[FoxPro]

I just thought everybody needs to here some good stuff once in a while.

[pnz1]

Can’t tell you why other than it’s just the way we were raised?

[dragnet2]

To be honest, the manager sounds like a deranged jackball.

[re_nortex]

I just thought everybody needs to here some good stuff once in a while.

Thanks for the great, uplifting, positive thread! I'll just add that Deep South was on the vanguard of the Conservative resurgence begun by Barry Goldwater in 1964:

In your heart, you know he's right!

I campaigned for Richard Nixon in 1960 but was just under voting age. My first vote ever cast, enthusiastically, was for Senator AuH20 in 1964. If the rest of America has followed the lead of the Deep South almost 50 years, we'd sure be in a lot better shape now.

And on a lighter note, how about some music from Phil Harris? That's What I Like About The South.

...and for for BBQ near Huntspatch, AL, try Greenbrier. It was the place back when I lived there eons ago and I hope it's as good now as it was then.

[WVNan]

It is so great when folks go South for the first time and learn why it’s the greatest place on earth to live. Thank you for the nice compliment for my “home” state. I love WV, but I sure do miss sweet home Ala sometimes.

[TexasBarak]

Here in Texas, a few years ago I was doing physical therapy. My therapist was chatting with her intern (both were from other states, the intern more recently arrived). They were discussing what it was like for them living in Texas- after a bit, the therapist says “So- have you gotten used to people opening doors for you yet?”. I could not have been more shocked!

[who knows what evil?]

When my wife and I first moved to Tennessee; we had a flat tire in the Tri-Cities area...a teen-age boy and girl pulled up behind us and asked if they could help. I declined, as I was nearly done changing the tire, so I thanked them and they went on their way. My wife wasn’t used to that level of courtesy, as she was from Red Hampshire, where some teens would just as soon rob you or slit your throat.

[jespasinthru]

I think the gracious attitude of Southerners may have something to do with population density. In the congested urban areas people are defensive, rude and aggressive. A “law of the jungle” attitude. In the South where you have much more room and far fewer strangers encroaching on your personal space, you tend to be mellower and more considerate.

[billhilly]

Having grown up in the mid south we decided to return in retirement. We settled on Desoto County, Ms just south of Memphis. Some of my first impressions were in our neighborhood Krogers. Where we had lived in the east there seemed to be open hostility and a total lack of manners between the races. There at Kroger is where the first impressions occured to us. There were several pretty young cashiers named Ashley, Tiffany or Debbie and similar southern lady names. They were uniformly friendly and helpful. They were also black.

I was not unaware of the history of this region, having been here through the exodus of blacks from the south going north, and their reasons for doing so. Now many have returned to their roots, as have many poor white southerners. The south is still a gracious place to live and to visit.

[daniel1212]

I remember a cheerful Christian women telling me that when she come from California in the 80’s to a city north of Boston MA, people looked at her as strange when she smiled at them and wished them a good day.

But while i have no doubt people are more friendly in the Bible belt type places, Miami Beach was the worst, and one time in a northern suburb of Boston i had a similar occurrence as you describe here.

The wife of a poor friend of ours ran over a curb and crushed and put a hole in the front of the oil pan. The garaged wanted about 400 to fix it which he did not have.

So we went to a small hardware store and as i was looking at a small piece of rubber tubing to screw a lag bolt through, the manager/owner came by and helped. Looking around for what size i needed and knowing they sell the tubing by the foot i wondered how much it would cost, and he just said, “try me.” Having settled upon what i thought would work, he just gave it to me.

I cleaned the dented section of the oil pan with dish detergent and then alcohol, let it dry and then screwed the bolt through the tube and into the hole so that it mushroomed out and sealed the hole, and then i smothered it with JB weld. It held for a long time (i forget if he ever got it fixed) although the owner said there was a smaller leak that needed more JB Weld.

But it was that small impromptu act of kindness that sticks in my memory, and set that man and store above the chain stores in this regard.

[Arrowhead1952]

When I went to basic training at Ft. Dix in 1972, I had the hardest time calling the Drill Sargent “SGT” when talking to them. I would call every one “Sir”, and they took offense to that. The only SGT I never had trouble with was a black SGT from Taylor Tx, which was less than 50 miles from my hometown. It's just a way of life here. Ya’ll may find our accent a little hard to understand, but just learn to deal with that.

[CatherineofAragon]

I live in a little rural village in central Virginia, just outside of Lynchburg. Up until fairly recently, this was a super-friendly area...the kind of place where people always smiled at each other and struck up conversations with strangers.

But since people began flooding down here from the northeastern cities, there’s been a definite change. Now, it’s amazing how often a smile will be rewarded with a scowl. Virginia natives don’t understand people like that....nor do we really want to.

[justa-hairyape]

Have encountered the same situation in Texas. There is a good explanation for what causes the situation. Progressive anti-business attitudes. In liberal la la land, businesses are viewed as being the enemy. The customer does every thing they can to rip the business off and the business responds in kind. In Texas, the Deep South and any other normal areas where people are not insane, people respect businesses and businesses respect people.

[Hoodat]

People in Decatur are just as nice.

Roll Tide

[Future Snake Eater]

Since when is Huntsville, AL, the “Deep South”?

[bmwcyle]

It is simple. They are taught manners by their mother.

[MayflowerMadam]

Yeah; you’re right. We were in culture shock after moving to eastern Tennessee from southern California — especially my husband who is from SoCal. They’re sincerely kind and respectful. I chalk it up to the fact that we’re in the “buckle of the Bible Belt”, and when Christians behave the way they should, they’re kind and loving.

While researching possible locations for retirement, on www.City-Data.com I found a thread about eastern TN. A couple was considering buying a home in a subdivision. In order to show the area to friends later the couple set up a tripod with a camera near an intersection. They expected police to show up in a short amount of time, as would happen in California when neighbors noticed the filming. Instead, people came out of their houses to say hello. They were offered cookies, got three invitations to dinner, and three invitations for church the next day.