New York people aren't rude, just focused

I just got back from a trip to NYC to meet with a potential client, see my best friend, and to show a first timer around. It's a unique city for one that's never been there before. I remember being in "The City" (as it's referred to by everyone within 200 miles) for the first time and thinking I've never seen so many people crammed into such little spaces. It has a sardine effect on you. People are everywhere. I lived in NYC during the week for almost 2 years. I got to see how the city breathes. I saw how people act differently in different parts of the city. It was during this time I discovered people aren't rude in NYC, they just don't see you as a person. 

To the average NYC person on the street, people are faceless obstacles that are either irrelevant or preventing you from getting to your destination.

Think of it as an obstacle course. You don't say hi to the rope wall before you climb it or wait for the tires before you step through them. You quickly asses ways around (or through) them in order to reach your goal as quick as possible. To a NYC commuter, the goal is the 5:10 express train back home. And no offense, but he's getting on that 5:10 whether you're in the way or not. Because the next express is at 5:40. And who wants to wait in a crowded, hot train station for 30 min because some part of the obstacle course decided to choose a new ipod track while on the stairs. Right, no one.

With 67,000 people EACH square mile, you don't have time to say hi to everyone around you. If you tried to say excuse me to everyone you bumped into, the daily walk to the train station would sound like, "excusemeexcusemeexcusemeexcusemeexcuseme" until someone finally yelled for you to shut the fuck up.

So if you're ever in the city and wonder why no one even looks at you, it's nothing personal. Imagine the tv, radio, itunes, and youtube all playing at the same time while you're trying to read a passage from Dostoevsky. You get overwhelmed and block out everything else. It's not rudeness, it's focus.