dang, lotsa hatin' going on in here.
what's wrong with showing a little humanity once in a while? with the onset of bluetooth phone headsets, 'net forums, and long lines of credit, we're losing more of it all the time. those little "mindless pleasantries" or whatever are just our little ways of keeping each other sane.
i don't give a f**k about most people i see on the street everyday, but at the same time i've got no problem with saying, "hey, nice shoes" or "wow it's rainy today" when it feels appropriate.
$.02