How friendly are people in arizona? (Phoenix, Scottsdale: how much, home, live)

[Zippyman]

Get off my lawn!

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Some are very nice, some are jerks. Just like anywhere else. You won't mistake it for the South's overt friendliness, but people seem less standoffish than they do in much of CA, for example. Phoenix is a melting pot of people from all over the country, so you get a little bit of everything.

This is so true in the modern context. I recently moved back to Arizona from Florida. Scottsdale is very mellow and laid-back for the most part. It's always possible to have some type of problem at work or with neighbors or with drivers depending on the individuals involved in the situation. But it's generally a quite part of town - modern Scottsdale of 2017.

By contrast, I grew up in rural AZ. Back in the 70s and 80s there was bad racial tension. I was born on an Indian Reservation but went to HS in a "border" town. The HS was about 1/3 white, 1/3 Mexican, and 1/3 Native American. There were no blacks. There was a huge amount of racial tension in the school football games or basketball games or wrestling. Views of white supremacy were common. But anti-white resentment was also common from the minority side. Needless to say, there was usually a flare-up in the school. Fights between teens in the midst of racial tension were very common. It was like a scene out of the 1970s film "Billy Jack" about the half-white Native American green beret. Some of the scenes involving racism in that movie were unfortunately very realistic. As late as 2002 Show Low, AZ had incidents like that when a fire went off the reservation. One racist white man drove up to my middle-aged aunt in a car and kept yelling "F--ing Indian". There were many racist incidents in Show Low against anyone who looked remotely Indian. Ironically, my aunt had not even been in the area when the fire started, and her nephew was a fire fighter who helped save some homes in Show Low. Her Uncle was a Native American US Marine at Iwo Jima with the 5th Marine Division. But that racist white man kept yelling that slur at her. It reminded me of that scene from "Billy Jack".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFk5QkH36P0

Then there were also the games against schools that actually had black athletes. Most of rural AZ was either white or Mexican with some areas having Native Americans. But there were generally few black students except for schools near Casa Grande and Eloy. The games against those schools were really bad with racial tension. The whites and Mexicans would use a huge amount of racial slurs on the bus and in the games. The "N" word was very, very prevalent. Ironically, I have since learned that many Mexicans are part West African or North African due to the history of Spain and colonization of the Americas. But there they were using the "N" word. Go figure. In modern times, I wonder how those racist guys feel about the growing prevalence of black/white dating on many modern college campuses. They would probably have a nervous breakdown in the FSU gym if they saw what I saw - many interracial couples. For example, RGIII has a blonde white girlfriend from FSU. I don't think those racist white and Mexican guys from my old football team could psychologically handle that - (LOL). Selena Gomez has an Ethiopian boyfriend. I wonder how those Mexican guys from my old team feel about that? Maybe they are not racist anymore, but I doubt it.
http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1...ep-into-mexico

But in modern times, Phoenix is great. I am happy to be home.

[cactusland]

Maybe not as cheerful as some of the deep south. But really casually friendly. Long line? No doubt people will strike up a conversation about how crap the situation is, trade stories, everyone is a transplant, everyone has a story. People might not be grinning from ear to ear, but everyone has good intentions. There are always a few bad ones mixed in, but compared to some other places in the USA I've been, here, when people say "Good morning" it literally means that.

Someone once told me there is a saying that "In NY 'f*ck you' means 'hello', and in CA 'hello' means 'f*ck you.'"
I have found this saying to be true. However in AZ, hello just means hello.

[stevek64]

On some level, yes, friendly/not so friendly people everywhere including Phoenix and AZ of course, but there are certain levels of "niceness" that I've noticed in different parts of the nation that are more prevalent/consistent in my experience of spending lots of time traveling, spending time with friends and family in other parts of the nation/living in other parts of the nation.

- The northeast/mid-atlantic states, overall, the least friendly/most hyper overall by far in my experience.

- The southwest/west in general which of course includes Phoenix/AZ, southern states, and mid-west overall, is the most friendly. Some of the bigger cities in the mid-west are a bit hyper/not as friendly though. Many parts of CA are very friendly also. FL I wouldn't call a southern state anymore as it's been overrun by the northeast/mid-Atlantic transplants and with the same personality in tow.

So given Phoenix is made up of natives and transplants mostly from the west and mid-west, it makes sense we will be more friendly/less hyper than several of the cities the OP brings up in the northeast/mid-atlantic states based on my experience.

Plus the "X" factor.....even in the more friendly places in the US, people often will be as friendly to you as you are to them. Not always as there are always rude clowns who have a bug up their %(& regardless of how nice you are to them but such is life.

[KurtAZ]

Well you can always put a "I Love NY" sticker on your car...we'll make you feel at home with a 1 finger salute.

[BIG CATS]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Well you can always put a "I Love NY" sticker on your car...we'll make you feel at home with a 1 finger salute.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by Bygeorge

People here can carry a gun without license/permit. You have to be friendly or else.

"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." -- Robert A. Heinlein

[Dangerous Dave]

Minnesota is friendlier than Arizona? Hmmm. Maybe it's because I lived up north and not down by the Cities. Northern Minnesotans are very cold and rude. Maybe it's because the climate is cold and rude. Dunno.




Anyhow, I'd say that Arizonans are very friendly with the exception of Tucson. I don't know what it is there, but folks aren't as friendly as they are in the rest of the state, IMHO.

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

Get off my lawn!

Get off my xeriscape!

[Renegade007]

People in Phoenix are not that "get outta my way", in your face rude like they are in NYC.
(Or maybe that's just a stereotype. Must have watched too many Joe Pesci movies.)