Walking past strangers - Protocol

fryup · 12-07-2011 10:34AM #1

You're out having a walk, walking the dog whatever on a country road or in a park..you approach a stranger walking the other way do you say......

Hello, Hi, How ya, Hows the going or do you nod your head in they're direction or are you one of those cold cards who look straight ahead not registering a look or a word.

what do you do.....

RachaelVO · 12-07-2011 10:36AM

Just smile, say howya doing? and keep going!

stovelid · 12-07-2011 10:36AM

I live in a fairly quiet suburb so would generally say hello to most people who walk by. Wouldn't do it anywhere else though.

tallaghtmick · 12-07-2011 10:37AM

I just nod the head,you know you are no longer a teen scrote and old people have accepted you when they look you in the eye and say hello:D

kfallon · 12-07-2011 10:37AM

Just walk on by, same way when I sit on a bus/train I don't make conversation with somebody I don't know!

Look whos talking · 12-07-2011 10:38AM

Smile at them but walk a little faster

EverEvolving · 12-07-2011 10:38AM

I usually just smile, wait to see what they do and then do the same.

stephen_k · 12-07-2011 10:38AM

Take my hand out of my pockets and ask them if my fingers smell of cheese......

Dermo · 12-07-2011 10:39AM

kfallon wrote: »

I don't make conversation with somebody I don't know!

Forever alone

Frank Black · 12-07-2011 10:40AM

I usually go for the full on embrace and kiss on both cheeks. The I’ll hold their face up close to mine and peer meaningfully into their eyes for a few seconds in silence before continuing on my way.

Essien · 12-07-2011 10:40AM

Strangers are grand. It gets tricky when you're walking by someone who you think you kind of know but you're not sure how well they know you.

Jaysus the awkwardness.

Kev_ps3 · 12-07-2011 10:41AM

Dermo wrote: »

Forever alone

You make conversation with everyone you walk past?!

fryup · 12-07-2011 10:42AM

I think the whole look straight ahead not registering a look or a word thingy is getting more common a sign that we're getting less friendly as a nation.

I mean i just hate it when you say hello to someone and they just walk bye without so much as a nod ggggrrrrr!!

wild_cat · 12-07-2011 10:45AM

Bit of a shock to the system when you return to your local town after living in a large city for a while and every Tom, Dick and Harry is saying Hello as they walk past you on the street. Brought a smile to my face though as I usually walk around with an angry get the feck out of my way head on me.

Dermo · 12-07-2011 10:47AM

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

You make conversation with everyone you walk past?!

No, but I do talk to some people I don't know. I use it as a way of meeting new people and building friendships.

Orando Broom · 12-07-2011 10:50AM

fryup wrote: »

You're out having a walk, walking the dog whatever on a country road or in a park..you approach a stranger walking the other way do you say......

Hello, Hi, How ya, Hows the going or do you nod your head in they're direction or are you one of those cold cards who look straight ahead not registering a look or a word.

what do you do.....

AHOW!!!!!

Or

SQUAW!!!!!!

Alter-Ego · 12-07-2011 10:52AM

*Nod* "How's things?"

WindSock · 12-07-2011 10:54AM

I scream, spray them with mace then run off.

fryup · 12-07-2011 10:55AM

black francis wrote: »

I usually go for the full on embrace and kiss on both cheeks. The I’ll hold their face up close to mine and peer meaningfully into their eyes for a few seconds in silence before continuing on my way.

are you David Norris?

deman · 12-07-2011 11:01AM

This is a very Irish thing. When I first moved here to Finland, I'd often be walking on a small forest path between the shopping centre and where we lived at the time. I'd always say hello or give them a nod like I always did when living in Ireland. The looks that I got from people thinking I was completely away in the head for actually acknowledging that they existed!

Agricola · 12-07-2011 11:06AM

Apart from the country/city thing, it depends on county as well. Some are far more open to it than others. For example, you cant go anywhere in wexford without people saying "howsa goin", while in waterford you might get a nod but more usually get ignored.

I usually see if they're making eye contact on the approach, if not then I just do the same. If they are, then I make this weird closed mouth smile, raise my eyebrows fully and say something slightly incoherent, often inaudibly like "Hower....ello"

the_syco · 12-07-2011 11:16AM

A nod and a how'r'ya/bonjour/hello, how's it going. In Ireland, England, France, and the USA.

In France most people give a response. In England, the same.

The only place I don't do as much whilst walking around the one street on Belfast city (where Auntie Annies and the cinema is located). I get a bad vibe, with people ignoring everyone else. Do it everywhere else (in both sections of the community), and in/near the metal pubs.

Vicxas · 12-07-2011 11:39AM

I nod in places like dublin, in smaller towns i say hi.

prinz · 12-07-2011 11:41AM

Depends where I am. Say hello in some places, not in others depending on the vibe of the area I'm in. Have gotten a few funny looks in Dublin for it, but some places down the country it would be second nature.

jme2010 · 12-07-2011 11:46AM

Dont nod at a junkie. He'll come over and try to get a euro for a hostel.

TouchingVirus · 12-07-2011 12:21PM

Depends on how I'm feeling and what they're doing. For example, if they're walking with the head down and iPod on I'm not going to attempt to do anything to gain their attention. But if they're walking along, make eye contact I might smile, nod, say "Hi", "Hello" or on the very rare occasion "How's it going?". It's just a nice, friendly thing to do

darrcow · 12-07-2011 12:28PM

i say hello then blast um with p*ss

Kojak · 12-07-2011 12:31PM

I just blatently ignore them - I didn't go for a walk so I could start talking to some weirdo.

Seachmall · 12-07-2011 12:37PM

I nod or smile at women, I cup the men's balls.

Teddy455 · 12-07-2011 12:41PM

I say Howya Keeeed!(They usually give me some strange look.) and then take a water balloon out of my ass pocket and chivalrously discard it in to the back of there head and I scatter as quick as possible.

robman60 · 12-07-2011 12:50PM

I always just say "hiya" in a kind of half-hearted way. When I get no reply I wonder if I'm even heard!

Walking past strangers - Protocol

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