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Published: January 6th 2012
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“Quick hurry up take the photo I’m about to pull a back muscle” were the exact words I told Robert Parish as he stood behind me with my camera. I was looking down Benjamin Franklin Parkway with my arms reaching for the sky after completing the famous Rocky steps towards the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
I felt a bit of a hypocrite really because to be honest I can’t remember sitting through an entire Rocky movie. Still this run is a must with a visit to Philadelphia.
Between New York and DC it was a long time between visiting an American big city of the east coast so sightseeing I welcomed. Philly provides enough for a few days experience.
The Liberty Bell can have a line up but at 430pm there’s virtually no one. The bell is the iconic symbol of America’s Independence. It was rung (in E flat) during the reading of the Declaration of Independence. It’s also famous for its large crack on one side. The US mint is not that far away and across the road you can throw a penny (1c) onto Benjamin Franklin’s grave for good luck.
The Declaration of Independence was held inside the Independence Hall. A free tour gets booked up pretty quickly so we didn’t get there. Elfreth Alley the oldest continuously occupied street in USA - It’s an historic place with many good museums and modern sculptures around but the highlight apart from almost pulling my back muscle whilst standing on the footprints of Rocky’s 9 ½ size converse shoe was the Eastern State Penitentiary.
Opened in 1829 it is the world’s first true penitentiary. Its design was to make the criminal feel true regret or penitence. In the process being America’s first modern architectural feat. Originally it had 7 cellblocks spread outward from a centre circle. From this circle you could see down every cellblock. It had running hot water and central heating before the White House.
The basis of the operations at the beginning was the prison be for solitary confinement only. Because of that it created controversy with Charles Dickens saying: "The System is rigid, strict and hopeless solitary confinement, and I believe it, in its effects, to be cruel and wrong...."
The prison began to build a
reputation and more cells were built and the original design sacrificed because of demand. So to was the solitary confinement idea abandoned in 1913 although it was not working decades earlier. Exercise yards were put in too.
The prison closed in 1970 after being an active prison for 142 years. There were some famous inmates here including Al Capone whose cell was immaculate for his first prison sentence. He had nice furniture, oriental rugs, and a cabinet radio. Close to 100 inmates tried to escape and only one got away with it. Leo Callahan used an improvised wooden ladder to get away and was never seen since.
The prison is in ruins now despite it becoming a National Historic Landmark status in 1965. Apart from being a tourist site, it does dress up for Halloween and has featured in some famous movies and music video clips. The most famous would be the movie 12 Monkeys.
The tour was really good with an audio system provided to explain the intricate details with officers and inmates telling their stories, like the stray cats that called it home with the weeds. There was one
prisoner that looked like a grumpy shit who bagged out the food. Whilst 10 years later another inmate was saying how great it was. It was a good way to get another noise in your head since most of the day I was humming “dada-daa-dada-duuu-dododdod-didididididiiii” of the Rocky theme song.
Nightlife was okay 50-50 really the first night we went out with some guys from the hostel. One English guy was a dickhead and at one bar the girl behind the bar was a real bitch to him. Lets call her ‘Tattoo Tits’ because that’s what she had. He later on said, “She is a real bitch!” I asked, “Did you tip her?” “No” “Well that’s why she is a bitch to you.”
This is the problem with tipping it’s that they fake a good service and if you don’t order a significant amount, meaning a smaller tip, the service disintegrates to a non verbal stoush at the time the bill is paid. The waiter or barkeep saying you are a cheap skate hurry up finish your drink and move on. Whilst the customer is thinking I really don’t want to tip this guy/girl
because he’s a dick.
The bill is now on the table and all of a sudden I the customer feel obligated to tip not because of good service but because the owner who has just charged me $6 for a beer is not paying the employee the right wage or the government is not covering their health care. Why should it be my responsibility? Why should I feel guilt? Why should I tip to have this burden put upon me? I haven’t come into this establishment for this! I just want to have a drink. But come cheque time this is what happens.
Whilst this didn’t happen with tattoo tits it happened a few days later in D.C. Tattoo tits was kind of right to dig into this guy because he was an English guy from the hostel that was just too drunk. So probably she shouldn’t have served him. But was she serving him in hope she was going to get an extra tip? So she is not doing her job properly. You get my point?
Many people in the world I’ve met always talk about America changing the world.
How they should mind their own business. Even the struggling countries who ask for America’s help say this. I feel this is what needs to be changed in American society not because I am a tight arse but because it just doesn’t make sense. Someone is making a huge profit here!
I really am passionate about this so much so I almost would get myself a banner and tent and camp out with the occupy wall street protest currently in action around the major cities.
Robert Parish and I walked through the Philly one and a lady stopped us. She was from a woman’s rights group one of many mixed message groups protesting. She was explaining a few things of the goings on of the protest.
They have combined with the homeless and provide 3 meals a day to the protesters. There are port a loos for ones and twos. Scheduled every morning there is an assembly to discuss the actions for the day. An office block offered its kitchen to cook. Other companies have offered their services. All I’ve seen is a bunch of tents really but it’s all about
timing I suppose with these places.
A lot of Americans I’ve spoken to say protest occupy but don’t have a clear message. Maybe the group should mould together on the one issue. “Abolish Tipping! Make the owners pay the wages! Not us!” Nothing beats a clear united message.
Toward the end of each night we’d head to Lorenzo’s pizza on Short St. Here a line up that goes out the door waits patiently to grab the biggest slice I’ve had for a pizza. It covers two plate lengths and the taste once adding some herbs and spices is incredible, it’s the best pizza I’ve had so far in America. It outdid the famous Philly cheese steak.
We left south for Baltimore after taking an hour to fill a tank of gas. Baltimore was the home of the star spangled banner. It was also the trading post for slavery as the confederate line was south of here. It’s more blue collar here and was freezing at night with the wind off the coast picking up. We got asked “Why are you here no tourist comes here.” Reply, “That’s why we are here.”
And that is how we are travelling see the must sees quickly than head to a place that tourist forget to see. But before that we would venture to the last of the true sightseeing destinations.
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Anastasia78
Anastasia78
Love it!
Your photos are great! Makes me want to go. Thanks for sharing. :)