America's Most Chivalrous Cities

In the holiday hustle and bustle, it's easy to see the worst in humanity. Shoppers elbow one another in toy stores over this year's most coveted doll. Everyone moans loudly as they wait in long lines clutching gifts for their loved ones, and someone always gets obnoxiously loud and drunk at the New Years' Eve party.

Thankfully, all this crankiness has a counterpart, since the holidays inspire good behavior as well. Soup kitchens are flooded with volunteers every December, and this year, TheBloggess offered to send 20 needy families gift cards to ease the holiday burden, and was overwhelmed with both requests for donations and offers from people who wanted to help. She matched over $40,000 worth of unwanted gift cards with people who needed them right before Christmas, which goes to show you that people really do care for others.

But do they care more in some cities than others? A recent tongue-in-cheek study by Dockers (yes, the pants) says "Why, yes, they do."

The brand recently set up an informal "chivalry smack-down" between five major cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. They stationed young women and elderly men on high-traffic corners and loaded up their arms with boxes until they were visibly struggling to hold them... and then waited to see who offered to help.

Southerners will be pleased to discover that Atlanta consistently delivered the most chivalrous results, with up to eight people walking by before someone offered to help the struggling shopper. San Francisco was the second most chivalrous city, with up to seventeen people passing the shopper before someone offered to help. Chicago came in a close third, with up to twenty people passing by.

It's hardly "hang around outside" weather in The Windy City right now, so maybe those Chi-towners were just too cold to think clearly, but balmy Los Angeles has no excuse for their fourth place finish. In self-centered LaLaLand, up to a whopping 35 people passed by before someone offered to help. And it probably comes as a surprise to no one that New Yorkers were the worst offenders of the bunch, with an incredible 40 people passing by before someone offered assistance. (We know we have a reputation for being rude, but this is just ridiculous.) Is Chivalry Dead?

So there you have it, ladies. It looks like the recommendations for the charms of Southern gentlemen do hold up after all. If you'd prefer to open your own doors, thank you very much, you may be best suited to a cold-shoulder city like New York or LA. But if you're an old-fashioned romantic, the results are in: you'd better keep your ears perked for that adorable drawl!