[bubba]

Terez, on Jan 24 2009, 11:06 PM, said:

Mezla PigDog, on Jan 24 2009, 09:36 PM, said:

Believe me, it isn't nearly as anonymous as you might think. American's seem to love talking to strangers more than any other race in the world.

hehe, I have heard that northerners are rude and don't talk to strangers.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Frookenhauer, on Jan 25 2009, 03:48 PM, said:

I've read somewhere that people in big cities tend to not talk to strangers, something to do with having to cope with being surrounded by too many people, a defense mechanism possibly.

You think that's unique? I couldn't name 10 people that live in my street.

Mind you, behind every friendly face is a cold-blooded motherfucker...

[Terez]

Frookenhauer, on Jan 24 2009, 10:48 PM, said:

I've read somewhere that people in big cities tend to not talk to strangers, something to do with having to cope with being surrounded by too many people, a defense mechanism possibly.

Where I live, it's like required that you make eye contact with everyone you pass, or you're rude. Of course it's uncomfortable to just make strained eye contact but lots of people do it anyway. It of course makes it easier to smile and say something fluffy so a lot of people do that.

I was talking to an exchange student last semester from NL, and she said that was weird, and made her extremely uncomfortable. And it's not anything that anyone has to warn you about...you can just feel people's expectant eyes on you, lol.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Anyone live in the kind of place where you greet passers-by?

[Binder of Demons]

Here in New Zealand people still do acknowledge passers by. And in rural Ireland it probably still hold true. Not so much in the cities anymore.

A funny one in Ireland is people saluting someone driving past them on a country road (it might be as little as a nod of the head or a full on wave). That does confuse tourists.

[bubba]

Ain't_It_Just_, on Jan 25 2009, 06:50 AM, said:

Anyone live in the kind of place where you greet passers-by?

We still do where I live.....

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

People driving pickup trucks do that in Missouri. I still do when I'm home visiting and am driving my truck around, lest I seem rude.

[Urb]

Ain't_It_Just_, on Jan 25 2009, 12:50 PM, said:

Anyone live in the kind of place where you greet passers-by?

I do if I'm out hiking/cross country skiing. It's like: Wow! Another human being. Best say hello and talk about the weather. Some times you even end up having long conversations with them about what their relationship to the local area is. However, I have so many tattoos now, so if I'm walking without my shirt on (which I usually do if I'm out hiking) some people just say hello and move on.

Also, if you run into someone outdoors in the early hours between 4 and 6 am, it's normal to nod or smile or wave or something. Kind of acknowledging how awesome we are for being able to wake up so early, and confirming to eachother that we are not serial killers.

[Yellow]

I was on a plane between Atlanta and Albuquerque once, and listened to the most bizarre and heart-felt conversation ever. Two American guys had a fifteen minute conversation (I shit you not) about whether one of them should go get the first car, thus leaving the other guy and his wife to get the luggage, after which they would all go get the other car, or whether both guys should go get both cars, leaving the wife to get the luggage, at which point they would pick her up.

First guy was convinced it would be quicker to get both cars at once, whereas the second guy didn't think the other guy's wife would be able to pick out his luggage on the conveyer.

"I'm not even so sure that would be faster."

"Oh it's absolutely faster. We do it that way all the time."

They were still discussing it while we were getting off the plane.

After something like 20 hours of waiting in airports, then flying and waiting in airports and flying again, this really did cap off a most bizarre day.

In the UK, I can't help but feel this conversation would have lasted two minutes and involved the following exchange:

"Should one of us get the car, or two of us?"

"Meh, whatever. We'll sort it out later."

I'm not saying all Americans are like the two guys above, but it really did make me realise how different the two countries were (plus, service in America is about ten times better than it is over here).

My views on getting talked at by strangers: If I don't talk you to, get the hint and don't talk to me

This post has been edited by Yellow: 25 January 2009 - 12:44 PM

[Yellow]

Urb, on Jan 25 2009, 12:29 PM, said:

Also, if you run into someone outdoors in the early hours between 4 and 6 am, it's normal to nod or smile or wave or something. Kind of acknowledging how awesome we are for being able to wake up so early, and confirming to eachother that we are not serial killers.

This is true.

[Sparkimus]

For the most part it's pretty friendly down here...for the most part. We've got our fair share off asshats and bad neighborhoods that you don't want to wander into, but you can strike up a conversation with just about anyone.

[Darkwatch]

Urb, on Jan 25 2009, 07:29 AM, said:

Kind of acknowledging how awesome we are for being able to wake up

Or of still being up.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

This may seem off-topic, but anyone do some sort of early morning excercise? Like at 7:00 in the morning in the city there's Tai Chi in Federation Square. Never been but...

[bubba]

LOL

[stone monkey]

There's a weird thing, that doesn't happen so much nowadays, but it used to be that whenever I saw another black person walking towards me on the street, especially when it was someone I'd never seen before and would almost certainly never see again, we'd both find ourselves doing a nod of acknowledgement. It was a sort of minority solidarity thing, I think.

Some of my white friends used to comment on it. They thought it was very strange.

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 26 January 2009 - 06:51 PM

[Mezla PigDog]

Bubba, on Jan 26 2009, 01:35 PM, said:

LOL

Further proof that you are all classless swines!

I always greet old people in the street. I don't really know why. I think because the house that I grew up in had an elderly peoples complex behind it and they would always be very happy to see me trundling through on my way to the shops (I used to have to remind one old dear what day it was every time I went by). Now that (in Manchester) I live in an area inhabited by a lot of Muslim families, I get really funny looks from their old folk when I greet them. I suppose they expect me to mug them and film it on my phone.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

My god...I knew that the Titanic was staged.

Does anyone go one better than giving oldies their seat and engage them in discourse?

[Abyss]

Ain't_It_Just_, on Jan 25 2009, 06:50 AM, said:

Anyone live in the kind of place where you greet passers-by?

The three cities i spend most of my time in, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, and all very different. Montreal can be the friendliest city in the human world if you are in a bar, a park or a public space on a beautiful day. But day-to-day 9-5 there is a very eyes front, get the fnck out of my way' vibe. Ottawa is, generally, insanely friendly. You can find yourself chatting with random strangers at crosswalks while waiting for the light to change. It's also the only city in the world in my experience where drivers in the ordinary course (as opposed to the odd exceptional indvidual) actually stop for each other - by example, youre making a left turn across the oncoming lane and sitting signalling, and someone will stop and wave you through - and exchange a wave on the way past. Toronto is uniformly cold and disconnected most of the time, with the odd exception.

Nothing, however, matches Australia, where men routinely greet each other while at neighboring urinals. This absolutely freaked me out the first few times, but when i eventually returned to civilization Canada i was sort of let down to return to the 'eyes-front, ignore all' approach.

Urb, on Jan 25 2009, 07:29 AM, said:

... if you run into someone outdoors in the early hours between 4 and 6 am, it's normal to nod or smile or wave or something. Kind of acknowledging how awesome insane and/or cylons we are for being able to wake up so early, and confirming to eachother that we are not serial killers human.

edit for accuracy.

Mezla PigDog, on Jan 26 2009, 02:27 PM, said:

... I live in an area inhabited by a lot of Muslim families, I get really funny looks from their old folk when I greet them. I suppose they expect me to mug them and film it on my phone.

True story: was on an elevator with two other suit clad white men, an arab gentleman and his full-blown-mesh-across-the-eyes-burkha clad wife (I assume it was his wife - it could have been a ninja). Anyrate, everyone is getting off on the ground floor. Elevator lands, door open, and we three suited white dudes all do that stand aside to let the lady (or ninja) go first (look, either we're being polite or we just don't want the ninja at our backs - either way its common sense/courtesy). There is this awkward moment where the mesh just stares at us. Husband, takes a step, thinks about, barks something at her (it) and she (it) shuffles out ahead of him. I just found it interesting how three complete strangers extended this woman (ninja) more courtesy (caution) than she had probably ever been given in her life (or we foiled an assassination attempt - tough call).


- Abyss, wears kevlar.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Abyss, on Jan 28 2009, 04:08 AM, said:

Nothing, however, matches Australia, where men routinely greet each other while at neighboring urinals. This absolutely freaked me out the first few times, but when i eventually returned to civilization Canada i was sort of let down to return to the 'eyes-front, ignore all' approach.

You should see us on trams!

[Mezla PigDog]

Could I get deported for suggesting that George Washington had a camel's toe? I have pictorial evidence to back it up!!