Hallway eye contact

[MChance]

I'm not really looking for a "Hello". A simple smile or nod would be sufficient. When I am walking towards someone in the hallway as we go to our destinations, why do 25% of the people look down or away as we pass? Will it kill you to be friendly and social and, what I think, normal? Are we turning into a society where we only care about ourselves? I experience Daoism at least two times each day in my building at work. And without getting into too much detail, it's not the sexy girls who know they're better looking than me who are doing this. Most of the time it's other dudes who are my age or older. Well, at any rate, the jokes on them. As I am anticipating a 'hello' and looking at them as they pass by with silence and no eye contact, I mumble a curse word a few seconds later. So take that, grumpy pants!!

[ScottieBaseball]

I'm not really looking for a "Hello". A simple smile or nod would be sufficient. When I am walking towards someone in the hallway as we go to our destinations, why do 25% of the people look down or away as we pass? Will it kill you to be friendly and social and, what I think, normal? Are we turning into a society where we only care about ourselves? I experience Daoism at least two times each day in my building at work. And without getting into too much detail, it's not the sexy girls who know they're better looking than me who are doing this. Most of the time it's other dudes who are my age or older. Well, at any rate, the jokes on them. As I am anticipating a 'hello' and looking at them as they pass by with silence and no eye contact, I mumble a curse word a few seconds later. So take that, grumpy pants!!

With Blackberries to "check" while we're in a waiting room, cell phones that we can use to text message our friends or chat hands-free while the hostess finds us a table, and MP3 players blaring in our ears, we're becoming a culture of social recluses. All those things provide shields that excuse us from having to interact with those around us, whether they're strangers or not.

I noticed the trend with my son and his friends, so the rule in my house is that if an adult walks in the room and you're listening to your I-Pod or playing Nintendo DS, it gets paused and the earphones come out. Trip to the mall? You can bring your I-Pod, but it stays in the car or in mom's purse.

[twoBshorty]

I think it's because people don't know how long to hold the glance, so they just don't look. Do you stare at the person the whole time? That's creepy. It's hard to get the perfect balance of looking long enough to acknowledge them but looking away quickly enough that it doesn't get weird.

Of course, totally ignoring them seems to be the worst option, but then you don't have to see the awkwardness. The other person thinks you're blowing them off, sure, but you're not actually looking at their expression of annoyance. So it doesn't bother you.

[RShack]

I noticed the trend with my son and his friends, so the rule in my house is that if an adult walks in the room and you're listening to your I-Pod or playing Nintendo DS, it gets paused and the earphones come out. Trip to the mall? You can bring your I-Pod, but it stays in the car or in mom's purse.
What? Holy crap! It sounds like SOMEBODY is actually trying to RAISE the children!
(I thought that was TV's job. I thought the kids had their TV and you had yours, and the kids just gradually got older, until they eventually moved out. Did I miss something? ;-)

[Mackus]

If you look a man in the eye for more than 2 seconds while not playing poker, it makes you have the gay. Proceed with caution and fear.

[ChrisP]

If you look a man in the eye for more than 2 seconds while not playing poker, it makes you have the gay. Proceed with caution and fear.

Yes, but it you make eye contact with woman in the workplace for more than 2 seconds, it's sexual harrasssment. :p

[ScottieBaseball]

What? Holy crap! It sounds like SOMEBODY is actually trying to RAISE the children!
(I thought that was TV's job. I thought the kids had their TV and you had yours, and the kids just gradually got older, until they eventually moved out. Did I miss something? ;-)

I'll take that as a compliment, Shack...thanks! :)

Seriously...I caught some flack for it initially, but my defense was simple. "He's my son, not my nine-year-old roommate. I want to interact freely without requesting and waiting for a pause, volume reduction, power-down, or whatever the case may be."

He's a nice, intelligent, and funny kid and I refuse to allow that to be stifled by electronic-generated, anti-social, and flat-out rude behavior.

I'm hoping our rules will cause him to evolve into the guy that will smile genuinely, nod back and say, "How's it goin'?" when he's passed in the hallway rather than stare ahead like no one is there.

[rolliefingers]

I'll take that as a compliment, Shack...thanks! :)

Seriously...I caught some flack for it initially, but my defense was simple. "He's my son, not my nine-year-old roommate. I want to interact freely without requesting and waiting for a pause, volume reduction, power-down, or whatever the case may be."

He's a nice, intelligent, and funny kid and I refuse to allow that to be stifled by electronic-generated, anti-social, and flat-out rude behavior.

I'm hoping our rules will cause him to evolve into the guy that will smile genuinely, nod back and say, "How's it goin'?" when he's passed in the hallway rather than stare ahead like no one is there.

Scottie, you are well on your way towards raising a kind, gentlemanly and - dare I say - flat out bizarre kid! Some nerve this guy has...:D

[JohnD]

Scottie is clearly the meanest most unfair parent in the whole wide world.

[The Wedge]

Don't let him fool you people. He lies to the boy.