u/Pure_Appearance_8175

40s gay guy doing Asheville solo this weekend — where would you actually go to meet people?

I’m heading to Asheville solo from Raleigh this weekend and staying Saturday through Monday morning. I’m a gay guy in my early 40s and this is my first time actually spending a weekend in Asheville.

The sightseeing part I can figure out. What I’m having a harder time figuring out is where to go when you’re alone and actually want to meet/talk to people.

I’m not looking for a hookup post or anything like that. I just don’t want to spend the whole weekend sitting by myself at restaurants and bars.

If you were coming alone, where would you go Saturday afternoon/night or Sunday where people are actually social and it wouldn’t be weird to show up solo?

LGBTQ places are definitely a plus, but I’m open to live music, breweries, group activities, outdoor stuff, events, or just places with a friendly crowd.

Also curious whether downtown Asheville gets overwhelmingly crowded on summer weekends or if it’s still pretty comfortable walking around solo.

Basically: if you had one weekend in Asheville by yourself and wanted to meet some people while you were there, what would you do?

Solo visitor looking for Asheville suggestions this weekend

I’m a single gay guy in my early 40s coming to Asheville by myself this Saturday and Sunday. I’ve only ever passed through, so this will be my first time actually spending time in the city.

I’m looking for a mix of things to do during the day and somewhere to go out Saturday night. Since I’ll be solo, I’d really like activities or places where it’s easy to meet and talk to other people rather than just sitting somewhere alone. I am shy and quiet but am working on that. Widowed so this is me really trying to get out and enjoy time off .

I’m pretty laid-back and open to LGBTQ-friendly places, live music, bars, breweries, outdoor stuff, group activities, sightseeing, or anything else that’s good for someone visiting alone.

I’ll be driving straight from work Friday night around 11 PM and probably won’t get into Asheville until around 5 AM Saturda and checking Monday morning around 7 am , so lodging is one thing I’m trying to figure out too. I’d like to keep the total lodging cost for the weekend under $300 if possible, and somewhere convenient to downtown or nightlife would be ideal.

Edit: Someone mentioned the Downtown Inn, any recommendations? Is it walkable to all the nightlife and day time community scene?

I did look through the FAQ, but I’d especially appreciate suggestions from locals for:

- Things that are good to do solo but still social

- LGBTQ-friendly nightlife or places where a guy in his 40s wouldn’t feel out of place

- Saturday afternoon/night activities and things to do Sunday

- Affordable lodging that works with me arriving very early Saturday morning

Thanks for any recommendations.

Anyone got a good place to stop and get bbq? I am on my way to Wilmington right now. Like that place that has the real deal nc bbq?

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I was involved in a forklift accident in a large distribution warehouse and am trying to understand whether the response and handling of the situation is typical.

I had approximately one month of experience operating a stand-up reach truck, although I have prior experience operating sit-down forklifts. Near the end of second shift, I was placing product into a seventh-tier rack location when the top of the load/mast contacted overhead ductwork. The ductwork fell, causing property damage. No one was injured.

I immediately stopped, reported the incident, and fully cooperated with management. My direct supervisor and multiple coworkers who were present stated they did not believe I was operating recklessly or performing an unsafe maneuver. Their opinion was that it was an accident rather than negligence.

I fully accept that I was the operator and that the incident occurred while I was operating the equipment. However, there are several environmental factors that I believe are worth mentioning.

The warehouse is approximately 600,000 square feet and is still being actively set up. Roughly half of the rack system is currently loaded while other sections remain incomplete. Product is frequently staged on the floor throughout various areas of the building. In the area where the incident occurred, there was product left on the floor from first shift that required operators to maneuver around it.

The ductwork involved in the incident extends well into an active forklift travel and storage area. Unlike many facilities I have worked in, the lower ductwork is not painted yellow, striped, or otherwise visually highlighted. There are no warning signs, hanging markers, height restriction signs, barriers, chains, floor markings, or painted demarcation lines identifying the area as having reduced overhead clearance.

What makes this stand out is that the ductwork in this area hangs lower than in much of the rest of the warehouse. Several members of our shift had previously commented that the area seemed unusual because there were no visual warnings or protective measures identifying the lower clearance. The ductwork extends more than 10 feet into an area regularly used by reach trucks, yet there were no barriers or warning systems in place.

Following the incident, I returned to work the next day and provided a written statement. I also voluntarily completed additional safety training and scheduled an eye examination to eliminate any concerns about vision issues. I wanted to make sure I was doing everything possible to address the situation responsibly.

My frustration has been the lack of communication afterward. I remained actively employed and continued reporting to work, but days passed without anyone clearly explaining where I stood regarding retraining, recertification, corrective action, or next steps. I eventually learned through another supervisor that a meeting would occur, but that information was never communicated directly to me despite management seeing me multiple times.

My questions for safety professionals:

- Based on the facts presented, does this sound more like a retraining opportunity or a disciplinary issue?

- How much weight would you place on the environmental conditions versus operator responsibility?

- Would the lack of warnings, painted ductwork, barriers, or floor markings be considered during your investigation?

- Is it common for recertification decisions to take several days after a property-damage-only incident?

- Would you expect more communication with the employee involved?

- If an employee remains actively working after an incident like this, is that generally considered a positive sign?

- How would your facility typically handle a first-time accident involving property damage but no injuries?

I am looking for honest professional feedback. I am not trying to avoid responsibility, only to understand how safety professionals would evaluate both the operator actions and the workplace conditions involved.

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Looking for some outside perspective.

I started a new warehouse job about 5 weeks ago. I'm a direct employee. Another worker from a temporary staffing agency approached me shortly after I started and asked if I was gay. I was uncomfortable, but I was new, trying to fit in, and didn't want to be known as the guy running to HR over every issue, so I let it go.

Later, the same person brought it up again. This time he used the word "faggot" while questioning whether I was gay. That crossed a line for me.

I reported it to HR and explained that I hadn't said anything after the first incident because I was still new and hoped it was a one-time thing. HR listened and agreed to move me to another building where I won't have to work around him.

My concern is that there were no witnesses and I fully expect him to deny saying it. I have no reason to make up the story, but I also know HR usually wants evidence.

A few questions:

\- Was I wrong for not reporting the first incident immediately?

\- Does waiting to report it make me look less credible?

\- If he denies it, what typically happens in workplace investigations?

\- Has anyone been through something similar where HR took action even without witnesses?

For context, I enjoy the company, want to stay there, and appreciate that they moved me. I'm not looking for a lawsuit or to get anyone fired. I simply want to work in a professional environment and be judged on my work, not my personal life.

Any advice is appreciated.

Any recommendations for someone who:

Works well with medium-length ( long shaggy looking now) men’s styles

Can do color + cut

Understands texture/thinning hair

I am 43 yr old wm, 225.4 lbs currently. Any advice on which peptide is best w/ wegovy? And what should I expect, as in how much more I need to exercise. I walk 1 mile every morning, then work 2nd shift in a warehouse so that another 3 miles minimum I walk at work. I want the weight to come down and at the same time tighten my body/skin up.