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[Betty]

I had a terrible experience the other day with a group of people who were very rude.  It's a pattern that I see a lot these days and many people are following this trend.  I don't know if kids think it's funny to act rude or are they mimicking their parents, but it's very annoying.  I was never brought up calling people names or saying rude remarks to their face.  People have no compassion or respect for others.

[Robin Tetley]

I often feel like people are getting ruder but I don't know if it's because I'm getting older. 

I don't seem to be able to go to the cinema these days without some group of people somewhere talking loudly. And I don't just mean kids I mean adults as well.

When I was 14 however I was probably that rude kid talking in the cinema so perhaps with that it is my age.

What do other people think?

[Coultrane]

I think a large majority of kids are rude!  All I have to do is look at my nieces and nephews.  They are the rudest kids I've ever met.  I'm almost embarrassed to tell everyone the stuff they have done to me and their grandmother, but just to give you an example, one day my nephew who is 13 years old was upset about something.  I think one of his siblings got him upset and at the same time, his grandmother asked him to do something.  In a fit of anger, he told grandma to "shut up!"  Of course Grandma was shocked at his response and corrected him immediately, but he had no remorse for what he said or how offensive it was to an elderly person.  How can someone, especially a 13 year old snap at their grandmother?   

This is just a small sample.  There are many other instances. 

[Robin Tetley]

I think music on mobile phones makes it worse. Many times when I'm on a bus kids at the back will play there music on loudspeaker. I'm often tempted to just play mine too. My wife always stops me. British people are very reserved and will usually natter or complain to each other in whispers or tuts but rarely turn around and politely ask the people playing music (or talking in the cinema) to shut up.

What is that about the British that we don't want to say anything?

[Bob]

Brits tend to be very reserved I think when it comes to complaining.

I don't know why that is.

Anybody have any ideas?

[Gota]

I too would like to know. I suppose it's in our nature but why?

[Coultrane]

It sounds like British people are more polite that us Americans.  Has anyone ever been to the U.S. to visit or live for awhile?  How was your experience and what do you think of us Americans?  And be honest.  I wont be offended. 

[Robin Tetley]

I will be honest and I don't think you'll be offended.

I went to New York with my wife at the end of September. I'd always wanted to visit since I was 13 or 14 and first started seeing movies like Tootsie, Saturday Night Fever and Manhattan and Annie Hall. In many ways it couldn't possibly live up to my high expectations.

But it did and then some. And the reason? The people. The friendliest people on the planet live in New York I'm convinced of this. If we were looking at our map trying to figure where we were going or which Subway line to get on people would approach us and offer to help. Approach us? That's something on the whole I don't think Brits would do. That's just one example of how altogether lovely New Yorkers are.

And funnily enough I was talking with a friend from Chicago who's over here for a year when I got back and she said New Yorkers are probably known for being the rudest Americans.

So if they're the rudest???

[Coultrane]

I am very happy Robin that you had a good experience when you visited New York City.  It's a big place.  Isn't it? 

I am not from New York City, but have visited several times.  My memorable experience was the taxi drivers.  Sometimes when I crossed the street, there were taxi drivers who almost hit me.  At first I thought it was a freak incident, but it happened over and over.  For me, it was a nice place to visit, but I could never live there.  Too many people and too much traffic! 

By the way, how long were you in New York City?

[Robin Tetley]

I'd live there in a heartbeat. Speaking of heartbeats I think New York has one all of it's own. Everything people say about it is true. I gush but then again I really am fully and deeply in love with the place. We can't afford to go next year but hopefully the year after we will again.

We had six days there when we went. One of the things we meant to do but didn't (already on the list for our next visit) was taking a ride in a taxi. I agree that it is indeed very busy and crowded but somehow it seems to work better than London or crowded cities over here. I stood in the middle of Grand Central Station one morning towards the end of rush hour and people just walk around you. I mean there seems to be no sense of frustration at the masses of people because I guess they're used to that. Everywhere if we seemed to be blocking the sidewalk by taking a picture we were never tutted at or made to feel in the way or unwelcome.

The other thing I noticed (among many that I've actually written in a three thousand word review type thing) was that when you say thank you in stores or on transport or anywhere, people say, you're welcome in return. They say you're welcome like they really mean it not like it's just something to say. Cynically I guess they may have it down to a fine art but really, the people, and the City, I LOVE!!!

[Coultrane]

There is a lot to see and do in New York city. The last time I visited NYC was after the attack on the World Trade Center.  I arrived after they cleaned up the mess and saw the long row of pictures of people missing who didn't survive the tragedy. Very sad to see this.

I'm sure this experience has changed a lot of people in NYC.  This may explain why they are a bit more tolerable of people and well mannered.  So this makes be wonder about London.  How would you explain the people that live there?  Would you say they are polite?  Impatient?  Mellow? High strung?

[Robin Tetley]

I wondered about the post 9/11 thing. I saw a few news articles while I was there in Restaurants about tourists not coming to New York after the disaster. Maybe New Yorkers do appreciate visitors more since that happened since such a huge part of New York seems to be it's tourist attraction. I think it's the biggest tourist attraction in the world.

Londoners? I don't know really because I've never lived there. I don't think Brits on the whole are overly polite and kind but that may be a negative stereotype I hold.

My first thought after New Yorkers approaching me and wife to offer assistance was that in London people would walk on by and certainly not volunteer assistance. I said that to a few Londoners I know and they all agreed.

That said when I was in London recently somebody was very helpful to me when I was a bit lost looking for a bus stop.