New Yorkers Aren’t Mean, Tourists Are Aloof
When I was younger I always thought New York was a big bad city filled with impatient residents incapable of showing compassion. Ever since I started working there, I have come to realize this perception is completely false. New Yorkers are not the problem, the tourists are. These are the things tourists do wrong.
They walk at a slow pace
Tourists have a stroll that closely resembles a car driving with four flat tires. Their feet move at the antithesis of brisk as their eyes gaze up at the buildings nearby, as if they come from a town of flat buildings. The worst is when a tourist decides to randomly stop in the middle of the sidewalk, either to snap a picture or because they realize they have gone the wrong way. No matter what the pace is, this is a guaranteed way to have another pedestrian slam into you. When you feel you need to go in another direction, pull over like you are in a car then make a U-Turn. It’s the only thing that makes sense, something tourists seem to completely lack.
They think this city is theirs
More on walking, the tourist moves in a formation that says they run the place. Families do not walk single-file or in a way where others can pass by them. The tourist tends to walk spread out and taking up as much space as possible. Their assumption seems to be that they are a guest in this city and they can step wherever necessary. In such a crowded city like New York, it’s important to take up the least amount of space that you can. Why else would New York City resident Amanda Bynes be so obsessed with losing weight?
They are completely unaware of their surroundings
New York City is an immensely easy city to navigate as long as you have blood flowing to your brain. The grid system makes getting lost virtually impossible. Still, you will see a tourist whip out a map and wonder which direction a street is. Even in the daylight hours, when a person can easily find the sun and be able to tell which direction is north based on the sun’s location (a lost art), they stand there aloof looking around like they are in the middle of a dizzy bat race. Know where you are and what you are doing. The number one reason why bad things happen to people is because they have no idea what is going on around them.
They do not realize some people have important things to do
Worst of all is the tourist assumes everyone else around them wants to see the street performer crowding up the sidewalk. These tourists think everyone else is visiting from a faraway land too. Believe it or not, some people are actually trying to get somewhere on time, like a job. New Yorkers move at a fast pace because there are a lot of tourists moving slowly and they know getting stuck behind one clan from the Midwest can delay them an infinite amount of time. Pick up the pace or visit somewhere slower and less crowded.
