The Dutch are loutish and ill mannered? They think so
According to a poll of Hollanders by De Teegraaf, thankfully rendered in English by Reuters
In their reckoning, only the Russians and the French are worse, with the Swiss, 'Scandinavians' and the Belgians top of the class.
From family connections I've been led to believe that the Dutch are given to bluntness, but the ideas of the Belgians being polite is a jaw dropper. In my experience, les Belges make the French look like small town Iowans on the charm / friendliness stakes. Folk tell me that Israelis do a stunning line in rudeness.
Having gone for a root around on the originating site, I haven't been able to find the article, so can't say where we British types rank.
Any thoughts from overseas blog visitors, or the well travelled?
In their reckoning, only the Russians and the French are worse, with the Swiss, 'Scandinavians' and the Belgians top of the class.
From family connections I've been led to believe that the Dutch are given to bluntness, but the ideas of the Belgians being polite is a jaw dropper. In my experience, les Belges make the French look like small town Iowans on the charm / friendliness stakes. Folk tell me that Israelis do a stunning line in rudeness.
Having gone for a root around on the originating site, I haven't been able to find the article, so can't say where we British types rank.
Any thoughts from overseas blog visitors, or the well travelled?
Labels: Belgium, France, Netherlands
This entry was posted
on Saturday, September 30, 2006 at 12:57 pm.
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"Jaw-dropper" is right. The Belgians make the French look like the good witch Glenda in The Wizard of Oz. Yes, the French knock you off the pavement into the gutter because they are walking four abreast and looking at each other, not where they're going. Yes, they shove your head into the freezers at the supermarket as they reach over your shoulder to pick something up instead of taking three steps to walk round you. Yes, they tailgate you so close that you can see the root growth of the "blonde" woman driving behind you.
But the Belgians take aim.
Israel - Yes, an Israeli told me the same thing.
The Japanese live up to their stereotype and are extremely polite. The politest people in the world, though, in a much less formal sense, are the Americans.
I don't mean they won't beat someone out to a parking space and similar modern dilemmas, but for holding doors open for others, for walking on the outside of the pavement if there's a woman coming in the opposite direction, or of they're accompanying a woman, to exchanging friendly and kindly remarks with strangers - absolutely no one on planet earth can better the Americans.
The Ghost of Peter - I find the Germans are polite, but calling the French "misrepresented" is little short of insanity. They are awful! The only thing is, sometimes when they knock you into the gutter they say, "Oh! Pardon!" But it's rare.
Mexicans are polite. If they have to get through a space you are blocking, rather than just barrelling through as the French do, or shooting you on the spot, as the Belgians do, they always say "Con permiso" and wait for you to make room for them. When a workman comes to your home, even after you've told him to "come in", he will hesitate for a second and say "Con permiso" before entering.
When you thank them, they always say "for nothing".
They are even, if you can believe this, good at stopping at pedestrian crossings. So ahead of the French there, too.
In terms of capital and other major cities, I doff my hat to New Yorkers (unexpected, but true), Maderilenos and extra special top marks to Neapolitans. I think Londoners are getting worse....
I like the French, too. In fact, I've just had an email from my ex-neighbours in France enclosing a photo of their cat. They are cat daft, which makes them atypical French. Actually, they're Belgian, oddly enough, and only came to my village on holidays. But I do like the French. They are so frankly and honestly up themselves.
What did "Borat" say? Is it mean? Obviously, we don't get him over here.
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