Get swifty12/30/2023 It’s baffling but pleasant, like travelling back to the 50s. There is a cul-de-sac near me that seems to have adopted its own universal “hello” convention that runs against the wider community norm. Quieter suburbs or streets may have specific rules. Town centres are like cities, except for parks: larger ones don’t carry the same weight of social obligation as country paths, but smaller ones might don’t get caught out. A smile is inadequate and will send the Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp group wild. Generally, if there are three shops or fewer, or it’s a place where a stranger would be instantly identified, offer a cheery: “Morning!” or similar. I think it’s about 500, but when I raised the topic on Instagram, someone told me “country people do it” in Devizes, England (population: 19,472), while in Marlborough, England (population: 9,129), they don’t clearly, Wiltshire has its own rules. Country footpaths are easy: say hello and add something like: “Lovely day”, or: “Not much further!” I have the manners of a snapping turtle, but even I get huffy if someone breaches this social contract.īelow a certain population threshold, greeting becomes obligatory everywhere. If you are not in a city centre, you need to get granular. Basically, if a stranger has something that instantly makes you want to approach them, then greeting is permitted. This is not an exhaustive list: something like an outrageously excellent coat, a miniature horse or a ferret in a backpack would also qualify. These include the dual dog exemption (if you are both walking dogs, a nod, a smile or a brief vocal greeting is a polite necessity) and the single dog or shoulder parrot exemption (if a passerby is accompanied by one of these, you may greet them effusively). First, are you in a city centre? If so, do not greet unless an exemption applies. In the few seconds before you cross paths with someone, you must ask yourself a series of questions.
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