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The World's Most Polite and Rude Cities
I don't know how empirical this study is, but here's the skinny. Reader's Digest dispatched several undercover reporters in three dozen cities across the world. In each city, the reporters:
- Walked into public buildings 20 times behind people to see if they held open the door.
- Bought small items from 20 stores and recorded whether the sales assistants thanked them.
- Dropped a folder full of papers in 20 busy locations to see if anyone would help collect the scattered contents.
The reporters awarded one point for each positive outcome and nothing for a negative one. The results of this "study" show that the top three most polite cities are New York, Zurich and Toronto. Conversely, Asia fared very poorly. Eight out of nine cities there finished in the bottom 11. Could this be a cultural thing?
The least friendly city? Mumbai, India. They may be rude in Mumbai, but they sure can cook.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Asia, North America
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 6)
susiegreen Feb 25th 2007 6:47PM
try phoenix az, talk about mean when i go to a party store the clark is most aways a real bitch or baster! so rude in this vally!! all red necks i have never been in a more ruder place in my hole time on earth!!!!! phoenix wins!!!!!!!
L.B. Feb 25th 2007 6:48PM
I think some of you are VERY rude. The way people act isn't because they're from China, India or even New York. Most Asian people I know are extremly polite. It's racist to say a certain ethnic group is rude just because one mean person happens to be from somewhere else. Thinking that way is uncouth, crude and despicable. Anyone who said something to that effect should be ashamed of themselves.
Leslie Feb 25th 2007 6:49PM
Even though I LOVE NY, some of those people just act like hot shots. Mostly everyone else is nice. Sometimes, though, no offense, people from there act like total idiots and pretend they know everything and everyone who ever lived.
Vivi Feb 25th 2007 6:52PM
I am a New Yorker by birth, but came to California because of employment. I am still a New Yorker by heart.
roger Feb 25th 2007 7:00PM
this is in response to all those "idiots" that think we New Yorkers are such rude and stupid people. First of all im proud to be a native New Yorker, secondly i've been around the U.S. and Canada and recently travelled to Costa Rica (beautiful country and people). What amazes me is that the rudest and by far the most ignorant people i've met have been from the southeast U.S. aka. red states, some people are still "fighting the civil war" and some have not grasped the racial equality thing. Afterall its 2007 did anyone get the memo? besides whenever anything happens anywhere New Yorkers are always around to help in one way or another, that should count for something and for all those who've been to N.Y.C./ New York and liked it thank you, to all those who've never been formulate an opinion after you actually go there otherwise build a bridge and get over it...
Roy Haynes Feb 25th 2007 7:07PM
New York polite?? AW COME ON-and safe too??? Youve got to be kidding!
Elizabeth Laird Feb 25th 2007 7:06PM
I was raised in NY and at age 36 moved to Los Angeles where I lived for 40 years I love NY and miss it and do not agree with those who believe New Yorkers are rude . I found California to be friendly as well. I've been living in Arizona for two years, talk about rude unfriendly people. I'd be out of here in a NY minute if I could afford it.
Give me CA 1st and NY 2nd
wallywoman1950 Feb 25th 2007 7:22PM
Our first trip to New York was in 1998 and we found every single person we encountered to be friendly, helpful and sincere.
evan Feb 25th 2007 7:15PM
thanki you new york for everytthing. I greww up there and loved every minute of it. I now live in phoenix, one of the rudest, cold cities in this country. Love you new york always will
Roy Haynes Feb 25th 2007 7:12PM
New York is as polite as it is "CLEAN" -GEt a GRIP !
Lauren Feb 25th 2007 7:32PM
I used to think that New York was a harsh place until I spent several months traveling in Asia (China in particular). I was shocked at the lack of concern for others in most of the larger cities. There are of course, many wonderful people there as well, but accidentally drop something when your hands are full and 9 times out of 10, not one person will offer assistance. A former professor of mine says it is cultural and stems from years of famine and poverty that forced people there to learn to harbor concern only for their own families. Regardless of the reason, I couldn't have been happier when I landed in Los Angeles and had 4 or 5 people (the number was zero in the Hong Kong airport) offer to help me with my many suitcases.
goodnewsdoc Feb 25th 2007 7:32PM
Perhaps the most aloof and rude people I've encountered in my international travels were Icelanders. Even though the majority of them spoke English, don't dare ask for directions from someone on the street and don't expect a thank you from shop owners. I lived there for two years and made a couple of friends. I asked them why I was being ignored when shopping or touring and the reply was, "We generally view Americans as obnoxious and illiterate because they only speak one language and read very little, but think they are the guardians of the world and know everything." In other words, they stereotype Americans and, quite frankly, don't care for us. But, even among themselves, I noticed indifferences such as, if there is a line, they go to the head of it or bunch up around an entrance to a theater or club. Whereas, Americans hold to the first come, first served mentality . . . we see a line, we get in it - respecting the individuals who got there first. Don't read me wrong, I met some very nice people while living in Iceland - every culture has its good and bad eggs. But, it was more than coincidence that I met a bunch of rotten ones while living there. I only thought the French were rude!
James Bonner Feb 25th 2007 7:35PM
I wonder if it were male or female representatives taking the survey. I would wager it was a pretty female in New York.
joyce Feb 25th 2007 7:40PM
Even with evidence, there are still ignorant people out there who need to believe that New Yorkers are rude. I notice that those e-mails were mainly from dumb southern crackers who still believe that the Holocaust never happened and that the south shall rise again. Too bad Katrina didn't wipe
y'all out! the fact is, New Yorkers are not rude, they are smart, friendly, neighborly and really don't give a damn what anyone (especially stupid, backwards racists southerners) think.
K, Houston Jan 30th 2008 12:27PM
HELL YEAH, I'M A YANKEE BOY AND PROUD OF IT
Gunsmoke Feb 25th 2007 8:11PM
NEW YORK SHOULD BE AT ROCK BOTTOM ON COURTESY I LIVED THERE FOR A MONTH AND GOT A DIFERENT IMPRESSION IN CONTRAST TO SAN FRANCISCO L.A. AND NEW ORLEANS - MY ADVICE - BEFORE YOU TRAVEL ALWAYS ASK FOR SECOND OPINION.
John Feb 25th 2007 10:57PM
to #18 At least this stupid New Yorker can spell "consistent"! Time yo start using your spell check..
Nancy Peterson Feb 26th 2007 1:43AM
New York City, the greatest city in the world. I have lived from New York to California, & Canada to Mexico. In big cities and little towns. Nothing can compare to New York City. The first thing I learned was you don't go to New York City, you go to " THE CITY " Anything you will ever need or want is there. To the rest of the world "THE CITY" is the United States. The people are fantastic. Actually, humans are pretty much alike. They respond to you the way you treat them. If your crude and rude expect the same in return. I have never been treated badly in the city. The City is so much more than a place. It's unique, not another like it any where. I truly LOVE NEW YORK CITY.
Nancie Mar 8th 2007 5:31PM
I'm into my seventh year living as an expat in Korea. I have traveled a lot in other Asian countries, and
Koreans top the list (IMO). Part of it is cultural, but personally, I think that line of reasoning is becoming just an excuse for rude behavior. This is by far the rudest country for people (mostly men, but sometimes women)constantly spitting both on the street and in buildings (I kid you not!, vomiting in the street after a night out on the town, urinating in public......I could go on forever. As an expat I've had to learn to tolerate this kind of rude behavior, but I don't have to like it. One last thing, I was once attacked by a crazy man on the Seoul subway and NOT one person tried to help me. The people around me simply ignored the situation.
http://360.yahoo.com/bunni56531
tony Mar 14th 2007 2:26AM
i can tell you one thing that has been consistent day after day for my 10 years in san francisco. The women here NEVER thank you or even gesture when you yield to them, open doors, let them get in your car lane, etc. The women (especially caucasian) in san francisco talk extremely loud on their cell phones, always try to cut lines, and rarely say hello, thanks or any other kind of salutation. I am a male and have done some modelling. I can't imagine how these same women treat short fat bald guys. Its no wonder the asian women in san francisco get all the hot guys. Caucasian women in san francisco - RUDE!