That’s probably just what they’d say; they’re incorrigible.
I agree that it’s just poor social skills. The situation in the OP made me wince. My first thought was, “How DARE you make an assumption about my state of mind when you don’t even know me.” There are so many other ways to be friendly without being an ass. A person with good social skills would be able to make you smile without even mentioning smiling.
God, I got this crap at an Olive Garden once. I had just finished driving 5 hours in the summer heat, and just wanted to stop and eat, and go to a hotel and sleep. Well our server, tried out this sappy, aggressive friendliness on us, and I refused to play along. First she tried to push the wine on us, which is funny because we could have been underage. Her attitude was very irritating all throughout.
Secondly it’s cold outside. Can’t I be left the fuck alone? I want to be sullen. It’s cold and gloomy. Sometimes it’s nice to feel sullen. It’s comforting. If it’s every day then it’s a problem, but every now and again, I think I’m entitled to it.
When introduced to a server, I say, ‘How do you do?’ Most of them get it, and tone it down.
I find professional ‘friendliness’ damned rude. If my interaction with you is professional, I expect [read: want, but have given up hope] you to behave professionally. I do not expect you to use my first name, or an endearment; I do not expect you to use childish terminology for bodily functions; I do not expect us to engage in such bodily function together.
In short, honey, no, ‘we’ are not going to pee, and the only thing saving you from physical assault is my suspicion that the prision guards will show me even less respect than you do.
But, people you see every morning? I think saying ‘hi’ is fine, and I have found most people are comfortable with it. I also take note of new wait staff, and cashiers at places I frequent, and introduce myself to new people at work.
This is the fucking WORST!!! Talk about the kind of crap that follows you around for life. Because of that, and the fact that I probably know everyone from somewhere, I now walk around with a bemused look on my face. It’s not a full-on smile but it stops this kind of comment.