Review of Lancaster, Pennsylvania


A Nightmare in Lancaster!
Star Rating - 1/27/2014
I have lived in and visited many places over my 60 years, and Lancaster, PA, is by far my least favorite. The crime is high, the air pollution is bad, urban blight is all around, there are virtually no pretty or scenic areas anywhere in the city, and the traffic is miserable.

But the WORST aspect of Lancaster is the prevailing attitude of so many of the people who live there. That attitude can best be summed up in one word: NARCISSISM. In other words, a high percentage of Lancaster inhabitants seem to care only about themselves, and to heck with everybody else.

There are some truly wonderful, caring, kind, empathetic, and giving people in Lancaster. I went to practical nursing school there years ago. My class of fellow nursing students, who deeply honored me by electing me their class president, were wonderful, as were the nursing instructors. I don't want my review to cast a bad light on any of them.

But sadly, the good-hearted people in Lancaster seem to be far outnumbered. I found this to be the case during my years of living there. Although I moved away from Pennsylvania eleven years ago, I still have good friends and loved ones living in the area, and according to their most recent experiences, the prevailing "don't care" attitude in Lancaster is as bad now as it ever was, and maybe even worse.

A case in point: two days ago my daughter, who lives on the west coast but was visiting Lancaster, was in the Park City Center mall with her college student daughter, her teenage disabled son, and my first great-grandchild, who is less than a year old. Suddenly my disabled grandson slipped in someone's spilled soft drink and fell, taking the stroller with the baby strapped inside over with him. At first, mistakenly thinking that her son was having a seizure, my daughter did not notice that the stroller with the baby had tipped over and was in the process of falling. As my 22-year-old granddaughter and my daughter were trying to help my disabled 15-year-old grandson, the baby was in danger of falling on his head... and.... although they were surrounded on all sides by crowds of people of every age and race, many of whom could easily have reached out a hand to stop the stroller from going all the way down to the floor, NOT ONE PERSON made a move to help. Everyone just stood there and watched the whole thing as though they were at the movies!

When my daughter realized that the baby's stroller was tipped over and that he was almost on his head, she immediately righted the stroller and checked the baby to be sure he was all right, while my granddaughter continued trying to assist her fallen brother. Then my daughter and granddaughter attempted to help my grandson, who had sat up by then, to get up off the floor, but he could not stand. Meanwhile, the baby was crying... and none of the bystanders in that crowd of people made a move to help or even to say, "Is there anything I can do?"

Two mall maintenance employees, who had arrived with their buckets and mops to clean up the spilled drink just as my grandson slipped and fell in it, were also standing by and doing nothing to help. My daughter, seeing that the mall workers had walkie-talkies on their belts, asked them to call for a wheelchair for her son. (My grandson has low muscle tone as part of his birth defects, so being unable to stand and walk due to the stress and shock of an unexpected fall is not uncommon with him. At such times he needs a wheelchair.)

The mall maintenance workers made no move to respond to my daughter's request. Not only did they not call to request a wheelchair -- or better yet, go and get one themselves -- they actually started joking and laughing with each other, as though they found the situation FUNNY!

My daughter told me that she felt then like she was in a horror movie, where no one around her was human! My granddaughter was so upset she could barely speak!

Sadly, I know this is not an isolated thing for Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I lived there for more than a decade and I ran across this weird uncaring attitude quite a few times. I firmly believe that most people on this planet are good at heart. I also believe that most people will respond with friendliness and kindness, if you are friendly and kind to them, first.

But it does not seem to work that way in Lancaster, the city without a heart.
Lynda | Timberon, NM
Reply to this Comment

5 Replies


It's no surprise that after living here for 10 years, you find your surroundings unappealing. Most residents of any locale in general will take pride of their hometown when visiting other towns, and take inventory of all the wrong things your hometown represents to you while living your apparently dismal life when at home. We all notice the bad when we are unhappy and the good when presented with a fresh look at others' hometowns. Honestly, as a lifelong resident myself, there are some glaring annoyances to my daily experience. 1. When did it become ok to run red lights in Lancaster? 2. Are multicolored, flashing LED lights required to obtain an occupancy permit for small or large businesses? 3. When will we consumers no longer have to suffer through the absurdly poor service and ubiquitous presence of Turkey Hill Minit Markets? Location is the only edge turkey hill has. WAWA.... take me away...! 4. Alfred and Sam bakery is no longer an 'Italian' bakery, and since locals think that hot dog bun softness is the metric by which all bread types be measured, it frankly never was. Amoroso's was the first real Italian bread commercially available, but now we can really get the best around .... Liscio's, D'ambrosio's, or Sarcone's anyone? 5. Having a lit cigarette while walking down the street nearly garauntees being asked for one by a complete stranger at least once. I'd rather not attempt to list all the good things our hometown offers not because it's too long a list, but because since it's my hometown, my impressions of what's right about Lancaster wouldn't be a fair judgement because it wouldn't have a reference from outside of Lancaster to provide a comparison. My 6th complaint would be that since most of what's considered luxurious, and worthy of goalsetting to achieve/own these things are available and attainable so close to home that we Lancastrians don't have to venture far to find them. We are in a nice, cozy, and pleasant bubble. I'm glad to say so. Taking inventory of what's wrong is always easier than taking inventory of what's right. Plus, one experience certainly doesn't represent all experiences. A little humility would lend itself nicely to you, dear Lancastrian, because without it, it might sound like you think your single experiences are worthy as an example of what all others should expect of their experiences here... And that's just plain absurd.
Anthony | Lancaster, PA | Report Abuse

If that's what you call a nightmare, then you may be a little thin skinned if you ask me. '... Noo! People didn't stop everything to take over the situation when someone needed help!!! Maybe they correctly assessed the situation and concluded that your capable daughter had things well in hand? Scary!!!!...' Please, say what you mean.
Anthony | Lancaster, PA | Report Abuse

One more thing--- What makes you the preeminent authority on what is considered heartless, careless, or narcissistic? You never once stepped back and mentioned that your experience is exclusively yours. People tend to trust others more when they acknowledge their own opinions as being individual. Seriously, it sounds like you are a practiced victim, and gifted at judgement. Not so sure about your talents when writing pros and cons lists though...
Anthony | Lancaster, PA | Report Abuse

I live in Lancaster and I have heard by many over the years that it's hard to get to know people here, it takes much longer for 'us' to warm up to new folks. Fortunately that isn't the case where I live, on the West side of the city. I'm sorry that Lynda's daughter's family had to go through what they did, however, me being a very outgoing and friendly person, would have righted the stroller, and that is all I would have done. This is a classic case of fear of being sued. Keep in mind, I am appalled by the joking around by the mall employees and I am sincerely sorry for what happened, yet, I would never touch another persons child unless the parent has given permission to help. Did they ask anybody besides the mall employees for help? I really do wonder what my liability is, in a case like this. Another thought is that since it was so sudden, people weren't quick because they were taken by surprise. My crystal ball broke a long time ago, so I'll say again that I'm sorry this whole incident happened, I just don't think that the whole of the county represents the handful of people at the mall. Come on over to the west side where we treat your better! :)
Kim | Lancaster, PA | Report Abuse

That story is funny
edmund | Spring Valley, NV | Report Abuse
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