Although I'm shy, I am friendly. When I bike or walk, I always verbally greet or nod to acknowledge the person coming my way, whether I know them or not. On a recent trip to the bay area, I took a ride on a bike path in Lafayette, California. It's an affluent area on the far east side, and there were lots of people out. I did my normal, nod, or nod and greet, or just greet, to the people I passed, and I remembered, from the last time I rode my bike on that same bike path, that people weren't so friendly. Some people would respond, but in a kind of sullen, not happy at being forced to do this
kind of a way. Others just ignored me or looked away. It hurt my feelings. I felt intrusive, like a large Labrador puppy that won't stay out of your space. As my ride came to an end, I found myself tight lipped, not greeting, nodding, or greeting and nodding anymore.
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ReplyDeleteHere in Boston it is the same way. No one greets anyone. Ever. When I am out west in Tucson it is a whole different story! Everyone says good morning or what a lovely day etc. When in Rome I guess......
ReplyDeleteWe live in the country. The greeting when driving by a stranger is to lift ones hand or even just one finger from the steering wheel.
ReplyDeleteWhen the approaching driver doesn't respond it seems threatening and unfriendly. I wonder if the show of an open hand comes from
showing "no weapon"? Your work always makes me respond.
There's a cartoon I saw years ago: the image shows two people passing each other face to face, one of them with a speech bubble coming out of his mouth & also a thought bubble over his head. In the first version of the image, labeled California, the person's speech bubble says "how you doing?" while the thought bubble says "f*** you." In the second version, the speech bubble says, "f*** u" & the thought bubble says "how ya doin'?" That version is labeled New York. Maybe you were passing a bunch of former New Yorkers.
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