Do you smile at strangers in the street?

[EternalFacepalm]

I will smile at strangers in the street, but only if I know them.

Here you go! [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stranger]

I generally don't. Smiling is awkward in general to me, especially to people I've never met.

 

[Dags90]

It's generally considered a bit rude, and prying to make unnecessary eye contact with strangers where I live.

 

[ManInRed]

I never used to smile, guess you could call me stoic, but there was this girl, a stranger at first who would smile, wave, and say hello to me every time we passed by. We didn't remain strangers, and in time I caught her infectious smile. Now I often find myself smiling at strangers.

Then there was the day I got a message informing me that a close family member died. There's was no one around I could talk to about this, and stumble walking home after work. As I was walking down the street, a cute girl passed by me smiled, wave, and said hello. I was in no condition to properly react to this situation, but I return the gesture, and for a belief moment I forget to be sad. For that, words cannot describe what that smile meant to me.

People don't always smile at strangers because they are worried about what their reaction will be, or they scare of being pulled into a social situation, even if it begins and ends with "hello." But in my experience it never hurts to smile. People tend to smile back by instinct, maybe they'll start noticing you, maybe they'll enjoy being smiled at, maybe they need to see a smile. At worse, they'll assume your smiling because you think their hot, but even hot people like to be reminded of it from time to time. They might roll their eyes at you for having the nerve to smile at them or some other gesture of rejection, but this is very rare, and anyone who reacts that way to just a smile is clearly a very unpleasant person you don't want to get to know better anyways.

So I encourage everyone to smile. You never know what it might mean to the other person, but that's what makes it so sweet. And if a cute girl smiles, waves, and says hello to me ?well, who am I to resist?

 

[Burs]

I always smile at people or keep a smile as I generally spend the day, Its polite and it shows everyone else that you enjoy life ^.^

When im running I always say "Good day" to people but that almost always is returned by grunts or just plain ignored.

I don't think they are being impolite. I would almost say interrupting people on the street is impolite.

I've lived in Boston and New York. It's not that the people are inhospitable it's that they have shit to do. With basic body language you can generally tell if someone wants to exchange pleasantries. Otherwise you may just be annoying people :I

I live in a Small rural village with lovely scenery and I run on the country tracks even if its a beutiful day, birds chirping, animals froliking some people cant bring themselves to smile. and that for some reason bothers me ^.^

 

[tehfeen83]

I will smile at strangers in the street, but only if I know them.

Here you go! [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stranger]

I generally don't. Smiling is awkward in general to me, especially to people I've never met.

Wow, thanks for the lesson! Here's one for you.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/joke

 

[Mo-shi]

Yes, because I'm Canadian, and it's the polite thing to do.

Although I am from Vancouver ... I'd like to say that all the true fans are very sorry, and that we'll be picking up the mess of people who just started a riot 'for the lulz'. I'm so very sad with my city right now.

 

[Sixcess]

No I don't.

Also, people who make 'friendly' comments to glum looking strangers like "cheer up, it can't be that bad" should Mind Their Own Fucking Business.

I had someone say this to me once and the reason I was looking like that was because I was thinking about my Dad, who was terminally ill in hospital at the time. Having some random fuckwit spouting platitudes in my face did not improve my day.

 

[gazumped]

Smiling at strangers can get you stabbed or stalked/raped. >_> *paranoia*

 

[NightlyNews]

I always smile at people or keep a smile as I generally spend the day, Its polite and it shows everyone else that you enjoy life ^.^

When im running I always say "Good day" to people but that almost always is returned by grunts or just plain ignored.

I don't think they are being impolite. I would almost say interrupting people on the street is impolite.

I've lived in Boston and New York. It's not that the people are inhospitable it's that they have shit to do. With basic body language you can generally tell if someone wants to exchange pleasantries. Otherwise you may just be annoying people :I

I live in a Small rural village with lovely scenery and I run on the country tracks even if its a beutiful day, birds chirping, animals froliking some people cant bring themselves to smile. and that for some reason bothers me ^.^

Yea in that situation people may just be being sourpusses

 

[albear]

I smile at them yeah, with the slight head nod, its the kind silent 'good day'

 

[deadxero]

A smile from a stranger can be a small positive in someone's otherwise shitty day. If everyone took a second to share a smile with those the see in passing the world would be a better place.

On the other hand, someone may see you grinning at them and think you're a creeper... so you get cheer someone up or weird them out. All win either way =)

 

[T3hMonk3y]

I will smile at strangers in the street, but only if I know them.

Here you go! [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stranger]

I generally don't. Smiling is awkward in general to me, especially to people I've never met.

Wow, thanks for the lesson! Here's one for you.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/joke

Jokes are meant to be funny........

 

[tharglet]

Depends where I am. If it's a busy place I'm unlikely to acknowledge people, but if I'm wandering down a quiet road and there's someone else, I'll generally nod/smile and maybe say hi as I pass.

 

[SwimmingRock]

No, because people are already afraid of me if I don't smile. Not a joke. Most people will walk as far away from me as possible and the few times I've smiled at strangers walking in my direction, they crossed the street immediately while staring at me with terror in their eyes. Sad thing is I'm actually a rather friendly person. I'm just 6'2" and with shoulders so wide I don't fit through most doorways, so every woman's first reaction is "oh noes, rapist!".

 

[Smooth Operator]

Only if they are little kids and I give them candy and I have a van... but most importantly, this is a joke.

 

[Titan Buttons]

I always smile while walking past others and they always smile back, it's a nice feeling

Spoiler: Everyone should smile :)

 

[Ranorak]

When you are walking down the road and someone you don't know is approaching do you smile? If so, do you tend to get a good response? Have you ever made friends or enemies from this?
My friends mum, for 2 years smiled at this same woman every day on the way to work. After 2 years, the woman asked her to coffee and they became friends. N'yaaaw!
I smile at everybody in the street, I find a slight majority smile or nod back, a lot of people don't and occasionally for some reason they start talking to me or following me :/
Discuss y'all

well, yeah I do.
I also say hello, good afternoon or whatever is appropriate at the moment.
I suspect it has something to do with me being a mail-man during work hours I do this to give a friendly face, I guess the habit stayed outside of work hours as well.
Also, I live in a relatively small town with 18.853 inhabitants, so I am at least slightly familiar with more people.

 

[thylasos]

Egh. Depends on the person. I tend not to make a great deal of eye contact with people I don't know.

And I don't smile on the street at all in Russia. It's just not the done thing.