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Atlanta visitors often cite the city's slow and outdated taxi service as a cause of outrage.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
fred garvin
January 25th, 2012
10:48 am
i love going into, say, a Quicktrip and the guy or gal in front of you just lets the door shut after they go thru (no need to hold it open for the guy/gal in back of you??). this plays out in the ATL every day. Traffic is a nightmare as it is but when you add the people with the Yosemite Sam mudflaps on their pickup or the Nissan Ultima with the tinted windows zigzagging in and out of lanes on 400/85/285/75 just to get one car length ahead it’s a joke.
I-Love-Atlanta!
January 25th, 2012
10:49 am
@Paula – the cave that has Conde Nast & Fodors! You know, something more global. Well I guess I’ve just come across the first rude person. Congratulations!!!
No surprise
January 25th, 2012
10:49 am
All these Yankees, rednecks and uppity urban women. Sad really.
Native Atlantan
January 25th, 2012
10:49 am
You lost all credibility when you said you’d never heard of Travel+Leisure magazine.
And stop using the word “yankee.” It makes you look provincial.
4xtra
January 25th, 2012
10:52 am
The northerners??
ARE YOU SERIOUS??
Boy, HERE WE GO AGAIN…
You guy ALWAYS have someone to blame.
THE CIVIL WAR IS OVER SO STOP IT
Now lets take a look very carefully to what you said:
“Phoenix — Never been there but it looks hot.”
“Baltimore – A miserable place, ACCORDING to fellow Georgian Gram Parsons”
That says something RIGHT THERE..
YOU NEVER TRAVELED ANYWHERE…and that is the very problem,
(did you write this from a dial up connection in your trailer par……OH NEVER MIND)
Atlanta has ABSOLUTELY lost its southern charm (THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT). In the 90;s and the very early 2000’s was ok but went down hill in a hurry in the last 5-6 years and it has NOTHING to do with the “Northern invasion”.
A lot of it has to do with the young generation (from the north and south) with the obsession with the internet (specifically certain content like tabloid and music) and TV shows unintentionally creating a narcissistic mindset and being rude to people as “normal”. Shows and sites like Atlanta housewives, Jersey shore, toddlers and tiaras, TMZ, Judge Judy, Jerry Springer, Bad girls club,and I even blame shows like American Idol, SYTYCD (so you think you can dance), for the star struck obsession because many (and I do mean many) young people here are becoming obsessed with being famous overnight. I am not blaming Hip Hop directly but is unfortunately part of this as well (YES, I AM BLACK and I love hip hop music but I don’t try to live that lifestyle because Hip Hop is for strictly entertainment purposes ONLY)
I have met many (and I do many) people from New York, Boston, and even the “dreaded” New Jersey and they were very very respecbig northern cities tful and not a bit of rudeness what so ever. People from northern big cities are raised to mind their business and look straight ahead and not smile because it is sometimes dangerous to be friendly to EVERYONE, this is the truth and that is the culture up North because big city life up north is a entire different world. Not necessarily to be rude but simply to mind your business and keep it moving.
So please stop blaming the “northerners”
Trust me, I am from Ohio, lived in several states and overseas and that is one of the most IGNORANT articles I have seen
Just curious……
By the way..what is your education level??
Old Boy
January 25th, 2012
10:56 am
I think our rudeness is better summed up by traffic. People seem to be very poilte walking and in public places; it is the roads where we all (and I include myself in this) turn into giant a-holes.
When You Lay Down with Pigs...
January 25th, 2012
10:58 am
For the sake of future Atlanta generations, we need our well-raised, Southern-bred Ladies & Gentlemen to stop defiling themselves by cross-breeding with these rude, ill-tempered yankee locusts and creating rude, mutant offspring.
Aunt Pittypat
January 25th, 2012
10:58 am
Yankees in Georgia? How’d they ever get here?
4xtra
January 25th, 2012
10:59 am
ooops…
i did a cut and paste incorrectly on my posts
Jason Kipfmiller
January 25th, 2012
10:59 am
Screwwwwwwwwwwwww Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got a whole pack man!!!!!!!