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Posted on 06/20/2006 7:51:21 PM PDT by Mr. Brightside
World's Politest People? Poll Says New Yorkers
POSTED: 2:20 pm EDT June 20, 2006
NEW YORK -- New Yorkers are the politest people in the world.
Is that a joke?
No way. Residents of the city that's gained a reputation for being rough 'n ready seem to actually have better manners than people in places like London, Toronto and Moscow.
That's according to a poll conducted by Reader's Digest, which sent reporters "undercover" to 36 cities to measure courtesy. Points were awarded for responses, and the results were compared.
Each reporter did three things: walked into buildings behind people to see if they would hold the door open for them; bought small items in stores and recorded whether the sales assistants said "thank you," and dropped a folder full of papers in busy locations to see if anyone would help pick them up.
More than 2,000 people were put to the test.
New Yorkers turned out to be the best bunch: 90 percent held the door open, 19 out of 20 store clerks said "thank you," and 63 percent of men and 47 percent of women helped with the flying papers.
In short, four out of five New Yorkers passed the courtesy test -- topping the list.
So guess which city ranks last in the politeness poll?
Mumbai, India.
The rudest cities in general were in Asia, where eight out of nine cities tested finished in the bottom 11. In Europe, Moscow and Bucharest ranked as the least polite.
Reader's Digest, which reaches 80 million readers in 21 languages, will publish the results in its July issue.
There's just one hitch with the poll: It's not scientific.
So there's still a chance that a visitor to New York can conduct his or her own poll: to find some rude New Yorkers.
Someday I would like to visit.
I had a classmate who moved from North Carolina to upstate New York - notwithstanding our horrible snow. She remarked once that, while the people back home "seemed" nicer, it was a facade while she was genuinely suprised at how friendly and helpful the New Yorkers were. She decided to stay here.
Whaddaya mean we tawk diffrent?!?
UG, I lived there for five happy years and I agree with you. It is not what I expected, but it's what I found. The energy there is exhilerating, and the atmosphere is intellectually stimulating. Yeah, way too liberal for my blood, but a privilege to have lived there.
"Perhaps it is only when they travel or move from NYC do they become loud, overbearing and boorish."
I believe you are confusing New Yorkers with their neighbors to the south and east . . . . .
I am a born and bred southerner, from Virginia, and we go to Manhatan once or twice a year, for the past 25 years. The people there are the nicest, most polite people in the world.
I have never understood the common perception that NYers are rude.
I love yankees.
This was a surprise to me!
Ever been to Paris?
I was born and bred in NYC. As you learned by you living here, we are friendly, helpful and courteous. Yet, when one steps out of line, we certainly know how to put them in their place quick! It's probably a surviver mentality and street smarts that we get by osmosis. We know the trouble makers and 'nice' doesn't work - 'carpetbaggers' is just ONE example.
If you walk down the street and catch some eye, most times you get a smile. We talk and walk fast. And we aren't all liberals. They bus them in at voting time.
I smugly agree with Readers' Digest poll. :)
You've obviously never been to a Mets game at Shea.
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"Please excuse me, but I have to kill ya!"
I've met a few bad apples, but by and large I find New Yorkers to be polite and friendly. They can be a little gruff at first, especially the police officers, but a smile and a friendly comment seems to always get returned if you give them a chance. Some places in the midwest and south are friendlier, but I like New Yorkers.
Well ah...yall have an accent!
So they only asked New Yorkers the survey questions, eh?
Up here in the vast land of "upstate", most of us are really fine flyover folk. Give you the shirt off our backs. I'm no expert on NYC, but I was deeply impressed with people's helpfulness and kindness the few times I've been there in recent years.
They can really say F U with class.
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