Mumbai Rudest....????

Well...Even I used to think so.Before you start reading further...I would like to tell you what is post is all about....Its about a survey conducted by Reader Digest according to which New York is most polite city in the world...and our won Mumbai..(Ammchhi Mumbai....) is rudest....

Take a look at the list...

ROLL OF HONOUR

1 New York (80 per cent)
2 Zurich (77)
3 Toronto (70)
4= Berlin (68)
4= São Paulo (68)
4= Zagreb (68)
7= Auckland (67)
7= Warsaw (67)
9 Mexico City (65)
10 Stockholm (63)
11= Budapest (60)
11= Madrid (60)
11= Prague (60)
11= Vienna (60)
15= Buenos Aires (57)
15= Johannesburg (57)
15= Lisbon (57)
15= London (57)
15= Paris (57)
20 Amsterdam (52)
21= Helsinki (48)
21= Manila (48)
23= Milan (47)
23= Sydney (47)
25= Bangkok (45)
25= Hong Kong (45)
25= Ljubljana (45)
28= Jakarta (43)
28= Taipei (43)
30= Moscow (42)
30= Singapore (42)
32 Seoul (40)
33 Kuala Lumpur (37)
34 Bucharest (35)
35 Bombay (32)

Now you must be thinking why there is no Delhi..Bangalore...or other Indian city...Well answer to that question is:

Reader’s Digest magazine sent reporters into the principal city of each of the 35 countries in which it publishes to conduct a survey of local politeness. Three tests were employed: dropping papers in a busy street to see if anyone would help; checking how often shop assistants said “thank you”; and counting how often someone held a door open.

TimesOnline(UK) says principal city in the country, that good news for all Mumbai...but the bad news is we are the rudest...(I mean according to survey).All Mumbai based news papers...TOI, HT, MIDDAY, DNA,MIRROR...everyone is trying to tell their reader that we are not rude...we are civil...we feel for the city and everyone from heart...and similar kind of arguments.

I don't believe any of those newspaper....but at the same time I don't even agree with RD's survey.Picking up a papers...holding doors...saying thanks....is that enough to brand a city as polite....or rude...(if they don't do that..).

After reading the survey....I thought they are right. Try catching a train in peak hours and you will know how rude are people to each other.I generally avoid doing that....but on one such occasion...while getting out of the train....I got a deep cut on my hand...I still have that mark..on my hand.But in the same train...I have seen...people..taking care of each other,saying sorry, when they push you...and smiling to each other even if they don't have breathing space.
That means even if we are rude...(becasue we do not say thank you , hi bye...etc)...we do care about everyone around us...we do try to help people ....and that why I think people call Mumbai, a city with Spirit.

I think now its the time for us ( not BMC, not MMRDC)....to start working together to improve our own city...and make it one of the best city in the world...(We know we have no competition in India.. :P (see that TIMESONLINE wrote...principal city in the country ;) )

While Inagurating Mumbai Metro Rail Project ( One step toward better Mumbai), Our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said following statement which is very encouraging for all Mumbaikars.

“Last year, they (Mumbaikars) demonstrated to the country and the world their resolve, their determination, their energy, their spirit of cooperation and tolerance, and I salute them.’’