An open letter to visitors to New York City:

We like you. Really, we do. We like you because you help support our economy and that's a pretty good thing. You keep our museums, Broadway shows and other various and sundry attractions open. But there's a few things we'd like you to keep in mind when you visit.

1. Please don't throw your trash on the street. There's a garbage can on nearly every corner in Manhattan.

2. Don't, for the love of God, stop on the stairs coming out of a subway station. You WILL get yelled at, bumped into, et cetera.

3. Don't stop in the middle of the sidewalk for ANY reason other than you may be having a medical emergency. Again, you'll get asked to move to the side, yelled at, bumped into, et cetera.

4. If you get bumped into, don't take it personally. New Yorkers brush by each other on the trains and sidewalks every day. A light bump is nothing. If someone shoulder checks you, then by all means shoulder check them right back.

5. Don't step out into the middle of a street to take a picture of something you find interesting. This is especially true of the main avenues through Manhattan. If you walk out into the middle of Fifth Avenue, you just might deserve to get hit by a taxi.

6. Don't come to New York and spend your entire visit complaining about how expensive it is. You knew ahead of time where you were planning to spend your vacation. The internet is a great way to research what the costs might be in an area before you get there.

7. Don't eat in chain restaurants. I don't understand people who come to a city that has more restaurants than nearly any other place in the United States and are content to eat at McDonalds and Olive Garden. Explore a little around your hotels, for God's sake. I'm sure you'll find a deli that serves a better breakfast than Mickey D's.

8. Use the subways. Seriously, use the subways. Four million of us use them everyday. You'll be able to figure them out. They're a lot less expensive than cabs and are absolutely the fastest way to get uptown and downtown.

9. New Yorkers get a bum rap. We're not rude. We're in a hurry. If you ask for directions, chances are that a New Yorker will tell you which way to go if we can stop for the thirty seconds it will take us to point you in the right direction. If we have to give you the same directions more than twice, we'll walk away from you.

10. The golden rule. Manhattan is for visitors. The outer boroughs are for New Yorkers. There are some exceptions to this, like Yankee Stadium, Bronx Zoo, Citi Field, et cetera. By and large, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island are residential. If you decide to visit the Outer Boroughs, please keep that in mind.

Posted with permission from said Tour Guide