topic Re: Friendly and Polite People in Community Chat

Friendly and Polite People

Jaspersmom — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:26:27 GMT

First, let me say that I live in a crowded suburban area near the largest city in the nation. Living here is fast paced, people drive like maniacs, everyone is in a rush and strangers are not always kind and polite. I got to go away for an extended weekend to a lake region in an upstate location for the first time since Covid hit. I was shocked how patient, warm and friendly everyone was and it was a welcome change from the last year and a half. Even the young man serving us in a restaurant was funny and genuinely interested in all of us. I was there for a memorial service for a dear relative who passed back in June, so it wasn't a vacation for my family. My cousins grew up there and they enjoyed going back to their roots. For me, I just enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and attitude in the (small) city and was pleasantly reminded how nice people can be once you get away from the rat race.

So my question to you is, do you live in a place where people are polite and kind all the time? Is it a small town, suburb, city or rural area?

Re: Friendly and Polite People

millieshops — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:34:00 GMT

Whether I am here in Florida or on LI,NY, I am in a densely populated area where I find the majority of people with whom I come in contact to be friendly, polite, and even often helpful. And I try to be the same.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

beckyb1012 — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:36:45 GMT

Yes we are. Texas people are the worst drivers, myself included. However, we are so friendly to everyone. My city as about 100,000 citizens.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Jaspersmom — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:38:44 GMT

@millieshops LOL. I guess you figured out I'm a LIer too. No one cut me off on the road until I got near the CIP. Then it was every man for himself.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

teachgrd3 — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:47:46 GMT

Two years ago, I spent 12 days traveling in and around London, UK. On day one, it stood out to me that people there were so much more mannerly, kind, and polite than people here in the U.S. This, of course, is a generalization, and based on my experience, but everywhere we went there, people were so helpful and lovely. Nobody, even in large crowds, was being loud or noisy. They use the expression, "lovely", a lot, and it really describes the behavior of most people there, which is amazing in one of the world's largest cities. We only had one rude encounter and it involved fellow Americans at the Harry Potter Experience.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

RetRN — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:48:15 GMT

@Jaspersmom, I'm glad you enjoyed your extended weekend with kind and caring people.

I've lived in a large city, smaller cities and towns, as well as a rural area. The large city had the least friendly people--they were generally more impatient and less polite. That is just my experience, I'm sure they are not all the same.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

drizzellla — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:50:21 GMT

I also live in a suburban area near a large city.

My husband has relatives who used to live in the area and moved to Georgia and Texas.

We go to Disney resorts and visit the relatives on the way to or back from the resort. I am also shocked how nice everyone is. Stopping at our favorite restaurant in North Carolina the customers and the people waiting on you, what an enjoyable time. Even grocery shopping can be such a nice experience. It is fun being there. Guess that is why we vacation in the area.

Not hard to figure out why the relatives don't want to move back to the major city area.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

BlueFinch — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:50:59 GMT

I don't think we can count on people being polite all the time, no matter where we live. That said, I do find the majority of folks in my small unincorporated city in TX, as being welcoming and kind.

I have been to other small towns, when I wasn't greeted warmly, even politely. Some smaller towns don't take well to visitors, or encourage them to vacation, unless they're contributing well to city revenue. In fact, they can be somewhat suspicious of those wandering into their town.

Even though small towns may have their own cranky citizens, having been in big cities, I wouldn't trade my small town coziness, for a large, congested city. In fact, if I was younger, I would move further out for the space and privacy of country living.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Sooner — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:58:03 GMT

Like I tell people, if you don't want to be called "Hon" or "Sugar" do not eat in small towns in Oklahoma.

By and large we are still warm and friendly folks. I do worry however, about some (not all) of the younger entitled crowd I sometimes encounter.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

skatting44 — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:17:24 GMT

I live in a rapidly growing county , which at last count was atleast 260,000

Years ago, 90% of people were polite , helpful and kind. People held doors open for one another , gave directions if you were lost, and practiced general kindness. Today , most people have remained kind , some still hold doors open , offer help if you are carrying heavy bags , offer help if you have a flat tire and other acts of kindness.

However, there are some people mostly young that are frankly rude . I don't think parents in the last 20 have taken any time to teach manners or all this division has made them lack kindness towards another human being.

When it comes to encountering drivers, well it's a mess of agressive drivers , esp if I drive on the interstates to larger cities .

Re: Friendly and Polite People

CatsyCline — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:28:25 GMT

Was just in eastern LI staying with my Mom. i can't believe what has happened to the area i called home as a kid. the honking, tailgating, hollering. the home is on a short straight road now used as a short cut. Twice a day, one car after the next, Drivers fly down this street of tiny older homes as though this isn't a neighborhood with real people living there. i backed out of the driveway one day and a guy in a Benz yelled and honked at me for blocking him. due to Covid there are lots of new residents

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Trinity11 — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:29:55 GMT

I have lived in a few different states in my lifetime and find people are basically the same, no matter the location.

Living in the same location as the OP, I find the way people treat me is often based on my own mood. Rudeness I rarely if ever encounter and that stands for any state I have lived in. I have always believed, for the most part, if we are friendly and warm, we get back what we give... Sounds kind of Pollyanna but definitely has been my experience.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Sapphiregal — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:33:04 GMT

I live in a small town in Texas and most people in my neck of the woods are very friendly. I have to say, though, that my parents generation were the kindest people you could ever know (I am 70 just to give you perspective). Recently I stopped at a roadside vegetable stand and the little old man there appeared to be in his 80's. He was extremely polite and would say yes mam and no mam to me. I talked to him for a good bit and so enjoyed his stories about how his mother made cucumber and tomatoes in vinegar and all the other garden fresh things he loved. He took me back to a simpler place in time. I've stopped there several times now -not only for the best tomatoes ever - but, to just listen to him talk.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

NYCLatinaMe — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:46:00 GMT

I live in NYC, the biggest city in the United States where most people are kind, warm, caring and polite all the time. And there are a lot of us, 8.8 million in the Big City by the most recent count, an all time high. For example, when I would stop walking in the sidewalk to catch my breath early in the pandemic, people stopped to ask me if I was OK, risking that I had covid, which I came to believe I had, though no test since it was early in the pandemic and all we had were homemade maks and sanitizer. When I fell another day, 2 people ran over to help me up before I hit the ground. NYCers are the best!!!!

❤️❤️❤️

As Spike Lee just said this morning, the greatest city in all earth!!!

We've had a few bad ones, but they moved!

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Trinity11 — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:48:35 GMT

@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

I live in NYC, the biggest city in the United States where most people are kind, warm, caring and polite all the time. And there are a lot of us, 8.8 million in the Big City by the most recent count, an all time high. For example, when I would stop walking in the sidewalk to catch my breath early in the pandemic, people stopped to ask me if I was OK, risking that I had covid, which I came to believe I had, though no test since it was early in the pandemic and all we had were homemade maks and sanitizer. When I fell another day, 2 people ran over to help me up before I hit the ground. NYCers are the best!!!!

❤️❤️❤️

As Spike Lee just said this morning, the greatest city in all earth!!!

We've had a few bad ones, but they moved!

I totally agree with you @NYCLatinaMe . New York is my ❤️.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Mersha — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:49:03 GMT

It all comes down to one's perspective.

When I returned to the DC area from New York, I recall standing in the aisle at the grocery store, someone walked in front of me and said "excuse me." Wait, what?? I had not heard that in the years that I had been gone.

Of course, some will tell you people in the DC area are not very friendly and rude if you are from a smaller city.

To me, there are friendly and not so friendly people everywhere in the country. It does not have to be indicative of any certain geographic location.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Desertdi — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:49:44 GMT

I live in a BIG city...Number 5 in the U.S...we are very casual, and friendly (without being "gushy")...

It's the TOURISTS who are rude. I worked in a resort....and have been called names that can't be posted here (or anywhere). I guess they figure since they are "paying guests"....they can get away with anything.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

Greeneyedlady21 — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:54:34 GMT

Has zero to do with city rural suburb-any of that. Or geographical area. There are polite people and rude people everywhere. I have traveled to many different parts of this country, including rural South (there were polite people there, and rude unfriendly people).

To think that it's geographical is stereotyped narrow thinking.

Re: Friendly and Polite People

CANDLEQUEEN — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:57:09 GMT

I live in a Midwestern town with about 100,000 people. It used to be a lot friendlier. Now, I see people always in a hurry, drivers are very impatient and people generally are just not as friendly as they used to be.

When you do encounter friendly, helpful people you are kind of shocked, as it is not the norm.....It is not a totally unfriendly city, but its not the friendliest I have ever been to! I have never lived anywhere else to compare it to, only other cities travelled to!

Re: Friendly and Polite People

mom2four0418 — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 15:58:47 GMT

@Trinity11 wrote:
I have lived in a few different states in my lifetime and find people are basically the same, no matter the location.

Living in the same location as the OP, I find the way people treat me is often based on my own mood. Rudeness I rarely if ever encounter and that stands for any state I have lived in. I have always believed, for the most part, if we are friendly and warm, we get back what we give... Sounds kind of Pollyanna but definitely has been my experience.

I agree with everything that you have said. It is so much easier to be kind and compassionate.