Are you afraid to visit Ann Arbor?

POLL: Are you afraid to visit Ann Arbor?

A-Yes
B-Somewhat
C-Not really, but some concern
D-No

annarborfear2

update: For those of you who didn’t get the reference, this post was inspired by something put out by the Ann Arbor News this afternoon on Facebook. Essentially it’s the exact same poll, only with their ruin porn images of Detroit replaced by equally terrifying images of Ann Arbor. You can see their poll here.

This entry was posted in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Uncategorized and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

20 Comments

  1. Posted August 21, 2014 at 8:39 pm | Permalink

    As for the images I chose, I tried, to the best of my ability, to find things that I thought would represent the most terrifying things about Ann Arbor. It was difficult, but I decided on these four. One, taken from a celebratory video on binge drinking, shows a drunken undergrad screaming about his fondness for the local football team. Another shows Ann Arbor’s silly bike racks, which proclaim themselves to be be art. Another shows the destruction of what was Blimpy Burger, a local institution since just after World War II. And, of course, the last image shows Ann Arbor’s most infamous resident, Governor Rick Snyder. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t fit in an image from Art Fair.

  2. Dan Richardson
    Posted August 21, 2014 at 10:28 pm | Permalink

    I thought the bike rack shot was some sneaky reference to your Shadow Art Fair, since there’s a shadow of the word “art”.

    All four photos are terrifying.

  3. Eel
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 7:04 am | Permalink

    You should have included a photo of an old hippie putting a “No New Library” campaign sign in his front yard.

  4. Eel
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 7:13 am | Permalink

    You could have also include a still image from this video:

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/video-shows-university-michigan-athlete-punching-man-cops-article-1.1901173

    “In the painful video released by Ann Arbor police Tuesday, wide receiver Csont’e York, 20, is allegedly seen pummeling his victim on July 18 after the man bumped into him. The powerful blow reportedly forced the victim to have his jaw wired shut and be given a temporary breathing tube.”

  5. Eel
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 7:21 am | Permalink

    As someone once told me, in Ann Arbor the bike racks say “art.” In Ypsi, they are art.

    Judge for yourself.

    http://www.twofellswoops.com/signage/ann-arbors-new-art-bike-racks-arent-a-cure-for-cancer

  6. facebook stalker
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 7:36 am | Permalink

    Mark explaining his image choices on Facebook:

    “I could have done worse. I could have posted photos of football players accused of rape and the intimidation or rape victims. These images, I thought, were relatively harmless, but all point to more significant issues… the growing conservativism, the safeness of the art, the gentrification.”

  7. K2
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 9:57 am | Permalink

    I’m afraid that someone will throw coffee in my face at one of the many Starbucks.

  8. Quinn
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 11:31 am | Permalink

    Mine would be: An undergrad wearing maize texting and listening to headphones, stepping out in front of your car without warning. Police throwing away homeless people’s tents. A police sketch of a random white dude flasher who seem to stake out the Diag. A menu from a downtown restaurant with the prices listed.

  9. Lynne
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 11:51 am | Permalink

    Heh. Ann Arbor people have been snooty about Ann Arbor ever since I first moved to this area in 1986. Whenever I would invite any of my Ann Arbor friends to join me at an event in Detroit, more often than not my invitation was treated as if I had just invited them to a dog poo convention or something. Seriously, the wrinked up nose and everything!

    “Why would you ever want to go to Detroit? Ew”

    Oh well, in some ways I like it though. How one views Detroit has turned out to be a good litmus test for me when I evaluate people as potential friends. People who love Detroit tend to be my kind of people. :)

  10. Posted August 22, 2014 at 2:09 pm | Permalink

    Lynne, that is a good litmus test! It really makes Ann Arbor people (and I suppose I am one, since I live here) go nuts is when you tell them that you don’t work in Ann Arbor and you have to commute to work. You can watch their eyes start to spin as they try to contemplate a life where you have been unable to a get a job in the county, and have to actually own a car, then start that car every day, and then make it go somewhere away from the Bubble. Some of them even start lecturing you on how much worse your life must be given that you have to drive a car to get to work. For extra fun, tell them that you actually like to drive and don’t shit where you sleep (work where you live). It’s an outstanding thing to experience, trust me.

  11. Lynne
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 2:28 pm | Permalink

    LOL. I work in Ann Arbor and occasionally have people question my decision to live in Ypsilanti. The funny thing though is that I guess I am one of those people who doesn’t understand those who like to drive on their commute. I kind of like driving but I lose my mind in traffic and end-of-the-day OMG I have to get home RIGHT NOW traffic is the worst. I have to take a bus a lot of the time just for my own sanity. Yet goodness, I can completely understand why someone might not want to live in the same town where they work especially if they are a teacher. My sister is a teacher and she refuses to live in the city where she teaches because she never wants to run into a student or worse, a parent, at the grocery store.

  12. Rick Cronn
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 2:59 pm | Permalink

    The rodents are deadly.

  13. Anne
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 9:01 pm | Permalink

    My sister-in-law did the design of the Ann Arbor Arts center logo that was replicated for the bike racks. At first she thought it was pretty cool to see her design dispersed across town. Then the stick on Fs started popping up on the bike racks. Her thrill was short lived.

  14. Christine
    Posted August 22, 2014 at 11:40 pm | Permalink

    I feel kind of stupid that I never knew the “ART” signs were actually bike racks. I really should hang out more with Lynne and Patti as I love Detroit. I say it often and I hope to see it continue to grow and recover. I also hope that for Ann Arbor but in a different way.

  15. Dan
    Posted August 23, 2014 at 9:28 am | Permalink

    the inferiority complex is still strong. Good to see these random whines from Mark from time to time.

    lol @ complaining about nice bike racks when your city had a guy shitting on slides for fun

  16. mariah
    Posted August 23, 2014 at 12:20 pm | Permalink

    Eel++ If only I’d taken a pic when my cranky neighbor took our pro-library sign from our lawn and stuffed it in their dumpster.

    Also, it seems IMPOSSIBLE there aren’t pictures of red-cup strewn lawns out there. I’d nominate a photo like that, as that scene usually involves aggro bros yelling at me/you/anyone for no good reason, too.

  17. dan
    Posted August 23, 2014 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

    Also, the gov lives in Superior Twp, I believe

  18. Posted August 23, 2014 at 6:30 pm | Permalink

    Lynne, yes, you are exactly right…I wouldn’t want to run into anyone like that. Also, I tend to flame out spectacularly at jobs and leave burned bridges behind me. So there’s that….

    Christine, any time :)

  19. Posted August 23, 2014 at 8:51 pm | Permalink

    I love Detroit. I say it often and I hope to see it continue to grow and recover. I also hope that for Ann Arbor but in a different way.” –Christine

    Perfect!

  20. scoteaux
    Posted October 4, 2014 at 1:28 am | Permalink

    Who wants to play Ann Arbor bingo? I saw a Porsche SUV yesterday, and a new BMW with NY plates in the driveway of a frat.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

BUY LOCAL... or shop at Amazon through this link Banner Initiative Apes Selection