walking etiquette

Mike... said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I find away from the madding
crowd peeps are more friendly. If you don't believe me then try
being friendly on a crowded train on London's Underground! :-)

Done that a few times. I used to enjoy the reactions I got! Talking
on the tube seems to be almost as taboo as cannibalism!

its a good way to meet nutters and not a good survival strategy,
sadly.

Not at rush hour in the morning surely?

Besides, I choose my targets carefully. Newspaper and glasses seems harmless
enough...

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/

Mike... said:

I wonder if Kimi Reikkenen greets people with a cheery Hello?:-)

He doesn't have enough different pitches in his tonal range to make it sound
cheery!

I'm constantly astonished by the incredible tonal monotony of his speech,
often using the same tone for perhaps 20 or 30 words in a row, then one or
two different tones for variety. The latter is no doubt the result of
encouragement from his media speech therapist, but he usually forgets to do
it, then throws in an extra pitch or two when he remembers.

I used to think it was just him, until I saw a program on Finland and they
ALL spoke like that! Apparently they're very shy and self-conscious
people...

....so they don't get much practice talking!

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/

Roger said:

But ISTM that if you don't get your hello in first then you
stand at least a 50% chance of being ignored, particularly by solitary
females.

Yes, solitary females seem to be a particularly paranoid bunch. Even
not-so-solitary ones. I guess many women find it hard to believe that
anything that comes out of a strange man's mouth isn't a pick up line.
Probably due to the magazines they read...

Or am I just stereotyping here? ;-)

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/

T Dave R said:

Quoted message said:

It's Sut (pronounded sit) Mae (as in eye) in North Wales and Shwmae
(shoo m "eye"😉 in South Wales.

I think it might depend where in Wales you are too. Or possibly the
generation you belong to? I don't think i've ever said Sut Mae in my
entire life as a greeting.

Fair point. I've heard shwmae, but not sut mae, but that's what it say's
they say in the Welsh learner's books!

To be honest, I've heard a lot of "how do?"s in South Wales, and the common
Swansea greeting is "alright?", which is of course the English form of
"iawn?". English people tend to say "hello there".

Actually I saw a snippet of a Welsh programme once, it may have been a
comedy (I'm not sure), and two characters greeted one another thus:

1st character: "Iawn?"
2nd character: "Iawn"
1st character: "Iawn"

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/

Fred R said:

Mind you, I read ages ago, can't remember where, that in some
Scandinavian countries it's considered rude to greet people on the
hills, thus disturbing their peace and solitude

Actually, I really enjoy not meeting anyone all day, especially on a wild
camping trip. I guess it's a kind of affirmation of being truly away from
civilisation.

On one walk, during a wild camping trip, I was doing really well, then I
spotted another walker heading in my direction (on Garreg Las if anyone's
interested). I immediately thought "oh damn, a bloody human, about to
disturb my peace and solitude!"

But to my surprise, and relief, he spotted me and went to great pains to
alter his route to avoid me. I was actually quite pleased about that. I
guess I was in a very "solitary" state of mind at the time, and apparently,
so was he!

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/

Bill Grey said:

Now at 71 years of age, kids of 12 or 13 can only bring themselves to
utter "'Oright" as they pass me in the street.

A sad reflection on the upbringing of the yoofs of today.

As I mentioned elsewhere, "Alright" seems to the standard greeting of the
Swansea Jack. I even say it myself (I'm embarrased to say).

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/

Rob Devereux said:

Quoted message said:

In Wales I think the rule is that Welsh walkers say hello and English
walkers ignore you! ;-)

If you greet them in Welsh, I am not surprised ;-)

I think the inbreds find it easy to recognise one another! ;-)

Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
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Quoted message said:

But then again, I spoke to some English tourists today, so it's not a
"rule".

Have you been outdoors then ? :-)

--
"Beannachd leibh"

Theo
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

Following up to Bill Grey said:

and how do
you tell the difference between and English walker and a non Welsh
speaking Welsh walker anyway?.

especially ones who havent spoken! I find it pretty rare for people
not to say hello in ELD.
--
Mike
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Following up to 'Paul Saunders said:

I wouldn't say it's
totally true, but there is a grain there, in my personal experience, hence
the jest.

Hmmmm, the other side of the coin is the >one< welsh bloke who
answered my conversation opener in english with welsh, very rude. I
really think these nationalistic views are wrong. I dont think its
down to nationality at all. I suspect, as others have suggested, one
off or casual walkers are probably more likely to not expect to say
hello.
Theres also the big city issue, primarily London. I notice a "type"
evolving here. They live near the centre, dont drive and say "why do
you need a car if you live in London?" (er, for when your not in
London!!!!) say they dont want to know thier neighbours (what a stupid
idea!) and see countryside as empty and boring. They are usually well
informed on arts and celebrity nonsense and clueless on science and
engenneering (boasting they cant do DIY). Bunch of [censored] in my view
and completely different from normal folks out here in the eastern
suburbs.
I find that away from London people are more willing to talk to
strangers (but i >dont< ever visit the other big cities). On the other
side of the coin i find racist views much more likely to be acceptable
the further i get from London.
--
Mike
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Following up to Roger said:

the youth of today

ah, the youth of today :-)

probably busy texting :-)
--
Mike
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Following up to 'Paul Saunders said:

Yes, solitary females seem to be a particularly paranoid bunch. Even
not-so-solitary ones. I guess many women find it hard to believe that
anything that comes out of a strange man's mouth isn't a pick up line.

I dont find that but im walking as a couple although i am strange.

Im also not convinced that some part of a mans brain isnt always
thinking subliminally about the remote chance of sex when conversing
with attractive women. However, i >dont< believe that means he is
considering rape!
--
Mike
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Following up to 'Paul Saunders said:

Quoted message said:

its a good way to meet nutters and not a good survival strategy,
sadly.

Not at rush hour in the morning surely?

morning rush hour you have a good chance of lack of nutters, although
dont expect the large numbers of onlookers to be any help nowadays. In
dodgy areas like Peckham its best to ignore everything and everybody
(until maybe some future time we can get back to sanity).
It would of course be >much< better if we did talk on the tube.

Quoted message said:

Besides, I choose my targets carefully. Newspaper and glasses seems harmless
enough...

probably
--
Mike
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Following up to 'Paul Saunders said:

If there's no-one else around it just
seems ignorant not to acknowledge another's presence.

sure. Expect in Peckham where you cross the street! :-)
--
Mike
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Following up to 'Paul Saunders said:

I used to think it was just him, until I saw a program on Finland and they
ALL spoke like that! Apparently they're very shy and self-conscious
people...

Hakkinen was similar but better. I would sort of like to visit for
myself.
--
Mike
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Following up to 'Rob Devereux said:

because I have generally noticed more warmth in people's
reaction to others the further north you go and certainly Cumbria has never
betrayed that.

same here, but i find its more away from London, not north. Have you
expereince of say Birmingham?
--
Mike
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Following up to Mike... said:

i find racist views

that should just be " 'ist" views really!
--
Mike
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The message <[email hidden]>
from "Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Actually, I really enjoy not meeting anyone all day, especially on a wild
camping trip. I guess it's a kind of affirmation of being truly away from
civilisation.

Quoted message said:

On one walk, during a wild camping trip, I was doing really well, then I
spotted another walker heading in my direction (on Garreg Las if anyone's
interested). I immediately thought "oh damn, a bloody human, about to
disturb my peace and solitude!"

Quoted message said:

But to my surprise, and relief, he spotted me and went to great pains to
alter his route to avoid me. I was actually quite pleased about that. I
guess I was in a very "solitary" state of mind at the time, and apparently,
so was he!

I must have [censored] a PS clone on Sunday then. :-)

I diverted about 10 yards off the path to make sure that the only person
I had seen since I started walking that morning wasn't Paul. (Said
person had been walking slowly and then stopping for a long time while
waving something around in front of his face while standing at a good
viewpoint.

--
Roger Chapman
Nearest Marilyn still to be visited - Great Orme.
89 miles as the crow flies,
considerably more as the walker drives.

Paul Saunders said:

As for the Welsh bit, I'm more likely to stop and chat with a local farmer.
At least it's easy to tell that they're local, even if not necessarily
Welsh!

Some are 'foreign'. I spent about 20 minutes chatting to a Welsh farmer -
he grand parents had moved from near Colwyn to E of Bala about 80 years
ago, so he wasn't 'native' he told me.
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.

"Mike..." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Following up to 'Rob Devereux said:

because I have generally noticed more warmth in people's
reaction to others the further north you go and certainly Cumbria has
never
betrayed that.

same here, but i find its more away from London, not north. Have you
expereince of say Birmingham?

People in West Midlans are generally friendly in the street and shops and so
on but I think a large degree of that is to do with stronger communities.
It certainly isnt distinct of London - everywhere I have lived in Home
Counties and even here in oxford, it is not the norm to speak to people in
shops or in the street. My take on it is wherever you get a large migratory
population or lots of people who are not born and bred in the area, you get
the problem. Devon is the same (unfriendly) but I think that is more to do
with Devonians being quite shy by nature than because they are deliberately
unwelcoming.

Rob