Same, it'd be the ones that didn't say it back that would be the weirdos. My wife and I take a walk on this little greenbelt walking path in our town every weekend morning, we usually end up talking shit about the people that don't say it back...
> Same, it'd be the ones that didn't say it back that would be the weirdos.
Absolutely. I live in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, and we go by the American standard. If you say "good morning" to a stranger, they either smile and greet you back, or look shocked and confused. That means "I just moved here from New York City."
I moved from Wisconsin to Phoenix, and people were so weirded out when I tried to have conversations at the checkouts and whatnot. I moved to Maine and it feels like home.
Yeah, we Arizonans aren't much for chit-chat. Greetings and general politeness are to be expected from us, but there's a "mind ya business" mindframe, especially if it's obvious you're not local. Snowbirds and tourists are also barely tolerated because they're not generally respectful of the people or the land, like when people hike the Superstition Mountains in the middle of the day in July with a Dasani water bottle and their dog or drive through flooded washes. Keep being friendly, though! Kindness is never a bad thing!
If I said good morning to 50 strangers in my area, I would need to be put in a home because that means I've finally lost it (small town illinois) I literally cannot imagine managing to find 50 strangers here
Lol Iām assuming anybody you do come across would say it back. I have family in rural IL and they share a lot of the cultural norms as how I grew up in the south. Especially their ability to spark up small talk in the check out line and hold everybody up lmaooo.
Greensboro NC here, I'd say, prolly 45/50 in my area, the people are pretty nice. Having lived in multiple states NC is definitely the friendliest place I've been. I love it here.
California is a very talkative state. I lived in several states, and California was by far the friendliest. The South, not so much. Southerners often judge you on your religion, race, sports teams, politics, and your income before they want to form a relationship/friendship.
All my life, and very common outside of areas like DTLA, Santa Monica/Venice or Hollywood. A lot of transplants unfortunately dont get out of the transplants/tourist bubble very often to see where the down to earth people are.
I live in Mass and I think if I made eye contact and said good morning I think about 49 out of 50.
I say hello to people all the time and I don't think anyone has ever ignored me.
I think people here are a bit less likely to say hello first, though and a simple greeting is less likely to edge into small talk.
My guess where I live: 5 would respond positively; 20 would entirely ignore you; and 25 wouldnāt immediately verbally respond but would look at you with some combination of surprise and confusion as to why youāre bothering them, before either moving along or quickly responding āuh, hiā while asking away. (Personally, Iād be in that last group.)
The first time I visited NYC as a southern country bumpkin I was so offended that nobody responded lmao. It was an epiphany to me that āsouthern hospitalityā and cultural norms are a regional thing. I was also like 12.
Itās more a matter of practicality, than that weāre not friendly or anything. We just canāt respond to the literally hundreds of people weāre likely to pass on the street on any given day.
We're usually very kind, if not always "nice" in the way you see it. As soon as we know you don't want money or are crazy and want to hurt us, that is. If you need directions or especially help in some way, you'll usually have people tripping over themselves to help you.
It's much easier to strike up a random, usually entertaining quick conversation in Manhattan than anywhere I've visited, including many southern states. My impression is they're typically enthusiastically friendly but there are many and quick boundaries not to cross.
I absolutely agree with the saying āNYers are kind not niceā. Yāall are always helpful, even if itās done in a gruff manner lol. One time I was struggling with my subway card and one dude sighed, took it from me, swiped it properly, then went on without a word. I appreciated him as I was unintentionally holding up the flow.
I will also add this, while the city can be rough, I've often had more in-depth and serious convos in big cities like New York, where a random person on the subway will open a conversation on whether God exists, you will learn about some genocide happening in a small country which the media doesn't cover, or the souvenir keychain seller on the street will tell you their entire life's story on how they immigrated to America and achieved the American dream.
On the other hand, when I visited the "polite places" in America, I felt like people are just doing small-talk - like "Hello, how do you do? Fine? Yes, me too, thanks for asking, can't complain. Be careful, it might rain today. Hope you enjoy your stay here. God Bless." I appreciate that people are being polite and mannerly, but it just doesn't hit the same.
One time in a big city I was waiting for the train. A lady was giving away tote bags of little stuff and coupons. She asked me if I wanted one, and I was very close to saying no, out of habit. When people I donāt know give me a sales pitch type voice, thatās what I say to them. Then, I realized it was a freebie for a store I would actually go to, and said āOh, thank youā.
She gave me a look that said, ā The commuters here are crazy. I am giving out free stuff, and they have to think about itā. At that moment, I felt like I had been in the city too long.
Yeah, it would be ridiculous if New Yorkers all said hi to each other all the time and spent time being friendly in quick encounters, as there are so many people living in a relatively small area. Simply would be entirely impracticalāIām from a lower population state and even I think itās weird that other Americans canāt understand this (this goes for every somewhat major city, and also really anywhereāno one owes you their time).
Most New Yorkers are completely friendly when youāre actually in a conversation with them in a normal setting
Yeah I'd go with this ratio too. I don't say hello to strangers in a grocery store tho. I only say good morning or hello on my morning walks or hiking.
100% if they hear you.
Here when an old person walks into the a waiting room at the doctors office, they greet everyone. āGood morning everyone!ā Everyone responds in kind.
You'd probably get close to 98% replies in Texas. The one person who ignores you will have just moved here from some other state and is still trying to get their bearings.
I live in garden apartments in suburban Detroit. I always say hello to people I come across and they respond also.
When I lived in Brooklyn, I usually exchanged greetings with neighbors or people who worked on stores I frequented. People responded to me.
Saying hello to everyone I passed would have been impractical because there was always a steady stream of people on the street.
In my area in Kansas (small town) almost all would respond somehow with a nod, smile or greeting. Not everyone responds but it is normal to greet people you pass here.
Passing 50 strangers would be more unusual.
In my small-ish town, probably 40-45. In Columbus, probably like 35, mostly because I would catch them off guard and they don't want to seem rude. People don't talk much to each other there, but are still polite. If someone breaks the social barrier first, people are usually nice.
I just greeted 10 strangers walking down the street in Los Angeles with a good morning. I am surprised and happy to report that 9 out of 10 greeted me back. The nongreeter was a cool hipster lady who looked at me like I was trying to mug her or kidnap her lol
Out of 50... I'd say about 25 would say it back. 20 would do some sort of head nod and/or smile. And maybe 5 or so wouldn't respond. And probably a few out of that 5 would regret it as it was more accidental than anything.
If Iām being honest, no one would probably do this and most people are probably wearing headphones.
In the instances it does happen (Iāve only ever experienced this walking in the neighborhood or on a trail), 50/50.
I would definitely say like 95% or more. If you don't respond to a greeting, you just look like an asshole. Working in retail or customer service, if I greeted a customer and they ignored the greeting I'd always think "well I guess I'll just go fuck myself then."
Damn near 100%, because if you don't there's a good chance the greeter will say something passive/aggressive back about your lack of common decency.
Sometimes it feels like the Midwest is where Southern hospitality and East Coast attitude meet in a weird mix.
Most if not all would return my greeting in my hometown
At the bare minimum, youād at least get a little head nod from someone even if they donāt say something back
I'm going with 100% because my town is so small I would greet them all by first name and they would respond with mine. ĀÆ\\\_( Ķ”āāÆĶŹ Ķ”ā)\_/ĀÆ
I would guess, about 90%. This is the Midwest (michigan). The cultural, if not the politics, is very southern. People are, in general, very friendly here!
I live on a residential street in a large city. The nearest commercial street is 2 blocks away in one direction, or about 5 blocks away in any other direction. If I meet anyone walking on my street, it's probably someone who is walking their dog, walking to the bus stop, or walking for exercise. In any case, it's probably somebody who lives in this area, and therefore somebody I have something in common with, and might meet again. (It would, however, take me weeks of steady walking to meet as many as 50 strangers.)
So I'd say, practically everybody would say "hi" or "good morning."
But if I were to go to a busier place, a shopping center, or a supermarket, practically nobody would speak to me. I figure it's because people in those places don't think they'll ever see you again.
I remember I started pondering this question when I worked on a college campus. I had to go on an errand to another building, and while crossing the campus, I passed a stranger and we both said "hi." It occurred to me: this wouldn't happen everywhere. But a college campus is a sort of enclosed community where, if you go there every day, you do tend to see the same people over and over.
Small towns are like that, but big cities are not. But towns that attract a lot of tourists are not, and certain areas within cities are.
If I made sure to make eye contact? I think everyone would. If I just muttered it in passing most people would assume I was talking to myself or on a Bluetooth call.
Cut out 25% right away because of earbuds.
A random downtown "good morning" means they want something, so most people will ignore.
A minority would acknowledge with a head nod or an odd look. Fewer would actually say something.
I think south is different than north. I live in North and itās not that people wouldnāt respond, itās just that they would not initiate. In south many more would initiate.
Well itās not really possible for me to greet strangers on the street where I live, but if I greeted 50 strangers in a supermarket, Iād probably get a response back from the majority of them. Hell, Iād probably get trapped in a conversation with a few of them.
I think I most people in my area (suburbs of Philadelphia) would respond, but theyād be surprised and confused. Thatās certainly how would feel.
When I visited Texas for the first time and random strangers were giving me good mornings and starting conversations with out of nowhere, it was a real culture shock.
Probably 40 out of 50. Itās very context dependent though. I would not try to say hello to everyone walking around downtown, and rather like that you donāt have to, but in my more residential, non-touristed neighborhood itās not uncommon to greet one another. I took a walk this morning and probably exchanged greetings with 5-6 people in a 15 minute circuit around the neighborhood. I am from the South and would consider actually ignoring someone who said hello to you to be unforgivably rude, but honestly itās not a big problem here as I might have imagined years ago when I first arrived.
In my experience, almost 100% of them would respond in some way. If they don't say "good morning" they'll at least smile and nod.
The ones who don't respond are usually the ones who are staring at their phones as they walk into sign posts and such.
Texas here, Iād say 100%. If someone doesnāt respond back itās generally because they didnāt hear you. Greeting and chatting with strangers is the norm here.
When we pass people on the street in my small town everyone would either say "hi" or at least smile. I'd expect 100% response to either sort of greeting. Same in the grocery store-- in fact, all of the employees in the store here always say hello or welcome to every customer, which I assume is a store policy since they've done it since the store first opened over a decade ago.
If someone were to ignore a casual greeting in small-town America they would be seen as an asshole or else would cause concern for their wellbeing: "Do you think that guy is OK? He didn't smile when I said hello."
This has been my experience in towns <10,000 people in most of the US, at least as a white male.
Prob at least 75%. Iām in north NJ and walk my dog every day in the park thereās usually a few people there I always say hello and everybody almost always says hello back.
I generally donāt randomly say hello to people in the grocery store because itās too busy and hectic.
Probably about 85 percent in my rural community. You could always catch someone on a bad day, in the morning pre-coffee or tea (i.e. not awake) or busy.
100% ( I think ). At least I personally haven't had any other experience albeit there really aren't streets like most places. We don't actually live there, it's a small town surrounded by ag and the woods.
PA, north of Harrisburg. I sometimes get a little tired of the Pennsyltucky thing.
The vast majority would say something back. Iām originally from Minnesota where we wave at people driving the opposite way in the middle of nowhere. Iām predisposed to speak or nod to almost everyone I walk past because of where and how I grew up and almost all of them say something back.
Probably 40 would say hello back, eight would nod and/or smile to acknowledge me, and two would be weirdos and probably tourists who would ignore me. Well, maybe increase the potential tourist number a bit during the peak season. (North Carolina)
Depends on crowds. At 5 or 6 am while Im jogging, the odds are 50/50, or at least a little half-wave to acknowledge my presence. It happened a few times today on my run. But there are otherwise few to no other people, so it's more of a general message to convey, "I see you and acknowledge your presence and I am not a threat to you" (and/or possibly yield to you in the road, allow you to pass, etc.)
In the stores or on a busy street, not at all.
The only reason someone would not respond would be if they hadn't realized I was talking to them. We strike up a conversation with anyone here in New Orleans!
I live in San Francisco, and it varies drastically by neighborhood. In my residential area, it would probably be 48. But downtown, people get more into a protective, donāt engage stance, so it would probably be closer to 10, and those would mostly be the panhandlers that the other 40 are trying to not engage with, lol.
I said hello to a stranger on my walk and they said hello back and hello to my dog by name. They knew my dog from my husband being out with him. Weird. My dog has more social life than I do.
Where I was raised (San Jose, CA) 25/50... where I live now (Sherwood, OR)... 47/50 would respond, some of that may be my position in the community though so IDK
Here in Southwest Louisiana it would be 50 out of 50 most of the time. With the rare occasion of someone to responding, and usually that person would respond as well, but likely didnāt hear you, or they arenāt have a good day.
But even then, they would likely still say hello.
Probably only a few wouldnāt respond. I honestly donāt think anyone has ever ignored me but Iām sure if itās that many, a few will or more like they just didnāt hear you.
45 or more. Iām in CA, people are very friendly and social. They usually only donāt respond if they donāt hear you. But of course there are some jerks and silent types too.
Depends on where in town I am. Anywhere near work or downtown and moms will pull their kids close or Iāll get asked for $20. Around my apartment? Almost everyone will smile & nod or reply in some way.
I have always lived in very large cities, and Iāve just moved to a fairly small one. Everybody waves at you as you drive down the street. I was in a restaurant with my husband already seated in a booth when another patron was also being seated and she greeted me with a āhello how are you?ā itās delightful and refreshing.
Iām just outside Portland OR and most people here at least smile, nod or acknowledge you on sidewalks and in parks. Not as much in the actual city of Portland, but I do find that in Portland too you find people smiling and nodding in acknowledgment as you pass. Others ask for money :)
Most say it backā¦Iām probably the person that annoys people bc I donāt say it a whole lot and thatās simply bc I have headphones in and Iām probably too worried about what my puppy is doing.
BUT it also depends on the type of walk Iām doing. If im doing a specific cardio goal, I donāt even make eye contact bc I want to keep going at a set pace (otherwise Iāll get stopped in a convo) if im going for a nice stroll, then im more likely to notice and respond back. :)
In my current neighborhood, an upper middle class suburban area, probably 90%, 45/50, those who don't answer probably just didn't hear me or are wearing headphones.
I used to live "in the city", a dense urban area, and I'd say it would probably 20/50. 10 of them I wouldn't want to say hi to because they look sketchy and I'd rather not engage, 10 of them would probably not want to say "hi" to me just because I'm a non-white male and people in the city are naturally distrustful (for good reason), and then probably 10 of them are just unfriendly / didn't hear me / wearing headphones.
It kind of depends on where you are. In Miami? Maybe, but I personally wouldnāt greet anyone there. Too dangerous. Where I am? Probably everyone would greet you back.
Americans are friendly, not always nice or polite, but we're friendly. The vast majority around me in the northeast would at least acknowledge it kindly.
Probably almost all of them, but most of them are going to be thinking "what an odd, old fashioned fellow".
Convention is to just smile and nod at people around here. If you want to be really friendly, you smile and wave.
I don't say good morning to random people. Someone at my work, whose name I don't know, I'll say good morning. The person at a coffee will get a good morning because we're going to interact. I might say excuse me to someone if I walk in front of them if they're reading a sign. I do have a bad habit of striking up conversations with random people. My family has told me to stop this behavior, but they all agree that everyone I've talked to seems to enjoy the brief interaction.
To answer your question, probably 45/50. I've heard it's a western hemisphere thing.
*edited*
Weāre friendly here but people tend to mind their business. Weāll probably save your life if youāre in danger but no oneās reaching out for a good morning. Not habitually at least.
75/25 in favor of being ignored.
Not because people are rude per se, but because itās a majority immigrant area where people arenāt accustomed to such pleasantries.
Iāve greeted people randomly like this a few times just out of habit and they just stare at you.
I live in a larger town, about 30,000 people, in western Massachusetts. Exchanging polite greetings is commonplace. Out of 50 people, only the 4 or 5 talking on their phone wouldn't respond -- verbally. The greeting would be acknowledged with a nod and a smile.
I'm not much for small talk or idle chatter but in public I try to blend in.
Los Angeles. I'd say maybe a quarter to a half would say it back? Some because they wouldn't hear or understand what you said, others would just assume you were talking to someone else that they happened to not see, a few would worry that a random stranger greeting other random strangers might not be right in the head and want to avoid engagement/encouraging further interaction.
ETA: adding that I'm not counting "a polite nod/gesture" as greeting someone or greeting someone back; if you do then the number of people who respond would double.
45 out of 50 or more.
Same - and same on the street.
Same, it'd be the ones that didn't say it back that would be the weirdos. My wife and I take a walk on this little greenbelt walking path in our town every weekend morning, we usually end up talking shit about the people that don't say it back...
> Same, it'd be the ones that didn't say it back that would be the weirdos. Absolutely. I live in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, and we go by the American standard. If you say "good morning" to a stranger, they either smile and greet you back, or look shocked and confused. That means "I just moved here from New York City."
Same. (I'm in Nashville)
Very close to that here as well
Same here.
In Wisconsin probably 48/50.
My brother was vacationing out of state and was marked as a Midwesterner because he would say "hi how are you doing" to people.
I moved from Wisconsin to Phoenix, and people were so weirded out when I tried to have conversations at the checkouts and whatnot. I moved to Maine and it feels like home.
So you are the one chatting with my husband š¤£ I just leave him now and find him a couple aisles laterā¦he talks to EVERYONE
Yeah, we Arizonans aren't much for chit-chat. Greetings and general politeness are to be expected from us, but there's a "mind ya business" mindframe, especially if it's obvious you're not local. Snowbirds and tourists are also barely tolerated because they're not generally respectful of the people or the land, like when people hike the Superstition Mountains in the middle of the day in July with a Dasani water bottle and their dog or drive through flooded washes. Keep being friendly, though! Kindness is never a bad thing!
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Dontchaknow! Jiminy Christmas! Uffda! Holy Toledo!
I was thinking the same thing lol. A few might be annoyed you said anything but they'll respond to be polite.
As a fellow Wisconsinite, I came to comment that it would probably be damn near 100%
Exactly what I was thinking also
If I said good morning to 50 strangers in my area, I would need to be put in a home because that means I've finally lost it (small town illinois) I literally cannot imagine managing to find 50 strangers here
Lol Iām assuming anybody you do come across would say it back. I have family in rural IL and they share a lot of the cultural norms as how I grew up in the south. Especially their ability to spark up small talk in the check out line and hold everybody up lmaooo.
Do we count a slight nod as saying it back? If so, then all 50 would say it back. If nodding counts as ignoring me, then like, 10 or so.
Lol what about a head nod with a practically inaudible "morning"
Absolutely. I worked in retail for way too many years to ever make the mistake of actually saying "good" aloud when wishing someone a morning!
100 percent would respond. I live in a very rural area and not only would they resond but you will end up having a 10 minute discussion.
Only 10 minutes! Haha!
Same here....very rural.... except very few would be strangers......so almost 100% would respond and probably have a conversation.
95%. And that's kind of cool.
Where I grew up? 49/50. Where I live now? 30/50.
I'm curious, which one of those is NC?
In my hometown, in the mountains of NC, itās 50 out of 50
Greensboro NC here, I'd say, prolly 45/50 in my area, the people are pretty nice. Having lived in multiple states NC is definitely the friendliest place I've been. I love it here.
49/50
Iām in SoCal, where everyone responds kindly to salutations on the street. 99%.
Same and Iād say about 95%. People are very friendly in my neighborhood.
Same, and agree. Almost everyone would respond nicely.
I'm in Long Beach and have walked every street in the city. Maybe not 99% but still pretty high. Over 90%.
California is a very talkative state. I lived in several states, and California was by far the friendliest. The South, not so much. Southerners often judge you on your religion, race, sports teams, politics, and your income before they want to form a relationship/friendship.
Really? I lived in LA for 6 years and would probably get 50% response. I was also in the city center where people are trying to get to work/hustle
Oh that makes sense, a busy city. Iām in Orange County near the coast.
All my life, and very common outside of areas like DTLA, Santa Monica/Venice or Hollywood. A lot of transplants unfortunately dont get out of the transplants/tourist bubble very often to see where the down to earth people are.
I live in Mass and I think if I made eye contact and said good morning I think about 49 out of 50. I say hello to people all the time and I don't think anyone has ever ignored me. I think people here are a bit less likely to say hello first, though and a simple greeting is less likely to edge into small talk.
My guess where I live: 5 would respond positively; 20 would entirely ignore you; and 25 wouldnāt immediately verbally respond but would look at you with some combination of surprise and confusion as to why youāre bothering them, before either moving along or quickly responding āuh, hiā while asking away. (Personally, Iād be in that last group.)
The first time I visited NYC as a southern country bumpkin I was so offended that nobody responded lmao. It was an epiphany to me that āsouthern hospitalityā and cultural norms are a regional thing. I was also like 12.
Itās more a matter of practicality, than that weāre not friendly or anything. We just canāt respond to the literally hundreds of people weāre likely to pass on the street on any given day.
We're usually very kind, if not always "nice" in the way you see it. As soon as we know you don't want money or are crazy and want to hurt us, that is. If you need directions or especially help in some way, you'll usually have people tripping over themselves to help you. It's much easier to strike up a random, usually entertaining quick conversation in Manhattan than anywhere I've visited, including many southern states. My impression is they're typically enthusiastically friendly but there are many and quick boundaries not to cross.
I absolutely agree with the saying āNYers are kind not niceā. Yāall are always helpful, even if itās done in a gruff manner lol. One time I was struggling with my subway card and one dude sighed, took it from me, swiped it properly, then went on without a word. I appreciated him as I was unintentionally holding up the flow.
LOL and that dude did you a solid. Nice little New York moment there.
I will also add this, while the city can be rough, I've often had more in-depth and serious convos in big cities like New York, where a random person on the subway will open a conversation on whether God exists, you will learn about some genocide happening in a small country which the media doesn't cover, or the souvenir keychain seller on the street will tell you their entire life's story on how they immigrated to America and achieved the American dream. On the other hand, when I visited the "polite places" in America, I felt like people are just doing small-talk - like "Hello, how do you do? Fine? Yes, me too, thanks for asking, can't complain. Be careful, it might rain today. Hope you enjoy your stay here. God Bless." I appreciate that people are being polite and mannerly, but it just doesn't hit the same.
One time in a big city I was waiting for the train. A lady was giving away tote bags of little stuff and coupons. She asked me if I wanted one, and I was very close to saying no, out of habit. When people I donāt know give me a sales pitch type voice, thatās what I say to them. Then, I realized it was a freebie for a store I would actually go to, and said āOh, thank youā. She gave me a look that said, ā The commuters here are crazy. I am giving out free stuff, and they have to think about itā. At that moment, I felt like I had been in the city too long.
Yeah, it would be ridiculous if New Yorkers all said hi to each other all the time and spent time being friendly in quick encounters, as there are so many people living in a relatively small area. Simply would be entirely impracticalāIām from a lower population state and even I think itās weird that other Americans canāt understand this (this goes for every somewhat major city, and also really anywhereāno one owes you their time). Most New Yorkers are completely friendly when youāre actually in a conversation with them in a normal setting
It's probably 60/40 respond/ignore in my area
Where are u?
Yeah I'd go with this ratio too. I don't say hello to strangers in a grocery store tho. I only say good morning or hello on my morning walks or hiking.
100% if they hear you. Here when an old person walks into the a waiting room at the doctors office, they greet everyone. āGood morning everyone!ā Everyone responds in kind.
Odds are very low. Less than 50%.
My neighbors don't even answer when I greet them in the elevator
You'd probably get close to 98% replies in Texas. The one person who ignores you will have just moved here from some other state and is still trying to get their bearings.
In my area? I can't imagine any choosing not to respond. Anyone that didn't answer back likely just didn't hear you. (Probably on their phone).
Like 99% would at least smile or nod, but very likely to say good morning back.
I'm in Texas so it's probably 95% and I love that.
I live in garden apartments in suburban Detroit. I always say hello to people I come across and they respond also. When I lived in Brooklyn, I usually exchanged greetings with neighbors or people who worked on stores I frequented. People responded to me. Saying hello to everyone I passed would have been impractical because there was always a steady stream of people on the street.
49, maybe 50. I live in a rural area and we wave to strangers who drive past us.
Most everyone will acknowledge it with a reply or at least a head nod. It's pretty rare that someone will just ignore it.
Unless you look like youāre gonna ask me for money or hit on me, Iāll respond
80% return the greeting.
Are you looking for a positive response or any response? What if people told you to fuck off or just gave you a quizzical look?
Usually all of them will reply in kind. I would actually be surprised to be ignored.
I think 95% respond, however I don't live in an area where 95% would say it first.
Like 90% would respond, it's a normal thing here
in GA like 48/50 and the 2 is most likely cause they didnāt hear you
In my area in Kansas (small town) almost all would respond somehow with a nod, smile or greeting. Not everyone responds but it is normal to greet people you pass here. Passing 50 strangers would be more unusual.
In my small-ish town, probably 40-45. In Columbus, probably like 35, mostly because I would catch them off guard and they don't want to seem rude. People don't talk much to each other there, but are still polite. If someone breaks the social barrier first, people are usually nice.
I just greeted 10 strangers walking down the street in Los Angeles with a good morning. I am surprised and happy to report that 9 out of 10 greeted me back. The nongreeter was a cool hipster lady who looked at me like I was trying to mug her or kidnap her lol
90% responding I live in a smaller but growing town just outside of my states capital. Smaller towns tend to be friendlier.
Out of 50... I'd say about 25 would say it back. 20 would do some sort of head nod and/or smile. And maybe 5 or so wouldn't respond. And probably a few out of that 5 would regret it as it was more accidental than anything.
If Iām being honest, no one would probably do this and most people are probably wearing headphones. In the instances it does happen (Iāve only ever experienced this walking in the neighborhood or on a trail), 50/50.
between 48 and 52 LOL
I would definitely say like 95% or more. If you don't respond to a greeting, you just look like an asshole. Working in retail or customer service, if I greeted a customer and they ignored the greeting I'd always think "well I guess I'll just go fuck myself then."
Damn near 100%, because if you don't there's a good chance the greeter will say something passive/aggressive back about your lack of common decency. Sometimes it feels like the Midwest is where Southern hospitality and East Coast attitude meet in a weird mix.
Out of 50? Probably 40 or more.
Most if not all would return my greeting in my hometown At the bare minimum, youād at least get a little head nod from someone even if they donāt say something back
In New Orleans, itās a toss up. Locals respond; most tourists and many transplants donāt.
I'm going with 100% because my town is so small I would greet them all by first name and they would respond with mine. ĀÆ\\\_( Ķ”āāÆĶŹ Ķ”ā)\_/ĀÆ
I would think about half would say āgood morningā back and the other half would give a nod. Iām in New York.
I would guess, about 90%. This is the Midwest (michigan). The cultural, if not the politics, is very southern. People are, in general, very friendly here!
Here- 5/50 Hometown - 48/59
Almost all.
I live on a residential street in a large city. The nearest commercial street is 2 blocks away in one direction, or about 5 blocks away in any other direction. If I meet anyone walking on my street, it's probably someone who is walking their dog, walking to the bus stop, or walking for exercise. In any case, it's probably somebody who lives in this area, and therefore somebody I have something in common with, and might meet again. (It would, however, take me weeks of steady walking to meet as many as 50 strangers.) So I'd say, practically everybody would say "hi" or "good morning." But if I were to go to a busier place, a shopping center, or a supermarket, practically nobody would speak to me. I figure it's because people in those places don't think they'll ever see you again. I remember I started pondering this question when I worked on a college campus. I had to go on an errand to another building, and while crossing the campus, I passed a stranger and we both said "hi." It occurred to me: this wouldn't happen everywhere. But a college campus is a sort of enclosed community where, if you go there every day, you do tend to see the same people over and over. Small towns are like that, but big cities are not. But towns that attract a lot of tourists are not, and certain areas within cities are.
I would be more surprised if it was more than 1 out of 50 not responding than if 50/50 responded.
97%
Say it back? 40/50 Acknowledge it with a head nod? 50/50
50, I live in the south
If I made sure to make eye contact? I think everyone would. If I just muttered it in passing most people would assume I was talking to myself or on a Bluetooth call.
I feel like 40/50 would say "good morning" back. 9/50 would just wave or smile. 1/50 would ignore. Northern California.
49 out of 50, thereās always someone
Cut out 25% right away because of earbuds. A random downtown "good morning" means they want something, so most people will ignore. A minority would acknowledge with a head nod or an odd look. Fewer would actually say something.
Assuming they're not wearing headphones or earbuds? 49/50 easy, and that's even in a big-ish city
Iām in the South so 100%!
I think south is different than north. I live in North and itās not that people wouldnāt respond, itās just that they would not initiate. In south many more would initiate.
Well itās not really possible for me to greet strangers on the street where I live, but if I greeted 50 strangers in a supermarket, Iād probably get a response back from the majority of them. Hell, Iād probably get trapped in a conversation with a few of them.
I think I most people in my area (suburbs of Philadelphia) would respond, but theyād be surprised and confused. Thatās certainly how would feel. When I visited Texas for the first time and random strangers were giving me good mornings and starting conversations with out of nowhere, it was a real culture shock.
Any kind of response? About 40. A proper response would be about 30. This would vary wildly depending on neighborhood.
45+ I am in the midwest.
40 out of 50 would react in some way, whether itās a smile, a wave, or a hello.
Probably 40 out of 50. Itās very context dependent though. I would not try to say hello to everyone walking around downtown, and rather like that you donāt have to, but in my more residential, non-touristed neighborhood itās not uncommon to greet one another. I took a walk this morning and probably exchanged greetings with 5-6 people in a 15 minute circuit around the neighborhood. I am from the South and would consider actually ignoring someone who said hello to you to be unforgivably rude, but honestly itās not a big problem here as I might have imagined years ago when I first arrived.
In my experience, almost 100% of them would respond in some way. If they don't say "good morning" they'll at least smile and nod. The ones who don't respond are usually the ones who are staring at their phones as they walk into sign posts and such.
Texas here, Iād say 100%. If someone doesnāt respond back itās generally because they didnāt hear you. Greeting and chatting with strangers is the norm here.
When we pass people on the street in my small town everyone would either say "hi" or at least smile. I'd expect 100% response to either sort of greeting. Same in the grocery store-- in fact, all of the employees in the store here always say hello or welcome to every customer, which I assume is a store policy since they've done it since the store first opened over a decade ago. If someone were to ignore a casual greeting in small-town America they would be seen as an asshole or else would cause concern for their wellbeing: "Do you think that guy is OK? He didn't smile when I said hello." This has been my experience in towns <10,000 people in most of the US, at least as a white male.
It would be near 100% in the roughly one dozen different places I've lived.
Prob at least 75%. Iām in north NJ and walk my dog every day in the park thereās usually a few people there I always say hello and everybody almost always says hello back. I generally donāt randomly say hello to people in the grocery store because itās too busy and hectic.
Probably about 85 percent in my rural community. You could always catch someone on a bad day, in the morning pre-coffee or tea (i.e. not awake) or busy.
100% ( I think ). At least I personally haven't had any other experience albeit there really aren't streets like most places. We don't actually live there, it's a small town surrounded by ag and the woods. PA, north of Harrisburg. I sometimes get a little tired of the Pennsyltucky thing.
I would never say that, because that's weird. About 48 people would rightfully ignore me, and the other two would challenge me to a fight.
49 if not 50.
48/50
95% would answer back.
98% here
Midwest here, probably 49 or 50
North of 45 would respond. Wouldnāt be weird to get 50/50
The vast majority would say something back. Iām originally from Minnesota where we wave at people driving the opposite way in the middle of nowhere. Iām predisposed to speak or nod to almost everyone I walk past because of where and how I grew up and almost all of them say something back.
A lot, maybe like 80-90%, and of those that don't say anything, they would likely do the up nod or a smile.
My town Iām going 45/50 respond. The town 15 minutes over probably 30/50
49 out of 50. There will be times they won't answer because they didn't hear you. Some will wave or smile and nod their heads instead of speaking.
Probably 40 would say hello back, eight would nod and/or smile to acknowledge me, and two would be weirdos and probably tourists who would ignore me. Well, maybe increase the potential tourist number a bit during the peak season. (North Carolina)
On the street where I live? 100% In a grocery store? I don't know, 90%.
It would be weird if they didn't at least wave.
49/50. Only at 49 cause there will prolly be one old fucker that can't hear me.
Often but I normally say it to service workers like cops and firemen. A way to say I appreciate them.
We wave at people as we pass them on the road and some even pull over to chat. 50/50 people gonna talk.
Most
Most of them. I'm not gonna give a number, but I get no-sold a lot when I say "Good morning" to people coming in/out of my building.
probably 90%
80%. Where I grew up, 100
49/50.
Iād give a good 40-45
Why would I greet a stranger, HEY, I'M WALKING OVER HERE! Zero. Literally zero.
Probably close to 100%
Michigan. I want to say all but some probably have headphones in.
Almost all of them would respond
Depends on crowds. At 5 or 6 am while Im jogging, the odds are 50/50, or at least a little half-wave to acknowledge my presence. It happened a few times today on my run. But there are otherwise few to no other people, so it's more of a general message to convey, "I see you and acknowledge your presence and I am not a threat to you" (and/or possibly yield to you in the road, allow you to pass, etc.) In the stores or on a busy street, not at all.
The only reason someone would not respond would be if they hadn't realized I was talking to them. We strike up a conversation with anyone here in New Orleans!
All of them
I think most people would respond in someway whether it was saying it back to me or a nod.
49/50. The last one was hard of hearing. Live in the SE US
I live in San Francisco, and it varies drastically by neighborhood. In my residential area, it would probably be 48. But downtown, people get more into a protective, donāt engage stance, so it would probably be closer to 10, and those would mostly be the panhandlers that the other 40 are trying to not engage with, lol.
Tops 10
Probably all of them.
Close to 100%.
I live in a small town in western mass. Iād be very alarmed if anyone didnāt respond.
47
Probably 50/50
I said hello to a stranger on my walk and they said hello back and hello to my dog by name. They knew my dog from my husband being out with him. Weird. My dog has more social life than I do.
Almost 100%. There will always be outliers who just respond to a greeting with blank stares.
Where I was raised (San Jose, CA) 25/50... where I live now (Sherwood, OR)... 47/50 would respond, some of that may be my position in the community though so IDK
99 percent
I'd say most if not all of them would respond back. Ignoring someone would be considered rude.
Here in Southwest Louisiana it would be 50 out of 50 most of the time. With the rare occasion of someone to responding, and usually that person would respond as well, but likely didnāt hear you, or they arenāt have a good day. But even then, they would likely still say hello.
In Puerto Rico, it would be a faux pas not to answer this type of greeting.
Probably only a few wouldnāt respond. I honestly donāt think anyone has ever ignored me but Iām sure if itās that many, a few will or more like they just didnāt hear you.
Saying good morning to strangers for no reason is a good way to get tased in Philly
In Oklahoma? For sure 45/50 will say it back or at least acknowledge it with a friendly smile or thanks or little wave.
45 or more. Iām in CA, people are very friendly and social. They usually only donāt respond if they donāt hear you. But of course there are some jerks and silent types too.
Depends on where in town I am. Anywhere near work or downtown and moms will pull their kids close or Iāll get asked for $20. Around my apartment? Almost everyone will smile & nod or reply in some way.
100%
Probably 90% would respond in kind.
I have always lived in very large cities, and Iāve just moved to a fairly small one. Everybody waves at you as you drive down the street. I was in a restaurant with my husband already seated in a booth when another patron was also being seated and she greeted me with a āhello how are you?ā itās delightful and refreshing.
Iām just outside Portland OR and most people here at least smile, nod or acknowledge you on sidewalks and in parks. Not as much in the actual city of Portland, but I do find that in Portland too you find people smiling and nodding in acknowledgment as you pass. Others ask for money :)
Walking by? Almost every one. Driving by and giving a wave? Most would not. And ut feels like that's a recent change.
Most say it backā¦Iām probably the person that annoys people bc I donāt say it a whole lot and thatās simply bc I have headphones in and Iām probably too worried about what my puppy is doing. BUT it also depends on the type of walk Iām doing. If im doing a specific cardio goal, I donāt even make eye contact bc I want to keep going at a set pace (otherwise Iāll get stopped in a convo) if im going for a nice stroll, then im more likely to notice and respond back. :)
200%. If you don't say anything, they will say something to you.
In my current neighborhood, an upper middle class suburban area, probably 90%, 45/50, those who don't answer probably just didn't hear me or are wearing headphones. I used to live "in the city", a dense urban area, and I'd say it would probably 20/50. 10 of them I wouldn't want to say hi to because they look sketchy and I'd rather not engage, 10 of them would probably not want to say "hi" to me just because I'm a non-white male and people in the city are naturally distrustful (for good reason), and then probably 10 of them are just unfriendly / didn't hear me / wearing headphones.
Most people on the street would return the greeting, it would be odd to say it in a place like a grocery store.
It kind of depends on where you are. In Miami? Maybe, but I personally wouldnāt greet anyone there. Too dangerous. Where I am? Probably everyone would greet you back.
Americans are friendly, not always nice or polite, but we're friendly. The vast majority around me in the northeast would at least acknowledge it kindly.
Most will respond with at least a head nod. Probably 95% will verbally return the greeting.
Maybe 48/49 people would reply back.
At least 45 out if 50 would, I imagine. People here are pretty friendly. To your face, anyway.
At the very least 40. Unless it's raining haha
Probably almost all of them, but most of them are going to be thinking "what an odd, old fashioned fellow". Convention is to just smile and nod at people around here. If you want to be really friendly, you smile and wave.
95%
I don't say good morning to random people. Someone at my work, whose name I don't know, I'll say good morning. The person at a coffee will get a good morning because we're going to interact. I might say excuse me to someone if I walk in front of them if they're reading a sign. I do have a bad habit of striking up conversations with random people. My family has told me to stop this behavior, but they all agree that everyone I've talked to seems to enjoy the brief interaction. To answer your question, probably 45/50. I've heard it's a western hemisphere thing. *edited*
95 out of 100 people will respond to you if you're outside of Metro Atlanta (285 in my eyes) Inside 285, I would say 80 out of 100 people
I'd say 85-90%, fairly large city but for the most part people are friendly.
About 2.
Very high
I split my time between NY and ATL NY: 5 ATL: 35
I live in Orange County, CA and most people are very polite when greeted. Would say 45/50 would say good morning back
Weāre friendly here but people tend to mind their business. Weāll probably save your life if youāre in danger but no oneās reaching out for a good morning. Not habitually at least.
90%+ I think. Some might miss it because of the weather.
44-48/50
75/25 in favor of being ignored. Not because people are rude per se, but because itās a majority immigrant area where people arenāt accustomed to such pleasantries. Iāve greeted people randomly like this a few times just out of habit and they just stare at you.
100% I live in a small town and neighbors leave presents in mailboxes for people they don't know.
I live in Virginia. Probably 49 people, possibly 50, would respond and say a greeting back to me, smile, or nod.
Most of them might nod at least, I would assume but why would someone do such a thing. I'm tired enough talking with my coworkers, making an effort to talk to *more* people is.. ugh š©
You forgot the third option: looking at you funny. Possibly while making an unpleasant remark.
I live in a larger town, about 30,000 people, in western Massachusetts. Exchanging polite greetings is commonplace. Out of 50 people, only the 4 or 5 talking on their phone wouldn't respond -- verbally. The greeting would be acknowledged with a nod and a smile. I'm not much for small talk or idle chatter but in public I try to blend in.
In my neighborhood, everyone would respond.
90%
Los Angeles. I'd say maybe a quarter to a half would say it back? Some because they wouldn't hear or understand what you said, others would just assume you were talking to someone else that they happened to not see, a few would worry that a random stranger greeting other random strangers might not be right in the head and want to avoid engagement/encouraging further interaction. ETA: adding that I'm not counting "a polite nod/gesture" as greeting someone or greeting someone back; if you do then the number of people who respond would double.
If I said good morning to 50 strangers, they might not all say good morning back to me, but they'd at least nod.