Not in my limited experience! I know that it is a fairly common perception that New Yorkers can be brusque, brash and bold, and yes downright rude, but that is just not the case. I found them to be pleasant and helpful overall. One kind woman from a fashionable boutique directed us to another nearby store that sold umbrellas. She did this during a rain shower, and went out of her way to come outside to tell us - we were huddled under a nearby awning. That little incident was typical of our experience. Things moved at a faster pace, but that does not equal rudeness in most cases. Any rudeness we encountered was incidental and no more or no less that we'd observe anywhere.
On a side note, I did observe that subway cars, as crowded as they are, are unusually quiet, even when full. See, I think in the South folks would be chatting, even strangers. But that brings me to another observation. The pervasive use of texting on cell-phones and ear-buds in MP3 players has moved our human communication and interaction into another dimension.
Above photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/gustty/
2 comments:
"The pervasive use of texting on cell-phones and ear-buds in MP3 players has moved our human communication and interaction into another dimension."
LOL ~ so RIGHT you are!! In fact, I find it very entertaining when i'm out to just observe this...
I watched two ladies in Arby's once having lunch "together". The one sat in silence while the other spent the entire time on her phone...for all of us to hear her frivolous conversation.
Yes! What I'm observing lately and particularly on the NY subway, is not much "talking" at all - it's texting! Many people had ear bud/phones on and some people read novels. But there was not much communication going on at all between riders. It just seemed odd. The communication between the people right there next to each other isn't happening, as you observed in your Arby's ladies. The communication is going on with those farther away, via electronic devices.
Post a Comment