Do you say hello to random people on street?

Jesus Wept

Yea I do sometimes and they usually give me a look like wtf is your problem.
It's uplifting. Thanks people.

Eve_Dublin

Back in my hometown I would if it's a quiet street and there's just the 2 of us passing and I would if I'm out hiking or walking in nature (maaaan!). Sometimes people say hello to me here. Happened to me today. It's the done thing to walk into the reception of a doctor, for example and greet everyone with a big "Helllooooo" here.

Dangerous Man

Being from a city I tend not to but when I get all rural I do; as an outsider, I often get that look which means 'that fella's not from around here, what's he doing / who does he know / what's his game?' I just nod, say 'how are you' and go on my way. Invariably people respond the same way.

I suppose the simple, but sometimes powerful fact of human existence is all the more reinforced when you're on a quiet country pathway and you encounter another individual. All of a sudden, someone is there.









































And then you rape them.

skylight1987

Yes i smile and say hello if i am out walking the dog and pass just a few people but if its busy and there is a person passing me every five seconds i limit it to elderly people or people who have a dog with them.I dont smile at anyone in the city center unless i know them .

bernardo mac

Often a friendly nod or salute in the sticks, maybe acknowledging familiarity.Actually knew a fellow whose name was Random

Ficheall

I ended up in the Philippine island of Siquijor last summer, for my sins, and as we were walking along the road one of the days we found that kids would run out from between trees and little shacks to wave at us and shout hello, and the adults driving past on their "trikes" would wave and grin. However, if we waved or said hello first, they just glowered at us and continued on their way in a surly fashion. ****ers.

validusername1

I wouldn't do it first but if somebody did it to me, I'd do it back. It's only really old people that tend to do it to me. It's probably the sort of thing that everyone used to do back in their day or something.

connundrum

I'd always smile or nod at people over the age of 50(ish) depending on whether they look like a decent skin or not.

Down the country I would most of the time.

Stopped waving at everyone who I passed whilst driving back in 2002/3. Celtic Tiger was having none of it.

Agricola

Only in small towns or country areas, the people round them parts usually 'preciate the courtesy..... (went abit Sam Elliot there)

Not in cities or to people of a similar age or younger than me. They would generally rather stab you than give you the time of day.

jazzzzy

I don't know what it is, but tend to find it awkward sometimes when walking on a long stretch of road with no one else around/just traffic, and there's only one person walking towards you in the distance. I tend to fumble for ages over whether I'll nod at them or say hello, or just direct my gaze elsewhere

Odysseus

Yes, especially at bogies as I work with a lot of doggy people, I put my best Ballyfermot voice puff out my chest and say "alright lads"as I walk by

hefferboi

Culleeo wrote: »

I was bored last week driving from Kilkenny to Limerick so I started waving at every car that passed and was counting how many would wave back, childish but good fun at the same time and it passed the journey home.

We always play that game. If there was 3 of us in the car we'd take turns saluting the next car and whoever gets the most salutes back wins.

I like to give an oul nod and a smile if I meet someone older but if they're the same age I just give them a nod and a look that makes me look hard:pac:

I like to have the craic at the atm as well if there's a queue.

Crooked Jack

castletownman wrote: »

Being from the countryside, one of the requisites of driving is that I MUST greet every car I drive past.

Dont forget to flash the lights if the cops are up ahead. It's the code of the country road.

It's important to look people in the eye when they approach you, and smile and say hello if you think they are worth it.
So yes, i do.

crazy cabbage

Out the country i always always say hello. good mannors cost nothing
When i am walking the dog and meat someone else walking theres i generly stop and exchange a few words. I never really thought why i do though. lets the dogs smell eachother or something. i don't know
In the city/town i would only say hello or nod my head if i thought i knew them or i met there gaze

mikemac1

Just elderly people realy

There's a elderly man around here who goes walking every day so I say "good evening" if I meet him

He's probably fitter then I am!

Culleeo

hefferboi wrote: »

We always play that game. If there was 3 of us in the car we'd take turns saluting the next car and whoever gets the most salutes back wins.

The joy of having friends, it sounds like much more fun with 3 people, I play it on my own

Killer_Byrne

I do this every time

Precious flower

I do try. I feel that it's wrong not to make the effort. I hate when people don't say hi or smile back and it leaves you feeling really awkward. I tend to say hello more to women than men and of course old people (I tend to be overly nice to old people:p)!

ynul31f47k6b59

I used to, until the time I was walking home when I lived in town, met two girls coming my way (strangers), smiled at them, and one of them pointed at my 6-months-pregnant belly and went "What the f*ck you smilin' at me for b*tch, you ain't got nothing to be smilin' about"

It looks so ridiculous when it's written down but it freaked me out and made me feel really naive and unnecessarily happy towards strangers so now I don't really bother.

Irish Guitarist

I don't say hello to strangers unless they say hello first. If they seem genuinely friendly I say hello back.

If someone that looks like a bit of a scumbag says hello I usually ignore them. Earlier today I saw about six teenage males and one of them said "well lad". I said nothing and then the others started shouting hello at me. They then started getting abusive and saying they were going to kick the shit out of me.

It could be argued that if I had said hello this wouldn't have happened. However I had a feeling they were scumbags and they proved me right.

charlemont

I'll always say hello to random people if the situation arises.

charlemont

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I don't say hello to strangers unless they say hello first. If they seem genuinely friendly I say hello back.

If someone that looks like a bit of a scumbag says hello I usually ignore them. Earlier today I saw about six teenage males and one of them said "well lad". I said nothing and then the others started shouting hello at me. They then started getting abusive and saying they were going to kick the shit out of me.

It could be argued that if I had said hello this wouldn't have happened. However I had a feeling they were scumbags and they proved me right.

Exactly..In their minds your an ass, if they were really that bad they wouldn't be saying hello they would be bumming fags or moneys from you. So you showed to them that you think they are below you by ignoring the hello, And to some people that's an insult.
If someone says hello you say hello back otherwise your just being ignorant.

Irish Guitarist

charlemont wrote: »

Exactly..In their minds your an ass, if they were really that bad they wouldn't be saying hello they would be bumming fags or moneys from you. So you showed to them that you think they are below you by ignoring the hello, And to some people that's an insult.
If someone says hello you say hello back otherwise your just being ignorant.

Yes, because the type of people that threaten to kick the shit out of someone are really friendly.

littlelulu

jazzzzy wrote: »

I don't know what it is, but tend to find it awkward sometimes when walking on a long stretch of road with no one else around/just traffic, and there's only one person walking towards you in the distance. I tend to fumble for ages over whether I'll nod at them or say hello, or just direct my gaze elsewhere

me too!!

CodyJarrett

If I said hello to people walking round my way, I'd most likely end up on the Six One news.

I remember my uncle (from the sticks) came up to Dublin to visit and it was his first time in Dublin and he started saying hello to people and they were freaked out. He went over to were some kids were playing and started patting their heads and offering them money for sweets .. I put him back on the train before their was torch wielding mob insisting he vacate the area

NIMAN

I do, and even ask them "how's it going".

Seems only to be an Irish thing.

I naturally did it in London a few times and got very strange looks. One guy even slowed down to tell me how his day was going!

Napper Hawkins

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

Yes, because the type of people that threaten to kick the shit out of someone are really friendly.

It doesn't matter really if you percieve them to be scumbags even if they are or not, they're still people and like anyone else, they know when they're being slighted/blanked and will take exception to it like anyone else.

They most likely wouldn't have threatened you if you'd just said hello back.

Growing up in Dublin, you learn fairly quickly that when a little knackhole acknowledges you when he's standing amongst his mates, you keep your head up, acknowledge him as confidently as you can and keep ****ing walking. Scum smell fear and blanking them is the red rag.

You're lucky you didn't get a box, to be honest.

Precious flower

CodyJarrett wrote: »

If I said hello to people walking round my way, I'd most likely end up on the Six One news.

I remember my uncle (from the sticks) came up to Dublin to visit and it was his first time in Dublin and he started saying hello to people and they were freaked out. He went over to were some kids were playing and started patting their heads and offering them money for sweets .. I put him back on the train before their was torch wielding mob insisting he vacate the area

Aw he sounds sweet! I guess it's different in where he's from in that they probably all know each other so it wouldn't be that odd. Where my mum's from, Mullagh, in Clare, you get a wave from every passing car and every person and I just think it's so nice. It's something you can't do to the same extent in towns because you don't know absolutely everyone in that area and as towns get bigger this will continue to happen which is a pity!

rgmmg

I don't say "Hello" but occasionally mouth "F*ck you pal"

CavanCrew

Country people are friendlier, FACT.

CruelCoin

Friendlier yes.

Were you to say hello to everyone you met on a short walk in dublin you'd be hoarse by the time you reached your destination.

In the city, i just have my headphones on and ignore everyone. in the country, where i live, i smile/nod/say hello.

TouchingVirus

CavanCrew wrote: »

Country people are friendlier, FACT.

Cavan people are tightwads, FACT.

You know, while we're all going for the generalisations :pac:

Napper Hawkins

CavanCrew wrote: »

Country people are friendlier, FACT.

Country people have less people in their face 24/7.

CavanCrew

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Cavan people are tightwads, FACT.

You know, while we're all going for the generalisations :pac:

Ehhhh cavan gave the most money to trocaire this year out of all the counties in ireland!!! brrrrrrrrrrrrap

later12

I do it in my local village. If you don't do it, people will probably think you are deliberately snubbing them, especially older people who because they know everything, know your entire life story.

ComfyKnickers

Yea I have to say I would always say hello to someone if they were kinda looking at me, I tend to do it moreso with older people as I think it's a nice thing to do. When I go with the post in the evening, there's a lady down the road who is usually going with her offices post, she's probably in her 40's like myself (though I'd say she's at the higher end ) we tend to pass each other and I used to say hello to her but she would never answer me, she would just look at me! I really find it rude, especially when we pass each other a lot, wouldn't bloody kill her to at least smile. Anyway, I quickly learned to just walk past her, treat like with like!

AnonoBoy

I saw hello to elderly neighbours. It's just being nice and I like to think that it's reassuring for them to know that not all of the younger folk around are trying to rob them, stab them and defecate on their corpose like Crimeline says they are.

AnonoBoy

ComfyKnickers wrote: »

Yea I have to say I would always say hello to someone if they were kinda looking at me, I tend to do it moreso with older people as I think it's a nice thing to do. When I go with the post in the evening, there's a lady down the road who is usually going with her offices post, she's probably in her 40's like myself (though I'd say she's at the higher end ) we tend to pass each other and I used to say hello to her but she would never answer me, she would just look at me! I really find it rude, especially when we pass each other a lot, wouldn't bloody kill her to at least smile. Anyway, I quickly learned to just walk past her, treat like with like!

Maybe she heard you were going around telling everyone she was nearly 50! The cheek! :eek:

MaroonAndGreen

I usually would just say ''hows it goin'' ha..

Scruffles

NIMAN wrote: »

I do, and even ask them "how's it going".

Seems only to be an Irish thing.

I naturally did it in London a few times and got very strange looks. One guy even slowed down to tell me how his day was going!

pffft,england is bigger than one town sonnyjim.:P
have experienced very friendly locals in other southern..ish areas such as croma in norfolk and norwich havent been anywhere else remotely past the north west],plus its a old tradition in "the north",certainly still part and parcel of living in cheshire-people are not afraid to come up to us here when we look and behave vastly different,same with many people in manchester to providing it isnt chavs; only get disabilist abuse off them,anything to project and take away the pain of their own flaws.