greet passerbys - yes, no, sometimes?

[Judge]

I deflect with humour and dorky movie quotes.

Just don't ask for directions to the Statue of Liberty when in New York City.

 

[Bolletje]

I greet everyone I meet in the streets or at work. First time I see a coworker on a work day, I greet them. When I run into them later that day, I usually just smile at them. Or make a joke if I keep running into them or meet them in an unexpected place. (Note: “Hey we have the same pee schedule!” is apparently not considered normal office banter )

 

[Forest Cat]

The culture where I live is what foreigners call "cold and unfriendly" because we often do not talk to or say hello to strangers. But sometimes I smile and give people a quick "hello", it depends a little on the situation.

 

[Judge]

I greet everyone I meet in the streets or at work. First time I see a coworker on a work day, I greet them. When I run into them later that day, I usually just smile at them. Or make a joke if I keep running into them or meet them in an unexpected place. (Note: “Hey we have the same pee schedule!” is apparently not considered normal office banter )

Someone we know ....yes, that makes a difference to me as well.

Though one time it was intensely awkward to look up, smile and say "Hi" to someone who had been picked for the same jury pool. And of course, the judge noticed it as well, causing us to explain our chance meeting and how and why we knew each other.

But the judge accepted our responses...and as jurors proceeded to convict a defendant of hit and run.

 

[Judge]

The culture where I live is what foreigners call "cold and unfriendly" because we often do not talk to or say hello to strangers. But sometimes I smile and give people a quick "hello", it depends a little on the situation.

My understanding as well. Though it has always bothered me. But in all honesty I think being reserved is a different social dynamic from being cold and unfriendly. Apart from the fact that when I lived in the Seattle area, our neighbors Einar and Hanna were Norwegian immigrants. Some of the nicest neighbors we ever had.

If anything, I prefer to think of such things as "social discipline" which has its place. Maybe that's just my inner autistic self thinking...not really sure. Not to mention growing up in a military household, where social protocols and discipline are both expected and appreciated.

America's #1 Travel "Guru" Rick Steves has discussed this issue. Telling American tourists to cut Scandinavians some slack in getting to know them on their terms and not our own. He's absolutely right.

 

[Forest Cat]

I lived in the Seattle area, our neighbors Einar and Hanna were Norwegian immigrants. Some of the nicest neighbors we ever had.

That's nice. Einar is an interesting name, that's a thousand year old name. The vikings wrote it like this; Æinarr. It's known from runic inscriptions, it means "one warrior". Or "one single warrior".

 

[dragonfire42]

I greet nonverbally, I look at them and smile and nod. I learned to do this early on because too often people don’t hear me when I say hello and would think I was being rude, because I have a soft voice. And it’s just right so people expecting a greeting will notice but it doesn’t draw attention from anyone who wasn’t and doesn’t start conversations.

 

[Callistemon]

Hey @Shaddock, a genuine smile is a nice shorthand acknowledgement of people, it doesn't have to be all verbal and we don't have to greet everyone. Mostly just the people who seem disposed to greet as you approach, and the people we might really like to greet as a "lift-up" etc, and whoever the radar you end up developing with time tells you is a good candidate.

Also you can lift your hand in greeting - that's also a thing on rural roads when you're driving around here and occasionally encountering another car. I personally can (depending on what my radar tells me) sometimes wink or pull a funny face and get a laugh out of a passer-by. Of course, if you do that, you have to be totally non-embarrassed, so maybe that's a more advanced skill, I don't know. But I've not had that go awkward on me since I was in my 20s (when self-confidence, experience and radar weren't that developed yet).

When there's a high density of people, like a crowd/stream of faces I am less likely to interact, unless someone seems inclined or my radar says I should in a particular case.

 

[Callistemon]

Funny this subject suddenly reminded me of one cousin and her mother who would greet me by kissing me on the lips. Another cousin (the one who lives across town) seemed repelled by this practice.

I guess I should mention that both cousins are sisters. Sometimes socialization makes my head spin.

There wasn't an "eeeeek" button or I would have tagged this post with that. Let's just say I personally don't wish to exchange body fluids with anyone but my husband, in any capacity.

Hugs are OK. Body fluids, ecchhh.

 

[Slim Jim]

Drunks/intoxicated types are the worse. Sadly it's an epidemic round here. I nod, I reply, if warranted. Situation dependent. But I mostly stick to myself. Like most people. You just pass by them. If its a very crowded place, then most people might aswell not even exist. Just obstacles to maneuver around.

Spoiler

Body fluid...yeah, germs... situation dependent..... I have paranoid streak. Just eating food, that others bought, makes me have irrational thoughts, that happened today.

we often do not talk to or say hello to strangers.

Maybe it's a European thing. I respond to what's appropriate. When it is necessary.

 

[Fino]

I only greet back, never first.

 

[Slim Jim]

Depends on what state of mind you're in. Context. Is seem to have got less socially inclined over time. I will nod head. But yeah, I'm not going out of my way to initiate interactions with random strangers....

Spoiler

..unless it's a pretty female or something... and my hormones are forcing me to act. ALL of a sudden my social avoidance traits, seem to relent a bit... not that I get anywhere....I usually lose momentum when they mention they have boyfriend..... okay, then I can go back to being aloof..

 

[Forest Cat]

Maybe it's a European thing. I respond to what's appropriate. When it is necessary.

One thing that is a little funny, if you go to a city in Norway, most strangers will not talk to you on the street or the buss or whatever. People keep to themselves in a way.

But there is an exception to this and that is nature. If you meet the same people on a hike in the forest or skiing on a mountain or any place in nature, everyone stops and says hi, how are you doing and bla bla bla bla. Suddenly everyone is super friendly and talks to strangers. I do it too, something weird happens to us in nature. That is a funny phenomenon, nature changes all the rules.

 

[Callistemon]

One thing that is a little funny, if you go to a city in Norway, most strangers will not talk to you on the street or the buss or whatever. People keep to themselves in a way.

But there is an exception to this and that is nature. If you meet the same people on a hike in the forest or skiing on a mountain or any place in nature, everyone stops and says hi, how are you doing and bla bla bla bla. Suddenly everyone is super friendly and talks to strangers. I do it too, something weird happens to us in nature. That is a funny phenomenon, nature changes all the rules.

That's because hikers/nature enthusiasts are generally good people, unless they're also axe murderers!

 

[SusanLR]

It would have to be someone I know very well to give a big Hi to.
People I must interact with in a business setting like a nurse or receptionist, etc.,
get a smile or nod or response as necessary.
Strangers just walking by, no. I'm aware they are there and that's it.
They don't respond to me either. But, I live in a city.

 

[Callistemon]

Drunks/intoxicated types are the worse. Sadly it's an epidemic round here. I nod, I reply, if warranted. Situation dependent. But I mostly stick to myself. Like most people. You just pass by them. If its a very crowded place, then most people might aswell not even exist. Just obstacles to maneuver around.

I got that general impression when I was working in London. I was quite taken aback by people aggressively not looking at each other and actually pushing people off the sidewalk into traffic in the CBD when there were lots of people on the sidewalks. So what I did is to buy an umbrella with a pointy end and start walking with that pointy end about a foot in front of me and facing forwards. It was then easy to make eye contact meaningfully with any would-be shovers of yourself into the traffic, and brandish the pointy umbrella. Problem solved, no more pushing.

 

[Zhantera]

I normally don't. Most of the time if I have to be out in public, I'll either have my headphones on or be on my pretend phone. (I don't have a functional phone, just one without phone service. it acts as an alarm clock and a way to keep people from talking to me lol)

 

[Raggamuffin]

Depends on my mood as to whether or not I'd greet or nod to a stranger. I'd probably do it around 50% of the time.

Ed

 

[Sherlock77]

Quite often, in various ways... For me it's a function of my photography actually

I will use both verbal and non-verbal greetings

 

[Luca]

I will smile and say hi and occasionally wave to people, but usually only if they smile at me first.
I try to minimize the amount of real-world social interaction I have with strangers.