We're Not So Bad. Over the last few days City Hall has noted that more people came to New York in 2011 than it had previously thought. The mayor made the point again on Sunday in his weekly radio talk. It seems that 50.5 million masochists from foreign countries and other parts of the United States journeyed to our city last year and spent $32 billion. Of course, no one in municipal government or its tourism arm, NYC & Company, referred to those travelers as masochists. That's our word. The reason for using it is that it's hard to figure out what else to call people who flock - in record numbers, no less - to a place newly described by Travel & Leisure magazine as the most ill-mannered city in the United States. If that judgment is valid, it must mean that all those tourists like to be insulted. Each year at this time, Travel & Leisure publishes a poll of its readers" likes and dislikes, an exercise that consists of ranking 35 leading cities in a variety of categories, including the nature of their residents. "New York," the magazine said in a summary of the findings, "ultimately claimed the title of No. 1 rudest city. This was an odd statement. A quick glance showed that the actual survey did not use the word "rude." Readers were asked to rate cities on the basis of how "friendly" their residents were. The difference is great. If someone smiles as he passes you on the street, and you don't react, you may be described as not being friendly. But that's a far cry from being rude. Nonetheless, that "No. 1 rudest" label struck a nerve. On Friday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg reacted to what he called a "misinformed article in one of the magazines that talked about everybody being rude." "When I talk to people who come here, they say exactly the reverse," Mr. Bloomberg said. They're always shocked in terms of how nice New Yorkers are. The mayor's umbrage-taking was understandable. But it must be said that the survey - to the extent one should put stock in it at all - suggests that New Yorkers" assessment of themselves was not much different from that of the tourists. The magazine asked local residents, too, for their judgments. Where visitors ranked New York dead last, No. 35, in terms of friendliness (New Orleans was No. 1), New Yorkers put the city in 32nd place. That's not much better. Both groups agreed that New Yorkers were tops in stylishness and in diversity, that the city was the best for classical music and for theater, that it could hardly be beaten when it came to luxury stores. Rankings ran along parallel lines in many other areas as well. Unfortunately, that included negative traits. New York sank to the bottom when it came to cleanliness, affordability and peace and quiet. It was interesting, however, to see where New Yorkers" self-image and the outlanders" opinions diverged. Apparently, as a people, we're not as attractive as we think. Among the 35 cities, we placed ourselves No. 8 in this regard. Visitors put us much lower, in 17th place. San Juan, P.R. was No. For being intelligent, we said we were No. It's kind of surprising that we didn't think more highly of ourselves. But tourists said: You're not even that good. They pegged us again at No. First place went to Seattle. But it's the "rudest" label that cuts to the quick. Our experience, like the mayor's, is that while New Yorkers may not be the smiliest bunch, they are ready, even eager, to assist a stranger. You may remember an old joke, sanitized in this telling, about the out-of-towner who stops a New Yorker on the street and says, "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the Empire State Building, or should I just go hang myself?" Funny, but far from true. This brings to mind the ultimate encounter that a Queens-born work colleague had a few years ago. He was on Eighth Avenue in the West 40s when an out-of-towner stopped him to ask - no kidding - "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Our colleague sorely wanted to give the classic answer. If you don't know it, go to your room. But he resisted temptation, and told the man to walk up Eighth and turn right at 57th Street. He was the soul of helpfulness when needed, a true New Yorker.