walked up to you, said “You’re beautiful” (or some other non-sexual compliment) and then walked away?
Would you take it at face value or assume something worse?
Reason: on the subway today I saw someone that I wanted to say this too (just for the hell of it, and because I thought she was [beautiful]) but didn’t have the nerve.
non-lady throwing in his dos centavos:
For someone who runs with scissors you aren’t all that bold. 
I think I’d find it disturbing… then I’d spend the next few days trying to figure out if I had a stalker. I’d be more amenable to a friendly smile in passing.
Depends.
If you slither up, drooling, and give me a lecherous look while saying this, I may not quite take it as a compliment.
OTOH, if you’re just a regular guy, and you seem to be sincere, I would think it was very sweet. Then again, I’ve never had a guy do this, but I would like to think it would be a nice thing. I would think the key thing would be to walk away. Don’t hang out to see if she says anything. That way you won’t be too threatening, and if she’s really struck by it, she’ll stop you.
Hope you bump into her again.
When it happens to me, I just smile and say thank you.
“Beautiful” seems a bit over the top - and therefore a bit disturbing - coming from a complete stranger. “Very pretty” or “lovely” are a nicer compliment, IMHO.
Even better to add something of a conclusion to your statement, so it’s not so abrupt. For example: “You’re very pretty, and you’ve brightened up my commute this morning. Hope you have a great day.” Smile and leave. Feel good all day. 
Ditto.
It would creep me out.
It would creep me out too, and that’s sad, because I’m sure you had nothing but good intentions, RWS. But (and this is just my experience) I do sometimes feel threatened by random men, and a compliment like that, followed by walking away, would put me on my guard a little bit.
When I used to ride the bus, about once/week, older (usually twice my age or more), homeless men used to say that sort of thing to me while I was waiting for the next bus to come along. And it was nice of them to say it, and I would always reply “Thank you” but it made me very uncomfortable.
Doesn’t happen to me often, but occasionally, a man will compliment me with “You look very pretty” or something of that nature. It’s nice, I guess, but I have an extremely difficult time believing that it could be sincere. (But why would a total random stranger feel the need to lie to me?) It doesn’t necessarily creep me out, but it is sort of uncomfortable.
Not long ago I was standing in the grocery line and this really tall, African American man turned around and asked me how I was doing. I answered and said “Good thanks, and you?” His reply was, “I’d be feeling really good if I felt half as good as you looked.” At first I was a little shocked and he could tell because he asked if he offended me. I said no, smiled and said thank you. It didn’t scare me or anything and actually it’s a compliment I will never forget.
This actually happened to me (sort of) a few weeks ago. I was sitting at the bar with a friend having a drink. A guy came up to me and said something like, “Excuse me, I just wanted to tell you that you are very pretty and have a great smile. You’re looking like you’re having a lot of fun, and I think that’s great. My name is so-and-so.” He stuck out his hand for me to shake.
I was just a little taken aback, but I shook his hand and introduced myself and thanked him. He then said, “Well, I didn’t want to disturb you or interfere, I just wanted you to know that” Of course, I had to tell him I was married, and he graciously made his exit.
Made my whole freakin night, let me tell you!
Strange Women are not beautiful, parts of them are beautiful, or how they did their clothes is
beautiful…unless the guy had a lot to drink, then he might say ‘youre beautiful’, I actually
saw this on the Hamptons.
Well, if a guy came up to me and told me I was beautiful, and left it at that, it would make my day! Because its not something which happens to me all that much sob
Although I do get weird compliments every so often…“Your skin is so white!” “You have such a lovely high-bridged nose!” “You have pretty eyebrows!”
I’d dig it, baby. Totally.
Aww, it would totally make my day… even if it was a bit creepy, I think the pleasure in getting such a nice compliment would cancel out the creepiness.
Hard to say… would depend on the guy, and his voice and manner of speaking, and the way he walked, and whether he looked me in the eye or whether he was obviously looking at various other parts of my anatomy, and whether I felt as if I was looking pretty that day, and what I was wearing, and what he was wearing, and the weather, and, well, lots of variables.
I might be creeped out by it, but then I might also be enormously chuffed.
On reflection, that probably wasn’t much help, was it?
I would think they meant it in a sarcastic way and were trying to be a jerk.
This has never happened to me but it did I think I’d be simultaneously creeped out and pleased. I’d rather it was phrased a bit better - “I just wanted to tell you that I think you’re really pretty” or something like that. Or what that guy said to Monster - I’d be thrilled if someone said that me. But I’d be creeped out by an unadorned “You’re beautiful” because it’s a bit Lounge Lizard - it just sounds insincere and slimy coming from a stranger.
Running With Scissors - I’ve noticed that you seem to think women are an alien species - what with this thread and the one asking if we ever use our breasts to our advantage. We’re really not that different - we just just have different bits and pieces on the outside.