Americans are really friendly people. Period.
I found it very interesting that everyone says “Thank you! Have a nice day!” to the bus driver. It doesn’t cost you a penny and it’s a very nice thing to do. I’ve always complimented everyone I can but I must admit this is not the typical behavior in Portugal and in Europe in general. Most of the people simply ignore the driver.
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it’s true! they say hi! when you enter the coffeeshops, they smile a lot, they’ll greet you when you cross them in your morning jog. they’re (mostly) really friendly.
europeans usually dismiss the attitude by saying that they’re only trying to get a tip. well, i’d much rather give a tip to someone that makes me smile than than the other way around.
ps - sorry for the comment overload today. :)
Don’t know about americans but I have to agree partially with you regarding europeans.
but
the city I live in, people are nice too. Greeting the driver (and the driver greeting who enters) or simply saying “thank you” when one leaves the bus/tram is very normal. At the doctor’s office, everybody enters and says good morning/afternoon and leaves with an aufwiedersehen
when you enter in any small shop/restaurant/coffee (even at starbucks alike) ,you greet and if you leave without saying a “Tchüß”, be sure to have a choir saying that to you, sort of reminding you the good manners.
at the street is very normal to have a “Hallo” from someone you don’t even know; when there’s no bike lane on the sidewalk and there is a bike, you’ll *always* hear a “Danke” for letting them pass by, and even if there is a bike lane and you (pedestrian) are using it, you’ll hear the ring-ring for sure but with a “Danke” as well.
and a lot of other examples of civilization…
and then we came to Portugal on vacation… and the amount of rudeness per square inch is unbelievable… you enter a “papelaria”, say good morning and the seller not only does not answer back but also continues to read her magazine without even making eye contact with whom who enters … and even when you go to pay the magazines and say again Good morning, I got to repeated twice before having an answer back and even so it was like she was making me a favor..
at the supermarket people (continue) to run over you like it’s the end of the world… I was overpassed at a line by a “lady” with all the nerve of the world , just because I was “nice” to help the person in from of me with her trolley. People complaining continuously just because there are less Kasse open (hey it’s august in Portugal, what do they expect), and so forth and so forth … unbelievable …
and there is no excuse for rudeness … it’s not because it’s a large city, D’dorf is even larger …. is really because majority of people here (PT) are really rude and impolite and without any manners… they chose to live in a large community but continue to think they are the only ones that matter. Good thing for food though :D
Yeap. When I was at NY that was one of the things I’ve noted and write about. It’s incredible. When I came back to Portugal after two days shopping around I was on a Timberland just comparing prices and I was so badly received that I call’d a friend that stayed in NY and said: Men, just buy whatever you have to buy in there so that you never ever have to shop again in here…
I totally agree with you, Mario. I’ve seen it in groceries’ shops, in book shops, in coffee shops… all over.
It’s one of the things Europeans should learn to do.
Ligia,
I have mixed feelings about Germany, at least Berlin. When I got there I was insulted by a taxi driver when I asked for indications. Apparently “I and other American/English were invading his country and wanted him to speak English”. Fortunately there as a very nice guy hanging around that noticed his tone and came to help translating.
But Germany is quite a large county and people’s reactions depends on the state you’re living in. Big cities like Berlin are probably more prone to this kind of rude behavior.
It all depends where you are.
I’m currently at Cambridge and i also see a lot of people saying “thank you” and “goodbye” to the driver (including myself ;o)).
But that might be simply because, where i’m currently staying, the buses just have one front door and that makes everybody pass through the bus driver on the way out.
I also noticed how friendly the clerks were when i was in the US but that seems to me like pure marketing :o)
Best,
Luís
LMS,
It’s not pure marketing, it’s how it is. You’re not friendly to customers, you’re fired. End of discussion.
Here in Portugal if someone wanted to fire the guy for not being friendly he’d still have to reimburse him for two months for each year he worked there. Disastrous legacies from the 25th of April…
Berlin and eastern german cities are “another world”. But again, it’s not the “big city” factor, D’dorf is the capital of NRW, it’s not a city as big as Berlin for sure but it’s still a big city compared to Lisbon (217 km2 vs 87km2); but, as the name says, one feels like living on a village here. I was never insulted in Germany but I know who has been. It all turns to how you integrate yourself (and learn to respect) your new country. and with Germany the “speaking English” part is very disrespectful to older people ;) they do have pride in their language
Lígia,
The Dutch are proud that everyone talks English besides Dutch!
Being “proud” about their language is nationalism. Europe should be as one.