Study: The Rudest Cities in America

[PhillyRising]

Philadelphia is not rude.

We just don't have time to sugar coat things.

What we call getting to the point comes off as rude to an outsider.

When you get the finger, it's just the local sign language. It's pretty universal...think of it as the Philly Aloha.

...and yes and on every Sunday from September until the Super Bowl...everyone here pretty much knows to say Dallas Sucks.

...and never ask an average Philadelphian any kind of survey like this...half of the town over 45 doesn't go any further than the Jersey Shore. They have no idea how much worse it can be away from the 215. There were billboards in the 1970's that said "Philadelphia Isn't As Bad As Philadelphians Say It Is". That has never changed.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

This is all projection. People respond to how you act. I've never had any rudeness issues in Philly, NY, Boston, Paris, SF, etc...

[JManc]

Originally Posted by PhillyRising

Philadelphia is not rude.

We just don't have time to sugar coat things.

What we call getting to the point comes off as rude to an outsider.

When you get the finger, it's just the local sign language. It's pretty universal...think of it as the Philly Aloha.

...and yes and on every Sunday from September until the Super Bowl...everyone here pretty much knows to say Dallas Sucks.

...and never ask an average Philadelphian any kind of survey like this...half of the town over 45 doesn't go any further than the Jersey Shore. They have no idea how much worse it can be away from the 215. There were billboards in the 1970's that said "Philadelphia Isn't As Bad As Philadelphians Say It Is". That has never changed.

Not rude? Pfft. When Benjamin Franklin was thinking about what to name it, he considered Rudeburgh before settling on Philadelphia. He was our greatest president and he invented cheesesteaks. Though he's probably spinning in his grave to this day after Philly fans booed Santa Claus.

[Shawn]

Let me offer a somewhat unique perspective on Boston, as a native who has lived in what many would consider to be the polar opposite - Japan - for over two decades now. And who has effectively lived for three years in Hong Kong, which shares heaps of social interaction expectation similarities with Boston.

All New Englanders - even the pretend ones/New Yorkers living in Fairfield Co, do not have time for your shit. Vermonters and Mainiacs might have slightly more outward patience for your shit, but inside they're just as annoyed with you as any Masshole or Rhode Islander would be for pressing your shit on them.

This does not mean New Englanders are rude. It means social interactions with people we don't know will be kept to the bare minimum a given situation's etiquette requires. We pride ourselves on terseness with strangers. And to be clear, that's what I expect to receive from strangers as well: beautifully brief and blunt. Understand that if you're in Boston or Providence or Portland and a native treats you brusquely, you're being shown respect by local standards. The native is acknowledging that your time is valuable and shouldn't be wasted on idle bullshit.

This extends to service interactions. I seriously do not have time for any bullshit from the Dunkin workers, and they do not have time for any customer bullshit either. This is exactly what you'll experience in Hong Kong too: servers aren't there to chat or make you feel special, they're there to bring you your meal on time and collect the bill.

Now, is there a certain virulent strain of suburban Plastic Paddy/Guido Joe bro with tribal/flag/Pat tats, a green shamrock Sox hat, and the need to work "don't be a fag" or "no homo" into every sentence they loudly shout? Yes. Yes there is. We all have our embarrassing cousins.

But I'll take that type of immature family shame over Evangelicals and their self-righteous, retribution-fueled, hypocritically judgemental bullshit any day and all day long.

Living in Japan can be exceptionally frustrating for people who value direct communication. Speaking in Japanese forces you to change who you are, it forces you to modify your behavior to become more culturally Japanese. And while the formalities and the platitudes can seem "nice" at first, for this New Englander, that novelty wore off within the first few weeks of living here.

Holy Christ do I value - a dearly miss - direct, blunt, brief spoken communication.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by JManc

Not rude? Pfft. When Benjamin Franklin was thinking about what to name it, he considered Rudeburgh before settling on Philadelphia. He was our greatest president and he invented cheesesteaks. Though he's probably spinning in his grave to this day after Philly fans booed Santa Claus.

(and don't forget, he was originally from Boston, so according to some people in this thread, he'd be an excellent judge on rudeness )

For as bad as our reputation apparently is, at least we never threw batteries at Santa en mass!

[ocman]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

Timely for this meme I saw trending yesterday lol:

Holds partially true through the results of the survey

There’s a more solid and useful map to gauge meanness. Just look at a map of how states voted in the recent presidential election.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Shawn

(and don't forget, he was originally from Boston, so according to some people in this thread, he'd be an excellent judge on rudeness )

For as bad as our reputation apparently is, at least we never threw batteries at Santa en mass!

Yes oft overlooked tidbit of history; after he formed the New England Patriots, he was so ashamed of what he created he fled south to Philly. Very sad actually.

[Shawn]

Originally Posted by JManc

Yes oft overlooked tidbit of history; after he formed the New England Patriots, he was so ashamed of what he created he fled south to Philly. Very sad actually.

He actually wanted to call them the New England Turkeys, but too many fans told him, "that sounds wicked gay, guy."

[Steely Dan]

i cleared out all of the boston vs. detroit idiocy.

please discuss this topic without being a complete ass.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by ocman

There’s a more solid and useful map to gauge meanness. Just look at a map of how states voted in the recent presidential election.

Heading towards the far Right and the far Left it becomes equally rude and annoying so I don't think that this would be the best gauge.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by PhillyRising

Philadelphia is not rude.

We just don't have time to sugar coat things.

What we call getting to the point comes off as rude to an outsider.

Being impatient with others for no real reason other than for one's own comfort fits squarely in the definition of rudeness.

"Not having the time" for others is impolite and comes off as being offensive.

I don't necessarily think that people from Philadelphia exhibit this as a common trait, but what you describe is basically the definition of rude.

[Crawford]

Eh, it's more like it's rude to not have situational awareness. People need to know how/when to ask others for their time.

And I agree that Philly isn't particularly rude. It's just that you know a study like this will have Philly at or near the top. Perceived rudeness goes with Philly like cheesesteaks. It's part of the city's cultural fabric.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by photoLith

And yes, when we went there, it was owned by the South American guy, I think he was like a billionaire or at least a millionaire from Chile I believe. However, I just looked up the Packard Plant and apparently its going to get torn down now, which sucks.

He's Peruvian. I know some media sources have described him as a "billionaire" but I don't think anyone has fact checked that. I don't think he's really a billionaire, or even a 9-figure millionaire.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Eh, it's more like it's rude to not have situational awareness. People need to know how/when to ask others for their time.

1000% this.

Add to that, their space. The lack of self awareness that tourists from non-major cities have about the amount of space they consume in the way they move through crowded urban places (walk, drive, stand on the subway, sit at bars or restaurants, etc) drives me absolutely insane.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by Shawn

Holy Christ do I value - a dearly miss - direct, blunt, brief spoken communication.

I'll never forget back in 2001 or 2002...what should have been a very short subway ride from Central Square to Harvard got tense when the train stopped but a group of teenagers standing in the middle of the car wouldn't stop jumping and making tons of noise. You could feel the frustration building...finally some small old lady lays into them and it's all over, in an instant. Problem solved.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Eh, it's more like it's rude to not have situational awareness. People need to know how/when to ask others for their time.

And I agree that Philly isn't particularly rude. It's just that you know a study like this will have Philly at or near the top. Perceived rudeness goes with Philly like cheesesteaks. It's part of the city's cultural fabric.

Nah, Philly is rude as shit. The moment you don't floor it the nanosecond the light turns green, you have half the Delaware Valley honking at you. I absolutely love Philly but it's not getting marks for being a welcoming pleasant place. Now NYC is not as rude as its perceived to be but Philly earns every bit of theirs. The City of Brotherly Shove...

Boston is wicked pissah about their sports.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by JManc

Nah, Philly is rude as shit. The moment you don't floor it the nanosecond the light turns green, you have half the Delaware Valley honking at you.

That's the New York second (aka the NY nanosecond):

"The shortest unit of time in the multiverse is the New York Second, defined as the period of time between the traffic lights turning green and the cab behind you honking."

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/434...tiverse-is-the

[JManc]

Yeah, NY (and Chicago) cabs are in their own world of rudeness. In fact, one time my wife and I were in Chicago, our Uber was annoyed guy in front of him and rear ended him to have him speed up and then kept going. In NYC, our cab died in the Lincoln Tunnel. That was fun. Every single person from Jersey trying to get into the city were descending on us with in filtered rage.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by JManc

Yeah, NY (and Chicago) cabs are in their own world of rudeness. In fact, one time my wife and I were in Chicago, our Uber was annoyed guy in front of him and rear ended him to have him speed up and then kept going. In NYC, our cab died in the Lincoln Tunnel. That was fun. Every single person from Jersey trying to get into the city were descending on us with in filtered rage.

Yeah, I was in a cab accident once too. The cab we were riding in got rear ended by another cab right in front of MSG. The cab we were in was damaged enough that it had to be taken out of service but luckily no one was injured.

[DZH22]

Originally Posted by JManc

Nah, Philly is rude as shit. The moment you don't floor it the nanosecond the light turns green, you have half the Delaware Valley honking at you...

I personally give a 4 count for this, with the horn on 4. I hate beeping but hate missing lights more, and it's the person in front's responsibility to the rest of us to MOVE! But yeah, I have also gotten beeped at in under a second, which makes me want to get out of the car and rip the person's head off.