Why are New Yorkers so rude?

Posted by Fred 
Re: rudeness
August 31, 2003 06:13AM
I don't think that New yorkers are rude at all. Maybe just some of the people that you have interacted with have been somewhat unpleasent, but maybe you just dindn't give them the time or day? I'm mean cut them some slack
Re: rudeness
November 24, 2005 01:12PM
Fred Wrote:
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> Why are new yorkers so rude?

Not to be an idiot or anything, but as a technician for Verizon Online, I have found that New Yorkers (specifically New York, NY) have the greatest percentage of rude people. Of the many people from New York whom I have dealt with, most were frustrated by a service interruption, or poor service to begin with, and sharing their frustration I did the best I could to set everything right for them. Many (roughly 6 out of every 10) would treat me with civility or even kindness, but the rest would go out of their way to make my day as miserable as possible. It's sad really, because the majority of New Yorkers are good people, but since the stereotype of rude New Yorkers exist, the ones who are rude probably do it because they feel they can get away with it. It is sad, but that kind of rudeness is exactly what drove me to quit my job. The ones causing the problem and stereotype need to realize that they are ambassadors for their city, and the way they behave is how the world sees them. As for those New Yorkers who are pleasant, the stereotype does not do you justice, thank-you for being as pleasant as you are.
Leo
Re: rudeness
November 24, 2005 01:31PM
You have to realize that many of those New Yorkers move to New York not long time ago from other cities. You have to also understand that living in a big and busy city makes people behave differently. Maybe what you consider rudeness, they consider an appropriate way to respond to bad service. People in a big and busy city are less patient.
Re: rudeness
November 24, 2005 04:49PM
I agree with you Leo. I actually found most New Yorkers polite and extremely friendly, in fact friendlier and more polite than many people in Australia. In the last 12 months, besides New York, I have been in Washington, London, Dublin, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney as well as smaller cities and I think it is just a part of city life that the pace of life makes people less patient and may be a little more brusque.
Re: rudeness
November 25, 2005 03:14AM
i'm dutch and i've been in new york three times now. al i can say is this: if you're looking for rude people, go to the netherlands!! all they care about is me, me, me. the less you have the more i have. if you fall down that means more room for me to walk.
Re: rudeness
November 25, 2005 07:06AM
rude people are all over the world, unfortunately, my perception of new yorkers having lived there for a few years, is that they are constantly under pressure, whether it's stressful life or lack of money. working late hours and living in a huge city, sometimes commuting to work don't give much time to relax.
i had fun in NY and people were friendly with me, but they are constantly in hurry tough. my worst experience was in duane reade's once: i was paying with my card and it took me maybe...5 seconds more to find it and sign, while a woman behind me started to curse to herself cause i was slow...but this can happen anywhere...
Re: rudeness
November 25, 2005 07:47AM
Rudeness makes me crazy! Some days I think all NYers are rude, other days I think we're kind. It's just a matter of who I run into (or who runs into me) during the day.

There are just SO MANY people here that you'll find lots of rude ones, lots of kind ones, lots of oblivious ones. The trick is to sort them all out and just stick with the kind ones. And the others? Well, just make their days miserable!!! (Just kidding, of course.)
Re: rudeness
November 25, 2005 08:29AM
First off, I find that those who weren't born & raised here to be ruder than the REAL natives. Secondly, I don't think we are any ruder than any place else. We always moving, usually rushed. We don't have time to stand behind some twit chit chatting on their phone about the great pair of shoes they just bought. We don't have time to try to enter into GCS while a tour bus from Ohio drops off 50 people RIGHT IN FRONT of the doors so that no can get in (true story).

There are certain things I do not tolerate in this city & are pet peeves of mine.

1. Always say THANK YOU when someone holds the door for you.

2. If you see someone behind you when you are entering thru a door, HOLD it for them.

3. Don't stand in elevator doors to keep the elevator there. I'm sure there's another elevator you can use.

4. Garbage cans...use them.

5. If I walk thru the right sided door & there is another door right next to it that opens & you want to come in, then open the other door. I'm not a doorman, I'm not here to open doors for you.

6. If you bump into me, you better say excuse me. The last thing you want is me telling you where to go.

7. Walk to the RIGHT on the street.

8. There's no need for a gaggle of idiots to take up the whole sidewalk. Move over so that others can use it.

Now NYers aren't so rude. The majority of things I listed above I usually see done by tourists.
Re: rudeness
November 25, 2005 08:14PM
It's funny you say that the Century 21 cashiers are rude. You're right! They are bitter, horrible people for the most part, although the last time I was there, I encountered a very chipper young lad who rang me up. I do agree that many many many people who work in retail here have no idea what "service" means. But if you're talking about ordinary people in the street, most people will help you if you need directions, or if you get in some sort of jam.

If you're trying to get off a subway train, that's another story.

Re: rudeness
November 26, 2005 07:39PM
I wholeheartedly agree with bxgrl74! The only rude folks I have ever run into are the tourists!!! I think that most folks mistake people for being rude because it's a different lifestyle. Fast paced. And I also think tourists have a tendancy to want to get tons of service while in NYC. If you're buying a cupcake, for instance, don't expect the cashier to wait on you and everyone else AND tell you where the nearest whatever is or why you can only buy only 1 dozen cupcakes instead of 2 dozen.

The men in NYC are also gentlemen. I had so many men hold the door for me or even just help me with my bags when I didn't even ask.


It is a generalization that NYC folks are rude, however if it keeps bozos from visiting, all the better!
Re: rudeness
November 27, 2005 12:45PM
greeba Wrote:
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> It's funny you say that the Century 21 cashiers
> are rude. You're right! They are bitter, horrible
> people for the most part, although the last time I
> was there, I encountered a very chipper young lad
> who rang me up. I do agree that many many many
> people who work in retail here have no idea what
> "service" means. But if you're talking about
> ordinary people in the street, most people will
> help you if you need directions, or if you get in
> some sort of jam.
>
>


Let's not forget the Duane Reade chicks, but the ones in Midtown bc I've never had a problem w/the ones in the Bronx or Westchester. They act like they are above everyone yet they just got here yesterday, they barely speak English & they are making minimum wage. Now I'm not downing on those who make minimum wage...at least they are working. But for a moment, they all need to just get over themselves.

And yes, I do agree that retail associates here in this area of America are beyond rude not to mention LAZY, which I think is the bigger problem. Even the high end stores like Bloomingdales have a bunch of snot rags working there. Like I said w/the Duane Reade chicks, the same applies here.

Re: rudeness
November 27, 2005 06:16PM
I must say when I first moved to New York I found shop assistants very rude but then after a while i would occasionally come across some really nice ones and it was lovely. By the way the people at my local Duane Reade on 6th Ave between 26th and 27th were very nice. Even if someone is rude to me I am really pleasant to them and I usually find that they come around and eventually respond in a good way.
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