Long Islanders

You're truly from Long Island if you can relate to the following: You've always liked Billy Joel and you own several of his "records". You know someone who went to Chaminade. Seeing a concert at Jones Beach Theater - the best place in the world to see a show. Is it just me, or is every girl from Rockville Centre a b...? Billy Joel said it best, "either you date a rich girl from the North Shore, or a cool girl from the South Shore. What's the big deal about the Hamptons? If you're not from Long Island or NYC, you're not really from New York. You don't go to Manhattan, you go to "the City". The Belt Parkway... You know what it means to "change at Jamaica" ... or Babylon or Ronkonkoma. You never realize you have an accent until you leave. Your parents took you to Nathans or Carvel (on the way home from the beach). News 12... You are friends with at least one black person, an Italian, someone Hispanic, a Jew, and someone Irish. Gas = Expensive You remember concerts at Malibu. You curse. A lot. You can name at least three players on the Islanders Stanley Cup teams. You have come to terms with the fact that the Islanders have completely sucked since La Fontaine left. You remember the exact day you stopped going to Jones Beach and started going to Robert Moses. Public beach? What's that? Is Huntington really that cool? You've been to McHebe's Depot (Did an Irish guy and a Jewish guy really open that place up together?) Does anyone know why the HOV lane on the LIE stops in Hicksville instead of the Northern State? You've had a seagull crap on your car. You had a bicycle with a banana seat. Even the concept of the Islanders EVER leaving is unrealistic. The guy who thought up the "new" Islanders logo -- no way he's from Long Island. You've cruised on the "turnpike". You know someone with a cabana. You've played golf at Eisenhower Park (a.k.a. Salisbury Park)... legally or otherwise. If you're from Nassau County, you've been to Safety Town. Quick! Who's the Suffolk County Executive? Don't know do you?! You hate paying tolls. You don't have to go far to see your family. Grumman You know the exact streets that divided your school district, but you have no idea which election districts you were in. The Parkways, the LIE, the Causeway, Robert Moses Bridge You've been to or seen a Modell's, Genovese Drug, King Kullen (or know one of the family members). You live in a town called Hicksville, and it doesn't bother you. You were an Islander/Met/Jet fan or a Ranger/Yankee/Giant fan: there was no crossover. (I personally don't agree) You can correctly pronouce places like Hauppauge, Copiague, Islip, Islandia, Massapequa and Ronkonkoma You know the location of 6 malls, 12 McDonalds and 36 7-11's -- and can direct the designated driver to any one of them. You know what pool-hopping is You think the people from Brooklyn are "da wunz dat tawk wit a accent" (they are) Sledding in the sumps You knew of Massapequa before the Amy Fisher-Joey Buttafuoco nightmare You thought going to Queens was a hike You had "big hair" before those guys in Bon Jovi Trying to find the Amityville Horror house You pronounce it Longisland, just as one word. (Or get accused of doing so.) You've been taking grief for over 25 years from non-Long Islanders. The first time you heard the term "Long Island Iced Tea" you were somewhere else and you laughed, because you always knew it as just "Iced Tea" You recall watching the Long Island Expressway being built and remember the first time you ever went over the Throggs Neck Bridge and the Verrazano Bridge. You always call them sprinkles, not jimmies. You remember the guy who used to bring that pathetic, tired looking pony in front of the West Green for kids to take rides on. You don't go to the "shore". You go to the beach, of course. When you live somewhere else and are astounded to see that people actually stop at yellow lights. When you call it rubbernecking, not a gaper delay. When you just sort of presume that wherever you live, you'll be able to find good delis, good pizza, and good bagels. When you know exactly where All American is and have waited on line there for the best burgers and fries on Long Island!