Why New Yorkers Don’t Like Tourists
There are several reasons.
1. Because tourists walk too slow, or they have no clue on how to walk in general. When we’re walking over here and the person in front of us is walking in a strange tempo (I mean – a slow one), not even trying to pass other people, we know we’re dealing with a tourist. And of course, we’re irritated that “they can’t even walk”. We just feel that tourists slow us down, and to be honest, we would love there to be a completely separate lane just for them.
2. Because they suddenly stop on the street to take another picture and look at something that excites them. And this is the moment we almost run over them and that makes us even angrier.
3. Because everything excites them. And we’re irritated that you can be so impressed by everything. It’s only Empire State Building, for God’s sakes. Yes, there’s the “Empire State of Mind” song, but… get over it! It’s not really a problem with tourists – it’s a problem with us, New Yorkers. Because the longer we live in here, the more difficult it is for us it is to get excited about things. We get used to the fact that we have all these wonders in here and we gradually lose the entire joy of being around things people from around the world come for.
4. Because they don’t know how to behave at a restaurant. That’s the big one because most of New Yorkers have worked in the restaurant business at some point of their typical “New York careers”. And this is something I don’t get. Every time you visit a different country, you first check the local customs – also when it comes to any kind of service. And yet most tourist here seem to not to be aware of the fact that most New York places require an 18% tip for the servers and keep tipping 10% (or don’t tip at all). When you leave 10% tip in NYC, it means that you weren’t pleased with the service you received. It’s the same when you order a beer – you should leave at least a dollar to your bartender (I know – he just poured or opened a beer for you, but this is how it works here folks). And if they make you a cocktail you suppose to leave more than that. Tourists barely leave anything. So I’ll let you in on a secret – bartenders and servers don’t like tourists, even if they don’t expect much from them, they’ll still bitch about the tip they left them. Leave them at least 15% – they really make their money only from tips.
5. Tipping is one thing, but tourist seem also not to know that there’s a host position in the restaurant. A host is a person who decides if you there’s room to accommodate you and where is your table. When you enter a restaurant, wait for a host to show you the way. Most tourist usually grab a table like someone was about to take it away from them. They’re not bothered by the fact that the table may still be messy and simply take their seats like they’re the last seats in the five boroughs. So now not only bartenders and servers don’t like them, but also hosts and busboys (guys who clean tables).
So if you’re planning on visiting NY, you know what to do now – walk fast, be invisible, pretend you are not impressed with all the bridges you see and leave big tips. You will be just like New Yorkers. Almost.
