The good people at Travel and Leisure magazine poll their readers about several aspects of cities and regions worth visiting. But in the latest issue, according to many reports on the Web, I live in what most of its readers consider the rudest city in the United States: Los Angeles.
That's right. The City of Angels is anything but angelic in how it treats visitors (and, apparently, residents).
Of course, this information surprised me. I've always thought this town had its share of hustlers -- I mean, it's Hollywood fer cryin' out loud. But rude? As in rudest of all cities?
I know New York City has been earning much praise in recent years for how kind it has become. This seems to have happened ever since they cleaned up Times Square. Thing is, I preferred Times Square when it was a cesspool of adult movie theaters and Central Park was a place to avoid at night. Now? It's turned into Disney Land.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, I've always considered a little too laid back to be considered rude. We like to chill, see. We're grooving too much to spend time yelling at or insulting visitors. Yet that's what people are telling the editors at Travel and Leisure: We're rude.
Jeez.
Well, I'll tell you a little secret: I avoid Hollywood Boulevard on Saturday afternoons simply because I do not like being around a bunch of tourists. I cringe when tour bus riders wave at people on the street. What are we supposed to do? Jump and gyrate so that the people gawking at us on the bus can toss us peanuts? Are there other tricks we're supposed to perform for tourists?
Whatever. I felt like complaining about something today, and this is the complaint. So there.
