Rudeness in Miami?! (live, price, vs)

[unclealbertt]

Miami rid itself of the American Smile. Europeans make fun of us Americans for our insincere smiles in public.

[Overtown_Miami 17]

Originally Posted by Travelassie

I've always associated this lack of let's say, "acknowledgement" between strangers as characteristic of a large city, and Miami fits that description. There are also a lot of transient folks there, contributing to the total picture as a city of strangers. Among the people that live in Miami, there is also a wide variety of differing ethnicities and countries of origin as well, so perhaps that contributes to a sense of alienation in a person who's not well represented among these groups. I lived in Miami for almost 35 years, and noted that often people were more friendly towards their own compatriots, and many of them held hostile opinions towards others not from their own countries- Cubans vs. Columbians ( unless that was just the opinion of the Cubans who explained all this to me).

Quite often when I lived in Miami I smiled and said good morning to other folks I shared public space with, ie passing on the streets, sharing elevators, ladies rooms, checkout lines in stores, etc and most of the time I got a smile and greeting in return. Sometimes I got a stare in return and felt a little foolish, but I figured that was the person's issue not mine. And in looking back I can also recall awesome acts of kindness among perfect strangers in Miami, or even just little acts of courtesy ( such as holding doors) among the populace there as well. And I must say I met some plain awesome people whom I considered it a privilege to be associated with among all those ethnicities in the years I spent in Miami.

What I see these days and don't remember so much from the past, is our tendency, no matter where we are, to judge strangers and hold them in contempt even though we know little or nothing about them. Perhaps that's the influence of the internet, where we can cater to our baser competitive instincts, if we're inclined, and get away with it because of the anonymity associated with the internet. Perhaps that bleeds into real life and makes us ruder than we would otherwise be.

Just speculating here, but them's my musings.

Thnx and this is what om saying, we're not rude we just mind our own business. That doesn't mean we don't help others or aren't kind hearted.

[TraderNYC]

If you smile at me in public, I tend to think: #1 you are gay #2 you are crazy #3 you want money.

[InternetWhiteKnight]

You know, the thing I find most consistanly annoying isn't the "Hello", thing. It's when you hold doors for people here. I don't know if it's a Latin thing, but I can't tell you how many times I've been the polite North Easterner I am, held a door and had old Latin folks, (though usually older broads, more than men) not say, "Thank you.", as if I'm a ****ing door man.

I've learned what areas of town to be polite and do things like that in, and which to not bother, though.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by InternetWhiteKnight

You know, the thing I find most consistanly annoying isn't the "Hello", thing. It's when you hold doors for people here. I don't know if it's a Latin thing, but I can't tell you how many times I've been the polite North Easterner I am, held a door and had old Latin folks, (though usually older broads, more than men) not say, "Thank you.", as if I'm a ****ing door man.

I've learned what areas of town to be polite and do things like that in, and which to not bother, though.

That's always been a pet peeve of mine too. Holding a door for someone who doesn't even acknowledge your existence, let alone thank you for doing so....

For someone who thinks a smile from me means I'm gay, a pervert or want money just doesn't have a clue regarding human decency. And I really don't care what the Europeans think.

[InternetWhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by miami_zed

It's not being rude. It's being honest and to the point. Who needs formalities? Why do you need to ask how you're doing if you really don't care about how I am or if I don't care how you feel?

I'm one of those people who hates greetings.

With my friends from Miami who were born and raised here we just start talking about whatever. Hell, even with strangers in public places it's easier on us all and less awkward if we just start talking instead of a greeting. It's easier just to start talking about a previous event or something we have in common. Sports, tv, games, whatever.

I love the Miami attitude. I love that people aren't lame and corny unless they are paid to do so (such as in a job). I love that I can go out and have a different personality every day of the week if I wanted to because Miami is so big that no one is going to remember, care, or spread rumors about you. The anonymity is great.

I'm with you on the small-talkiness being unnecessary, but I wholeheartedly disagree on Miami being big enough for anonymity. The theory of 6 degrees of separation is whittled down to 2 or 3 degrees here. I'll put it to you this way: It's not easy finding a girl who one of your friends, friend's friends, or friends friends' friends hasn't hooked up with. This town is a rumor mill. It's like a big middle school in a lot of ways.

To me, it's a small city that covers a lot of area. Read: sprawl.

I will say, though, that the whole Latin "kiss on the cheek", fake-excited to see you thing can be horribly trite when you know that neither party really cares. Though that basically involves situations involving women. I guess where guys are concerned, we can just do the passive aggressive, alpha battle thing and keep it real.

[WINTERFRONT]

Originally Posted by travelassie

for someone who thinks a smile from me means i'm gay, a pervert or want money just doesn't have a clue regarding human decency. And i really don't care what the europeans think.

+1

[robertobaggio]

To us Europeans rudeness is measured in other ways including wearing a hat at restaurants, something extremely common in places like Texas which here is considered not rude like Miami.

Holding doors makes it extremely inconvenient when all I want is to take my time to get to the door (and therefore I feel forced to hurry up) or get out of the elevator without the person in the way holding the door.

[WINTERFRONT]

Originally Posted by robertobaggio

Holding doors makes it extremely inconvenient when all I want is to take my time to get to the door (and therefore I feel forced to hurry up) or get out of the elevator without the person in the way holding the door.

LOL, I know the feeling. It's the same when people stop all traffic just for you to cross the street forcing you to make that awkward walk hahahah

[Coralsex]

I could care less if a stranger says hi to me and I usually don't have pleasantry type of interactions with strangers I encounter just walking around. It is in my nature to be somewhat polite though so if for instance I am walking into a building and someone a few feet behind me is walking in after me, I tend to hold the door open for them. It really rubs me the wrong way when someone (usually a male) walks in without saying thank you. As if him acknowledging another man being polite to him is emasculating or something haha. I held the door for this guy walking into my building once who was carrying a bunch of stuff and he said not a word or nodded his head or anything. I saw him walking in a few days later carrying a bunch of stuff again and held the door till I realized it was him, then just walked away and let it close before he got there. I'm not gonna lie... that felt good