Five worst things about living in Washington

Some of the people who live in the places I used to live (MI, NC, ET) say it's interesting to hear what it's like living in "the big city." Some things about it are not so nice.

1. Noise, all day, all night: construction, jackhammers, drunk sorority girls, sirens, helicopters, boom-boom stereos in crap cars, back-up beepers on commercial vehicles, garbage trucks, 2-stroke scooters, people at the crack house on the corner screaming at their (or somebody's) children, airplanes from DCA. (And to think the neighbor complains if Toby makes a little "woof" when someone makes noise in the hallway...)
2. Garbage. People simply throw stuff on the ground as they pass by in cars or while walking. The most-frequently found items are fast food wrappers and containers, beer cans, random papers and junk mail. 
3. Crowds. There are just lots of folks, everywhere. This place must be extrovert heaven. There are long queues for all services, most all the time. The sidewalks become congested, and the Metro at rush hour is a sardine-can experience. Yesterday I got to Harris Teeter really early and didn't have to wait in line. It was eery. 
4. Traffic and parking. Just forget driving. Cars and motorcycles are impossible. You spend more time sitting than moving forward. Parking just isn't available. All cars are scraped and dented, or broken in to. It would take hours on a sport bike (motorcycle) to get to a road worth driving it on. 
5. Personal detachment. The density of people make it necessary to become detached. If you said "hello" and waved the way friendly folks in NC do, you'd never put your hand down. 

This is to say nothing of the "eeeeew!" factor of catching guys having sex at the park. I mean, c'mon guys, get a room. Please. Or at least a back seat. I don't know where people do random hookups like these in NC or MI, but it wasn't at the dogpark.

Comments

[Alex]

Most of these things could characterize life in any major city... although men acting more like dogs in the dogpark than the actual dogs, may indeed be uniquely DC.

[Marc Luoma]

You're probably right. I've just never lived in any other big city. Well, there was Addis Ababa, but it had its own brand of noise (the churches and mosques at 5:00 a.m.).

[Larry]

Added: dogs off leash ruin parks (grass, no space for humans since dogs are bogarting it, feces). Overrated restaurants.

[Marc Luoma]

No kidding Larry. I especially love the big dogs that sprint past the "all dogs must be on a leash" signs to pick a fight with Toby (my dog). Hello? Can you read?

[redhead]

In the dogpark? I go to the Wheaton dog park and the smell of uring/poop can be overwhelming. I can't imagine someone getting sexually aroused near that. *shudder*

[Marc Luoma]

No, Redhead, Meridian Hill Park. One of the park cops said it was the #1 hookup place for gay guys in DC. And to think I yell at Toby for humping other dogs. He's a dog.