The Canadian Myth

There are certain myths that are so common, well-known, and repeated that everyone accepts them as true. Even when there is evidence to the contrary, that are hard lies to kill.

Some examples:

• The tongue map - that there are certain parts of your tongue that taste sweet and other parts that taste salty and others bitter and so on. Not true. All parts of your tongue can taste all flavors, but some parts have higher concentrations of specific types of taste buds.
• Humans only use 10% of our brains - we use all of it. All the time. Every part of your brain is incredibly active. (Maybe I shouldn't speak for you. My brain, active. Your brain? You'll have to let me know.)
• Canadians are very friendly, so much friendlier than Americans - from first hand observation, not true!

Having just returned from Canada, I can tell you that this myth is just that, a myth.

This is not to say that all Canadians are unfriendly. Many of them are delightful, helpful, and welcoming. But there is an appreciable percentage who are not.

Let's start with driving. Ontario drivers are kind of aggressive. They're not New Jersey level aggressive drivers, but they aren't Iowa laid back drivers either. They are comparable to California license plate drivers in Nevada. They will cut you off and think their horns are the best tool for communication. Once we were waiting to make a turn because there was a pedestrian in the crosswalk and the car behind us started honking at us. Dude, you want me to run over the woman with the baby stroller? (I never asked the Candidates if they say stroller or perambulator.)

We didn't find our fellows particularly patient about waiting in lines. (I didn't ask the Canadians if they wait in lines or on lines.) We had a man honk and yell at us about where we parked. So we moved and then he wanted the spot we moved to.

I'm saying that Canadians are just like Americans in this respect, at least Ontarioans are very much like Americans of the East Coast. I wonder if in Alberta and British Columbia they are more like Americans of the Mountain West.

I don't know, that will take further study. I'm just starting that Canadian friendliness is not supported by the existing evidence. So next time some TV show makes a joke about the Canadians being so nice they (fill in the blank) don't you believe it.

It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Which I can taste with my entire tongue.