Say Hello in East Dulwich

[jim_the_chin]

i must say this sort of thing sounds completely weird to me. i mean, you're only doing it to the odd person who walks past on the street right? if you did it in ED on a saturday afternoon you'd be carted away.

i say hello when walking in the woods, but thats because there's no-one else around, if you're doing it on the street why not wave at all the people in cars? thats what makes it feel weird, like you're singling people out, whcih weirds other people out.

[TillieTrotter]

Thats sort of the experiment going on Jim. See if it catches on. I really like being smiled at or Hied by strangers and equally like to do the same especially when you do get that WEIRDO response!

[citizenED]

Dear Jim the Chin,

If you read the original post in this thread, you'll realise that I was walking down the non-shopping section of Lordship Lane and it was mid-morning on a Sunday and it was not exactly heaving with people. Once I got to Budgens and there were more people around, then it got more difficult: i agree it could be seen as weird just to be selecting some people to greet and not others. Even whe it is busy I generally try to make eye contact plus welcoming smile and then say hi if i think its a real human being walking past and not some grumpy git/nervous wreck who will simply not make eye contact with someone they don't know.

You say hi to people when walking in the woods. Is this because you have some affinity with a person who is doing what you are doing. This is just an extention of the same thing. Most of East Dulwich is made up of residential streets. When you walk down one you are doing the same as the few other people you meet. Say hi next time. Can'tsee that it is anything other than completely normal behaviour.

citizen

really just an extention of the same thing

[TillieTrotter]

The thing is, if everyone does it, it will become normal behavious. Keep it up, I for one love it!(tu)

[Ko]

Today I said hello to a bin man (or whatever the correct term is - refuse collector??) and he seemed to appreciate it. I also smiled at lots of people and got lots of smiles back.

It is quite easy to say 'Morning' to people while walking the residential streets and people don't really take this the wrong way.

Its much easier to say hello in a park so people could try that first if they are a bit hesitant about trying it out. I often stop to pat people's dogs (as I am a bit of an animal lover) and I often get chatting to people. :))

[peckham_perkster]

Coolio Ko. I make a point of saying hello and 'thanks' to refuse collectors and street cleaners as I think their job is rotten enough, the fact their clearing up our streets should be appreciated. The cleaners always seem to appreciate the response as well.