Urban Survival !!!

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
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This should really go in Wine and Cheese but I figured if I tried to link it with Urban Survival tactics I might be able to pass it off !

I have just taken Maisy for a walk and whenever I pass someone I always say " Good morning " I feel ignorant if I don't ! Anyway two of those I spoke to completely ignored me !!!! Why do people do this ? It's not like I was begging for money or asking a girl if she'd like to see my puppies, I was just saying good morning, would it have been that hard for them to wish me the same !!!!!!
Do you think this is to do with society nowdays or has there always been ignorant jerks ? I seriously think that in this high tech society we now have,people spend so much time sat at their computer ( yeah I know look where I am now ! ), sat at their X-Box, TV etc that they are forgetting how to interact with people in the real world......what do you think ?
 
I too think that it has to do with the society we live in, every time I go to some rural community(one day I'll live in one - I hope), I notice that they seem more friendly. But where I live most people dont understand that concept, all I get as a response is a strange look.

Peter
 
Our society has become so self-centered that we've lost a lot of the politeness that used to exist. I hate it when I'm nice in traffic and allow someone to go ahead of me or whatever and they just act like I owed it to them.

Charlie
 
Maybe in a densely populated area saying "good morning" to every person you walk by could be laryngitis-inducing, but on an isolated trail returning a "good morning" shouldn't be that much of an effort.
 
I think it has to do with population density. I can't even imagine living in a big city and greeting thousands in a day. Here on my little island it would be considered rude not to wave or speak when passing another person. I used to think that urbanites were just inherently rude, but now I realize that they just have different ways. Now when they flee those cities and move out amongst the more rural people, they need to adapt to the new environment and learn how to be friendly, or the locals will think they are arrogant snobs, which they may not actually be.
 
tholiver said:
Maybe in a densely populated area saying "good morning" to every person you walk by could be laryngitis-inducing, but on an isolated trail returning a "good morning" shouldn't be that much of an effort.
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Yeah I should re-word that. I only live in a small community and only say "Hello " or " Good morning " to those that make eye contact with me, if someone is walking by with their head down then I'm not going to bother them !

I guess that is what makes me so mad, they walk towards me looking at me as if they are going to speak so I speak to them and they blank me ! wtf !!!!!!
 
It's funny. I never think about the truth in the phrase "Southern Hospitality" until I leave and go somewhere less hospitable. Sarah's parents live in Ohio and we go there a bunch to see them. Anywhere we are, I'm very polite, hold the door for people, say "bless you" when someone sneezes, and I greet people in passing and such. They act like I'm an alien. They look at me like I've just done a magic trick unlike any they've ever seen. They never say anything back or say "thank you" when I hold the door or anything. Most of it I just brush off. Not saying "thank you" when I hold the door on the other hand, I can't take. That has been the fuel for more swearing and fight starting than anything else in my life. I don't know why, but when someone doesn't say "thank you" for my holding the door, THAT IS IT! I instantly go from "Southern Hospitality" to "Crazy Redneck Appointer of Near-Fatal Asswhippins!"
 
Were you wearing your Tracker?:D


I hate when peple do that. When I lived in NYC it was normal not to say hello to anyone walking by; due to how many people. But now that I live in a small town, I always extend such curtosies and most of the time get them in return.
 
Pitdog, thats nothing new, people in vancouver do that daily (Ignore a greeting). They look at you all panicked like and walk faster, the women clutch thier purse and hurry past you, head down, all defensive like.

The "urban" environment is often called "community", but i find it rarely is. In a community normal people talk to each other, greet each other. In today's society the sheeple have been conditioned byt he media and society to think that everyone is a danger.
 
Dylside said:
It's funny. I never think about the truth in the phrase "Southern Hospitality" until I leave and go somewhere less hospitable. Sarah's parents live in Ohio and we go there a bunch to see them. Anywhere we are, I'm very polite, hold the door for people, say "bless you" when someone sneezes, and I greet people in passing and such. They act like I'm an alien. They look at me like I've just done a magic trick unlike any they've ever seen. They never say anything back or say "thank you" when I hold the door or anything. Most of it I just brush off. Not saying "thank you" when I hold the door on the other hand, I can't take. That has been the fuel for more swearing and fight starting than anything else in my life. I don't know why, but when someone doesn't say "thank you" for my holding the door, THAT IS IT! I instantly go from "Southern Hospitality" to "Crazy Redneck Appointer of Near-Fatal Asswhippins!"
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Wow lol! That is me also haha. I come from a small town up north where everyone is kind and polite. I now live in Toronto but my small town politeness never left, except when like you others don't thank me for door holding lol I freak out and swear etc haha..
They never say anything back or say "thank you" when I hold the door or anything. Most of it I just brush off. Not saying "thank you" when I hold the door on the other hand, I can't take. That has been the fuel for more swearing and fight starting than anything else in my life. I don't know why, but when someone doesn't say "thank you" for my holding the door, THAT IS IT!
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Lol thanks man made my day I thought I was the only one..
 
That's strange behaviour, all right.

99% of the time, people return the level of friendliness or politeness I put out. And I live in a much bigger city, pretty close by!

I get the odd person who doesn't react or who gets annoyed by the intrusion, but it is very rare. Most people are pleased to have someone reach out to them.

I think that other than that 1% of people that don't have the time for it or anyone else, it's all in the approach. If you are putting out a friendly vibe, people pick up on that. If you have issues, they pick up on that too. The overwhelming majority of people I am friendly to are just as friendly right back.
 
Try saying "yes/no ma'am" someone in New England. They'll freak. I swear.
 
You should come to Finland, Pit. Over here, if you ever said "good morning" to anyone you're not at least married with, they're going to give you the evil eye and maybe try to kick your ass. ;) :D We're just a bunch of rude MF's over here, but that's Finnish culture for you. :D

Alright, yeah, I'm exaggerating a "little." But it's true that we're a quiet folk in some respects, and don't always bother with greeting people, especially people we don't know. In the cities, it's of course far more pronounced.

So, over here, that is nothing new. Of course, in small places where everyone knows everyone, greetings are commonly given and answered. But in larger places? Pretty much never. In some other countries, perhaps it's the sign of the times. But over here, it's always been like this.
 
pitdog said:
I only live in a small community and only say "Hello " or " Good morning " to those that make eye contact with me
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Man ... making eye contact in New York City can basically lead to a brawl :p

Just kidding !
 
Bushman5 said:
Pitdog, thats nothing new, people in vancouver do that daily (Ignore a greeting). They look at you all panicked like and walk faster, the women clutch thier purse and hurry past you, head down, all defensive like.

The "urban" environment is often called "community", but i find it rarely is. In a community normal people talk to each other, greet each other. In today's society the sheeple have been conditioned byt he media and society to think that everyone is a danger.
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Not just the media, a lot of "survival/self defense" experts advise the same thing.
I watched a British program there a while back on how to avoid dangers in urban situations.
It consisted of "Do this don't do that. If you do this this bad thing will happen" (cue re-enactment of relevant urban violence horror-story).
The thing is in a densely populated area there will be more people who are looking to mess you up simply because there are more people.
But really there are nasty people everywhere . A lot of serial killers seem to live in rural areas.

Honestly I don't worship big cities or small towns, both have their pros and cons.
 
Hey,Pit,were these people from Bulgaria ? :D :D :D
Bulgaria is a rude country!
If you say hello to someone it's very likely to get no response.If you make too much "eye contact" someone may actually kick your butt ! :D :D :D
That's in the towns.In the vilages people are bit more friendly,but that doesn't mean they're not pretty rude :D
The folks who live in the mountain regions are compleatly different - :thumbup: - they're very very very friendly ! ;)
But most of the people from the big towns are complete a$$holes !
I'm not saying there are no good people here - they are,but for a country with a population around 7 million people,there are too many idiots here...
Welcome to Bulgaria ! :D
 
Elen said:
Alright, yeah, I'm exaggerating a "little." But it's true that we're a quiet folk in some respects, and don't always bother with greeting people, especially people we don't know. In the cities, it's of course far more pronounced.

.
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The Swedes are the same way. No one ackwoledges anyone unless they have a direct question.

Took time for me to get adjusted to when I was there.


To answer Pits question.

I really hope it as just a couple rude people. However in todays world you could just about do everything you need to do over the internet. I do believe that interaction with people isn't as necessary as it once was. Pretty sad.
 
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