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another observation
30/10/2008 - 9:47 AM
198 (224)Me again on observing human nature.
I cycle to work. Two or three times each week I see an elderly man walking his dog. We pass on a small bridle way. I've seen him every week throughout the year.
When I go hill walking I'm the sort who always says hello to walkers passing in the opposite direction, so I continue this act of courtesy on my flatland travels - when appropriate. As I pass this man daily I thought it would become an almost natural thing to do. In the early days I said good morning and got no response. I continued nodding, smiling etc each day and repeated this act for a few months and never got a response, most times he would avoid eye contact. Then he started to make eye contact, but still no response and what seemed like almost an aggressive stare. Eventually I gave up. I now find it really unnatural to pass without saying anything and also struggle to avoid eye contact. It all feels wrong.
Back to hill walking. When I was younger everyone said hello to each other.
A few years ago I started notice that more and more walk straight past.
Do I smell? Do I look threatening?...I hope not 
Tags: Ignorant, Threatened
Comments
Elsewhere on the internet is a blog from an elderly gentleman who mentions that every day when walking his dog, a strange man on a bicycle looks at him in a funny way. He says he'd say hello but is worried what it will lead to in this day and age. 
Back to real life, we always say hello to walkers when out in the country. On a busy day in the Lake district it can tire your jaws somewhat. We only stop as we reach the towns... no point in saying hello to someone who can't be bothered to get out onto the hills is there!
I did once said hello to an old guy as I past him on the street, and he called me an effing twa* I was a bit surprised as you can imagine.
Where I live everyone speaks, sometimes it takes an hour to travel a mile
People passing in cars wave.
Tourists in the most part totally ignore me - even when I say 'morning' or 'nice day'.
I've also noticed that, because we live in open space, country people stand farther apart when chatting, townies close up on you.
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