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You and others may disagree with him and he can sometimes have an uncompromising style, but I do think hobbesdj got a pretty good handle on things in the time he was here, and he still obviously pays attention to Canadian affairs.
To a degree. I find a lot of his viewpoints very academic and removed.
hobbes has never given me the impression that he's even close to being cold, reserved or standoffish. But, as someone who didn't grow up in Canada but lived there for years, he does offer a more objective perspective.
I think you're missing the point - he generalized 28 million people and concluded they were cold, reserved and standoffish.. I'm not sure how that is objective at all.. Its not surprising that some of those 28 million people in this forum (not all) are going to say - hey wait a minute here... Oh oh nevermind I just caught myself, we're not just cold, standoffish and reserved - we're also incapable of being objective about how we see ourselves as well. Oh oh wait a minute, if we express ourselves we are just being smug and condescending - error, error, error can't compute...
This reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Data doesn't know if he should put his emotion chip in or leave it out....
I rarely disagree with anything you say, A, but I have to here.
When we moved from Hamilton to Metro Detroit years ago, one of the first things we noticed was how rarely one hears honking horns. We were amazed at how nice people were on the roads, comparatively speaking. Yes, in Big, Bad De-troit. There, it's not uncommon for people to wave at you and politely ask if you'll allow them to get in front of you. And living there for years confirmed that, out in the lovely, leafy burbs, at least, the tacit belief is that it's unnecessary and unseemly to honk one's horn in most circumstances.
On the other hand, one of the first things this proud southern Ontario girl noticed when back home was how often one hears honking horns, particularly in the Toronto-Hamilton corridor. Yes, drivers there are very aggressive and impatient, and I say that as someone who's no slouch behind the wheel (I learned how to drive in Montreal, after all ). In fact, one of the main reasons I'm rarely back in Ontario is because I find the general public there to be extremely uptight and - I'm not trying to be provocative when I say this - rude. Honestly.
For the love of gawd, chill out, Ontario. You'll be much happier!
Don't forget - the GTA is one of the most populous, dense and congested parts of N.A easily.. As with most cities like this, people are just going to be d***s behind the wheel of a car.. They are frustrated with long commutes and by the year just so many more people on the roads.. I was driving around another one of the more populous cities in N.A not long ago on the D.C beltways and didn't find drivers all that accomodating or 'friendly' - comes with the territory really.. the GTA isn't Kansas anymore - there is no metro or region in Canada that packs in as many people and drivers in as small an area - so yeah people get frustrated in such environments..
One thing I will say - Detroit bar none has more aggressive drivers than the GTA and its a smaller metro and less dense but many of the drivers there take a no prisoner approach to driving... I've never been so aggressively tailgated and almost seemingly driven off the road - it was a noticeable difference to me than the GTA and I don't drive like a Ninny either.
I think you're missing the point - he generalized 28 million people and concluded they were cold, reserved and standoffish.. I'm not sure how that is objective at all.. Its not surprising that some of those 28 million people in this forum (not all) are going to say - hey wait a minute here... Oh oh nevermind I just caught myself, we're not just cold, standoffish and reserved - we're also incapable of being objective about how we see ourselves as well. Oh oh wait a minute, if we express ourselves we are just being smug and condescending - error, error, error can't compute...
This reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Data doesn't know if he should put his emotion chip in or leave it out....
Quote:
Originally Posted by fusion2
Don't forget - the GTA is one of the most populous, dense and congested parts of N.A easily.. As with most cities like this, people are just going to be d***s behind the wheel of a car.. They are frustrated with long commutes and by the year just so many more people on the roads.. I was driving around another one of the more populous cities in N.A not long ago on the D.C beltways and didn't find drivers all that accomodating or 'friendly' - comes with the territory really.. the GTA isn't Kansas anymore - there is no metro or region in Canada that packs in as many people and drivers in as small an area - so yeah people get frustrated in such environments..
One thing I will say - Detroit bar none has more aggressive drivers than the GTA and its a smaller metro and less dense but many of the drivers there take a no prisoner approach to driving... I've never been so aggressively tailgated and almost seemingly driven off the road - it was a noticeable difference to me than the GTA and I don't drive like a Ninny either.
fusion. dude. chill. seriously.
I can't and won't negate your experience (s) in Detroit. I believe what you say has happened actually has happened. There are aggressive drivers everywhere (heck, even here in the very laid-back South). I could write about some bad experiences I've had with fellow drivers in Ontario, but suffice to say I've had them.
MY experience was that I didn't often hear horns in the Detroit suburbs in the years we lived there and where drove 365 days/year. Honestly. I'm not making that up any more than you're making up your experience.
And I truly do find people - in public - to be very uptight in southern Ontario, driving or not. Perhaps I was the same way when I lived there, idk. It's too bad, because I'd like to come back home to visit more often.
Patience for what? I don't get what's been so offensive on this thread.
Why would you have assumed patience is only required to deal with things deemed offensive?
Why would you also have assumed that was the intent of my stating fusion has more patience than I?
The thread has morphed from a question asked by someone other than a Canadian and offerings of opinions challenging the perception and offerings of people from all over the world to one of people discussing the various character traits of each other posting on this board.
I think of patience being required for this thread in the context akin to that of making a dentist appointment for 1 PM but not getting into the chair until after 2 while having another appointment scheduled for a job interview at 3.
Patience for what? I don't get what's been so offensive on this thread.
"This is a good example of the all too typical nonsense that makes it's way on to the BBC. Canadians aren't particularly nice. Unless if by nice you mean you cold, reserved, and standoffish."
By Hobbesdj
Now I don't find it offensive because it's an absolutely ridiculous statement, and rather childish.
I'm sure my American family and friends would think the same thing if I said
" Americans aren't particularly nice. Unless by nice you mean, fake warmth, loud and in your face ".
Well its true lol.... I don't know why some of us let certain people off with making stupid, generalized and ignorant commentary.
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). In fact, one of the main reasons I'm rarely back in Ontario is because I find the general public there to be extremely uptight and - I'm not trying to be provocative when I say this - rude. Honestly. 
fusion2. Always fighting the good fight.
