New Jersey: Unfriendly? I Don’t Buy It

A study by Big 7 Travel, out that ranked New Jersey the 46th friendliest state in the country. I was outraged.

Listen, New Jersey has its faults, and whatever you do don’t cut in front of a driver on a merge or go too slow in the left passing lane.

According to the study,  they stated that the tourists, or should I say non-New Jersey residents who come to New Jersey believe the crap moniker that New Jersey is not a friendly place to go and that they will end up in a oil barrel and stored in the swamps of the Garden State. I digress.

Man talking on phone while driving car

They come with that proverbial chip on their shoulder before they get a chance to enjoy the people of New Jersey. This survey was taken by tourists and not a compilation of residents of New Jersey.

New Jersey may not be #1 in friendliness, But I Know the People of the Garden State
There was a study recently that ranked New Jersey 46th among the friendliest states in the country. Forty-sixth! I was outraged.

Listen, I know New Jersey has its faults. We’re not perfect. And whatever you do, don’t cut in front of a New Jersey driver when lanes are merging, and whatever you do, don’t drive too slowly in the left lane. That’s not going to end well. But unfriendly? I don’t buy it.

I have seen the best in New Jersey

Over the years, I have made hundreds of appearances all across this great state. From Mahwah to Cape May, and everywhere in between, I have had the opportunity to meet thousands of New Jerseyans, and I’ve seen something very different from what this study suggests.

I’ve seen people who are kind. People who are generous. People who will stop and help someone they don’t even know. And, most importantly, I’ve seen an incredible amount of compassion for people who are struggling or less fortunate.

A lot of my experiences have come through the many charity appearances I’ve been fortunate enough to make during my 30 years at NJ 101.5. The charities and organizations

I’ve been involved with have raised more than $70 million, and that doesn’t happen because New Jerseyans are unfriendly. It happens because people care.

Think about that for a minute.

When you see a New Jersey crowd come together to help a child, a family, a veteran, someone battling an illness or someone who simply needs a helping hand, you see a completely different side of the Garden State.

Now, according to the Big 7 Travel study, the ranking was based on the opinions of tourists and visitors, not simply the people who actually live here, and I think that matters.

New Jersey has had the same reputation for years. We’re loud. We’re aggressive. We’re always in a hurry. We have an attitude and apparently, according to some people, if you come to New Jersey, there’s a good chance you’ll wind up in an oil barrel somewhere in the Pine Barrens. Okay, calm down, I may be exaggerating. But you get my point.

Some visitors arrive in New Jersey already believing the stereotype.

They may come here expecting the stereotypical “rude New Jerseyan” before they ever meet the people who actually live here, and maybe that colors their experience.

Another study from Zippia has even pointed to New Jersey as having some of the worst tippers in the country. I have to tell you, I haven’t seen much evidence of that when I go out to eat.

Maybe I’m going to the wrong restaurants, or maybe I’m just meeting the right people.
Because after three decades of traveling this state, doing charity events, meeting families, talking to people and seeing New Jerseyans open their hearts and their wallets to help others, I have a very different opinion of the people who live here.

Are we impatient? Absolutely.

Do we have a little attitude? You bet.

Will somebody let you know if you're driving 45 miles an hour in the left lane? Oh, absolutely.

But unfriendly? I’m not buying it.

New Jerseyans may not always smile at you when you walk down the street, but when you really need somebody, I’ll take a New Jerseyan every time.

Because underneath that attitude, that accent, that impatience and that famous Jersey “what are you looking at?” stare...there’s a whole lot of heart in the Garden State.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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