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Forums - General Discussion - I spent 3.5 days last week in HK and I was shocked by the lack of politeness

I have never seen this before. The service industry people just being plain rude, taxis refusing to give way and cutting each other off, general lack of manners. I was there with my wife and met some of our relatives there while they were on their Asia tour and they were as shocked as me. I spent a day in Macau as well and it was even worse. Is that part of the culture? Anyone else live a country where people are like that?



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All countries have different things they consider rude. I went to college with a couple Brazilians and they knew no personal space. They would just get right up in your face like it was no big deal, but meant no offense. I've heard in Israel people just Starr at you and that isn't rude there.



After having visited over 40 countries, I definitely see what you mean. But while the general Chinese people may come off as rude to many Westeners, they're just trying to get by as part of a population of 1.3 billion people.

Life taught them to put themselves first because no one else will. Quite ironic considering the communistic lable.

Even though I enjoyed my time in China, I'm glad that I went to Japan afterwards. Going from Japan (the world's most friendly country) to China would've been rough.



I know what you mean, but it is part of the "busy" as hell life style of the cities in a lot of those nations. I would say service industry does not have to provide service in a lot of those countries either. They are not held to some standard.

Hell Canada vs United States in terms of rude behaviour was a wake up call. 



 

Aren't you from NZ aswell?



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You should go to Japan, or scandinavia / Canda or such afterwards.

Just to get the full Night & day experiance.



I'm really sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your experience in Hong Kong, but I understand what you mean. I mean, I am from Hong Kong and I lament the difference in service attitude and conduct everytime I go on a trip to Japan with my family.

While the situation is as such in Hong Kong now, it used to be much better in the past. One explanation I hear often but do not necessarily agree with is that this is due to China's increasing influence over Hong Kong, as cultural values from China overwrite Hong Kong.



My dad lived in China for 3 years and travelled to honk Kong a lot on his time off.

He has travelled a lot and lived in different places due to his job. He said HK was busy and no one had the time of day for you during busy hours but the people were really nice. He compared some of it to London and NYC where everyone is just trying to get through the day.

According to him and also my experience, Paris has been the worst experience. Maybe it's because I'm brown, maybe it's because I'm English, but it's the city where people just didn't have time for you if you didn't speak French. They literally turned their face away, walked away or just straight up ignored me. My friends have had a similar experience and now only go there if they are travelling with white friends.



Haha, I remember going there to visit a friend and the people seemed so scary. I think that's how they speak, but they always sound so angry. I was afraid to talk to them. Me and my friend had to share tables with them sometimes, and they were pretty nice and kinda funny. I just that's just how they are over there.



 

              

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I also went recently and I thought it was quite a beautiful city.I didn't much of the rudeness, I'm from Mexico(makes HK seems like a paradise)lived there for 15 years, then I moved to Texas(plenty of assholes here also) I've been dealing with rude people my whole life so at this point I just let it pass.
Besides you have to remember that every place in the world has them, additionally we don't know what is causing them or has caused them to be that way, it might be economic hardship, a troubled family member, or maybe life just spits in their face every time they try to be nice.