# The Apocalypse is Nigh -- New York rated as only Courteous US City in Survey **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600 "2006-06-21T18:00:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600/1 "2006-06-21T18:00:06Z")
A **Reader’s Digest** survey of 36 cities in 35 countries: [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap\_travel/20060621/ap\_tr\_ge/travel\_briefs\_polite\_cities](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20060621/ap_tr_ge/travel_briefs_polite_cities) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600/2 "2006-06-21T18:04:23Z")
NYC is full of tourists. How many actual \*residents \* did they actually observe in action? ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600/3 "2006-06-21T18:05:36Z")
Ah, but you’re incorrect–it was rated the **world’s** most polite city. It doesn’t look like New York was up against any other US cities. By US definitions of politness, the US is a very polite country, on the whole. Not surprising that the only US city on the list won. I suppose, by the numbers, that there may have been one other US city on the list, but the article didn’t say. Had a survey of politeness across US cities been conducted, NYC would eat dust, I’m sure. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600/4 "2006-06-21T18:10:56Z")
Yes, I found Toronto much more polite than New York. What? ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600/5 "2006-06-21T18:16:24Z")
I have to wonder if they included any British cities in their survey. Specifically Glasgow and Edinburgh. From what I saw when I was there, it goes way beyond holding doors for people. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600/6 "2006-06-21T18:17:36Z")
Here is the story of Readers Digest. I wanted to see how Paris rated. > [@](#): > > World of Courtesy: Ranking of 35 Cities > Below is a ranking of the most courteous to the least courteous – 35 major cities included in RD’s Global Courtesy Test. Figures reflect the percentage of people who passed in each city. When multiple cities had identical scores, they are listed in alphabetical order. In your Face, Parisians, I always said they were ruder than New Yorkers. 🙂 Toronto was only 3rd **Gorgon Heap**. \*\* New York USA 80% \*\* Zurich Switzerland 77 \*\* Toronto Canada 70 \*\* Berlin Germany 68 São Paulo Brazil 68 Zagreb Croatia 68 Auckland New Zealand 67 Warsaw Poland 67 Mexico City Mexico 65 Stockholm Sweden 63 Budapest Hungary 60 Madrid Spain 60 Prague Czech Republic 60 Vienna Austria 60 Buenos Aires Argentina 57 Johannesburg South Africa 57 Lisbon Portugal 57 London United Kingdom 57 \*\* Paris France 57 \*\* Amsterdam Netherlands 52 Helsinki Finland 48 Manila Philippines 48 Milan Italy 47 Sydney Australia 47 Bangkok Thailand 45 Hong Kong 45 Ljubljana Slovenia 45 Jakarta Indonesia 43 Taipei Taiwan 43 Moscow Russia 42 Singapore 42 Seoul South Korea 40 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 37 Bucharest Romania 35 Mumbai India 32 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-apocalypse-is-nigh-new-york-rated-as-only-courteous-us-city-in-survey/361600/7 "2006-06-21T18:19:24Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#): > > I have to wonder if they included any British cities in their survey. Specifically Glasgow and Edinburgh. From what I saw when I was there, it goes way beyond holding doors for people. I found Edinburgh and Vancouver to be very polite cities. I have never been to Toronto yet. Glasgow reminded me of Milwaukee and I found neither more polite than NYC. Jim