The People in Portland Are Ridiculously Nice

Maybe it's because I've spent most of my life in Los Angeles -- the me-centric capital of the world -- but there's something about the way people interact in Portland that makes a transplant feel awkwardly unkind. A few examples on a list that undoubtedly will grow with time:

• Imagine a portrait of a stereotypical bus driver: gruff, annoyed, persistently unhappy and unforgiving. Then hop on a bus to the largest city in Oregon, where the caricature takes a wild turn. One afternoon at a major intersection in southeast Portland, a bus driver who had made a normal stop to pick up and drop off riders began pulling away from the curb for the green light. Just then, a young pedestrian darted toward the bus in a parallel crosswalk, hoping to catch it before its departure. In other cities, he would have waited for the next bus and blamed himself for being late. Not here. Here, the bus driver, instead of zooming into the distance, drove through the intersection, pulled toward the curb -- blocking a lane of traffic in the process -- and opened the front door as the young man raced back across the crosswalk to board. Just like that. It wasn't even sunny out.

• The gas station cashier doesn't just give you directions to a tricky freeway on-ramp. No, he walks around the counter and takes you outside, pointing precisely and smiling all the way. Like it was his job or something. Plus, the guys who fill your tank -- self-service gas pumping is illegal in Oregon -- are also friendly. They should all consider moving to L.A. -- they'd make great tips.

• Homeless people aren't exactly known for their friendliness. Written off as lazy misfits or unavoidable byproducts of metropolitan life, they are often greeted by pedestrians with uncomfortable neglect -- if not scorn. Adding to the list of sweeping generalizations ... Portland seems different when it comes to this dynamic. Although the issue persists in Portland, so too does the city's apparently undying warmth (figuratively speaking, of course). The homeless people offer "Hello" and "Good afternoon," even initiating pleasant conversation. Oh, and in some cases, good luck finding the Cup o' Change.

 Stop being so nice, Portland!