Originally Posted by
staehpj1
Smile and treat folks well and they will generally return the favor. Oh and one other thing that I found made a big difference... Take off your sunglasses when talking to people. That last is a bigger deal than folks realize. Rural folks will accept the funny clothes, shoes, and odd means of transport if they can see your eyes when you talk to them.
That is a terrific point! There is something very fundamental about being able to make eye contact. Couple that with a friendly smile and most folks are very friendly in return.