If you live in an area that a lot of tourists visit, you can probably tell the difference between a local and a tourist.

If you thought it looked like tourists needed directions, would you approach them and offer to help, or would you mind your own business?

In today’s story, one woman approaches some tourists visiting New York, and although she thinks she’s being friendly and helpful, her boyfriend is convinced she was rude and insulting.

Let’s read the story to decide who is right.

AITA for being embarrassed that my girlfriend called tourists “country bumpkins” and condescended to them?

I live in NYC with my girlfriend.

Last Saturday we had nice weather so just decided to stroll around Central Park.

We saw this family of tourists, two parents and two small kids, looking around.

You can always tell the tourists.

He was confused about his girlfriend’s reaction to the tourists.

My girlfriend suddenly went like “Awww, look at those adorable country bumpkins!”

I was like, huh? Country bumpkins? I guess I could tell they were from the South based on their accent.

My girlfriend proclaimed they looked “lost” and we should help them.

She was very condescending.

Before I could say anything she was over by them and leaned down to the kids and said something like “Well if these aren’t the two cutest country bumpkins in the city!”

The parents looked at her like she was nuts, and so did I.

Then she said to them all “I bet you’ve never seen buildings this big or seen so many people in one place, huh?”

They were actually from another big city.

I could tell the parents looked offended and the father said they were from Atlanta.

Then my girlfriend said in a pleasant tone “So what are you hayseeds looking to do? Do you want any tips? Are you lost?”

I was astonished.

The parents basically gathered up the children and started walking away.

His girlfriend had no idea what she did wrong.

My girlfriend looked confused.

I was like, why did you just insult these strangers?

Then she looked at me confused. She asked what I meant.

I was like you literally called them country bumpkins and hayseeds.

She really thinks she was being nice.

She said those are “friendly terms of endearment. It would be like if they called me a city slicker. It’s friendly.”

Since then we have kept arguing about it.

She insists she was being friendly. She truly thinks “country bumpkin” and “hayseed” are friendly terms.

I thought it was rude. Like maybe that’s a sarcastic friendly insult to a close friend you have that kind of rapport with, but strangers?

He’s wondering if she’s right.

I said she misrepresented New Yorkers and she said “Yeah by being too nice?”

She is so sure of herself and says it with such confidence I am starting to question it myself.

His girlfriend is so wrong. Those are insults and not terms of endearment. She definitely made New Yorkers look bad.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

These are definitely insults.

This is a funny question!

This is a good point!

Here’s the perspective of someone who lives in Dallas.

The girlfriend might be the hayseed.

She sounds clueless!

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.