Let's All Hate Toronto

[rubberdinghy]

Yowsers

[StoneMtn]

I haven't read this thread, but I just moved back to Toronto after a long time, and I've noticed a few things:

People here seem very afraid. If you say "hello" to someone as they pass by, they pretend not to notice. Of course, I then walk along with them and say, "Well, there is no real reason you have to reply. I mean, it is merely a matter of politeness and upbringing, and I suppose that if you are a rude person, there's no need..." and eventually these people slink away like the wimps they are.

I've also noticed an unreasonable, irrational fear of dogs in this town.

The above said, this is by far the greatest city in Canada, in my opinion. Vancouver has its advantages, and I would say the overall quality of life there is better, but there is far more opportunity in Toronto. Toronto, unfortunately, lacks much in the way of outdoorsy pursuits (or at least anything too extreme) but it has other good things like great live music.

You can't compare Toronto to smaller towns (and certainly not resort towns) in this country, because it is like comparing apples and oranges. Everything I love about Whistler just doesn't exist in Toronto, and vice versa.

The fact that everyone outside of Toronto in Canada hates Toronto (which does seem true) is just another stupid napoleonic-esque complex that people have to get over. It's like every Westerner referring to "Onterrible", until you ask if they've been there. "Of course not! It's terrible."

I love Canada; all of it. That is the only correct answer.

[edger]

I love Canada; all of it. That is the only correct answer.

My thoughts exactly!!

We're about as fortunate as it gets...

[MarcO]

If you say "hello" to someone as they pass by, they pretend not to notice. Of course, I then walk along with them and say, "Well, there is no real reason you have to reply. I mean, it is merely a matter of politeness and upbringing, and I suppose that if you are a rude person, there's no need..." and eventually these people slink away like the wimps they are.

Call me a wimp if ya like, but if you did that to me I'd think you're a fucking nut and pick up the pace.

Of course, I'm from Hamilton where if someone did that, they'd most likely also stab me for crack change so...........

[StoneMtn]

If a person walks within a foot of another and says "hello", and that other person thinks they're nuts for that, then society is beyond hope.

Where I recently lived, if I say "hi" to someone as they pass, they often also say "hi", or perhaps "hey". Call me nuts.

Edited September 12, 2006 by Guest

[jonyak]

and that is why I hate toronto.

[Im going home Donny]

If a person walks within a foot of another and says "hello", and that other person thinks they're nuts for that, then society is beyond hope.

Where I recently lived, if I say "hi" to someone as they pass, they often also say "hi", or perhaps "hey". Call me nuts.

clearly you're mad as a hatter.

gebus...I bet you even make eye contact!

[ollie]

People here seem very afraid. If you say "hello" to someone as they pass by, they pretend not to notice. Of course, I then walk along with them and say, "Well, there is no real reason you have to reply. I mean, it is merely a matter of politeness and upbringing, and I suppose that if you are a rude person, there's no need..." and eventually these people slink away like the wimps they are.

Ya see, in my experience that sounds like Ottawa and is one of my biggest complainst about this city. I find the people of Toronto more gregarious by comparison and easier to talk to on the street.

[Im going home Donny]

Not Snottawa.

[timouse]

this is one of my pet peeves about larger cities.

i have lived in small(er) towns for lots of the last 10 years, and when i walk around town, i will say hello to people, and even make eye contact with them. they tend to at very least acknowledge my existence and mumble hello back.

in any major centre i've visited, they pick up the pace and ignore me...

i've treied the same thing while waiting in lines an all sorts of places...as a rule, the smaller the town, the more likely i am to strike up a successful and often entertaining conversation.

my theory is that as population increases, a sense of general urban panic increases exponentially.

[StoneMtn]

I haven't been to Ottawa in a long time (apart from about a day I spent at Velvet's two years ago), so I don't really know.

I think it's more of a symptom of living in any city, than being in Toronto. People in Vancouver are similar (but different, if that makes sense). I also have now already stopped saying anything to anyone unnecessarily, although I would still reply if someone spoke to me. Maybe I'll soon stop doing that, too.

Oh, and I am nuts; by the way, so MarcO and huli got that part right, but that is a subject requiring a whole other thread.

[AdamH]

Of the places I have lived:

Guelph - Great city, nice seedy underbelly to keep things interesting and edgy. Hard to see myself there post-university but if I was going to raise a family I would be more than happy to move back there

Ottawa - an underbelly paved with government classifications, ugly white people, unnecessary consumption but to its credit lots of greenery and access to the fun and exciting world of Gatineau.

Sometimes I think everything is so safe, pristine and perfect here that it's kind of imperfect.

Toronto - After being away from it since leaving after high school I miss it. But when I graduated high school I was happy to leave.

Victoria - Beautiful, breathtaking...boring

Windsor - Definitely the worst (in every respect) city I've ever lived in anywhere

Halifax - never lived there, really liked it but could only do it for a few years

Kitchener - Garbage

Barrie - Meh

Milton - Oh lord this is probably the most uninteresting place to live afer Windsor

There's no consistency in the argument except when some people are cityfolk vs. rural.

[Im going home Donny]

Sometimes I really like the annominity that can truely be experianced within a larger city. Like it lots! Not allways but often enough.

I remember my last year in Nelson I began pretty much only taking back allies to get from point A to B without having to stop 10 times inbetween for small talk.

Depends I guess.

[bokonon]

I find Toronto people to be friendly enough. Maybe you're just scary. People strike up conversations with me all the time when I'm there. In stores, on the subway and even just on the street. It's just like anywhere, some people are scared and some people are friendly.

[StoneMtn]

I find Toronto people to be friendly enough. Maybe you're just scary.

It's true. I am.

[Birdy]

People here seem very afraid. If you say "hello" to someone as they pass by, they pretend not to notice. Of course, I then walk along with them and say, "Well, there is no real reason you have to reply. I mean, it is merely a matter of politeness and upbringing, and I suppose that if you are a rude person, there's no need..." and eventually these people slink away like the wimps they are.

a friend and i once bought a big bottle of wine and sat on a storefront step on commercial drive in vancouver and proceeded to get loaded. it was all part of our plan to say hi to every person that walked by us on the street and to see what their reaction was. most people looked utterly confused, but still said hi. some people ignored us and kept walking, some people ignored us, shot us a dirty look and kept walking. two people actually stopped and had full on conversations. one guy stopped and talked to us for twenty minutes. he had just lost his job, lost his girlfriend and lost his apartment. after talking to him, we packed up our stuff, went home and passed out.

i think the world needs more people like you stonemtn. keep saying hi to people on the street. that should be considered normal behaviour.

[AdamH]

People here seem very afraid. If you say "hello" to someone as they pass by' date=' they pretend not to notice. Of course, I then walk along with them and say, "Well, there is no real reason you have to reply. I mean, it is merely a matter of politeness and upbringing, and I suppose that if you are a rude person, there's no need..." and eventually these people slink away like the wimps they are.[/quote']

a friend and i once bought a big bottle of wine and sat on a storefront step on commercial drive in vancouver and proceeded to get loaded. it was all part of our plan to say hi to every person that walked by us on the street and to see what their reaction was. most people looked utterly confused, but still said hi. some people ignored us and kept walking, some people ignored us, shot us a dirty look and kept walking. two people actually stopped and had full on conversations. one guy stopped and talked to us for twenty minutes. he had just lost his job, lost his girlfriend and lost his apartment. after talking to him, we packed up our stuff, went home and passed out.

i think the world needs more people like you stonemtn. keep saying hi to people on the street. that should be considered normal behaviour.

Interesting methodology. According to your study very few people strike up conversations with drunks on stoops. interesting and conclusive.

[jonyak]

I hate ottawa as well.

full of snotty rich people. and a few good people. the moment I make enough money I'mmoveing to the woods.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

a friend and i once bought a big bottle of wine and sat on a storefront step on commercial drive in vancouver and proceeded to get loaded. it was all part of our plan to say hi to every person that walked by us on the street and to see what their reaction was. most people looked utterly confused, but still said hi. some people ignored us and kept walking, some people ignored us, shot us a dirty look and kept walking. two people actually stopped and had full on conversations. one guy stopped and talked to us for twenty minutes. he had just lost his job, lost his girlfriend and lost his apartment. after talking to him, we packed up our stuff, went home and passed out.

i think the world needs more people like you stonemtn. keep saying hi to people on the street. that should be considered normal behaviour.

I heard that the Chatham municiple electoral process based on this technique

[phishtaper]

keep saying hi to people on the street. that should be considered normal behaviour.

in Geneva, just smiling or laughing in public is considered abnormal. they'd lock you up for actually saying hi. :crazy:

fwiw, I like toronto.

[Birdy]

People here seem very afraid. If you say "hello" to someone as they pass by' date=' they pretend not to notice. Of course, I then walk along with them and say, "Well, there is no real reason you have to reply. I mean, it is merely a matter of politeness and upbringing, and I suppose that if you are a rude person, there's no need..." and eventually these people slink away like the wimps they are.[/quote']

a friend and i once bought a big bottle of wine and sat on a storefront step on commercial drive in vancouver and proceeded to get loaded. it was all part of our plan to say hi to every person that walked by us on the street and to see what their reaction was. most people looked utterly confused, but still said hi. some people ignored us and kept walking, some people ignored us, shot us a dirty look and kept walking. two people actually stopped and had full on conversations. one guy stopped and talked to us for twenty minutes. he had just lost his job, lost his girlfriend and lost his apartment. after talking to him, we packed up our stuff, went home and passed out.

i think the world needs more people like you stonemtn. keep saying hi to people on the street. that should be considered normal behaviour.

Interesting methodology. According to your study very few people strike up conversations with drunks on stoops. interesting and conclusive.

haha.. i think it's important to draw the distinction here between a drunk, and being drunk.

[MarcO]

thank you Steph.

[dimafleck: the living legend.]

there is no need to saying hello to a random person passing you on the street.

this isn't a small town where you all know each other and say hello.

i go to a community centre to work out and everyone knows each other's face there...and we have conversations....young old, etc....its like a small town within a city....

and saying hello to everyone for no good reason is a pain in the ass. i stopped doing it.

i've had lots of great conversations with store owners, people sitting on patios etc.....somtimes, if i notice something on some one walking by, i'll stop and ask, and they'll have a conversation with me.

but just saying "hello" as you walk by some one...makes no sense to me.

[FunkyBeats]

I think the ignoring the hellos thing is more likely because usually when a stranger says hello to you in Toronto or other large cities it's followed by can I have some change ect. (especially when they look like a dirty hippie). The best way to deal with this is to ignore and pick up the pace. It's nothing personal...

[MarcO]

ya know, say what you want, but I really don't want to walk down the street and have to acknowlegdge people as they just randomly pass by. I want to be left alone. If I know you, I'll happily stop and say hello. If I almost bump into you, I'll smile and apologize. If you ask me for change, I'll say "sorry" and keep going. If you need the time, or directions, feel free to ask. If it's just you and I at a bus stop, I'll nod to acknowledge your presence. But I don't really want to feel that my walk down the street has to be in any way social. Leave me alone to be with my thoughts.

Just being honest.