Magazine rudely ranks Atlanta as 7th rudest U.S. city
Being a Southerner and True Gentleman, I could teach a course on manners. I even recall the lost arts of salad forks, soup spoons and which side of the sidewalk to be on when escorting a lady. If I ever take my wife to fancier environs than the Trackside Tavern, I’m ready.
Atlanta visitors often cite the city's slow and outdated taxi service as a cause of outrage.
Imagine my chagrin when learning Atlanta has been crowned the 7th crabbiest city in America by readers of a magazine I’d never heard of until today.
According to my research (aka Google search), the same publication, New York City-based Travel and Leisure, ranked Atlanta as the 11th rudest city the last time they compiled their list, so residents of our city have regressed a bit.
Fortunately, I have a ready excuse that absolves native Georgians of much guilt: yankees.
Perhaps it is summed up best by reader Craig T. Jones, who read this blog entry and emailed me about it instead of working.
Atlanta’s 7th “only so because we have so many people who have migrated here from the 6 crabbier places,” wrote Jones.
Yes, our once and future friendly city has been overrun by northerners who’ve grown tired of shoveling sidewalks and decent public schools. Why just the other day I saw someone wearing a New England Patriots cap yelling at a giant TV in a sports bar while pumping his fist. “Ravens suck!” he proclaimed loudly at some poor chap who later told me he was from Baltimore. Not sure what set that dude off.
The magazine’s readers rudely label Atlantans as unattractive and say the The City Too Busy To Hate also seems too busy to party. Maybe they need to visit the Clermont on Thursday night and we need to craft a list of America’s Rudest Magazine Readers?
Here’s an abbreviated list of America’s Rudest Cities: [Complete List]
1: New York City — I’ve always liked the Big Apple except for its weather and baseball teams. Especially the ‘96 baseball team.
2. Miami – I surmise this city too is overrun with northerners, but I know the locals are quite friendly. Once, in a small cantina, I ordered a Coke and the nice waitress I couldn’t understand brought me a piece of cake. Such kindness is rare.
3. Washington D.C. — Full of politicians that’ll argue about anything except what matters, lowering my taxes and raising someone else’s.
4. Los Angeles — The former #1 has dropped a few pegs. Perhaps it’s because the porn industry is leaving town?
5. Boston — Another northern town. Last time I was there it was 8 degrees and even the duck boat driver was cranky.
6. Dallas – Their cheerleaders, long considered No. 1 among prepubescent lads, are actually No. 2, just behind New England.
7. Atlanta – Perhaps the loss of the Atlanta Thrashers has angered more residents than initially feared?
8. Phoenix — Never been there but it looks hot.
9. Baltimore – A miserable experience, according to fellow Georgian Gram Parsons.
10. Orlando – The price of beer at Epcot would put a frown on anyone’s head.
11. Philadelphia — This has to be wrong. You can get your bell rung there just for asking the way to Market Street.
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256 comments Add your comment
scott
January 25th, 2012
5:19 pm
MEAN ,RUDE NO CUSTOMER SERVICE…AND ONE OF ..NO THE MOST RACIST CITY IN AMERICA..DEEPLY RACIST,DIVIDED ..IT REMINDS ME OF ITS SISTER CITY “DETROIT”THE DEEP SEATED RACISM IN METRO ATLANTA WILL STRANGLE THIS CITYS GROWTH AND APPEAL ALONG WITH ITS HORRIBLE,HORRIBLE TRAFFIC AND HARD CORE CRIME….WOW I VISITED SEATTLE(WHERE I PLAN TO RETIRE)EVERYONE WAS SO NICE AND POLITE WITH SMALL TALK AND DEEPLY FRIENDLY..ALSO CHARLESTON ,SC..THE FOLKS IN THOSE 2 CITIES ARE AWSOME!!!!!!!
Center for Education Statistics
January 25th, 2012
5:19 pm
When measuring ALL students (as opposed to select SAT score populations)
GA public school students are equal to NY public school students.
Look it up.
WWJD
January 25th, 2012
5:19 pm
I know these clowns here all claim to be Christian. There has to be something in that Bible about diversity.
NY is not the entire Northern population!
January 25th, 2012
5:24 pm
There are tens of millions of people that live in the North that don’t actually live in NYC. One statistic about them doesn’t prove a point. I can’t stand people from NY either and I grew up in Ohio.
Jesus save us from these Yankees!
January 25th, 2012
5:29 pm
Southerners still don’t get that outside this region, and nationwide, they’re still the butt of the joke.
Logical Reasoning
January 25th, 2012
5:34 pm
There are two parts to this story:
First, yes it is true that there are way too many transplants (especially people from up north) who ruin the way of life down here, they come here with a “Superior” mentality and complain about almost everything we were accustom to doing; the traffic, economy, schools, etc also contribute in many ways.
Second, Atlanta (Georgia as a whole), we are at fault as well, we have lost our sense of identity over the last several years and I really believe that it all started with the ‘96 Olympic Games. There was a time when several groups of people hung out at parks, events, etc. Now people are too content with their newly found “comfort zone” or in other words, once people really came out of the hoods (after so many were moved out and those hoods were torn down) people began to change, but not necessarily for the better, they went from ‘hood’ to ‘ghetto fabulous’ which is worse in some ways. Same mentality, except they had more money in they pocket, this created a fake, lame, unrealistic way of life in Atlanta and in surrounding areas that caused people to be very self-centered, greedy, and not caring about literally anything besides themselves and maybe some family members. Also, I blame the stupid Georgia Legislatures who have tried (and succeeded) in keeping Georgia in the 1800’s, several “scared minded” people in places such as Gwinnett and Cobb counties have prevented much needed public transportation to move into those areas; thus causing a mass array of traffic in which causes people to get very angry and become rude drivers. People, it’s time to wake up, get off your high horses and stop knocking each other down!!!!!!
just admit it...
January 25th, 2012
5:35 pm
I just wish these cowards in the South would publicly admit they are nothing but a bunch of racist(towards anyone not white or Southern) bigots who want to live in a place where they all look and talk the same and live happily ever after.
Brent
January 25th, 2012
5:36 pm
it’s not the city… it’s the people and the Atlantitude….
Tex
January 25th, 2012
5:36 pm
Its about time somebody figured this out. The problem is not the Southerners though. Its all the jerks from New York and New Jersey that are screwing the town up.
JANA
January 25th, 2012
5:36 pm
Unfortunately, Atlanta has changed and not because we wanted to, but we had no choice. With all the northerners coming here to live, we had to learn how to drive faster, eat faster and just live life at a faster pace. As a native Atlantan, who loves living here, my stomach turns when people who select to move here, criticize us. My thought is , look you chose to come here, if you do not like the way we live, go back. Please note, there are more people moving South (ATLANTA) TO LIVE THAN the other way around. Personally, I would not want to live in the North.
Yes, Atlanta used to be a more friendlier, loving , kinder city until……………. It is a shame we were messed up by……………………..