Bike Forums - View Single Post - I'm Determined to Get Them to Say, "Hello!"

10-28-16 | 10:12 AM

#19

Jim from Boston

Senior Member

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 7,381

Likes: 219

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassmanbob

… During my commute, I say hello or good morning to anyone who's not in a car, and I usually get a kindly reply. If I leave my house at the right time, I pass a high school bus stop with about 15-20 kids waiting for the bus…For the last two weeks, I've offered a cheerful group, "Good morning!" But I've received silence from them in return.

I'm determined to get some response before the end of the school year in June 2017. I'm not sure what my plan is to be successful, but I'm willing to try anything that won't seem creepy to the kids.Then again, to high school kids, a middle aged man just saying hello is probably creepy in itself.

Either way, I'm going to have fun with this and report back as things progress.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenSpeedV2

As someone who doesn't want any interaction from pedestrians and other cyclists, this intrigues me. Why are you so hell bent on getting a response?

Quote:

Originally Posted by chandltp

My thoughts exactly.

Yeah, Bassmanbob, why?

Personally, I do wave, except where there are loads of cyclists, such as my early morning commute in downtown Boston. I’m not put off by a lack of response either. I do have a seemingly unique greeting besides, or in addition to a wave. I yell a hearty “YO.” It’s an easy syllable to shout, and IMO expresses a crusty comeraderie, yet does not expect a reply. Maybe you could try that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TenSpeedV2

Every ride thatI take I shoot for a no comment/wave/head not/hello/etc. and I never seem toget it. All I want to do is ride my bike in peace and without being judged that I didn't wave back to a walker or another cyclist. On the bike is my time, commute, fun ride, whatever, so please don't bother me.

A couple years ago on the Wall Street Journal morning news program on the radio was a feature segment about runners and cyclists greetin geach other. The most significant reason to do so, as I recall was that both participants in such an encounter face the same dangers on the roads and MUPs.

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