US unfriendly?

[RoyceConnors]

http://travel.ca.msn.com/the-most-unfriendly-cities-in-the-world

Seems the US topped the list and had more unfriendly places to visit, than anywhere else in the world.

Guess I'm lucky then, I've only been to the friendly places.

 

[lovecraft68]

Don't feel bad these days the US is unfriendly to its own citizens as well so don't take it personally.

 

[driphoney]

How unfriendly?

The U.S. takes more than twice as many refugees as all countries from the rest of the industrialized world combined.


But I do admit, I think rudeness is increasing.

 

[TE999]

Rudeness in the US has increased because assholery in general is now encouraged instead of condemned. All these 'reality' shows starring people their worst are wildly popular because they don't give two fucks in a cat's ass what society thinks of them.

Economic uncertainty, societal breakdown, domestic spying, government meddling, political scandals, 24 hour news with the latest tragedy and violence oriented music and films all combine to instill a general feeling of unease and edginess in our everyday lives creating tension, anxiety and irritability.

Regardless, I'd rather be here in the US than in Egypt, Iran, Russia, Somilia or any number of other global toilets.

 

[sr71plt]

Rudeness in the US has increased because assholery in general is now encouraged instead of condemned. All these 'reality' shows starring people their worst are wildly popular because they don't give two fucks in a cat's ass what society thinks of them.

Well, and there are Internet discussion boards too.

 

[TxRad]

Well, and there are Internet discussion boards too.

But, but, butt.....

In my travels around for work, I've seen just the opposite. People seem more friendly and outgoing but that might be because of the small towns where I stay most of the time. Or it might be my friendly attitude. You get what you give as grandad always said.

 

[sr71plt]

In my travels around for work, I've seen just the opposite.

Because they were on Internet discussion boards?

 

[TxRad]

Because they were on Internet discussion boards?

No, these were actual people out in public. Funny how that works when you are face to face with someone. No place to hide.

 

[oggbashan]

The process of getting into the US as a tourist can be very unpleasant, and it is nearly as bad if entering the UK at a major airport.

My worst experiences have been entering what Yugoslavia then a Communist state, and some visits from Gibraltar to what was then Franco's Spain. At both borders I had several loaded guns pointed at me during the 'interview' with border officials.

I don't think either the US nor the UK are that bad now, but the border experience can deter genuine tourists from a second visit.

Visiting France on a ferry from Dover is now very easy for EU passport holders with a cursory check in Dover and a clear road in France. Going from France into Belgium, or Belgium into the Netherlands, is just a matter of seeing a board at the side of the motorway telling you that you are in a different country.

(Different driving regulations might apply, different speed limits, and very different enforcement. Speeding in France can be very expensive and a major violation could leave you flat broke beside the road with no vehicle, no driving permit and no way of hiring a replacement vehicle.)

 

[3113]

What were their criteria for friendly/unfriendly? And was it the whole city or parts of it?

 

[sr71plt]

The process of getting into the US as a tourist can be very unpleasant, and it is nearly as bad if entering the UK at a major airport.

My worst experiences have been entering what Yugoslavia then a Communist state, and some visits from Gibraltar to what was then Franco's Spain. At both borders I had several loaded guns pointed at me during the 'interview' with border officials.

My worst experiences have been entering Israel--when they had requested my visits, and

Burma, where I needed a bottle of Johnny Walker Red (we were told they'd turn up their nose at Black or Blue) to get into the country and had to be sure to hang onto a bottle to get out of the country.

Bahrain was a little special. The entry visa didn't last until the next flight out of the country. If I hadn't been visiting the U.S. Embassy, I'd probably still be sitting in the Bahrain airport (nice building, though. Big. Deserted.).

Still ticked about a Frankfurt layover when we were just connecting flights and they made us go through passport control and body searches again, while soldiers stood by with machine guns. Of course we were going to London. I'm sure that was highly suspicious.

 

[sr71plt]

The process of getting into the US as a tourist can be very unpleasant,

It can be unpleasant for almost anyone.

"Do you have any goods in your suitcase bought abroad?"

"Umm, yes. All of it."

A stern look.

"I've lived abroad for six years. You're holding my diplomatic passport telling you that. Of course I have foreign-purchased goods in my suitcase."

 

[oggbashan]

Living in or near a tourist hotspot can try the locals' patience.

I visit Canterbury frequently. All year round the city centre is swarming with tourists. If I am shopping and need to walk from one end of the main street to the other, which isn't very far, I am likely to be stopped for directions, or to take a picture of tourists beside a historic building.

All I want to do is buy what I came for and go home. I don't mind helping one or two sets of tourists, but helping one group sometimes means that there is a queue of others by the time I have finished with the first.

On the rare occasions that I show friends around Canterbury I can attract a group of hangers-on who think I'm an official guide. It also happens in other local tourist attractions. I took three London teenagers around Dover Castle as a favour to my eldest daughter, a teacher. By the time we stopped for ice creams I had twenty people following my commentary.

Each group of tourists is usually polite and reasonable but when there are so many it is difficult to remain polite oneself.

It is the same with the University students in Canterbury, which has one of the highest ratios of students to local population anywhere in the UK. It seems that every evening there are several noisy groups celebrating a 21st birthday or an engagement. To each group the event is special. To a local resident the celebrations seem continuous and can be very annoying night after night after night - different groups but the disturbance is the same.

If you are employed to provide services to tourists or students you are paid to be polite and helpful - but you can go home and swear about them. If you are just a local resident, your patience can be strained.

 

[sr71plt]

Living in or near a tourist hotspot can try the locals' patience.

Nods in agreement. Try living in the triangle of three early U.S. president homes (I can see Jefferson's Monticello from my home office window) AND two blocks from the edge of a major university. We have a regular schedule of whole days of staying home and not venturing out on the streets.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

The airports don't help. I pay a little extra to fly through Schipol rather than Miami when I'm going back to visit the folks because going through Miami airport is an utterly miserable experience if you're not US or Canadian.

 

[R. Richard]

Of course the USA has cities that rank low.
The USA doesn't have the friendly throngs of Cairo, Egypt were it seems that they're always celebrating something.
The USA doesn't have the friendly people of the Gaza strip, where they get Israeli Air Force attacks in return for their friendship rockets.
The USA doesn't have the friendly fireworks of Baghdad, where you only have to worry if you're Shia, Sunni, some other religion or no religion.
Of course the USA doesn't have the friendly cities of Syria, where the government and anti government are having armed debates.
Of course, the USA doesn't have the friendly demeanor of Lebanon, where unemployed Palestinians have been living in squalid refugee camps, since 1948.
Myself, I lived in South Central LA for some time. Now that was an unfriendly area. However, a main cause of unfriendliness was Whi' Boy, who had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude. Whi' Boy took my side any number of times and that helped.

 

[sr71plt]

Speaking of Cairo, it thus far has the record of the easiest airport to get through in my experience. We were vacationing in Cairo and as we checked out of the Nile Hilton (no longer that now), the clerk noticed we had miscalculated our flight time and couldn't possibly make it on time. Sent us off in a hotel car and the hotel manager called ahead and the car was waved right through to the airplane on the tarmac, which was waiting to take on our luggage. The plane departed as soon as we got in our seats. Rates as pretty friendly people too, I guess. Of course this was in the early eighties before the German tourists got shot up at the Temple of Karnak.

 

[TE999]

The airports don't help. I pay a little extra to fly through Schipol rather than Miami when I'm going back to visit the folks because going through Miami airport is an utterly miserable experience if you're not US or Canadian.

Miami's bad for anyone, Atlanta's Hartsfield/Jackson Airport is worse, Chicago/O'Hare is even worser, LAX is worser still. The bigger they are, the worse they are; it's five pounds of cow shit in a four pound sack.

 

[rider81]

I live in the States, travel a lot, and there are a lot of very friendly, very helpful people out there. Sure there are jerks, but they are out numbered, by a lot.

 

[glynndah]

It seems to me we're talking airports, not "places".

 

[RoyceConnors]

I think what the article was stating, was the way tourists were treated when they visited these cities. The did a survey of tourists and found the people of these cities to be 'unfriendly' to them. I have no idea what the basis of their complaints was about, whether racially or country oriented.

Tourism is one of the major factors of any city's economy, as well as the country's and I feel this is what the article was alluding to.

 

[oggbashan]

I think what the article was stating, was the way tourists were treated when they visited these cities. The did a survey of tourists and found the people of these cities to be 'unfriendly' to them. I have no idea what the basis of their complaints was about, whether racially or country oriented.

Tourism is one of the major factors of any city's economy, as well as the country's and I feel this is what the article was alluding to.

rider81 probably has the right idea. If you travel expecting to meet helpful friendly people - you will. Your own attitude affects how you will be received.

Paris and Parisians are supposed to be unfriendly and unhelpful. I didn't experience that. Perhaps their attitude is different if you speak and understand French.

 

[Athalia]

Living in or near a tourist hotspot can try the locals' patience.

I am likely to be stopped for directions, or to take a picture of tourists beside a historic building.


If you are employed to provide services to tourists or students you are paid to be polite and helpful - but you can go home and swear about them. If you are just a local resident, your patience can be strained.

It's odd that you mentioned that. When I was living in London in the seventies, I remember reading about one town (possibly Canterbury, but it might have been Hastings or Stratford-upon-Avon or elsewhere) which was grappling with an influx of tourists. Their solution was to train some Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as guides, and have them stand in their uniforms where the tourists congregated. The kids were able to provide a valuable community service, and the tourists were impressed with the town's helpfulness. Problem solved.

I wonder if that program is still in effect or, if it isn't, what led to its discontinuation.

 

[oggbashan]

It's odd that you mentioned that. When I was living in London in the seventies, I remember reading about one town (possibly Canterbury, but it might have been Hastings or Stratford-upon-Avon or elsewhere) which was grappling with an influx of tourists. Their solution was to train some Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as guides, and have them stand in their uniforms where the tourists congregated. The kids were able to provide a valuable community service, and the tourists were impressed with the town's helpfulness. Problem solved.

I wonder if that program is still in effect or, if it isn't, what led to its discontinuation.

Boy Scouts and Girl Guides are younger than they used to be. They are probably too young to do that now.

But Canterbury and Canterbury Cathedral now have official uniformed guides who are adult volunteers.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I don't know how unfriendly airports are for visitors but I've had the occasional jackass give me lip when I was coming home from overseas. Not usually, though. Most customs people are just bored and who wouldn't be?