Good Morning

While getting ready to make my way into the CityBeat offices last Thursday morning, I decided to have a little fun while walking downtown - or at least it was fun to me.

I decided I was going to say "good morning" to those I passed on the sidewalk.

Keep in mind I was nicely dressed. I recently got a haircut, so I didn’t look all that scary. I didn’t have that “mean look” on my face.

I had a small notebook and pen in hand as I wanted to try and keep track of the responses I would get.

I started this on Vine Street around where the Arby’s Restaurant is and continued until I reached the CityBeat building at 811 Race Street.

According to my notes, I said “good morning” to 60 people – all genders, all races, all shapes and sizes.

12 said “good morning” back.

Three beat me to it which was kind of nice and a surprise.

One person responded by saying he didn’t have any change.

One older lady blew me a kiss.

The rest just kept right on walking like I wasn’t there. Only 17 out of 60 could respond.

I’ll ask the question again. Why are we known as a friendly city?

- Larry Gross

(Photo from flickr.com)

Comments

[Tate]

Man, don't start on this again. You're like a broken record.

[Nancy]

No surprise to me. You can't get people to even look at you in Cincinnati.

[hard as nails]

many cincy people aren't morning people.

[mark]

what's keeping ya here? get out.

[Rick Hines]

Yeah Larry, get out! How dare you point out the negative things about Cincinnati.

It's too hard; we're too lazy to make bad things better, so we're happy with the status quo, even though it makes us the laughing stock of the nation.

Even though it means not having a better life for ourselves.

We like living in the 19th Century. So, leave Cincinnati if you want a better, more interesting life.

-- Rick Hines

[Jen]

Not being from here, that's one of the first things you notice. People don't make eye contact, don't want to help you if you get lost, and certainly they don't want any new friends.

People from Cincinnati probably can't see that. They're too busy looking down.

[Susan]

No surprise Rick Hines would comment. He and Gross are the two most negative people in Cincinnati.

[Rick Hines]

Oh, it's not negative. It's hoping, and hoping, and hoping things will change in Cincinnati.

But, it looks very unlikely.

There are just too many lazy people. They don't like change because that means making a personal adjustment ... and that's just too much work.

[Tanya]

Oh people from Cincinnati, you are not friendly.

I moved here for a job two years ago. Only now I'm I starting to make a few friends. The attitude here is if you didn't go to high school here, you don't belong.

Sometimes I feel like asking those who now talk to me why it took so long to warm up but I'm afraid if I bring it up, they will no longer talk to me!

This is a strange city.

[Jeb]

**yawn**

[tommy boy]

i often call cinti. 'little new york want to me.' hint - the rude people.

[Plowboy]

Gross is always critical of the city. I think it's his nature. His nature gets old.

[Theresa]

Cincy should go stand in a corner.

[Freda]

Same old song. Same old song. Same old song. Same old.

Sorry -- I'm I repeating myself like this Larry guy?

[John]

Rick Hines is too lazy to run a decent website.

[midwest transplant]

Don't you wonder how many times, in how many different ways you might need to put something to have any effect at all, or if you even will? Glad you're willing to be the burr under the saddle; it's a lot easier to be silenced because it's an unpopular idea you're bringing up, of course. I'm surprised, though, to hear that this town is thought of as a friendly place. I've never heard that. Regardless, as a fairly recent newcomer who's interacted with quite a few other newcomers, I can share the general experience we've discussed as this town not being a friendly place.

[Samantha]

I would have said "Good morning!" back to you, Larry!

[Burt]

I wonder if even the 12 would have responded had they known you were only doing this for an experiment. The best response was the guy who said he didn't have any change for you.

Friendly is having a nice quick informal conversation with a stranger, not just blandly remarking "good morning".

I'm glad we don't all say "good morning", "good afternoon", and "good evening" to each other all the time like we live on the Truman Show.. that's just weird.

[Chris S]

Just as a little "counter" experiment, I decided to try the same thing walking all the way down Vine street from UC to 4th St. I encountered many more people, I gave up counting when I went over 120 before I even hit Liberty. Instead of "good morning" I went for "hey, hows it goin?" with a nod. This was at roughly 4 PM in the afternoon. Well more than 50% of the people responded/acknowledged the gesture before I stopped counting. I even had quite a few nice conversations with people out working on their properties. My response rate didn't get significantly worse once I crossed into CBD, although I don't have the numbers to back it up... Not that I necessarily agree that this is an appropriate measure of friendliness, but you must not look like someone people want to talk to Larry ;)