If a human you'd never seen before said "hi there, how are you!" on a bus, would you respond?

Question

would you think they were talking to someone else, would you PRETEND they were talking to someone else, would you say something (what would you say) would you have a cardiac arrest from this human's enthusiasm for the humans etc. etc.

Answer 1

first i would spray him with mace, call for a grown up and run

Answer 2

ABSOLUTELY would respond and would definitley look up to make sure it was me they were talking to as well. However, being hearing impaired I sometimes miss the fact that I am being spoken to. And not wearing a sign a saying I am hearing impaired makes it harder for people to realize that a simple handicap IS NOT a sign of being rude. Just a misunderstanding.

The way I was raised, we always acknowledge strangers, open doors for others, let people go before us in a line, etc... While visiting another country, I held doors open for others, and greeted those I walked past on the sidewalk. They looked at me like a complete alien and then a native told me they dont do that. Its quite amazing to the what "manners" are classified in other countries as well.

Answer 3

When i was a child and walked or bicicled on the road and a stranger came by i greeted him or her. I wouldnt expect tough she or he would ask how i am, but it could be that we exchanged something about the weather , fex nice day ha? on wich i would respond yep very nice or so.

Now if the same thing would happen i would be pleasantly suprised that somebody is actually saying hello to me in bypassing and am not doing it myself anymore too.

allthough the strange thing happens that when i am hiking in the mountains or traveling in far away countries this behaviuor suddenly changes back to what i was used to as a child saying hello to every other traveler i meet exchanging information have a chat and so on.
I guess the reason for not doing it anymore is that we are with so many. and we Have! to meet them if we want to travel from a to b and we see many of them.
we dont like it anymore would like to have the street to ourselves every now and then and thats when the moment comes that we dont say high anymore put on a headset turn up the music from our walkman / mp3player / mobile phone and ....... pretend..... to be alone in the bus.

we have gone maybe a little bit too far in that of wanting to be alone, so called indiviudualisme, not talking to each other anymore. Even feel offended when suddenly somebody is talking to you. (what do you want from me??? am i wearing anything of you????" we are getting less social it looks....

I would be suprised say how i am and hoping for a conversation.
Nice we should do that more! who knows i would make a new friend?

Answer 4

I would definately say 'hi, very well thank you'. but most likely I will be the person greeting in the first place. i love having conversations with strangers, as you never know what you may learn. in fact i feel embarressed to sit or stand for a long period ,without making some contact. i would refrain though, if i saw that the person was making signals that he/she does not want to be dragged into a conversation. never polite to be pushy.
i think some people,escpecially some elderly are lonely and a small chat might brighten their day.

Answer 5

Hell yeah some of the best conversations I have had where on a bus. I met a woman on a bus who I had a conversation with for over an hour, I was actually sorry to get off, she was 94 and on her own in life her husband of 50 years had died years before, she told me the wildest of stories...She was amazing, learnt alot about being a woman off her. Had a crazy heated debate with a psychology student about Freud, I asked him whether it was true that Freud did enough coke to kill a horse, ohhh the comments I got back...

Answer 6

I would say Thank you I am fine. How are you!! If you are on a bus or in a crowd I would feel safe. I have tried saying Hello How are you doing to people and they get a big smile and say Thank you!! It seems like they really aprreciate being noticed.

Answer 7

that's how most people are where i live anyway so it wouldn't strike me as odd id say very well thank you and how are you and if i was sitting next to them chat about general things i always talk to people at the bus stop (why does time go so slow when your waiting for a bus) but if a stranger starts telling me their life story it makes me feel uncomfortable

Answer 8

Did your parents raise you in the wild without manners? If not I'm sure they're ashamed of you and your bad manners and snotty attitude.

Someone speaks to you, you speak back politely. It doesn't have to be an exchange that lasts forever. But how hard is it to say Hi, good thank you, how're you?

Answer 9

I'd acknowledge this person.They maybe looking for directions,or the may have a problem and need help.Plus I was taught to say Hi or reply when a comment such as "hi,hello,good mornig ect).

Answer 10

Basically yes. But it depends: if the "human" is a very beautiful girl, I would say 'Now that you're talking to me... I'm feeling much better, what 'bout yourself?' If it's a homeless, I'd find something short, like: I'm fine. So... there are many cases.

Answer 11

I know it would depend on how "safe" they looked! If they didn't look like a crazy I would say hello back and then look away, out the window or something to let them know we were done, just like you do on a plane... Unless it was a good looking guy with a great smile. :>)