Saturday, December 31, 2005

I Hate Delaware

This "observations from the drive back" post has been in draft mode since Monday.

The drive back from NJ was rather... hellish. I left the house a little after 2pm, though I didn't get really get moving until 15 minutes later, that being the amount of time waiting in line for $2.03/gallon gas (12 cents cheaper than the station next door.)

Heading down on the NJ Turnpike, it started slowing down after the merge, as it typically does.

I passed the time by singing along with my Beltable Burn CD mix, which is composed of songs that I think I can sing -- there's a lot of Fountains of Wayne, Paul Simon, They Might Be Giants.

I used my phone earpiece to record myself, a kind of car karaoke experiment.

It turns out that those songs I think I can sing? Not so much.

I only had luck with a few songs from the Swingers soundtrack. I guess I'm not cut out for rock and roll.

Anyway, I tuned in to the turnpike traffic advisory radio & expected to hear about the usual delays at the Exit 1 tolls, with the usual alternate route suggestion of route 195 west to 295 south.

As alternates go, it's a pretty nice drive. Scenic, and never as crowded as the 2-lane southern stretch of the Turnpike.

I was kind of surprised to hear that because of big delays at the Delaware Memorial Bridge, they were routing people through Philly -- 195 west to 295 north.

295 north turns into 95 south, which is kind of confusing.

Anyway, Pennsylvania was pretty easy.

The lines at the Delaware tolls was brutal; since I had plenty of time to look at the map, I decided to bail and took 896 north to 2 west. This goes right through the University of Delaware.

It was pretty much all 2-lane at this point, so I settled back for a long, slow, dark drive on a succession of small roads through small towns.

Route 2 turned into 273, which takes you past Blue Ball Road (a road that I have travelled down many times), then to route 1 and the town of Rising Sun, which I have always wondered is as pretty as its name.

It's not, but that's okay.

Route 1 keeps going, through the town of Conowingo and across a hydroelectric dam of the same name.

It gradually heads towards Baltimore -- just head towards the pink sky from the city lights.

Eventually, it hits 695 around Baltimore (I like 695 around Baltimore, taking the Key Bridge, especially at night. The only thing is that there's still construction going on, so it's down to one lane in certain stretches. Really narrow one lane, which is fun when it's dark and raining. High pucker factor.), and then back into the rat race on 95.


Anonymous said...

Rising Sun, MD, is a really ugly place.... the KKK kapital of the US or something.

Anyway, stumbled upon your blog when I googled "I hate Delaware." I hate Delaware.

Joelogon said...

Honestly, I don't have any experience at all with Delaware except passing through, usually in hellish holiday traffic, so my opinion is colored by that.

Also, Wilmington doesn't look particularly nice.

I'd always wanted to stop by a few places to see what they were like, just from the names. Rising Sun. North East. Havre de Grace (in MD).

Maybe next time. -- Joe

Anonymous said...

Rising Sun is not an ugly place; to the contrary it consists of pretty countryside and very pleasant people. I lived in Delaware all of my life and moved to Rising Sun a year ago and love the area. It is a quiet community with a lot of development, so obviously many people agree with me. Delaware is not a state to be hated, it offers many attractions to visitors, for example many beaches, historical sites, and many art shows. It is a prime location to live its closed to every major city on the east coast! And yes, I do concur with your comment regarding the traffic, the reason the traffic is so bad is the developers have taken over the State of Delaware and too many people live in the state, hence the traffic problem. But they are working on expanding the roads towards the beach. I would suggest taking a trip through Delaware that does not occur on a holiday weekend, Dewey Beach is the place to party and Ocean City, MD is only 30 minutes South from Dewey.

Rising Sun gets a bad name for the FORMER KKK members of the area. That nonsense occurred back in the 80’s and much like every town the US, racism is everywhere. NJ has more KKK members per capita than Rising Sun ever did. If you visit Rising Sun, you must visit the Kilby Creamery for the best ice cream in the state! Best of luck on your future trips!

Anonymous said...

Was born and raised in Newark, Del. Stayed for 18 years. Been in Florida for quite some time, but miss the farms in lower del. and the runs down state for crabs and clams, oysters.

Anonymous said...

If you live in Rising Sun or Conowingo, you shouldn't take offense at the fact that it was, in the 80s and 90s, the undisputed KKK capital in Maryland and mid-Atlantic. I'm sure it has many lovely sights and people. It also has an ugly racist side which I and others have personally encountered. Talk to someone who still attends KKK meetings there or check out the SPLC's former Klanwatch website.

Havre de Grace, partly since it's more of a destination town, is quaint and well-kept with good antiquing and a preserved historic downtown. Well worth a visit.

It's difficult to like Delaware when viewing the citizen apathy to over-development and environmental disregard by corporations. But, it also provides jobs to lots of people and I'm sure they like having an income. Take your pick. I live in Vermont, so my choice is fairly clear.

Anonymous said...

About a few months ago my father and mother stopped in rising sun to get gas and play lotto. It took the clerk about 15 minutes to even ask my parents if they needed any help. They described the woman's attitude as horrible and it was very clear that she didnt want this black couple in her store. When my father checked his numbers in the car, somehow the clerk managed to get every number wrong. My mother had to beg him not to go back into the store and tell the lady how he felt about her. She told him not to go back in, because she wasnt the only one who didnt want them around. Sorry if this offends you, but if there is still a place where African Americans are still not welcome in 2008, it is an ugly place.

Anonymous said...

Who cares if there is an active KKK chapter here or not. My family has lived in this town from the beginning of time and the fact that the town is predominately racist is what keeps our crime rate low. I love living in a town where there are no black people! Is it really so much to ask to have a haven away from black people?

Anonymous said...

Very glad Ifound this comment thread. We areabout to move from NY to MD (we areamilitary family). I found a house I liked in Rising Sun, but will not go there after all. It may have wonderful people, but I am hoping to raise my children right and I am not sure that bringing them to a town that is racust is a good way of raising our future leaders.

Anonymous said...

racism is wrong both ways, there are black towns where whites are not welcome and there are white towns where blacks are not welcome.
it works both ways, the sooner we stop segregating the races the better, do away with the NAACP, AA college fund, unfair hiring practices, etc the better off we will all be
it’s time to get over it, we all have the same opportunities, skin color only matters in your mind and attitude

Anonymous said...

We have recently moved Northern Delaware and it is a terrible place to live. It's filthy, covered in graffiti, and the drivers are slow, terrible, and rude. People here have no respect for their community, I see people throwing garbage out of their cars all the time, which include items that are extremely detrimental to the environment. The public school systems are a joke! It is very hard to find any good restaurants, the food here is terrible, it is the chain restaurant capital of the world. The food is very unhealthy which is evident by the obese, out of shape majority here. No one takes pride in their jobs and do sub-par work. The state motto should say: "The first state and we haven't done anything since!" As soon as we can, we are moving and plan to never return to Delaware again. Anyone planning on moving here, DO NOT DO IT!!!! SAVE YOURSELVES!!!!

Lindsay said...

If you haven't been raised in Delaware you have no right to trash it. People are so used to stereotyping just because of what they see. Live here and you'll probably like it. Go down south and see some of our beautiful farms, or take a ride to our lovely and FAMOUS beaches. I love my state of Delaware, and I think it's a great place to live. The people and the areas are nice.
The comment above me needs to stop talking trash because they're polluting their own air.

&, BTW, in the case of're not too far off the mark on that one, Joelogon.


Anonymous said...

I am a Black person and I obviously do not know every Black person in the world but I can say this: the reason some Blacks dont like Whites is due to the racial prejudice that is still felt in this country. I consider myself upper middle class, college educated, and have a vast assortment of friends of various ethnicities. I, nor anyone in my family has ever been in jail, on welfare, or any of the other circumstances that racists usually use unjustly to classify us as. Yes, there may be some racists Blacks but it is due largely to the treatment that they have endured. Some white people choose to dislike Blacks not because they have had a negative encounter but simply because we are Black-period! So theere is a difference between the levels of hatred. If a White person has no problem with me, then I have no problem with him. But it seems that being Black alone, gives them enough reason to hate me. People need to educate themselves.

Anonymous said...

You need to educate yourself. Africans were once enslaved by their own people in africa. Europeans bought them from other africans brought them to the U.S., it may not have been right the way they were treated but no different than how their own people treated them. Then whites tought them how to read,write and work in an industry. Now african americans have presidence over whites for job promotions and hiring, their own colleges,t v. Stations and their own naacp. So why are the whites concidered racist.

Joelogon said...

*Sigh* at several of the comments to this 6-year-old post.

Destiny said...

Im 13 years old, and I've never heard of the KKK every , in my life until I moved to Maryland, I used to live in a very diverse and type ghetto town, Lakewood. In New Jersey.
But Im Puerto-Rican. Over in New Jersey people mistake me for a white person. But now I moved North East Maryland, and I attend Middle School, and technically my house & town is considered Rising Sun too, and on top of the moving change. The rude people of this "Hillbilly Hell" find it rather amusing to call me a dirty Mexican, or an ignorant Niger.. Honestly I've never experienced a bit of racism my whole entire life. Its very scary, and frighting waking up in the morning knowing that you could killed any second just by the color of my skin. But luckily, Im not those type of girls that get all emotional and cry everyday. I'm well-known as the type to have a good day and be in a good mood no matter what. I make something good out of everything. Thank-you.

Anonymous said...

it always amuses me when people decide to hate DE based on driving on our shittiest road. we like to keep it there to discourage invasions from klanny marylanders, baltimorons, and other people from "cities" who want to act entitled.
i've been to vermont a bit. it's full of pretentious nicotine addicts, but i'm too apathetic to move up there and do an antismoke campaign.
white people have difficulty seeing racism committed by white people. this will be slow to change. they only recently stopped enslaving each other in europe [unless we want to count eastern europe, because then it is still totally going on].
rising sun is a big city: it has a gas station. i think.

Anonymous said...

I'm not proud that my home town of Rising Sun used to be prejudice.. Not am not a racist. Although I don't agree with interracial relationships... That's just my personal preference... I have encountered many conversations with young black adults. Very few speak intelligently.. I also feel a little uncomfortable around most blacks because of my color too them... I have been in all black conversations and have been downed because I live in Rising Sun.. I am not perfect, but I find it interesting how this country truly became diverse in freedom... It is how you dig yourself out of a hole that makes
you succeed....peace..

Anonymous said...

I'm from Delaware but have been to Rising Sun and area towns millions of times in my life time and all I have to say're gonna find bad if that's what you're looking for. I'm plenty sure I could march into you're town or neighborhood and find plenty of things wrong. So all I have to say is, stop being so nit-picky and enjoy all the good things that the area has to offer.

I digress...

Anonymous said...


I remember back in the day (not long ago) when Rising Sun was known for the KKK group and the hate and the "majority" thinking it was acceptable to treat black folks with disrespect, hate and often lead to violence.

The other day when I was in a town meeting and saw the Town Administrator wearing a bullet proof vest and listinging to some of the town "thugs" speak, I was reminded of the KKK hate by the self proclaimed majority that submitted a petition for the town administrator to be terminated. There was not a reason other than a bunch of "thugs" assembled armed with rumors and the threat of the "majority.

Luckily for the town there are laws and procedures to help protect from such poor behavior and the same hate and discrimination to "out of Towner’s" have a remarkable similarity to the "KKK" hate group who once was the "majority" in this town.

It is sad to see so called fellow Christians/humans behave in such an uncivil manner. I hope the folks that live in this town who read this think about this and understand "why" they are doing what they do rather than simply jumping on the hateful lynching of an outstanding individual without merit.

Anonymous said...

My President is Black

Anonymous said...

WOW, this is an eye opener!!!

Anonymous said...

Talked to a lady recently who was ran out of Rising Sun because her kids were being bullied due to the family having black friends. The school did nothing to support them. I'm sure it is a lovely town as long as you are the white...eeer...right color.

Anonymous said...

Stop it with rising sun, it's a very nice place if your into country, they have real icecream (kibys) <3, and they are certainly not racist to people. They are very kind and treat other races well. I have never seen a kkk member, that was waaaay back then. And if you say northern delaware is bad, say a specific place since northern Delaware has mansions and is rural. You probably mean Wilmington or ncc.

Anonymous said...

Your are so right !!! Thank you for being so honest I hope to move to risingsun soon!!!!

Anonymous said...

All towns have good and bad people in them regardless of history, and landscape. Nasty people exists in all races. And we all have a past and present. We the people must treat each other better and end all the nonsense. It's all about building a better nation for all American people as all of our ancestors came from somewhere else. WE NEED TO BECOME ONE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURVIVAL EASIER. THERE'S NO CITY OR COUNTRY TOWN TO RUN TO. TREAT EACH OTHER BETTER.