NYC Letter: Niceness

We've had quite a run of "sit down first" posts of late. In the space of a week the Islamic Republic of Iran has pimp-slapped France for her human rights record and lack of rigor in the war on terror. Then while the EU frets over America worrying the Iranians with tough talk, the grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini comes forward and begs America to invade Iran.

Yes, well, we've just taken to writing this stuff from the floor. There's less of a drop on the faint-away.

And now this. Grab your chair.

NEW YORK THE POLITEST CITY IN THE WORLD? GET OUTTA HERE!

June 20, 2006 (Scotsman) - New York is the most polite place in the world, according to a survey which ranked its famously brusque citizens well ahead of those in London in kindness and good manners. The Big Apple scored 80 per cent in a series of tests, including dropping papers in a street in a busy area, seeing how long it took for someone to help, noting whether doors were held open and if shop assistants said thank you after making a sale.

Reader's Digest magazine carried out the tests by sending journalists to cities in 35 countries. London and Paris were in joint 15th place with a score of 57 per cent, while India's Mumbai came bottom with 32 per cent.

"This was the world's biggest real-life test of common courtesy," [Katherine Walker, the editor-in-chief of Reader's Digest British edition] said. "The results were often surprising and consistently thought-provoking."

Have a nice day.

[Cross-post at Pave.]