First night in Boston from the mid-west. Took a walk, got turned around but wasn’t worried. A 30-ish woman walks up “Pahdon me, do you know how to get to.....” where ever, I don’t recall. Anyhow, I replied “I’m from Minnesota, I’m lost myself”. “Ohhh, fahget it”. Polite when she wanted something, rude when I was of no further use. But the hotel staff were all great. Jimmy and Claude at the Colonnade Hotel, I remember you guys taking care of an out of towner, even 20 years later. Jimmy was a small old guy who insisted on carrying my suitcase which had to be heavier than he was, and Claude was the waiter who seemed to work 24 hours a day and knew the best stuff to order.
Oh, the Colonnade...
Bostonians are NOT stupid about money. They DO know service. So much so that several joints actually specialize in “being real.” Translation: We’ll actually BE rude to you, in spite of your money, so you feel like you’ve really been to Boston. But those are the exceptions for people seeking the “Boston experience.”