Well we didn't make it to the World cup and we are not really making to the top anywhere else either but never mind, we have made it to the top of the list of the rudest people in the world. Reader's Digest did a survey in 35 cities and found Mumbai to be the rudest. The three things they observed were
If people say “Thank You”
If people help a total stranger
If people hold doors open for others.

I read about in the paper and then I saw it on TV. I don't know why but we are very reactive. The entire city was engaged in proving how we are not the rudest city, how there are other cities that are even more rude than Bombay. There were features in papers where reporters were going out to find out if people will do the three things mentioned above like opening door, helping them collect the papers after the accidentally drop them on the street and will they say Thank you. There were articles explaining why we are as rude as we are, blaming everyone from the weather to BMC.

I was watching this news item and told Mira that this is completely crap. “I don't believe one word of what they say, it is not true at all.” I explained how it is not true about holding door open for someone. “See when I open a door, a lot of people will not wait for me to pass, they will rush past me so willingly or unwillingly, I am keeping the door open for others.” Then I tried to explain how people on street are more helpful than in any other country. “I am sure you will remember that whenever we are going anywhere, there are a lot of people at every intersection trying to help us with everything from peanuts to face tissues, from umbrellas to books and magazines.” Mira realised that I am upto my favorite pastime-trashing Mumbai and got busy with Manu.

We are rude, leave aside holding a door open for anyone, we don't even allow people to come out of elevators before we get in but I guess we are not any more rude or polite than a lot of other places. I came to Bombay three years ago and was shocked by what I saw but there are good and bad people in every city and as far as saying Thank you is concerned, I remember an instance in a pub close to an Indian restaurant I used to work in Melbourne. The boys from the restaurant would go to buy booze from him almost everyday and they knew each other quite well. One day I accompanied one of the boy from the restaurant when he asked for beer, the owner of the pub said "You Indians never say please or thank you."

We all have our own parameter and we measure things with those parameters, an English speaking person rightly says that we don't say please and thank you often enough and a Hindi speaking person rightly says that English speakers don't respect elders there is only “you” to address the other person and no “Aap” to show respect like in Hindi.