It's official...HK one of the rudest cities on earth!

Closed Thread
Page 14 of 14 FirstFirst ... 6 11 12 13 14
  1. #131

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    36
    Quote Originally Posted by matanica66:
    My wife saw a guy steal another guys bike out from underneath him in Bermondsey (East London). I.e. whilst he was waiting at the T lights.
    There goes the theory that "the only secure bike is one being ridden".



    Incidentally, I've never found London to be a particularly dangerous place. I've lived here all my life, and the only street crime I've been affected by are two bike thefts (I wasn't there, though) and a mobile phone pickpocketed on the tube. I live in Harrow, but spend a lot of time up central.
    Although, I'm in Camden Town a few nights a week and there's usually some sort of trouble going on there every time. Lastnight there were a gang of 10 pushing this guy towards the street, and slightly further down the High Street this guy was being arrested by police.
    Last week, I saw three separate police vehicles dealing with three separate incidents on Camden High Street at the same time...

  2. #132

    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    In the Lair of the Village Idiot's Apprenctice
    Posts
    3,385

    We Are Polite, You Jerk

    So we’re not friendly. That’s according to a recent Reader’s Digest survey that sent reporters to 35 cities around the world to find the politest town. But while we came in 25th place, way behind No.1 city New York, at least we tied with Ljubljana and are ahead of those ultra-rude bastards in Singapore, Bucharest and Mumbai.

    But we suggest that had they asked the right questions, everyone would be miles behind us. We did our own reporting to see what we’re best at.

    Friendly Unannounced Videotaping. Had an annoying conversation on a bus with a bizarre pony-tailed man? Can’t quite describe the person who stepped on your foot when you’re exiting? Don’t worry, for a friendly teenager will have captured it on his mobile phone camera. "It’s my honor and duty to record everything," says one friendly teenager we talked to. "You should also see my extensive collection of upskirt shots. That’s my specialty and I’m here to serve."

    Politely Cutting In Line. Been waiting in that hour-long grocery line only to have someone step in front of you? In this category, nobody comes close to us, except maybe Berliners when Germany’s about to play. "I’ve been cutting in line for nigh on 30 years now," says a neighborhood spinster. "McSnoopy line? Cut that. Remember the Maria’s Cakes coupon runs? Cut them. Rice queues? I cut those like a hot Ginsu through butter."
    Politely Smoking In Someone’s Face. The satisfying meal is over. What better than light to up a cigarette to top off the experience? But, oh no, you’ve run out! Fortunately, our city is so polite you can guarantee your friendly neighbor will helpfully blow a plume of poisons your way before, after and during the meal. "I was in a family restaurant the other day with my six kids," says one diner. "And I noticed the gentleman in the nearby booth was not smoking. So I lit one up to do my bit."
    Politely Humiliating The Bank You Work For. This one’s easy: pay $120 million for Latin dance lessons. After all, as one major bank recently learned, what’s $120 million when you’re on the top rung? "This doesn’t even make a dent in my bank account," one anonymous exec says. "I think I’ll open a disco for my friends next."
    Politely Consulting The Public. Our government is a world expert at this, especially when it comes to buildings nobody wants. "We usually make up some huge, albeit fictional, figure of support from made-up consultations," said one civil servant. "Otherwise, everyone usually moans and nobody’s happy. This way we construct a huge building downtown and then everyone just deals with it."

    hk magazine 632 23/6/06

  3. #133

    since we are digressing...

    it really p1sses my friends and i off when we get better treatment when we speak english rather than cantonese...

    i mean how fcuked up can a place get when it discriminates someone trying to make an effort to speak their language....

    and for those using that lame-ass argument "if you don;t like it, then fcuk off somewhere else"...well i did!!!


  4. #134

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    36
    Quote Originally Posted by thetokyoproject:
    since we are digressing...

    it really p1sses my friends and i off when we get better treatment when we speak english rather than cantonese...

    i mean how fcuked up can a place get when it discriminates someone trying to make an effort to speak their language....

    and for those using that lame-ass argument "if you don;t like it, then fcuk off somewhere else"...well i did!!!
    Really?
    Was this a mostly isolated incident, or is it a recurring theme?

  5. #135

    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Everywhere you don't want me to be
    Posts
    2,890

    I've heard this often from my local friends. If they think you are western, ergo you have $$$, they treat you better. I never claimed they were only rude to gwei lo's. Further evidence of the bloody minded mentality. What gets me, is why? Why do they deliberately go out of their way to be difficult? Its so petty and childish.


  6. #136

    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    29
    Quote Originally Posted by sylvesterjay:
    I've heard this often from my local friends. If they think you are western, ergo you have $$$, they treat you better.
    Why? Are you suggesting they expect richer people to give money or buy expensive gifts to strangers around, so they want to try their best to please them?
    At the same time they have also been accused of refusing to sit next to a foreigner in the public transportation, trying to have minimal interaction and stick to the locals, or simply being indifferent to his existence. There is always something you can pick on if you try, no matter you are in HK, London, Mumbai, Tokyo or New York. Sometimes I wonder if people keep whining just because they are annoyed, or they want to set themselves apart from the locals so they can feel that they are "different" or special as expats.

  7. #137
    Quote Originally Posted by Viper:
    Really?
    Was this a mostly isolated incident, or is it a recurring theme?
    unfortunately and sadly, re-ocurring.

    it's not a money thing. it's pure and simple discrimination.

    see being chinese and being brought up in the west, i can really relate to the chinese mentality since i always laugh with my folks how they get abuse and treated like gwei lo when they return there.

    my hk relatives always tell me to speak english cos they know the hk mentality....

    we all know the negatives aspects of london, ny etc. yada, yada...no one is denying this.

    yet, some of you hard core defendents of hk seem not to be able to grasp that the sh1t mentioned does happen more often than not and although that survey result may be bullsh1t, i think it's quite reasonable to believe that hk people could be in the top 10 most inconsiderate/unfriendly.

    many parts of london are a sh1thole, but it has so much character that i love it so much. i guess i have this love/hate thing going for hk too.

    the japanese have this concept of 'honne' and 'tatamae'. my mates always tell me that gaijin always think the japanese are humble and courteous but they always laugh and say the gaijin never really know what the japanese are thinking and how genuine they are.
    Last edited by thetokyoproject; 24-06-2006 at 05:01 PM.

  8. #138

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    128
    Quote Originally Posted by chrome:
    You people that are actually trying to compare ANY chinese mainland city to HK in terms of politeness / manners levels have absolutely no idea how it is out there in the REAL China.
    ____+1 ____

  9. #139

    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Posts
    483

    I've been reading along on this post and wanted to add some positive points. I can't really say I agree with everyone's view of HK. I grew up here and came back to live here as an adult. The way I approach most people is to smile, be friendly and say hello. I figure you get back what you give out and HK has been no exception for me. I live in a mostly Chinese (local) building. Allot of my neighbours were suprised at first, but now they happily say hello back and a few of them have even introduced me to their families and kids (I speak in English with a few spatterings of Cantonese and they speak in Cantonese). I do allot of walking and when I'm out hiking I always say "Nei Ho" to the families. It's very rare that I don't get a smile or a "hello" back. I also regularly give up my seat to an older person on the tram, and often I do get a smile or a thank you from them. I'm not saying all HK is like this, and I'm not saying I haven't seen rudeness here, but I don't think it's that much worse than many of the other countries (England, France, Belgium, USA etc.) that I've lived in.


  10. #140

    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    12,383

    On that note ....


Closed Thread
Page 14 of 14 FirstFirst ... 6 11 12 13 14