Bees are hairy and mostly orange. Honestly, it has never occurred to me that it would be difficult to tell the difference. Yellow jackets and wasps and hornets? Maaaaybe. None of them should ever be mistaken for bees, though, honey or bumble.
No, I don't get that. The difference is pretty obvious.
In Tommy's defence though, and I mean this genuinely, if you live in Manhattan how many bees are you likely to see? I used to see them all the time in the 'burbs but I don't think I've ever seen them downtown, here or in the UK.