I can't believe nobody has mentioned Hawaii yet. I was amazed by how friendly everyone (the locals) seemed and they were always smiling. I asked a grocery store clerk if it was because they are surrounded by so much beauty. She explained it's the "Aloha Spirit". It was almost like she was reading from a visitor's bureau script. It was so refreshing! I wish people in Florida (and all the NY transplants) would adopt a "Sunshine Spirit" for our state.
This thread is a year old. Are we still smiling? I am! (in San Francisco)
I am from California and I don't smile at strangers on the street. It has nothing to do with unfriendliness or being stressed out. I just don't want to appear overfriendly to people I don't know anything about. I am more likely to smile at women I don't know than men. I guess it's social conditioning since there are a lot of men who see friendliness as a sign that a woman is interested.
Sad state of affairs, but I agree that if you smile at a stranger they sometimes think that you are a phycho or visa versa. I am a smiler and it has gotten me into more trouble - I am a jerk magnet. but that is a whole other thread. I will probably never change, nor learn from the past.
I am here at our new vacation place in Lake County, California, and within the last half hour, the UPS guy and the mailman in his little vehicle, waved and smiled as they drove by. I have never seen either of them before, and don't even have a mail box. Same thing in every store that I have gone into up here, both clerks and customers. I live in San Francisco, so all of this friendliness is new to me, and I love it.
I am here at our new vacation place in Lake County, California, and within the last half hour, the UPS guy and the mailman in his little vehicle, waved and smiled as they drove by. I have never seen either of them before, and don't even have a mail box. Same thing in every store that I have gone into up here, both clerks and customers. I live in San Francisco, so all of this friendliness is new to me, and I love it.
I was born in NYC, still live & work in NYC & think that us Native New Yorkers have gotten a really bad reputation for being unfriendly, unpleasant etc.
Honestly, I can assure you that some of the most fun, happy, kind & generous people I know were born & raised in NYC. Believe me, there is a HUGE difference in the "Natives" & the people that have migrated here from different parts of the world & consider themselves New Yorkers.
Honestly, I can assure you that some of the most fun, happy, kind & generous people I know were born & raised in NYC. Believe me, there is a HUGE difference in the "Natives" & the people that have migrated here from different parts of the world & consider themselves New Yorkers.
I think people smile at those they feel are like them. For all the talk about diversity people will reaact best to those that fit their self image as someone like them.
Recently I was in a very small town in the midwest and everyone was very blue collar. You could tell they were set back from my white collar city way of dressing and acting. As a result, they were not that friendly. I threatened them because of our style difference.
Recently I was in a very small town in the midwest and everyone was very blue collar. You could tell they were set back from my white collar city way of dressing and acting. As a result, they were not that friendly. I threatened them because of our style difference.
Oooh, jump back, Billy Bob, bunchargum's a'comin' with his/her big-city white-collar ways! He/she may touch you and you'll turn to gold...!!
