I heart NY. Why don't you?

Whenever I travel anywhere outside my corner of the world a question pops into my head: Am I a New Yorker? This usually happens in quiet reflection after other thoughts like: Why don't you say what you mean? These bagels taste like french bread. Why are you bundled head to toe in 50 degree weather? Learn how to drive, why don't you. You really call that pizza? Next, I wonder if I have any right to these thoughts. Born in Virginia, then lived all over the east coast, raised by nice people from Jersey who've settled down in Alabama, I've been in NY for about a decade. But I've loved my time there. Here, I mean. And let's face it, NY is fucking gorgeous and has it all. Really. Great food, beer, music, schools, drugs, people, everything. OK, starting to sound like a demented travel agent...
Point is, Why do I get funny looks when I walk up to a counter (the place doesn't matter), politely say hello, and say what I need with a please and thank you? The answer is because I didn't chat about the weather, the game, the rodeo, or whatever first and then slowly (ohmygod, SO slowly) get to my point. I'm well aware of the reputation NYers have, but I found they simply don't fuck around. Not rude really, just honest. (btw, hearing "OH! You're from New York! But you don't seem rude..." can make someone rude) How dare I walk into a gas station and ask for a pack of smokes? That's all it takes for the 'you're not from around here' look/question/treatment. One time in a Huddle House in Georgia (Wafflehouse's evil, evil twin) it took about an hour for me and two close friends to place and get our to go order. I ordered off the menu and confused 4 employees, including the manager, by referring to peppers as 'bell' peppers, which, while clearly printed on the menu, was something they had never heard before. My friends sent back their completely wrong orders once, then kept the still totally wrong food they got next because of the amount of time it took. They said that they've never seen me so angry and I'm terrible at getting angry, almost never do it. But I think they were right. Fuck. I guess I'm a New Yorker.