yet another reason to hate short pump. today i drove out to short pump against my better judgement.  my monthly trek to trader joe’s along with another errand to a large chain store brought me out to the suburban mecca of richmond.  for those of you who live in RVA or read this blog regularly, short pump represents everything i left behind in the suburbs of northern virginia where i grew up.  the only thing that makes it somehow more awful are its heinous marketing campaigns and slogans like “live where you shop!” and the faux loft apartments built to resemble actual urban apartments and businesses located in an awesome city only 15 or so minutes away.  it’s an abomination.  can you tell this place strikes a nerve?  ummm yeah. so, during my errands i happened to be driving through a big chain store parking lot and i had to do a double take.  right in front of me, a gang of maybe twenty kids were spread across five or six cars and just hanging out.  in the strip mall parking lot.  on a wednesday night. look, okay.. people in SMALL TOWNS in the middle of fucking NOWHERE hang out in parking lots and loiter.  that’s because there’s literally nothing better to do.  that’s the peak of small town action.  but kids, KIDS.. there is a thriving vibrant city full of music and art and cool shit and it’s literally right there for the taking.  it’s not a big scary city that’s impossible to get in and out of.  you can literally drive those cars you’re hanging out by and pull right up in front of a cool art gallery or all-night diner or some weird VCU art kid party. kids, do you not know any better?  or are you just that awful?  get the hell out of there before it’s too late!

yet another reason to hate short pump.

today i drove out to short pump against my better judgement.  my monthly trek to trader joe’s along with another errand to a large chain store brought me out to the suburban mecca of richmond.  for those of you who live in RVA or read this blog regularly, short pump represents everything i left behind in the suburbs of northern virginia where i grew up.  the only thing that makes it somehow more awful are its heinous marketing campaigns and slogans like “live where you shop!” and the faux loft apartments built to resemble actual urban apartments and businesses located in an awesome city only 15 or so minutes away.  it’s an abomination.  can you tell this place strikes a nerve?  ummm yeah.

so, during my errands i happened to be driving through a big chain store parking lot and i had to do a double take.  right in front of me, a gang of maybe twenty kids were spread across five or six cars and just hanging out.  in the strip mall parking lot.  on a wednesday night.

look, okay.. people in SMALL TOWNS in the middle of fucking NOWHERE hang out in parking lots and loiter.  that’s because there’s literally nothing better to do.  that’s the peak of small town action.  but kids, KIDS.. there is a thriving vibrant city full of music and art and cool shit and it’s literally right there for the taking.  it’s not a big scary city that’s impossible to get in and out of.  you can literally drive those cars you’re hanging out by and pull right up in front of a cool art gallery or all-night diner or some weird VCU art kid party.

kids, do you not know any better?  or are you just that awful?  get the hell out of there before it’s too late!