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I'm new to the forum and thought I'd start of my first post about an argument I had with someone about New York people being rude. lol. I grew up on Long Island, then moved into the city (Greenwich Village) a few years ago.
My brother had some friends visiting from Chicago and before they left I was asking them how they enjoyed their time here. They said that they found New York people to be extremely rude - everyone from police officers, to waiters, to hotel employees, etc. They said that people seemed annoyed when they had questions and did not seem friendly overall.
I am shocked. Am I biased because I am a New Yorker, or is this the true experience that people have when they visit the city?
The quality of customer service here sucks. That being said, random people you come in contact with are very nice. People start conversations with me in my work building and home building in the elevator. There is a man in the elevator at my home that said have a good day when I get off the elevator. I'm from Florida, and hell I"m not that nice. But, the people who work in places like Pax or pizza restaurants can be pretty rude. People at H&M are AWFUL. Taxi drivers have been really nice to me as well(once they know I'm paying cash :P), unless I want to go to Queens or something.
I think that's a little debatable, it seems like people aren't as friendly here, BUT they also want to get things done. You can go to a lot of other states and see people who just lounge around and take their time with things, do you know what I mean?
I grew up in Chicago and have lived in NYC for many years. I don't see a big difference between New Yorkers and Chicagoans in friendliness to strangers. When my mom comes to visit, though, she'll make comments like "New Yorkers always look so unhappy!" I'm like, "And Chicagoans always go around with big grins on their faces. Yeah, right!" A certain amount of this is Chicago vs. New York competiveness. Also, my mom lives in the Chicago suburbs, so she's comparing apples to oranges.
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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A lot of people here on CD outside of NY like to assume NYers are rude. I read trip reviews from people, and most say that we're friendlier than the people where they live.
But customer service people are in fact rude. When I go grocery shopping, the person ringing up my stuff won't say hi or even look at me. I just moved to Nassau county on Long Island, and customer service people here are WAY friendlier.
A lot of people here on CD outside of NY like to assume NYers are rude. I read trip reviews from people, and most say that we're friendlier than the people where they live.
But customer service people are in fact rude. When I go grocery shopping, the person ringing up my stuff won't say hi or even look at me. I just moved to Nassau county on Long Island, and customer service people here are WAY friendlier.
Maybe, but people are different everywhere.. where I go shopping, I usually have a nice conversation with the person at the register.
Also, as a note to the other posters, I have been to Chicago, and the people there in customer service WERE a lot friendlier than the ones here, but it's just a different city with somewhat different values, so I don't really think one is better than the other.
To each their own. When I am out of town and trying to buy a cup of coffee or a newspaper and the counter person is chatting up every person with mind-bendingly inane conversation, further delaying me, that to me is very rude. And, if passers by on the sidewalks of Manhattan said hello to each other, the sidewalks would be a traffic jam and everyone would be hoarse in five blocks. I have no time, patience or need for small talk with strangers. Is that rude, or just one of the many reasons that I would live nowhere else but here?
Frank Costanza: "I don't think it's so bad. People should wear name tags.
Everyone would be a lot friendlier. "Hello, Sam." "How are
you doing, Joe?"
Last edited by john_starks; 07-03-2009 at 09:04 AM..
Reason: Copyright violation
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