15 replies to this topic

[SkiFreak]

MSN has this slideshow of the 10 rudest cities in the world:
http://travel.ca.msn...mentid=25292280

The majority of the cities that made the list either; have hosted the Olympics, will be hosting the Olympics, and/or bid for the Olympics. London and Rio made the list.

[baron-pierreIV]

/\ That's about accurate. So long as Hong Kong is on there, then it's accurate. I hate that city with a passion!!

The thing is..big bustling major financial capitals are ALWAYS in a rush. Time is money and most people in said cities really can't afford too much time on niceties.

I was on the phone with a friend an hour or so ago. And she TAKES forever to jabber on about this and that...to the point that I have to cut her short and move on and conclude the conversation. She doesn't seem to realize that I don't have all the time in the world to chat idly.

[Sir Rols]

baron-pierreIV, on 01 September 2010 - 07:10 PM, said:

The thing is..big bustling major financial capitals are ALWAYS in a rush. Time is money and most people in said cities really can't afford too much time on niceties.

Exactly. There's a good reason why I've always found London and New York to be about the rudest cities I've travelled through.

Conversely, though, I've alweays found Japan, and especially Tokyo, to always be extremely polite. Or at least restrained by such a tradition of faultless public etiquette.

[baron-pierreIV]

Sir Rols, on 01 September 2010 - 07:18 PM, said:

Conversely, though, I've alweays found Japan, and especially Tokyo, to always be extremely polite. Or at least restrained by such a tradition of faultless public etiquette.

Well, there's always an exception to every rule...and which is why I'm NOT too crazy about the Japanese. Their ultra-politeness just kills me. Not to mention, since I do get kinda boisterous...I always have to self-reflect: am I being impolite in a Japerson's eyes?

I can deal better with "Uh-huh. Yes, OK. Get outta here.." than endless kowtowing and fake smiles.

[FYI]

Okay, maybe I'm being stereotypical, especially since you guys just talked about Tokyo. But Y is Seoul on that list. Another perplexing one on there is Toronto, but yet no Montreal nor Chicago. And what L.A.?? Rio de Janiero & Mumbai but no L.A.! C'mon now.

[Sir Rols]

FYI, on 01 September 2010 - 08:03 PM, said:

Okay, maybe I'm being stereotypical, especially since you guys just talked about Tokyo. But Y is Seoul on that list. Another perplexing one on there is Toronto, but yet no Montreal nor Chicago. And what L.A.?? Rio de Janiero & Mumbai but no L.A.! C'mon now.

I've been to Seoul a few times. I didn't find the citizens especially or particularly rude, but they do seem at least a bit, make that a lot, less reserved and mannered than the Japanese. I remember them saying to me that they like to consider themselves the "Irish" of Asia (well, they sure almost drink like the Irish!).

[Mainad]

There are only three cities on the list that I've ever visited,ie.London,Paris and New York.(What a sheltered life I've led!).Of these three,the only one where I can say I ever encountered any personal rudeness was Paris and that was many years ago!

As Baron says,Alpha cities like the ones mentioned above are usually frenetic and perhaps a tad peremptory in the manners dept but not usually deliberately rude (at least in my limited experience).More seasoned travellers than moi obviously have more experiences to draw upon!

[Stu]

Many would probably agree with the list of cities, but I'm not sure about some of the reasons given. Perhaps it's a translation problem between British-English and American-English - snobbishness in Milan or Paris isn't particularly nice behaviour ... but can it be described as 'rude' behaviour?

Londoners are accused of not showing their true emotions, of being insincere (which probably is true), however, this isn't rude - if anything it's the reverse.

Not saying 'please' or 'thank you' is rude (New York!), spitting in public is rude (Hong Kong!), pushing to the front of a queue is rude (Milan!), not acknowledging someone's presence is rude (London! Paris!)

[4seasonscentre]

WTF is the criteria that the author used?

[faster]

Little known secret. There are 4.5 million people in Canada that love Toronto and 30 million that hate it. Go figure. Jealousy.