Are the people "Down South" really FAKE-FRIENDLY? (high school, taxi driver)
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I am a North Carolina native who still lives in North Carolina friendliness to me is giving of your heart not just a smile or wave.
I still will reach to hold a door open if I notice a lady going go in or out of one.
I will hold the elevator if I notice you are trying to catch it.
I drive slow through shopping center parking lots in case someone is trying to cross the lot in front of me and will let them cross.
If I am on a two lane road and traffic is moving slow for me and I notice you are sitting wait for the traffic to clear so you can cross it in a car I will stop and motion you that I see you and you can cross in front of me.
I always try to make something from scratch and bring it to local cover dish dinners.
If you need help hanging something up I will offer to help on other projects.
I wave to cars as I pass them on a two lane road.
As long as your not complaining I will listen to what you have to say eagerly.
If I am at the grocery store and see you only have a few items and I have a buggy worth I will let you get in front of me.
I will volunteer my time and my heart as long as I don't feel like I am being taken advantage.
God created us to help one and another and I hope everyone would do their part to make this a more harmonious world
Me too except I don't usually wave at cars I tend to just watch the road so I don't rear-end the person in front of me I do wave at people that are walking or sometimes driving past my house while I am sitting on my porch and say hello to everyone I pass while at the park
My wife could be used as an example for that...she's a 'Philly city girl' and when we were visiting in NC she actually got weirded out by the friendly clerks at the store and even commented on how too slow everyone was.
I had to explain to her that's how it was there and she should relax. I'd actually prefer that than being all rushed like I usually am back up here.
Good story. Back in my old "produce manager" days, there was a regular customer originally from up North who retired down here (Texas). Anyway, he would often tell stories about how taken aback he was when he first encountered that casual friendliness from strangers. Where he came from, he explained, when a stranger spoke to you, it meant one of two things: Being mistaken for someone else, or...armed robbery! LOL
What was kinda funny though is how, once he got used to it, HE became like the proverbial new convert! Outdoing even the natives in making small talk in lines and etc.
Me too except I don't usually wave at cars I tend to just watch the road so I don't rear-end the person in front of me I do wave at people that are walking or sometimes driving past my house while I am sitting on my porch and say hello to everyone I pass while at the park
They sort of do a warped version of that in the old neighborhoods here in Philly,'cept the people they're waving at they just saw like an hour ago
Good story. Back in my old "produce manager" days, there was a regular customer originally from up North who retired down here (Texas). Anyway, he would often tell stories about how taken aback he was when he first encountered that casual friendliness from strangers. Where he came from, he explained, when a stranger spoke to you, it meant one of two things: Being mistaken for someone else, or...armed robbery!
Sad but true. Like the line from the movie Continental Divide...(walking through Chicago)"don't look anyone in the eye,it's a sign of weakness and you could be killed!"
You are right. The single biggest "mistake" (and often un-intentional) that northerners make when moving to the South (whether it be Texas or Mississippi or North Carolina or wherever ) is to not understand the high priority that Southerners place on "good manners". That phrase embraces interactions with strangers...including the clerk in the local food mart. Or others standing in line.
Also, what might be considered "admirable frankness" up there is often (with much justification) considered "tacky rudeness" down here. The best analogy I can think of is going into someones else's home and start telling them how the wallpaper or decor really sucks.
In the South, our states and region are, in fact, considered just that. Home. Sometimes non-Southerners just really don't understand that...
Hi Ya'll!! I simply luv all the smilies' ya'll put in ya'll's postings.
Super-Cute!!!!
Again - let's respect North / South cultural differences. We are all Americans.
I respect your manners - but please study, learn, and respect other Americans' different ideas of manners as well.
No "Ma'am" or "Sir" with Northerners. Please!!!!!!
I do run in situations where my manners are not welcome for instance I was at cover dish dinner with a mix of southerners and transplants.
A lady ask me a question on something regarding the food and I said No ma'am and she got offended. She says "Im not much older than you." When I said no ma'am I did not even had to chance to look at her just answering in respectful jesture.
I simply replied Im sorry for my southern respect.
I never would have thought that saying Yes Sir and No Ma'am was a regional thing.
Maybe people from other regions do have manners or did not grow up reading Emily Post
Or Stand Up, Shake Hands, Say "How Do You Do"
I might respect it up there but I'm not going to when they come down here.
Ditto and A-men on that, GP.
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I tend to just watch the road so I don't rear-end the person in front of me 
I do wave at people that are walking or sometimes driving past my house while I am sitting on my porch and say hello to everyone I pass while at the park 
