What are some things you liked or disliked about growing up in a big city?

Did you travel around Chicago by yourself as a teenager to hang out with your friends or were there enough people just around you in the suburbs to spend time with?
Was it dangerous to party as a teenager in a big city, like what was your life like?

 No.  I left the city for the burbs when I was 4.  I lived in Northlake, a suburb of Chicago and lived there until I was 17 and then started getting apartments here and there with my friends.  We did live in Chicago, but I was totally safe as I was with people older than myself by a couple of years and I was pretty street-smart anyway.  I did not talk to weirdos in the middle of the night or anything like that.

So, I grew up sheltered in the burbs and when it was time to socialize as a young adult, I lived with hippie firends.  We were all sane and educated humans and no one was robbed or hurt ever.

Wow, sounds like you were pretty independent as a kid.
Luckily you were able to dodge those predators.
I used to visit my sister in the city when I was 13 or so and we would rollerblade all over the place and she'd let me walk around downtown while she was a work.
We felt safe mostly, but as soon as it would start to get dark it was scary.
If a group of guys were walking behind us I could tell that she was nervous and she'd start walking fast and she would get us the hell away from there and back to her apartment.

Thanks for sharing your experience Carbonproduct. : )

This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at September 8, 2017 6:17 PM MDT

A little safer.  You were almost butt raped until you had no backside left.  Very safe.

It was pretty scary Shar to the Rona. One time, when I was about 8, I was  walking down 19th avenue and a guy pulled up next to me and leaned over to the passenger side of the car , grabbed my arm, and tried to pull me into the car. Thank god i was able to yank my arm off his hand and run into a man who happened to be walking by. The man pulled me behind him and started chasing the car yelling obscenities at the perv , then walked me home. My mom was off at some Hells Angels party somewhere. She didnt even miss me. ;O 

Wow!
That was a close call, so scary!!

Yeah, that's the first thing I notice when I go to the city.
The traffic makes me feel claustrophobic.
I'm used to very little traffic and hardly ever having anyone in my way and I feel like it takes me forever to travel a short distance by car in the city.
I can see the mall it's right over there, but I have to wait for all of these other cars to move out of the way first, LoL.
I get used to it after a few days. : )

You would cut school and wonder around the city? We would have been best friends back then. We probably would have had a lot of fun too. :))

I did cut school.  I did it in a way that I never got caught.  I learned self-sufficiency at an early age.  And yes, we would probably have had a blast.  :))

I have a blast with you now. Better late than never right? :)

Awww. You're too kind. :-)

That's awesome!!!
Sounds like you got to do some really cool stuff in NYC.
I'm jealous, but thanks for sharing that.
I did actually manage to set up my schedule in grade 12 so I only had like one class a day and lots of spares so I hung out with whatever girl in my class had a spare that day.
I would take them for lunch and cruise around.
I didn't get my diploma, but it was worth it, I guess. : )

Why didn't you get your diploma?  Didn't you stay in school through the end of grade 12?

I left in grade 11 and went to work in the oilfield on the "RAP" or Registered Apprenticeship Program for welding.
I worked that whole year and got credits toward my diploma while working.
I went back for grade 12 because I missed my friends and I think I had to for some reason so I remember having some kind of sheet that I could set up my courses to ensure I graduate.
I had just about enough credits from working, but none of my core subjects in order to get my diploma.
I figured I would be going back to the oilfield after graduation anyway so I think I just selected Social Studies in the morning one day and some weird class like "Media Studies" or "Agriculture" or I think I was in Accounting on one day??
Anyway, I didn't always make it to those classes and I really did just show up to hang out and have spares with girls.
My parents didn't know about my free schedule.
I really partied lots and wasted my senior year, I guess?
I graduated "Class of" but didn't have my core subjects completed so I never got a diploma.
I just say grade 12 on job applications because technically I was there or somewhere around.

Disclaimer: For any kids reading this, stay in school!!
Get your diploma, you might as well while you're there anyway.
Don't do what I did because you're probably better off to actually have a diploma?
I guess, good luck. : )

Thank you for sharing that TS.  I always appreciate your candor.


So, you were a girl chasing bad boy in high school huh? That's kind of sexy.  From what I've been reading of your posts, I think you need to brush up on your old skills and get back to your carousing. ;-)

Thanks.
Those skills of mine ARE getting pretty old, LoL!
Yes, I think you're right I do need to start dating again before I get too rusty. : )

It's really the only way to forget my ex.

It's definitely a good way to move past the anger you feel toward her.  You've been a good dad, very responsible.  But, you need to get out and have some fun for yourself too.

Wow, you've had a pretty interesting life working on deep sea fishing boats.
I guess the amount of pollution over a big city would be pretty shocking.
You come from a very different life than I do and I enjoyed reading about it.
Thank you. : )