Quote:
Originally Posted by Grancey
This is slightly off the topic of manners and more along the lines of behavior. I have a question for you city-dwellers up north. In the south when encountering someone on the sidewalk or in the post office or anywhere it is acceptable and common practice to smile, speak, nod or catch their eye when doing so. A few years ago I went to New York, and I was warned to never look at or even acknowledge the existence of anyone else around me. This seemed extreme, but I went along with it. So if you live in New York are you afraid of other people? Do you live this way or was I totally misinformed? If it is not fear then what is it?
|
First off, if you've been in NYC on a busy day/time of day, you know you see dozens of people a minute. If you were to look them in the eye, share a nod with them, say hi, you would probably lose direction of where you're going.
If you're in a small town, (and this is not just the south) and you pass someone while walking on the sidewalk often enough that you recognize them, of course you acknowledge their presence with a smile/nod, or even say hi. I do this whenever I'm walking my dog, in suburbialand. I see my "neighbors" often enough that I want to be considered a well-raised, polite guy. It can pay off later.