Good ol' Long Island... (price, things to do, friendly)

[wardlwag]

Originally Posted by GCGuy

Good call. That's a pretty good thought. We tip for exceptional service. My wife worked at a hall when she was younger and loved getting tipped.

Well, everywhere outside of the NY metro doesn't really know how to throw a party. Even in Philly, we went to a wedding...fairly pathetic. Maybe we're over the top here, but what the hell. People have a good time.

Maybe this is why we are all broke...great parties, great gifts...but broke

[KM04]

Of course making a generalization that long islanders are rude is completely ignorant, but I do think it's funny how the OP referred to the reception hall as a "catering factory" I can't tell you how many times I've walked into the wrong wedding because there were 3 weddings going on in one catering hall at the same time.

[GCGuy]

Originally Posted by wardlwag

Maybe this is why we are all broke...great parties, great gifts...but broke

Maybe that's why some people are broke. Other spend what they can afford and if they happen to make a bit more money than some, than so be it. Once again, generalizations about people from LI or anywhere make people look foolish.

[4StanleyCups]

Originally Posted by lynn995

You can't judge an entire island on the basis of one catering hall worker who was buttering you up for a tip.

LOL, good point!!

One of the best ways to score points with someone from out of your area is to imply that they're "better than" the natives in some way.

[Dedalus]

No, it's not fair to make a generalization. But, there is a type thats swarmed all over this island. There's tons of them in the SF Bay area, too.

Their form of rudeness is passive. Typical behavior: standing in the middle of the aisle of the supermarket, blabbing on the phone, apparently indifferent to the fact that they are in everybody's way.

The way I deal with this: I say, in a normal, polite tone of voice, "excuse me."
I know they can hear me. If they remain in the way, then, I give them a little physical shove, and say something like: YO! STUPID! MOVE!

They hear that, alright. It's a shame, but it seems to be the only language they understand.

[newtoli]

I was raised in Westchester and have lived in NJ and now live on LI.

I always say thank you, hold doors for people, etc. So do 95% of the people I encounter.

In fact, when I travel for work, I encounter FAR worse manners in the South.

[GCGuy]

Originally Posted by newtoli

I was raised in Westchester and have lived in NJ and now live on LI.

I always say thank you, hold doors for people, etc. So do 95% of the people I encounter.

In fact, when I travel for work, I encounter FAR worse manners in the South.

Please...and the west coast is just as bad.

[jfkIII]

Well, to provide a better picture of manners (and I know that the ALL of the posters here have good ones! ), I paint you this picture: When I first moved off LI, I was taken aback when complete strangers who I encountered in passing would nod their heads and acknowledge my presence in some way (some just nodded, others added good morning, hello, etc.) My first reaction (having just moved off LI) was 'what the heck are they saying hello to me for??? ...they don't know me!'. At first, it was difficult for me (an ex-LI'er) to get to the point where I'd acknowledge them back...and then to the point where I would actually acknowledge first! But, after I did...it felt kind of good, inside, to do so.

After getting past this (about 3 months time), it became very infectious, in a good way. So much so, that when I went down to LI after that, I forgot that they "generally" don't do that there. However, I was reminded quickly (and often) as I would sometimes slip up, and say 'hello' to a stranger, and get that look like I had 5 heads...probably the same look that I gave when it happened to me back in 1992!

Say hello to random stranger the next time you walk past them in the supermarket or out shopping...you'll see what I mean...good OR bad.

[GCGuy]

People nod to me, say hello on line, say something nice in passing while holding a door. Now, with my little girl, people stop and talk to her and me all the time. Not sure what your point is.

[jfkIII]

I didn't expect that you would.