Are New Yorkers really rude?

Are New Yorkers really rude seemed to be the number one question I got when I went home for Christmas. Here's my explanation for New Yorkers and their sometimes rudeness. Imagine the mall on Saturdays. It's not the ideal time to go, but it's not that bad. This is what it's like in New York in the normal areas. Sure there are a lot of people around, but you can walk down the sidewalk. Now imagine the mall at Christmas. It's unbearable. Typically the heat is up too high for that many people in one place. There are families with children running all over the place, tripping you up. You feel like you can't walk without touching someone else, and it just starts to grate on your nerves. This is what it's like in tourist areas in New York, which is where the average traveler encounters the rude New Yorkers. We get agitated being around that many people. It's not your fault, but you walk too slow and get in our way. You stop in the middle of the sidewalk to wait for your friend and in effect four people end up getting bumped into because of the abrupt stop. We definitely appreciate the tourism dollars you bring to the city, trust me. However, being around you in a situation like that makes people grumpy. So please excuse the rudeness. It's nothing personal. Just remember that while you only have to deal with a crowded mall at Christmas time, we have the tourist areas all year long.