If there’s one thing that annoys every New Yorker, it’s a tourist. They walk too slowly, they stop on the sidewalk, they crowd Times Square, they often eat terrible food at chain restaurants and they take fliers from people handing them out, simply because they don’t know any better (which is really annoying).
However, Gothamist makes a good point in the fact that tourists do line the pockets of NYC and maybe we should cut them some slack– especially because many people who now consider themselves New Yorkers may once have arrived to the city with big touristy eyes before falling in love with it and deciding to move here, too (like this reporter).
So maybe it’s New Yorkers who need a few etiquette pointers from tourists. Gothamist asked tourists from across the world what they wish they could tell New Yorkers and here are a few of their demands. Do you agree with any of this? Can’t we all just get along?
— Don’t roll your eyes at me when I pronounce “Houston” Street like the city in Texas.
— Don’t say I’m stupid for calling the subways by colors.
— Don’t tell me I’m dumb for eating at the Olive Garden—I love breadsticks!
— Stop talking about how you live in the greatest city in the world. We get it.
— Allow us to ask for directions as we will do the same for you when you come over.
Additionally, tourists offered their general impressions of New Yorkers. Brace yourselves. We have to admit, some of this is pretty accurate:
— My experience with New Yorkers is that they differ from each area. If you’re walking downtown for instance everyone is really in a work mode and not very accessible. The same applies on 5th Avenue. A lot of people walking around with their headsets on just as if they want to say: “not listening and don’t ask me anything.”
Well yeah, you might ask us for directions to Olive Garden.
— People will make any excuse to have a drink with any meal in New York—from happy hours to brunches.
Is there something unusual about this?
— New Yorkers are very exact on how you handle escalators. If you’re standing the entire time you get in the line on the right side of the escalator, leaving a clear open isle on the left side so people can walk up faster.
Everyone knows that! Standing on the “walking side” is almost worse than stopping on the sidewalk to take a picture, ugh!
