Talking to Strangers?
 

Do you speak to people you don't know?? i.e. walking down the street and say "hey" to someone you pass? I was talking to my fraternity brother about this and he said while he was in Houston it was considered offensive if you didn't speak to people.

I say hi to people in my apartment building and at work, but I wouldn't feel obligated to acknowledge a stranger if we just passed on the street. I don't have a problem talking to strangers though if we're standing in line together or something of that nature.

HELLLLLLLLLL NO!

I wish I could though....sometimes (like if I see an attractive guy) :( If someone speaks first, I'll speak back, of course.

I'm not too crazy about strangers talking to me either, unless I'm at a party or in class or at church. But, out in the streets, no.

Yes, I say hello or something to acknowledge their existence.

Depends.


Guys in Detroit are a little to friendly sometimes. But yeah, I do occasionally smile or say hi.

Re: Talking to Strangers?
 

I think this is kind of a Southern thing. We used to go camping/canoeing every year in southern Missouri (Current River, for those who are familiar)...and when we were riding the bus up the river, the bus driver, every year would ALWAYS wave at every car he passed. This one driver cracked me up because he had this one-finger, hands never left the wheel wave-thing. And I've noticed in the few days I've been here, (although there are A LOT of Yankees here) people tend to do this more in Charlotte, NC then they did in Peoria, IL where I'm originally from.

it is most definitely a southern thing. Nothing wrong with saying hi or acknowledging that someone is there.. I'm from Houston so I'm used to it. It's not like you are expected to hold a conversation with those people.

Re: Re: Talking to Strangers?
 

I live in the north and I do it! ;) I guess that is because I have been that way all my life....I will talk to anyone at anytime, anywhere!! haha I guess it is my nature! My mom always tells me that back as far as kindergarten she would have to stop me from talking to "strangers" at the grocery store all the time! haha

It's not only a southern thing, I've noticed that three other subgroups of people are also more likely to speak to stangers.

ETA: I just remembered, it's actually three subgroups. The irony is that I'm in two of those three and I'm still very reserved.

If random eye contact is made, I speak.

When I was at the club last weekend though, this random guy gave me a handshake. Now THAT threw me off.

I attempt to make casual eye contact w/ every person I pass whether its on the street, at work, the mall, etc. If I make eye contact w/ the person I'll say hello & if I know them a little better I might ask how they are doing. Regardless of whether I get the chance to say anything I always smile @ people I pass.

I don't know if it's a southern thing. I wouldn't call Oklahoma a proper southern state. However, if you're on an elevator, it's not uncommon to have a brief conversation with the people on it.

If I'm walking down the street, I won't say hello to the passerbys.
When I walk by someone at my apartment complex or in my office building, I'll say hello. I'll say smile at the people that I pass by in the aisle of the grocery store.
I've been known to conversate with people while waiting in line at a store.

This may be a dumb question, but coming from a place where this would be a little weird, what would you think of to talk about? The weather? I'm really curious. It makes me nervous when random people start talking to me, or even making eye contact. Everyone just ignores everyone else in Boston. But when people do start talking to me, I'm so thrown off, that I don't know what to say.

Oh, just any perceived thing in common. If I'm at the courthouse and it's a jury trial day, I'll strike up a conversation with one of the random jurors. If I'm at the county clerk and in the elevator, we might just talk about the weather or something to do with the county. Or if they (or I) have something unusual in their hands, say I'm bringing flowers to a judge that's sick (which was the case last week) someone might ask me about it. Mostly just random chatter.

Sometimes it happens and sometimes not.

If I'm waiting in a really long line at the store or something maybe - but just saying "hello" or nodding at everyone you pass on the street? That's odd to me. Maybe when I was in college but not now.

When someone looks over at me and I see them I will smile and say hi. My step dad is a talker though. Anywhere we go he wont just say hi hell start conversations with some people. Ive always said hi though. Someone people will look at you like your a wierdo if you do that in some places.

Ive ended up in long convos with people I dont know while in lines all over the US. Its nice to talk to people.

In the south where my family is from if you dont talk to people when they talk to you they get upset. People in NC talk to everyone, no matter if they know them or not. I like that though.

Sounds like my mother. She'll strike up a conversation with anyone!!

I think in Chicago its mixed. Some people speak and some don't. Just depends on your mood that day.

I dont know if its a New England thing but when I say hi to people I dont know at school or to people in the region people get thrown off. I have a 15 minute walk from my residence hall to the main campus so on the way I pass a good amount of people. Ive come to the conclusion that people at my school dont want to greet each other. Right when they pass you they look at their watch or look away. I they do acknowledge you is more like a nodding of the head. Its rare that someone you dont know will open their mouth and speak to you. My parents, being from the south, raised me to speak to people. So I say hi anyway.

Yup!

I do this. But not all the time. You know that weird, awkward moment when you're walking past someone on the sidewalk and you're both trying to avoid making eye contact but it just seems weird to keep looking down or look the other way? Instead, try giving them a big ol' smile and saying, "Hi!" as you walk by. Somehow it makes you feel better, like you're doing a good deed for the day or something haha.

But I definitely talk to people in lines, on the elevator, etc. I don't know why, it's just what I do. I also wave at anyone who drives past me in the other lane on my road, even if I don't know them. I'm weird, I guess.

Just don't take any candy from them.

Oh, wait, I'm supposed to tell my grand daughter that!

As someone else mentioned, if eye contact is made, I say hi.

Does anyone else keep hearing "Don't Talk to Strangers" by Rick Springfield when they see this thread?

I think it is a New England thing. I can't help but find this creepy, even though I know I shouldn't. I don't know anyone that talks to strangers. Maybe in line at the supermarket if it's super slow, so we can grumble together, but that's about it.

But I haven't really noticed anyone saying hi to me in the South. I just got back from a road trip to FL, and outside of the hellos I got entering Waffle House, no one noticed me.