Nicest people in the country (nicer - only in NYC)

One of the hallmarks of the Boston people is, of course, concern for others.

For example, many nice people would let their kids get completely soaked in the splash fountain near playground (very nice on a hot day), and then go on a swing or a slide right in those soaked clothes, thus leaving the swing (or the slide) completely wet. This way, you see, they do a big favor to other (dry) kids, who want to escape the heat by wetting their bottoms, but are too shy to actually go to the fountain themselves. People who are extra nice also give their kids buckets or similar containers so they can actually bring water from the fountain and pour it down the slide, thus making it a water slide.

It is also widely accepted to take other kid's toys without asking. This is called "commonwealth" - as in "all wealth is common". (One must note, though, that taking adult toys in a similar fashion is not considered OK for some reason)

Other considerate (to animals) people think it's OK to walk their dog (and yes - let it pee) right on the playground lawns and structures, despite a very clear sign that reads "No dogs, please" and has a nice picture of a cute doggy crossed with a red line (apparently, for those who are illiterate, yet manage to own a dog). One must give them a credit, though: most dog owners at least take care to do their despicable deed at night, when there are no kids around. But still there are a few others, who don't bother to check for kids first.

(A side note: I'm not even complaining about off-leash dogs. At this point, I would be happy if that was the only problem)
(And another side note: on the rare occasions when I make the fatal mistake of asking the dog owner to obey the law, I usually get a useful advice that I should go and have a sexual intercourse with myself)

But enough about playgrounds. After all, nice people can be found all over Boston, not just around kids.

One of such great places is, of course, the subway. Many people are helpful enough to provide reading material to their fellow subway riders. The material is provided in the form of free newspapers lying here and there on the seats. And when a newspaper has been read enough times, it will not be wasted: instead, it will be carefully put on the train floor in order to help other passengers wipe their feet. And when it finally turns into a dirty mess from all the foot wiping... Well, it just continues to lie there on the floor - it doesn't have any other place to go after all, does it?

A funny episode happened with me a few days ago. As I was trying to cross a street with my two kids in a double stroller, I found an unexpected obstacle in the form of a small truck standing right on the crosswalk and blocking it completely. Luckily (or so I thought), the driver was in the truck (probably waiting for someone), so I tapped on his hood and waived my hand, showing him that I would like him to move a bit. The driver stared at me for a few seconds without doing anything, so I walked over to his passenger door, opened it and asked the driver to please move. To that, the driver responded that if he backs up, he's going to hit somebody. When I insisted, arguing that I was unable to cross the street, the driver asked me, quite politely, to "close the fucking door". After a few minutes, another person walked out of a nearby Dunkin Donuts and sat on the passenger seat. The truck backed up a bit and started merging onto the street. When I pointed out to the driver that he is backing up right now, and therefore, as he himself has said just a few minutes ago, is going to hit somebody, I got another response, which was both polite and full of concern for my well being. Quote: "go back to your own country, retard!" And with that, the truck sped away.

While this is one of the most vivid episodes, it is not the only one. In fact, I meet nice people with similar level of concern for my well being probably every other day. While this still beats Moscow (where I was born and grew up) by far, it is a very big step in Moscow's direction compared to Seattle.