Just How Many Times Do You Have to Say "Thank You?

The Star ran an article announcing the results of an international survery which found Toronto is the third most polite city -- Zurich was number two and New York was number one. I had to read that several times. Don't get me wrong, I love New York, but I've fought for my share of cabs there; I've pushed and jostled my way through a crowd. I thought it might have been an April Fool's joke -- except that it's mid-June.

One thing I've noticed about TO is that the people here are INSANELY polite. It almost seemed pathological. Had I stumbled into country of Stepford people? At one point, I was left to wonder: just how many times do I need to say "thank you"? I finally realized, it's just the way the Torontish are: easy-going and polite. It was refreshing. I finally allowed myself to breathe.

I don't want to be looked on as the ugly, boorish American. I want to fit in. I want people to think I've been here all my life. Part of that will be my learning all the nuances of the politeness of this city.

Now, it's not that I have trouble being polite -- I have my limits, but people in Toronto do seem to have raised it to an art form. My reasons for wanting to fit in undetected is more self-centered than altruistic. Americans are pretty much hated wherever they go -- even in Canada, I understand. In fact, we're often told that when we're traveling to tell the locals that we're from somewhere else. The obvious answer to me is Canada.

As a case in point, a Canadian was recently in a life-threatening situation in Afghanistan, I believe. His captors were ready to kill him. He desperately told his captors that he was Canadian. He showed them his passport and they let him go stating, "We love Canadians." There's a lesson to be learned here.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you......