N.Y. Is Most Polite City? 'Were They Drinking?'

Reuters ^ | 12-14-01

[wyopa]

New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Friday he was quite surprised his city -- whose citizens have been called brave and tough but rarely genteel --would be named as America's most polite place.

"One has to wonder. I won't say, 'What were they smoking?' I will say, 'What were they drinking?" Giuliani said at a news conference in response to an annual survey conducted by an etiquette expert deeming New York and Charleston, South Carolina, as the most U.S. polite cities.

"One has to really wonder, just what are the other cities like?" he added.

Etiquette author Marjabelle Young Stewart, who sorted through tens of thousands of nominations to compile her list, handed the honor Thursday to the Big Apple and Charleston.

New York may have the image of being a rough and gruff place populated by rude people, but Stewart said the city actually is one of the most polished for manners in the United States.

New York's resolve and heartfelt gratitude to the support it received after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center increased the nominations for the city, Stewart added.

"The graciousness the city showed served as a wake-up call to the world that it could go through so much and still show an outpouring of love," Stewart told Reuters.

The etiquette expert did say there were a few bad apples and grumpy people who tarnished the city's image but that "New Yorkers have always been polite and helpful."

Stewart has compiled the list for more than 25 years. Her seal of approval for manners is a hot commodity for any city's chamber of commerce, which may tout the rankings in promotional material.

Trailing New York and Charleston were: Milwaukee; the Quad Cites of Moline and Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa; Chicago; and Portland, Oregon.

Stewart, who has published about 20 etiquette books, advised cities that training taxi drivers, restaurant workers and shop clerks to be better-mannered is a good way to boost the image of a city as being courteous.

[wyopa]

Amusing article. I was interested to see that, after Charleston, no other Southern cities were mentioned.

Cities mentioned, in order, were:
1) New York and Charleston
2) Milwaukee
3) the Quad Cites of Moline and Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa
4) Chicago
5) Portland, Oregon

[katherineisgreat]

CHICAGO????
I think Lewis Grizzard would have a problem with that! LOL.

[RightOnline]

Contrary to the popular image, every time I've been to Manhattan on business I've been astounded at just how polite New Yorkers are. They'll give you directions..........even if they have no bloody clue what they're talking about. They just don't want to ignore you or leave you hanging. I found myself, time and again, telling 'em "Ya know, you'd better watch it; you're blowing the image of New Yorkers as rude and nasty big time..". They always seemed to get a kick out of that.

I can certainly think of some Southern cities to add to the list........and there are many smaller towns that would more than qualify.

None, however, are in Florida. :)

[ventana]

Well, I've been a New Yorker, and I know how polite New Yorkers can be: very! Also, rude, kickass and bellicose. Visited Charleston at Eastertime. Such a cool gem of a city. And the people navigate the streets like New Yorkers, how great is that? V's wife.

[NativeNewYorker]

Much in the way that "an armed society is a polite society", a very dense society requires one to be civil more often than not.

The Japanese, well-known for their (superficial) good manners, attribute that component of their society to the close quarters endured over centuries on a small, cramped island.

I literally come into physical contact with dozens of strangers every day riding the Lexington subway. Accidentally stepping on the toes of a towering, swaggering CoreDemocrat(tm), if followed by an immediate "scuse me", always gets an "its alright" for a reply.

[deadhead]

Bumping for all the kind folks in New York City!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

"New York is one of the most polite cities in America. When you arrive in town there's always somebody saying, may I please sell you some crack, sir."

Late Night with David Letterman (from several seasons ago).

[RightWhale]

The list is good. Pittsburgh is a decent place, too.

[cactmh]

Oh, B.S. I know of quite a few places in FL that are friendly and polite. We have manners down here...

[Dan from Michigan]

Maybe all the jerks from Noo Yawk moved to Palm Beach County and Broward County....

I don't think they made the list.

[speedy]

I moved to New York about a year and a half ago. Of neccessity, even the gruffest-looking people wind up saying " excuse me" and "thank you" a lot because crowded streets and subways force you to acknowledge the presence of others constantly. I don't know that they are inherently "polite" but they do need to follow some conventions of civility just to get by.

I do find New Yorkers exceptionally helpful to strangers. I could hardly recount how many small acts of kindness that were extended to my wife and me when we were here house-hunting. Gave us a good first impression that has never left.

[Dan from Michigan]

I'll agree with NORTH Florida. Jacksonville, St Augustine.

[cactmh]

Those are the places I was talking about, along with Pensacola, and other north florida/panhandle towns...

[RightOnline]

[insert buzzer here] Nope, sorry, but no prizes today. It's common knowledge that Florida consists primarily of relocated Northeastern yankees. They have State laws against "courtesy".

There is absolutely, positively nothing "Southern" about Florida. I have lived there. I have travelled there on business far too many times. I've also lived in every Southern state in the Union except Louisiana and South Carolina. I know what I'm talking about.

Think your reply just proved my point. :)

[OldFriend]

Now we know they were smoking and drinking

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

None, however, are in Florida. :)

Having lived in nearly 2 dozen US cities, I think that Ocala, FL is rather polite. Perhaps you are thinking about the folks down on the Gold Coast, the land of the 'Hanging Chads'.

[RightOnline]

After reading my comments above, there is definitely irony in my telling you that Ocala is exactly the city where I actually lived in Florida, although I've been in most of the major towns in FL on many, many occasions. I lived smack-dab in the middle of the Ocala National Forest. A hell-hole. My kids couldn't walk into the front yard without being attacked by fire ants. There were poisonous snakes everywhere. The little pond at the end of the road had alligator snapping turtles the size of Buicks and an alligator. The mosquitoes came in clouds.

What a s**thole.

The people, aside from my immediate neighbor, weren't much of an improvement on the actual environment. Couldn't seem to give a damn if you existed or not, lived or died.

No thanks. Florida is one state permanently crossed off of this vagabond's list.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

I would have to say that the most polite city I have ever been in is New Orleans. I just loved the people there, they were polite and charming.

[lavrenti]

Tyler, Texas. Strangers, both in cars and on foot, stopped for a moment of silence as we drove to the cemetery to bury my mother.

You cannot imagine the impression that made with me.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

The Ocala National Forest has about the same relation to the city of Ocala as the 'Jersey Meadows' have to New York City. Most Ocalans wouldn't be caught dead living in the Forest. There are even books about what is wrong with living in the Forest -- see 'The Yearling' and 'Cross Creek'. In any case the inhabitants of the Forest fall into several categories:
1) Old style Florida crackers as depicted in the books referenced
2) Northern refugees from the winter, living on unemployment.
3) Satanists and followers of wicca, looking for pets to sacrifice (no joke).

Ocalans are not the same folks, sort of like Lake City with better scenery and more retired mid-westerners.