I am in New York City this summer, and there is just something that I have been dying to talk about. My whole life people have always told me how New Yorkers are so famously rude. That is a huge load of sh*t though. After living in the city for two weeks, I can confidently state that New York is mostly full of nice people.

Yes, I do admit that there are some rude people in NYC. However, there are rude people everywhere. I live in the South and people are rude all the time. The last time I checked openly staring at someone was rude. Is that not a thing anymore? I get stared at all the time while running my errands. I know my chinos are fitted, but please stop checking out how nice of an ass I have. I digress.

I guess at some point, many decades ago, someone visited the Big Apple. They probably got lost and stopped right in the middle of the sidewalk. Because New Yorkers are always on a mission and walk faster than any other group of people, that New Yorker ran into said person. The Manhattanite most likely rushed past while huffing and puffing. And just imagine if the speedster was carrying Starbucks (they had Starbucks back then, right?) and spilled it because of the lost tourist. How tragic that would have been for the New Yorker!

I myself would have been very upset, as I am not a morning person. And in an ideal world, the New Yorker should have given the tourist a hand, literally. However, that tourist should not have just stopped in the middle of a busy sidewalk, and all sidewalks in NYC are busy. They should have been considerate to the hundreds of people walking behind them. That tourist, or two, or three, or four, could have easily stepped to the side and figured out their bearings. That tourist could have easily mapped out his journey for a more fluid walk.

Anyway, that tourist probably went home with the saltiest of tastes in their mouth. He most likely told everyone he knew that New York was wonderful but the people were A-holes. Even though he was technically in the wrong. I think we can all agree that following a car that is from out of town is the worst. They drive slow and actually obey the speed limit. They put on their blinker, and then take it off just to put it back on minutes later to actually make a turn.

New Yorkers experience this every day. These people live in the heart of the one of the most visited cities in the world. They are constantly dealing with lost businessmen, annoying tourists and star-struck hopefuls from all over the world that stop on that same sidewalk, decades later. They are dealing with people who come to their city and waste their time. They deal with this every single day, and it gets old real quick.

So the next time you are in the Big Apple, be considerate to those around you. Step all the way on the subway train. Step to the side if you are lost, or better yet, step aside and ask someone for directions. Most of the time they are more willing to assist you. Remember, that at some point, these folks were just like you. Strangers in a world called New York City.