zlacker

>>helsin+(OP)
I have spent < an year in US (mostly in California) and found the America behaviour to be very polite in speech but indifferent/mean in actions. The passive aggressive behavior seemed quite common.

As an outsider sometimes you are not aware of cultural norms, but I always felt the margin for error for what Americans considered "acceptable" was too narrow. There was no benefit of doubt, and sometimes an explicit dislike for someone who did not immediately fit in.

>>jatins+a3
I'm divided on this. I've found Californians, especially those of the tech type you'd find here in HN, and I've found many to be of exactly that nature. On the other hand, I've been to NY and the Midwest, and they've been extremely polite, in speech and action. It was funny how a policeman in Kenosha is very polite to a non-white me, or how most New Yorkers were extremely helpful, often giving me extras or guiding me throughout the city or what not, in spite of the bad reputations both have seemingly earned online.

The truth is that countries, or even cities, are not monolithic entities. It's entirely possible for each place to have two characters. In the same NYC that was largely kind to me, I was also stalked at by some lowlife with presumably evil intentions.

>>fakeda+D4
NYC is not known for polite communication. In fact, they have a reputation for being loud and direct, which often comes across as rude to outsiders. Of course it is not everyone, but it is one of the stereotypes.

>>giantg+l5
NYC may in fact be polite, from their perspective.

In NYC, there's always too much going on. The critical thing people lack is time. So they interact in ways that don't waste time. That may be being polite... in context.

>>Animal+ai1
Yep. If you're a tourist standing, blocking the subway door like an idiot and not paying attention, you can expect a loud "get the FUCK out of the way!" from a New Yorker and probably a shove. It's definitely going to feel shockingly rude, but the reality is that you're preventing a dozen or so people from getting on or off during the limited time the train is stopped, interfering with people who just want to get to work or get home. Ie, you're the one being rude and selfish and the New Yorker is just correcting you as quickly and effectively as they can.

(source: lived in NYC for 15 years)