Re: The Rantings of a Historical Nitpicker
Originally posted by
pepperlandgirl
Originally posted by
Sarahfeena
I don't know much about history, so historical fiction writers are safe with me. I remember though, laughing to myself when I read a book set in Chicago once, and the author referred to one of the expressways as the "JFK." I have never. ever. heard it called that. It's called the Kennedy. Seems like a small thing, but it really takes you out of the plot, you know?
I don't think that's such a small thing. Every time I see a movie or read a book set in So Cal, I get very annoyed when people refer to the freeways as "Interstate 10" or the actual names of the freeways. Nobody talks about them like that. It's always "The 10" or "The 5." Or "The motherfucking 405".
Similarly, I've heard of movies set in the Boston area where they talk about I-95, instead of 128. Sure, none of the signage refers to 128, it's all for I-95, but everyone talks about 128. Especially the traffic reports. Or worse, the way that film companies often seem to expect the streets in the LA area can be substituted willinilli for streets in other metropolitan areas. In some places the illusion works. Boston is not one of them. Rectangular grids do not exist, most streets other than arteries are one-way, and give the peninsular nature of Boston's original shape, they don't go very far. So, having car chases going on for minutes down a wide, straight street for minutes is just completely surreal.