I don’t care to bestow a smile on people that can make those kinds of snap judgements about perfect strangers. And anyway, sometimes I’m not in the mood to give a reacharound to Mr. Smiley Face coming at me from the other way, and I’m a little annoyed by the fact that he’ll get all pouty if I don’t.
DHR
Barcelona standards: one acknowledges people when forced into contact with them (e.g. on an elevator). One greets people who serve him in a shop or a café. One ignores everyone else whom one doesn’t know, and one is ignored by others.
Speaking of Upstate New York, as we were a few posts up, every so often the Reader’s Digest (that scholarly mag! ;)) runs a survey to determine America’s Friendliest City, and the consistent winner has been my hometown – Rochester, New York.
-Melin
Like beatle noted, people do the little say hello to strangers thing here in Houston. It terrifies me. Not because I think they want something, but because I (having lived here my whole life) know what they want. They want me to smile back and say hello. Possibly exchange a few pleasantries. If they’re lucky, they’ve made a new friend. As an incredibly shy and introverted person, the entire prospect makes me want to hide under a table for the rest of my life.
It’s frightening how many crazies think that world is going to end in a few days. All of us smart people know that it’s not ending until next year.
I grew up in a small town near Cincinnati, Ohio. There were few strangers, so there was never any question about greeting anyone. Everyone went to school, church, the doctor’s office or some other place with you, or knew your kids, your grandparents or your parents.
Nearer the city of Cincinnati, however, the “Barcelona” rules more or less applied – you spoke to people you knew, people with whom you were exchanging services or were otherwise forced into close quarters, such as on elevators. In certain situations, such as witnessing an accident or watching a concert or sporting event, one might converse but merely walking through the shopping mall or on the street, it seldom happened. Anybody strange who spoke to you was probably about to solicit money or try to convert you to their religion.
Six months ago, I moved to Dayton. Dayton is a city of approximately a fourth the size of Cincinnati. The first time we went shopping for a garbage can in a home-supplies store, two different people joined us while we scanned the shelves, giving us unsolicited advice regarding the superiority of garbage cans. Since then, I have been given unsolicited advice on toilet paper, feminine products and food in restaurants from total strangers.
Frankly, while it’s nice that people trust each other better here in Dayton, I can’t help but be unnerved when a total stranger is pointing out my oranges for me. I like to choose my own oranges, thank you. So I keep my head down unless I witnessed an accident or have gotten on an elevator. If that hurts your feelings, hey – sorry.
I live in Rural NJ…yeah,I know…“how rural can NJ be?”…well…Warren county is very rural…farm country.I work in Urban NJ…Near the Lincoln tunnel.I notice that at work (in the building) it is standard to do the “eyebrow raise”…or the nod to acknowledge someone you don’t know in a hallway or elevator.Walking the streets outside the building you will get ignored or looked at like you have a third eye for the same acknowledgement.Now…in the town I live in MOST people will smile or say a quick “hi”.The people that don’t are usually originally from the New York city area
Rich “G7SUBS”