9 Things Bostonians Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else

This involves making a left as soon as the light turns green, by hurling our vehicle kamikaze-style across an intersection. If you learned to drive anyplace else, this is as unexpected as it is alarming.

Ask us if we're invincible and you'll get some funny looks. But observe our jaywalking behavior for long enough and outsiders might be forgiven for assuming that's the case. Six lanes of traffic, no crossing, and a blind corner? Challenge accepted.

Each college has its own quirks. At MIT, students drop a piano off a roof to mark the final day when students are allowed to drop a spring semester class (pictured is one such piano). At Harvard, students streak through Harvard Yard during an event dubbed "Primal Scream." Given the massive student population in Boston, these oddball traditions are found on campuses in and around the city. Who wants to watch the Hoop Rolling Race at Wellesley?

On a per capita basis, Massachusetts is fourth in the nation in ice cream consumption. However, our ice cream menus tend to befuddle visitors. People show up wanting a milkshake only to discover this will not involve actual ice cream — a milkshake here is literally milk that has been shaken. We add syrup to milk and froth it to the point that it has a head. Add ice cream and this sweet treat is called a frappe (not a milkshake).

Although less common than in the past, brown bread steamed in a can is a New England classic.

We prefer adjectives like "optimistic" and "tough" to "foolhardy."

People with a Boston accent sound the letter "r" when it's followed by a vowel, but not when it's followed by a consonant. Only 15% of those in Eastern Massachusetts have a permanent Boston accent, while another 40% have the accent but it fluctuates in intensity.