Are people just plain rude?

[Gorn Captain]

Should've stayed in Ghent

You wouldn't believe the kind of people live in Ghent.

[Vortigern99]

I live in Texas, where people are generally friendly to one another, especially in small towns. On a recent visit to Colorado, I was surprised at how non-friendly the locals were to out-of-towners, considering how much we contribute to their economy. I'm used to at least a smile and a nod from passersby, and a thank you from clerks and shopworkers, but these social graces were few and far in between in the two towns I spent time in (Eagle and Edwards).

[darklord1967]

Don't ever visit New York City then...no offense to anyone that lives there.

This is one of the biggest myths I've ever heard regarding the people of the Big Apple.

New Yorkers are opinionated, brutally honest, and tough.

But they are certainly no ruder than they are in some of the places mentioned in this thread.

New York City is one of the few places in the world where EVERY race/nationality from every corner of the planet is represented somewhere.

Every social class... from the poverty-stricken homeless to the wealthy industrialist Donald Trump can be found here.

Consequently, many of the social and racial divisions seen around the rest of the country simply are not found here.

It's pretty rare to get lousy service at a place of business here in NYC simply because someone doesn't like the color of your skin.

And New Yorkers are often so big-hearted and generous that the sick , the poor, the elderly, and the poverty-striken homeless often make more money by begging and soliciting than folks who work at the national minimum wage.

For ten years while I worked in federal Law-Enforcement, I worked all over the country. Cities, and rural areas. Big towns small towns. I traveled to some of the most popular and some of the most obscure locations in North America.

I never once saw groups of concerned people huddled around a dog or cat suffering from heat-stroke and bringing it cool water to drink.

I never once saw people helping a woman with a baby carriage up or down some stairs.

I never once saw a bus or train seat given up to an elderly person or to a lady.

I never once saw a lost tourist being approached by a local and being offered travel directions (unsolicited).

I never once saw perefct strangers become good friends in a matter of minutes simply because they were both on a LONG line to see their favorite film and passed the time by striking up a conversation with one another.

But these things and more are COMMON in New York City.

[darklord1967]

You better hold the door for people down here(especially ladies and the elderly). This is about the rudest thing you can do in public (in my eyes).

??????

I'm confused.

You suggest that where you live, one had BEST hold doors for ladies and the elderly.

Fair enough. I couldn't agree more.

But THEN you go on to say that doing so is about "...the rudest thing..." one can do in public.

[Raydeen1]

Some folks don't like it. I went to a seminar about what can and cannot be said in the workplace, proper conduct and so on. One of the speakers was a retired teacher who was sued, SUED in Canada which I find most disturbing, for calling a student: "Dear".

I mean honestly. Some folks are weird.

I find people are generally rude wherever you go. In Chicago, most of the folks I met were very cool. Overly nice to some extent. They thought it was neat I was from Canada. This was when I was 15.

Where I live, we are renowned for our courtesy and politeness. I sometimes wonder how. I am polite to everyone at first. lol. I hold doors, help ladies with carriages, etc... I have been told: "No thanks" by some. Others have gotten beligerent. I tried to help a lady in the toy aisle while I was there with the boys last year. She got hateful so I got hateful back. I was only trying to help her. I think my very long hair throws people off sometimes. They either think I'm a stoner/rocker (I don't do drugs or drink) so it makes them leary or they're shocked. lol.

I teach my boys to be polite and courteous because it's proper. Sadly, I'm in the minority here at least. The kids around here are terrible.

??????

I'm confused.

You suggest that where you live, one had BEST hold doors for ladies and the elderly.

Fair enough. I couldn't agree more.

But THEN you go on to say that doing so is about "...the rudest thing..." one can do in public.

[theantiquetiger]

??????

I'm confused.

You suggest that where you live, one had BEST hold doors for ladies and the elderly.

Fair enough. I couldn't agree more.

But THEN you go on to say that doing so is about "...the rudest thing..." one can do in public.

By that I mean, not holding a door for a lady or elderly is one of the rudest things to do in public (not counting bodily functions )

[darklord1967]

By that I mean, not holding a door for a lady or elderly is one of the rudest things to do in public (not counting bodily functions )

Ah! Gotcha!

You left out the word "not" in your original post, huh?

It's funny how leaving out a single little word can throw off the intended meaning of things considerably.

[darklord1967]

Some folks don't like it. I went to a seminar about what can and cannot be said in the workplace, proper conduct and so on. One of the speakers was a retired teacher who was sued, SUED in Canada which I find most disturbing, for calling a student: "Dear".

Goodness gracious. This political correctness hysteria that is gripping our country... indeed our world... is getting completely out of hand.

Pretty soon, lawsuits are going to filed against 8 year old little boys for kissing un-suspecting little girls in the school yard.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that this has already happened somewhere.

I sure hope that the teacher you mentioned who was sued won his case and had that stupid lawsuit thrown out of court.

[livnxxxl]

Some folks don't like it. I went to a seminar about what can and cannot be said in the workplace, proper conduct and so on. One of the speakers was a retired teacher who was sued, SUED in Canada which I find most disturbing, for calling a student: "Dear".

I mean honestly. Some folks are weird.

I find people are generally rude wherever you go. In Chicago, most of the folks I met were very cool. Overly nice to some extent. They thought it was neat I was from Canada. This was when I was 15.

Where I live, we are renowned for our courtesy and politeness. I sometimes wonder how. I am polite to everyone at first. lol. I hold doors, help ladies with carriages, etc... I have been told: "No thanks" by some. Others have gotten beligerent. I tried to help a lady in the toy aisle while I was there with the boys last year. She got hateful so I got hateful back. I was only trying to help her. I think my very long hair throws people off sometimes. They either think I'm a stoner/rocker (I don't do drugs or drink) so it makes them leary or they're shocked. lol.

I teach my boys to be polite and courteous because it's proper. Sadly, I'm in the minority here at least. The kids around here are terrible.

So far to this very day I have yet to meet a mean or bad Canadian. Not to say that one may not exist. There is always one bad apple in every country. Really and truly though the Canadians that I have met in person which have been only but a hand full have always been really nice and respectful. The type of people that I like to be around. Unlike all of you millionaires here at the Mego Museum. Yeah you know who I am typing about. (kidding) Please excuse me for that burst. It is an inside joke here at The Museum for those not in the know. Or for those that could care even less for that matter. Either you get it or you don't. I don't even care to explain it for that matter. Ask someone else to fill you in if they know and if you want to know. It is all water under the bridge anyway by now. (or should be anyway for most) So why did I even bother to mention it? Because, I still cannot help but to think about it though for some wacky reason it keeps resurfacing to the top of my head when I am here at TMM. The thought is like a bad song that you cannot seem to get out of your head some times. Anywho....... Where was I? .....Ohh yeah The Canadian thing. Canadian's are alrighty roo in my book! In fact I do not have anything bad to say about anyone, origin or their country for that matter. Then again that is just me. I thought about being a little nift at Palitoy for just a wee bit. ONLY because I am a little jealous that he runs such a cool forum here. And the fact that he did not send me any of "product X" because I lost the last contest that he held fair and square. I somehow seemed to get over it though. It wasn't easy at first.

I do hate it when people stereo type others though. I believe in not judging a book by the cover. I believe in innocent until proven guilty. I have had really long hair, short hair and now wear my hair somewhere in the middle of the two. (a compromise of sorts I suppose) When I had real long hair before I am sure people thought the same about me. The thing that they did not know for a fact was that I was about one of the nicest people to be around that is until of course you really P me off. That is a different story then. They probably thought that I was a drug dealer or what have you. I do not do drugs anymore NOR do I do them any less either. NOT (kidding) Seriously though I don't. If anyone does and that is your "thang" then I say to each their own. I won't stereo type you if you don't stereo type me. It's is all good. Do what you like!


Nuff said for now. I am going to blame all of my above senseless jargon on txteach for holding a contest that has been robbing me of my treasured beauty sleep.

[livnxxxl]

Goodness gracious. This political correctness hysteria that is gripping our country... indeed our world... is getting completely out of hand.

Pretty soon, lawsuits are going to filed against 8 year old little boys for kissing un-suspecting little girls in the school yard.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that this has already happened somewhere.

I sure hope that the teacher you mentioned who was sued won his case and had that stupid lawsuit thrown out of court.

The "system" has gotten completely out of hand that is for sure. When someone can sue for something as petty as that or for spilling a hot cup of coffee in their own lap there is just something very wrong with this picture. Welcome to the U.S.A. The Unbelievable States of America.

[Joe90]

I believe it stems back to slave times, where the slaves called their owners this way, (i.e. "Ms Scarlett").

It's also a French thing to show familiarity yet respect at the same time. Many Southerners have French roots so I wouldn't consider it strictly an antebellum thing.

[AUSSIE-Rebooted-AMM]

[monkey tennis]

Why do you think my wife and I want to emigrate?

Hey Rik where are you thinking of emigrating to ???

Are the people friendlier there ?

[DocDrako]

I used to work in a store, in a town called Trent, Texas (population: 350). Most of them were great but there were a few who would purchase items without saying a single word. They wouldn't respond to my greetings, answer my questions or say a single word. It used to tick me off. Still does when people are like that. Some people are jerks and I figure that since they're miserable, they'll just make other people miserable too. Lame-O's.

[Meule]

You wouldn't believe the kind of people live in Ghent.

Ya got me there