As you’re roaming the streets of Louisville, chances are high that you’ll come across an outsider. At first, it may be difficult to tell you’re not interacting with a fellow Louisvillian, so keep calm and stay on the lookout for telltale signs to identify them (and if you do spot a tourist in the wild, don’t panic! They are just like you and me… just not as awesome). If you see someone exhibiting the following ten signs, they might just be an outsider:
1. They ask for a "soda."
In Louisville, it’s "pop" or "coke," regardless of brand. This one's a dead giveaway.
2. They give you directions using north, south, east, or west...
Around here, we navigate by landmarks.
3. ...or their directions don’t include structures that aren’t there anymore.
Take a left next to where the old Bacon’s Building used to be. Don’t know where that is? You must be a tourist!
4. They don’t support the Cards OR the Kats.
Everyone in Louisville supports one or the other: University of Louisville or University of Kentucky. You’ll know who’s who by the color they are wearing (red for Louisville Cardinals, blue for Kentucky Wildcats). If someone starts praising a team from elsewhere, question their status as a true Louisvillian.
5. They didn’t bring a jacket on a summer day...
6. ...and they didn’t dress in removable layers in the winter.
Louisville can experience all four seasons in the span of two days. Real Louisvillians are used to this. Out-of-towners, not so much.
7. They stop at a gas station for a fill-up, but don’t get a 64-ounce soft drink to go with it.
You can’t start your day without an enormous coke to sip on on the way to work!
8. They accuse you of having an accent.
Here's how accents work: no matter where you are, the locals do not have an accent... visitors do! While most Louisvillians have a slight Southern drawl, if you accuse us of having an accent, we'll deny it!
9. They don’t run into someone they know when they go to the store.
Louisville is like a small town: true Louisvillians can’t go anywhere without seeing an acquaintance they may (or may not) want to meet.
10. They think that Louisville is just about the Derby and fried chicken.
If someone doesn’t realize how much history, culture, and life this city has, then they are most definitely from out of town.
Have you identified a tourist with these signs? Are there any signs that should be added to the list?
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