Are people really nicer down south?

[onecoolmama]

Originally posted by remyandhollandsmommy
Please never tell my grandma I was sarcastic about the "War", okay?!

I am telling

 

[Beauty]

Oh I agree we are MUCH MUCH more talkative down here!

The funniest thing I remember is my dad on the Metro in D.C. People were reading the paper or a book but they weren't TALKING. Daddy was amazed. He tried to start conversations with a few and they would answer his questions but not talk.

If we had the Metro down here it would be a big ole party....ROTFLOL!

Oh and people running up the escalators.........HELLO!!!! SLOW DOWN!!!!!!! I think we take life a lot slower..........see my I'm A HICK POST....LOL!!!!

You know though I have actually done a lot of traveling (not by plane ) and I've met nice people everywhere. Like Dana said, San Francisco comes to mind. I met some of the nicest people ever there........

 

[LScot]

I thought I'd read this same post before. For a minute I thought, "I've been here too damn long!" Seeing the smae questions over and over...


I think Southerns are more friendly as a whole. But there are nice people everywhere. Someone said they like tourists because tourist go back home. I think that is correct.

The difference between a yankee and a damn yankee is a yankee goes home but a damn yankee moves in.

People here in TN are very friendly. I live in a tourist area though and we have people from all over come visit. However, when one moves here, you may well find that people are suspicious of you they tend to have big extended families and may be less accepting of outsiders. I have often heard people speak of this. Of course, these same people were not very approachable themselves so it is all relavent. When we moved here almost 30 years ago, people were great and very welcoming and accepting of us. It was great! But at that same time, I witnessed people actually getting burned out of town because they weren't wanted.
More than once. Therefore, I always felt extremely lucky. Times have changed and people aren't likely to burn someone's business or home down nowadays, thank God.

 

[katerkat]

I think they're more "polite nice," but no more nice than any other place. Definitely have better manners!! But being polite and having manners isn't the only definition of niceness.

 

[JVL1018]

I don't think it's just the south..but more so places that are away from the big cities. Howver I have found the southern people I have met on my travels to be very friendly.
I live in the suburbs of NYC and my Dad just moved to Northeastern PA, from here-to the suburbs of..nowhere. LOL Right outisde the Poconos and he is so happy there says how friendly the people are, everyone is so nice and talkative, he likes it much better. Plus I think it's more of an outgoing thing than a friendly thing-I am friendly, nice to people, have never yelled at a stranger, but I also don't start conversations with people I don;t know, so I don;t consider myself outgoing.
Me-I think people are friendly here, we're just more easily irritated and are in a rush.
I visited relatives in southern VA years ago and people walked slower, talked slower, ate slower.
I like the faster pace, so I stay here.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Originally posted by vettechick99
Nice...Absolutely! Nicer than some other areas...Definitely! Down in the South you'll most always get a hello and goodbye, whether we know you or not. All the people I know are polite and courteous. It's born and bred into you. Although, so is gossiping.

My Mama, always told me that if you just add "Bless her/his Heart" after making a remark it's not gossip, it's just constructive criticism...

 

[cati]

I would have to say Yes, we are more friendlier. When we drive down the road, we wave at everyone - whether we know them or not

When my family came to visit one time, my Dad made the comment that "that lady just waved at you - who was that" and I responded I dont know. Well the next car went by and the same thing happened. So when the next car went by, he waved first It is kind of contagious.

Talk about us talking, yes, you can know a southerner's life history in about 20 minutes. Especially, if they are from my town. EVERYONE is related to EVERYONE.

We have fun down here in the south too. Lots of clogging, Friday night street dances. Lots of get togethers - food is awesome!!

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

I'm not from the south originally, neither is DH, we are transplants, been here 6 years, don't talk with an accent, never will - and we've never been made to feel like outsiders. My parents were from the south so perhaps I had a understanding of southern ways, DH lived in NC for a couple of years as a child (Navy brat).

People here are certainly open to conversation Just last night I got quite a story from the person next to me in a check out line. I got welcomed over and over when I showed my out of state driver's license writing a check when we first arrived. Yes, people wave to you whether you know them or not. I once stopped on the side of a country road to do something for my toddler son in the back seat, and a little old lady who was driving by stopped to make sure I was ok. I had a clerk inside a convenience store run out once when I pulled in and hopped out to again do something for my son in the back seat. I must look stressed or something. He came out to see if I needed anything. He said he could bring me what I needed if I didn't want to get the baby out. There are lots of little courtesies and I've never felt they were fake. I think it's sweet when someone says "have a blessed day" and yes, they do say things about someone and still not have it seem too critical with that "bless their heart" following it.

There ARE good people everywhere - but I really love the south

 

[Megan's Mom]

I would have to agree with many of the things that have been posted here. southerners do like to talk and will talk to complete strangers...then they won't be strangers any more. We do love our War of Northern Agression and we aren't sure that we really lost. But that is for another day.
I have traveled a lot and have met nice helpful people everywhere. But I am reminded of this story that my mother tells. Several years ago my parents and some other people that my dad worked with had to go to Boston on work. The ladies and one man were free to tour the city while the others worked. They rode the subway somewhere to sightsee. It was a busy day and the subway was full. A woman got on at one of the stops and the man stood up to give her his seat like all good southern men are taught to do and he got yelled at and called every name in the book for his good deed.

But on the other hand it brings a smile to my face when a young boy opens the door for a women as she enters the building it reminds me that we are still teaching good manners.

 

[loozianalooza00]

Louisianian here. People aren't nicer... they just talk a lot.(A LOT) Like other people have said, if you said hello to everyone you see on the street that would get annoying. I walk downtown and in the French Quarter (I live in New Orleans) frequently, and sometimes you'll get a smile or a "Hey hunny, how was your day?" I guess people react differently when they are feeling differently. I could say we're more polite (don't kill me ), because a lot of southerners were raised to say "Yes ma'am..." My friend from California said, "You have to say yes ma'am?!" Hehe. Yep. That old southern charm...I think nice people are everywhere... you just have to encounter them.

 

[syncer55]

My experiences down south have been friendly. Some nice people were really helpful when our car blew a tire. They even invited us to a meal.

Don't see people that friendly too often.

 

[Keli]

I was born and lived most of my childhood in southern IL. I've lived most of my adult life in Kentucky with the exception of four years my dh and I spent in MI and I would say that definitely people are nicer in the southern areas.

Someone said that southerners are just 'chattier' which could be mistaken as 'friendlier'. This doesn't make sense to me. When I chat with someone while in line at the grocery, bank, wherever, I am doing it because I am trying to be friendly, not because I have some deep desire to 'chat' with someone I've never met.

My dh says he was fourteen before he realized "damn yankee" was two words, lol (he's just making a joke!!)

I know a lot of people say southern 'niceness' is fake and I don't know what to say to that. If it's fake then I guess I just have to say I'd rather receive a 'fake' smile and nod than a sincere frown when I pass you on the street.

 

[spacemountain]

I live in the suburbs of Chicago and people are pretty nice around here. I wouldn't say that people are nicer in the south, people can be nice or not so nice anywhere you go.

 

[Feralpeg]

I haven't travel much in the south, but I will say that the people I've met since I moved to Florida have been great. People in stores have gone out of their way to be friendly and helpful.

 

[jimmytammy]

I have lived in the South all my life so I really couldnt compare regions. I think people in the South are a little more laid back. But I have to say I have met some very friendly people from up North and would love to call them neighbors. Some of them are DISers.

 

[jimmiej]

Yes, we're friendlier. Now, go home Yankee!!!

 

[Robinrs]

I've lived in NY for 31 years and in Georgia for 17. The people here are very polite and mannerly but NOT nicer IMHO.

I think the attitude about Yankees and Damn Yankees gives me the creeps. On another post we were beat up about being Americans ONLY but in this case we part ways.

 

[eeyore kelly]

My Mama, always told me that if you just add "Bless her/his Heart" after making a remark it's not gossip, it's just constructive criticism...

I love it!!! I won't gossip anymore--I promise. I'll just give constuctive criticism

 

[Tiziminchac]

Being born and raised in Florida, I like to think we southerners are nice people. But there are so few of us left in Florida that we sometimes joke that Florida isn't a southern state any more! It's good manners to be nice to a person, even if it is a stranger. That doesn't necessarily mean we like you. Actually we wish all of you snowbird, norther-accented, touristy, parrothead wannabes, non-grit eating, crappie catchin', bubba hating, yankees would just stay home! Hehehe! I'm just having some fun with ya'll!

By the way, during the "Civil War", Tallahassee was the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi that did not fall to Union troops.

 

[WendyWhiner]

I've been to south NYC. To Mr. Robinson's neighborhood.