One thing that I’m still adjusting to over here is the friendliness and attentiveness of the service over here. Maybe this will change in New York, but so far it’s been pretty good. People seem to really want to go the extra mile to help you. When you walk into a shop, they’ll always say hi. I guess a lot of it is to do with the tipping culture, but usually it doesn’t feel like they’re only doing is so you’ll pay them more.
It’s quite a difference from the UK, where getting service from people requires skillful manipulation or clear and obvious signs of wealth. It is a bit odd sometimes when people want to help you with things you’re pretty capable of doing yourself, like picking your size off a rack of clothes.
But the first prize, the championship cup, must go to the toll collector we passed on the bridge near the US-Canada border at Niagara Falls. In a stark comparison to the situation we’d seen so far, where any odd request you might have was quickly pounced upon as an opportunity to help, this guy was not going to let his job get between him and a good read.
I pulled up to the booth and wound the window down. The guy was reading a newspaper. After a few seconds, he was still reading the newspaper. A few more seconds inspection revealed that, yes, he was still reading the newspaper. After some careful consideration, he turned to his left to address us… silently. I handed him the money, which he took… silently. The change came back, and despite his continued muteness, I couldn’t stop myself from saying “thank you”. I really wish I hadn’t, because like a British Palace guard, he kept his iron strong demeanour and simply turned away.
Daph and I were just watching a poker tournament on tv. Maybe we’ll see this guy on the next episode. I think he’d be an ace hand.
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