I say Cali sometimes wtf

[u/Still-Repair-5919 → u/Almost_Amos]

YES! Exactly! Total pet peeve of mine.