How do you address people walking by?

I smile and nod my head. I get a ton of smiles back. :)

Well I used to flash them, but then they sent these guys in dark blue suits after me. And they had guns.

I usually smile. Sometimes I nod my head. Sometimes I do both. Sometimes I even say Hi or Hello.

I live in an area where I either know everyone, think everyone looks familiar, or feel I have met everyone at least one time before, so I smile and say “Hi.” Often I will stop for a brief chat. Walking down my little main street is a social event…but one where you don’t have to host or be hosted, serve food or eat that chip and onion dip. Even the doggies meet and greet.

I burn a hole in them with my laser vision and then stare for a full minute and walk on.

I avoid eye contact. (What I consider a negative side effect of my current position is that I have to smile and be personable with the public. Apparently I’ve lost my “Don’t Eff with me” scowl and now strangers speak to me in public. Argh!)

Unless I’m on the street in an iffy situation. Then I keep my head up, I’m watchful, and I make sure that I don’t signal “victim”.

I give them a nod. I rarely smile unless they do, then I’ll return the smile if they haven’t already passed. If it’s a crowded environment, like a Manhattan sidewalk, I don’t acknowledge at all. I might look at them, but it’s a poker face.

To greet or not to greet varies depending on my mood, the venue and how receptive I perceive the other person to be. Sometimes I simply nod, sometimes smile but say nothing, sometimes smile and say “How are you?” or similar, sometimes pause momentarily to pay a non-threatening observation or compliment (like with a mother pushing a stroller), and always I smile at a young child and say hi.

I slap a postage stamp right in the middle of their forehead.

Smile and a nod, sometimes a “Hello,” sometimes a “good morning” or other suitable daily greeting. Even if they’re not looking at me I will at least smile at them.

I’m a very friendly sort and often toss out a cheery ” Hi!” or, smile and maybe say something like ” It’s a beautiful day isn’t it?” I always, always, ALWAYS end having having and/or, more likely initiating conversations and chit chat and humor with strangers. I am a gregarious type even though I have my quiet side as well and take great pleasure in encountering those people that can actually PLAY a little, banter, laugh, crack a joke. I do not care for stoic and humorless types, sheesh, life is just NOT that serious.

All of my work references tout my good natured and humorous personality style and all promote my outgoing and optimistic approach to work.
I aspire to spread good will and good cheer not sour grapes. I often have people cracking up in the grocery store checkout lines, I can’t help myself, I can find humor in anything and am often told that I have made someones day.
One of my personal jokes is that most people have the personality of a loaf of bread, usually crusty sourdough. lol

I find it hard to recognise people and I don’t want to be rude and blank someone I know. So I tend to smile vaguely at anyone who catches my eye and hope that if I do know them, they will initiate a conversation or smile back.

Usually “Hi” or “Good morning” if I am on a walk in my area. Nothing much if I am in the city unless there is something special going on.

I smile to nearly everyone I pass. If it is not crowded, and I am passing just one person, I say good morning, or afternoon, or evening, or whatever. If it’s someone I know, I don’t pass them. I stop and talk their ear off. I and my friends are very chatty.

Usually a brief smile.

However, if I’m in a city, it’s usually an alert look of “I’m determined to finish a task. Don’t mess with me. ”
(or as @syz so aptly phrased it, avoiding giving off a victim
vibe.)

If you listen to security experts speaking on the subject, they point out that so-called random crime is anything but. Urban predators are quite similar to their counterpart in the animal world. They are constantly scanning to find the most vulnerable.

Looking distracted or uncertain in the urban jungle marks you as a victim as surely as an animal with a limp

Oh! Stamp on the forehead! I get it!

Smile, say g’day and carry on or if appropriate, stop for a chat.

Tip my hat? What decade is this?

I might nod, I might smile, I might raise my hand in a brief wave, and I might not do anything at all. It depends on where I am. If I smiled and said hi to everyone I passed in Walmart, people would probably think I was nuts.

Or I could say “kiss my ass, kiss his ass, bite his ass, kiss his ass.”

I generally smile and nod if we’re just passing by. If we’re in close proximity (elevator), I’ll sometimes say, “Hello” or “How are you today?”

These days the tipping of a hat is a very rare thing. But something about it can easily leave an impression on another. I usually give a simple hello and go about my business.

I met them recently. We nodded politely.

That is so cute :)

I’m not used to seeing Greese just calmly walking along. If I were a goose, I know I’d be spending most of my time flying.

Why? you ask. Because I CAN! ! (And the view is so much better.) I pity these unfortunate earthbound creatures.

My goose Marwyn is splish splashing in his purple pool on the patio right now. :-)

So you’ve got Marwyn back. I bet he’s happy. And so are you. I’m happy for you both.

@Buttonstc I’m living on Marwyns ranch now with my friends. Yes, a happy reunion after 17 months separation. :-)

That’s terrific. I’m so glad for you that things worked out.

You’re just a down home country gal at heart :)

@Buttonstc Hippie country girl haha, yes, I might just put up a tiny house here for the long haul.

Generally, I don’t. Greeting people does not appeal to me. I avoid eye contact and walk with headphones in.