[RWebb]

I also have a counter-example:

I was in this funky alternative grocery 2 dyas ago - my shoelace was untied. I'd just tied it, shoes are new, so I figured "eff it, will fix later." A woman helpfully pointed out that my shoelace was untied - I nodded or something. A few minutes later, I am behind her in the checkout line & she turns around and offers to tie it for me. I thanked her and explained the above. ..thing is from her face & hands, she had to be about 70 yrs. old.

I expect that the size of the town/city and the region of the country determine how nice or how polite people are.

I also agree with Lubey's dual comment above - people in the South are very warm and outgoing (there is even a Louisiana saying about the friendliness and want to know all about you thing) - BUT yankees are always perturbed when they discover it is just a sort of front - people are sincerely friendly but they'll still knife you in the back like everybody else (but sweetly!).

Of course, that cannot apply to his home state of Texas since it is a Western state, not a Southern state.