Discussion » Questions » Human Behavior » How do you relate to passing strangers?
Benedict Arnold

How do you relate to passing strangers?

Make eye contact? Nod? Speak? Ignore them? 
To qualify that, do you live in a city, town, or rural area? 

Posted - March 8, 2017
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Responses


  • 23577
    I usually say hi and make eye contact.
    I live in a city within a rural area but I tend to do the same things wherever I am.
    :)
      March 8, 2017 12:34 PM MST
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  • Me too. Contact is friendly.
      March 8, 2017 12:57 PM MST
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  • I'll make eye contact and sometimes smile. Just depends on the person or persons. I live in a rural area also but I have to go to the Dentist in a bit and I have to be extra nice there!
      March 8, 2017 12:47 PM MST
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  • Ouch! I've never met anybody who enjoyed that particular appointment. 
      March 8, 2017 12:58 PM MST
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  • 7280
    Hey, Didge, would believe The Parallax View was on my "Retro" cable channel yesterday.  (I recorded it.)

    That channel also had one of my most favorite movies:  Three Days of the Condor with Robert Redford. 
      March 8, 2017 1:01 PM MST
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  • Sometimes you get lucky, Tom. Glad you got it. I think I saw Three Days of the Condor but don't remember it. 
      March 8, 2017 3:04 PM MST
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  • 7280
    Depends on the degree of interaction necessary or invited.  Communication involves both a sender and a receiver.  "Give me a ping, Vasili. One ping only, please."

    Some "passing" requires interaction---holding a door, passing closely on a walk, etc.  If the distance is too great, I seldom interact, although I remain aware of a request for contact.

    One of the principles of defensive driving is "Make eye contact."---good advice if you sense another driver has the same intentions as to where to proceed  as you do and at the same time.

    And I dwell in a metropolis.

    And some interesting information if you are interested about that quote from The Hunt for Red October---

    "And while the crew followed his order, they all thought he was crazy. They knew that one ping would tell them only part of the picture, it would take several pings to calculate the distance, speed, and direction of the enemy. Things you need if you want a torpedo to actually hit something.

    So, while it might be fun to sit at the command prompt and ping at one target or another while pretending to be the Russian Captain of movie from the 90's, don't expect to get information you need to attack the problem."

    https://www.pingplotter.com/wisdom/article/continuous-ping.html

    This post was edited by tom jackson at March 8, 2017 5:30 PM MST
      March 8, 2017 1:10 PM MST
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  • Love the idea of the interaction, and the ping! Ain't it remarkable where we can learn important ideas?
      March 8, 2017 3:07 PM MST
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  • Dozy here in Tenino, with its 1700 folk, you typically make eye contact, smile, speak...summers especially convivial, as everyone is out walking the two-block downtown area, or drinking at the one tavern, or getting sanctified in one of our nine churches!
      March 8, 2017 1:14 PM MST
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  • That's a whole lot of churches for such a small congregation. Are they all active?
      March 8, 2017 3:08 PM MST
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  • Oh yes, we are all very much attending, here. One of the churches is brand new, its old one across the street taken over by a newer flock...

    Actually Dozy, I think there are at least ten active churches, because I can think of one dedicated group for sure that simply bought an old house and set up its church there.
    Might be others like that too, so small they don't make it onto the lists or the phone book.
      March 8, 2017 4:17 PM MST
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  • Reminds me of a very old song called Dear Hearts and Gentle People. "They read the good book from Fri till Monday, that's how the weekend goes..."
      March 8, 2017 4:53 PM MST
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  • Ha ha, Dozy part of my interest in this town is just that, prolly as close to them DEAR HEARTS AND GENTLE PEOPLE as you will find at present. Still, there is significant drug crime here now, even occasional homicide.
      March 8, 2017 4:56 PM MST
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  • Homicide in a population of 1800? That's terrible. Drugs are everywhere. There's nowhere safe from them. (And that song is so old I think Bing Crosby recorded it.)
      March 8, 2017 5:07 PM MST
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  • Dozy I even found it! Look how young Bing Crosby is here...April of 1954...

      March 8, 2017 5:31 PM MST
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  • Listening to it as I type. I haven't heard that since it was on the hit parade. I don't think I even thought of it since then until you described Tenino. 
      March 8, 2017 5:32 PM MST
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  • 314
    Rural New Englander here.  If I know you I'll nod ir wave or say Hi.  If I don't...butkiss.
      March 8, 2017 1:54 PM MST
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  • Sounds good to me. Thanks, Sugar.
      March 8, 2017 3:08 PM MST
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  • I'm in a mood... I'm still stuck at passing a stranger lol.... enough said
      March 8, 2017 3:11 PM MST
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  • That sounds almost like social diarrhoea: passing strangers. 
      March 8, 2017 5:27 PM MST
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  • Funny about that :)
      March 8, 2017 5:29 PM MST
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  • 7792
    I don't. I pretty much stay to myself in real life.
      March 8, 2017 5:44 PM MST
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  • Usually smirk and nod.   Sometimes bark or growl at them.
      March 8, 2017 5:57 PM MST
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  • 1128
    Grrrrrr....lol
      March 8, 2017 6:07 PM MST
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