We're Busy, not Barbarians

So Hong Kong ranked 25th out of 36 cities in a "global" courtesy test. Sounds about right. Just last week I found myself having a discussion about how rude Hong Kong people are in general.

Toronto ranked 3rd in the same test. No surprise there either. How I got from 3rd place to 25th, though, is an interesting journey.

Since I returned a few years ago after spending 12 years in Toronto, I've gotten some depressing results in my own courtesy survey on Hong Kong people:

Out of 20 times that I walk into public buildings behind people, 20 of them would leave the door slamming in my face. What's more, out of 20 times that I walk into public buildings slightly before someone comes out the same door, half of them would try to rush out the doorway before I go in, causing head-on collisions.

My solution: I get a good foothold and in a ready-to-attack position to make sure the head-on collision is more painful for that person than for me. The result: I get a fractured shoulder and a dirty look.

Out of 20 small purchases at different stores, five shop assistants would say "thank you". Most of these happen in clothing retail chains like Giordano, in which shop assistants are often "too friendly" with their constant tape-recorder greetings. I find that at most smaller retailers and restaurants, the person who should be the friendliest—the one sitting behind the cash register—is the least polite. My guess is that one would be holding a significant position in the business before they are allowed anywhere near the cash register, assuming that he/she isn't the owner. Therefore, there's nobody to please, not even the customers apparently.

I don't know how small a "small purchase" is in Reader's Digest's test, but I've lost track of the number of decent-sized purchases I've made here without getting a "thank you". I'm one of the very few in Hong Kong who still supports genuine copies. A CD costs on average just above HK$100, I don't call that a "small purchase". But too many times I catch myself saying "thank you" multiple times without hearing any back. I guess some CD store staff members just really hate music. So I've stopped saying "thank you".

I don't recall dropping papers in busy locations. But I remember picking up things other people drop. Once on a minibus, a girl sitting in front of me slept through the entire ride, during which her cell phone fell out of her purse and onto the floor. It was clear everyone else on the bus was going to let her continue sleeping unaware of her lost phone. I got out of my seat, picked it up, tapped her on her shoulder to wake her, and returned it to her. Zero sign of appreciation. Then once in a CD store, a CD got accidentally pushed over the front counter. I bent down to pick it up for the cashier, only got up to realize that he had no intention of picking it up himself nor saying "thank you", as he was busy checking out my cleavage.

And that, in a nutshell, is how I became people-intolerant.