Are New Yorkers the Most Polite?

Question

Reader's Digest, based out of New York, says Yes!

For those of you who still have not read the press release. New York represented America. It was an admittedly unscientific survey and no other American city was included. Is this scientific journalism or an advertisement? NYC is great. New Yorkers are great. The most polite? Please!

For those of you who still have not read the press release. New York represented America. It was an admittedly unscientific survey and no other American city was included. Is this scientific journalism or an advertisement? NYC is great. New Yorkers are great. The most polite? Please!

Answer 1

Rude cities: KL ranks third? A Reader’s Digest survey of 35 of the world’s capitals has found that Kuala Lumpur at ranks thirds and Mumbai as a rudest city in the world. Are agree with this? Oh, yes! Most of Malaysians agree with this and just Datuk Seri Najib did not agree with this. Me? Do not know!

Asian cities generally fared poorly in these rankings, eight of nine of them in the bottom 11, raising the notion that what is considered courtesy in the West — holding doors, helping strangers, service with a smile — is culturally alien in Asia.

The Times of London reported that Reader’s Digest magazine sent reporters into the principal city of each of the 35 countries in which it publishes to conduct a survey of local politeness. Three tests were employed: Dropping papers in a busy street to see if anyone would help; checking how often shop assistants said "thank you"; and counting how often someone held a door open.

London and Paris came a disappointing joint 15th, beaten by such cities as Berlin, Warsaw, Madrid and Prague. New York came top in the survey, with a score of 80 per cent, compared with 57 per cent for London and Paris.

Are you sure? Read what an American said to Malaysia’s press today, “Although Malaysia is multi-religion and multi-national, we still can be friend. Everywhere I go, I will get the good service and many people will talk with me as polite as possible without prejudice. But you will not get it at New York, my state.”

That is not from Malaysian but from citizen of New York – the politeness city! Malaysian’s culture and western culture are different and people cannot judge us because it will be comparison between East and West!

One woman, refusing to hold a door open, sneered to a Reader’s Digest researcher: "I’m not a doorman; it’s not my job to hold doors. If someone gets hurt, they should be quicker." – Yes, it is true! However, if you look at Western, they just open the door for someone special and not for his mother! What is the meaning of polite in this context? I think Asian more polite because they did not hypocrite and fair to all people and the greatest thing is they will open it for his mother!

At Malaysia, it will be the rudest thing if you enter the house with the shoes but it is not for Western. One more thing about said ‘thank you’. I am one of the people that do not know how to say thank you after I got the service. Nevertheless, I will smile. Malaysian’s smile is cute! Sometime you cannot read their smile. Maybe you cannot see they are smiling to you because after smile they will say, “Okay, next!” I am sure the Reader’s Digest researcher goes to the busy place and why do not she / he go to the place that not so much people there? From my experience, when they are not busy, they will give you the sweetest smile for the clients. Or maybe when they did this survey, they go to the ‘problem woman’ ( got period ).

Thank goodness because they did survey at Kuala Lumpur and not at my place, Malacca. For your information, Malacca is the rudest state in Malaysia. Why? I am Malaccan and I knew the Malaccan’s style when they are talking with someone. For who did not understand the Malaccan’s culture you will be surprise when you hear a Malaccan said, “Hoi lahabau! Lama tak jumpa?! Aku ingat kau dah mampus!”

“Hey lahabau [it is a unfriendly word and it same like the f word – but it is not f word meaning]! Long time not see?! I thought you r died!”

However, for Malaccan it will hear like this. “Hey, my friend! Long time not see?! How are you?” That why, ‘the lahabau’ ( his friend ) will not upset because he know that his friend did not think to abusing him. Malaccan people just want it be informal relationship and got some humor in their conversation.

At Malaysia, respect others are so important. You can see when Erra Fazira and Yusri divorced; they ( the reporters ) did not force both of them to comment what happened between them but I think in Western culture, respect is not in their dictionary for the reporters. For them, there is no privacy for famous people.

That why when people said Kuala Lumpur at third place as rudest cities, I am disagree! Maybe they forget to spy how ‘rudest’ our sweetheart, Siti Nurhaliza and our Prime Minister, Pak Lah. For me, both are the influenced and symbol of Malaysian.

Then, think again who is rudest? Malaysian or western?

1.Holding doors – Malaysian did not do it for everybody but Western just do it for some people only.
2.Service with smile – Malaysian got a cute smile and when they are so busy, they will smile less than a minute but they will not use the loudest voice to customer
3.Enter the house with the shoes – rudest at Malaysia and not at West.
4.Call someone name – at Malaysia we will give a title for someone ( especially older ) such as Mak Cik, Aci, Auntie, Pak Cik, Atuk, Along, Angah etc. However, at West they will called someone that old than them with his / her name ( if you did like this, they will slap you because don’t know how to respect the older. )
5.Sulking – when the child fight with their parents and sulking, at Malaysia, they parents cannot go to their children and persuade. It is different at West. The parents will persuade their children!

Actually got a lot of examples but the point here is the researcher must have sensitivity to local culture and not compare with other’s culture. “Lain padang, lain belalang.”

Answer 2

Yeah, but everyone else in America thinks they are a bunch of buttholes.

And New York was the only American city that Readers Digest used.

Answer 3

I don't remember, I lived there once for a year at six and lived here in Cali for the rest of my life and then last year at 21 I went there for vacation. No difference, either that or I must be not very observant! But i like Californians better. And what edition Readers Digest is it? I might have it?

Answer 4

I happen to be very polite. I find it's much easier to achieve the goal by being polite. I do not worry about waiters spitting in my food, or cops hassling me or any of the little side trips that occur to rude people. I've traveled around a bit and find that most people are polite, and sometime the crass rude people cannot be avoided. As for your question, I don't know how anyone could gage that...but thanks for letting me know...have a nice day....BITE:>

Answer 5

Most New Yorkers I encounter are very polite. Much more so than Californians.

Answer 6

I heard that on Letterman last night, and I think thats a Crock! I think that its a little subtle conspiracy and they are just trying to increase Tourist and visitors to make more money for N.Y

Answer 7

Yea i heard that i must say i was a bit suprised. no offense to the new yorkers

Answer 8

Depends on your definition of polite and who you run into.

Don't get me wrong, I love NYC and it's people

Answer 9

That's what I heard on the news this morning, but I highly doubt it.

Answer 10

What a biased report.