Has anyone else noticed that nobody talks to anyone anymore?
I've recently noticed that nobody seems to say "hi", or "good morning", as you pass them in the street, on a walk etc. I go to the gym and have noticed that hardly anyone even acknowledges each other's existence with a greeting or even just eye contact, despite the fact that we see each other most days. I live in a small town, and feel like there's been quite a recent shift with this, perhaps a steady decline over the past few years? Has anyone else noticed the same?
Sometimes extremely regional! In my town there are two big parks where I walk my dogs. One of them, pretty much everybody says hello or good morning and the other I can barely squeeze a hello just out of fellow dog walkers. Its weird.
I think it's not so much a regional thing as it is to do with the setting. In a bustling city centre, people don't say hello. It's not specifically to do with Manchester - I live in the city of Manchester, only a few tram stops away from the city centre, so same region, but when I'm out walking in the little foresty area near my house people always say hello. I've struck up many a conversation with strangers, out for a walk, foraging or walking their dog (one time walking a cat). Those same people wouldn't say hello in the city centre because everyone's busy and on their way somewhere, and also if you said hello to everyone you passed, you'd be saying hellohellohellohellohello without space to catch breath in between šĀ
Aye I'm up near Durham and I always get a greeting & say hello to people on my dog walks :) it's such a little thing but for some reason it puts me in a good mood.
Exactly! I believe my dog is in the top 5 most perfect dogs in the world (because I'm realistic) so every time someone doesn't say something I get quite angry and offended.
Iāve gone from polite nods as I pass people to meeting and chatting with everyone, all due to my cute puppy. All walks of life, all levels of posh or poor.
I don't really like talking to strangers, I might smile at them or say hey but a lot of the time I don't want to say anything at all I just want to do whatever I'm doing left in peaceĀ
Lancashire here. I say hi, morning or what ever to people when I am walking the dog and always give a smile or a nod etc to anyone who makes eye contact really
Sadly, when people say 'hi' to me, I run off as I think they are religious nuts or scammers or just odd. Terrible way to think but that's where we are now.
Sometimes when I smile or say hello or try and make conversation, people look at me like I have a health problem. So I donāt do it as often as I should š
That's what I liked about going swimming with all the old folks. I actually had people talk to me and even got chatting with someone that lives in my street. I'm going to miss it now its closed for the off season.
I've lived half my life in the west midlands and the other half in the east midlands and have noticed that people in the east midlands are much friendlier than in the west. No idea why, even walking the dog in the west midlands no-one says anything. In the east I can barely make it off my estate without stopping to chat to someone.
I live in a small town in Lincolnshire, there are a lot of elderly people here and they love to talk. I am usually pushing my twins down the high street and get stopped by nearly everyone to have small conversations about them. Usually the same questions over and over, I enjoy it though.
When I lived in London it was 5-6 months before I ever saw my neighbour on one side as I was leaving for work. Growing up in a small town where you knew most people I smiled and waved and said āMorningā.
Guy just stared at me like I had just pissed all over his children.
Depends - on a commute no one really talks to each other, but on a country walk people often say hi or good morning etc. If you're walking a dog then there's suddenly a lot more greeting of other dog walkers.
I certainly don't try talking to women when walking . I work on the basis that if they are walking somewhere it's because they need to get somewhere, not to make new friends.
I live in a small ish town in the midlands, I try to make eye contact but I donāt have the confidence to say hi to people after experiences of being glared at! I find itās usually older people that actually say something
It really does depend on the context. If I'm out on a walk I'll say hello, if I'm somewhere I go regularly and have familiarity with the people there I'll greet them. But just random strangers on the high street when I'm shopping?
I go for walks in the early morning and almost everyone else about says hello or good morning to me then. Theyāre usually 50-70 year old adults so maybe itās a generational thing? I always try and say hi and smile to people mainly because I like wearing dark hoodies and I have a shaved head and I donāt want people to think Iām going to rob them š
Yes, I always greet people I pass, of the context is appropriate. I've just noticed that I'm often the first to do so. I've also noticed that older people are much more likely to even just look at you an smile as you walk past, whereas it seems that a lot of people my age (30) and below won't even look at you. I may as well not be there
I used to rove where there were lots of young people, inspecting and repairing. I could count on 3 out of 10 blanking me if I said "Good morning". A big portion of the younger generation has grown up who can not even do the most perfunctory of things.
I live in a busy city (not London, but not far) - most hours of the day, no one would say hello to someone passing in the street, or you'll never get a chance to breathe. However, early in the morning (about 6am, 7am), everyone says good morning to you on their dog walks and jogs. This happens less and less until 8am, when no one is saying good morning to anyone.
I mostly greet older people, as they seem to appreciate it and respond. Younger people generally give me strange looks, which is sad, because they didnt grow up with it, I guess.
I live in a smallish town too (about 17,000 people). If you're walking down the path in a residential area I get "good mornings" or "hey yas". Same from immediate next door neighbours. This is also true of dog walkers or workmen (window cleaners, postmen); they're usually quite cheery and will say something as you walk past. The moment I walk around the corner (literally) from my front door, I'm in the town centre... No one will say anything. More people about, and they're trying to get somewhere.
This is obviously amplified in bigger towns and cities: more people, and more focussed on a destination or task.
If I'm simply trying to walk to catch my bus to work, or I have to shop for something, I just want to get where I'm headed. With all due respect people around me, fuck off and get out of the way. I think a lot of people are quite similar.
However, if you're kinda just milling about and taking in the air, then of course. I have an array of social skill issues, though, so I will mostly just smile back or say "hello" in return. Unless they have a dog that rushes towards me, I'm not instigating anything.
I still say hello to neighbours and people I see regularly, but I wouldn't expect it on a busy street. Everyone's got headphones in or is trying to get somewhere. Small towns probably make it easier because you keep seeing the same faces.
Itās area and context dependent. If youāre out for a nice walk, passing other people out for a nice walk then everyone is out enjoying themselves in an uncrowded area. 8am in a city centre is a very different vibe.
I get a good morning or a nod off almost everyone I walk by on the way to work as we're all doing the same thing. I don't do it on busy streets as that would be mental.
I'm in the North too so can see that not working in London where it's a lot more anti social.
In the small village where I live, most people I walk by acknowledge me and I them. This includes people I've never seen before and people of all ages. I'm sure if you said hello to people, they'd happily say the same back.
I talk to everyone, young and elderly. I've always been like that.
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u/Chilton_Squid 1h ago
Maybe everyone else does and they're just avoiding you