If you were to say “good morning” to, say, 50 strangers in passing on the street or in the grocery store, how many would say it back? How many would ignore you?

**Edit to add:** please include what region you live in if it’s not in your flair

42 comments

  4. You’d probably get close to 98% replies in Texas. The one person who ignores you will have just moved here from some other state and is still trying to get their bearings.

  6. 100 percent would respond. I live in a very rural area and not only would they resond but you will end up having a 10 minute discussion.

  8. I’m in SoCal, where everyone responds kindly to salutations on the street. 99%.

  9. If I said good morning to 50 strangers in my area, I would need to be put in a home because that means I’ve finally lost it (small town illinois) I literally cannot imagine managing to find 50 strangers here

  10. 90% responding

    I live in a smaller but growing town just outside of my states capital. Smaller towns tend to be friendlier.

  11. My guess where I live: 5 would respond positively; 20 would entirely ignore you; and 25 wouldn’t immediately verbally respond but would look at you with some combination of surprise and confusion as to why you’re bothering them, before either moving along or quickly responding “uh, hi” while asking away. (Personally, I’d be in that last group.)

  12. I live in Mass and I think if I made eye contact and said good morning I think about 49 out of 50.

    I say hello to people all the time and I don’t think anyone has ever ignored me.

    I think people here are a bit less likely to say hello first, though and a simple greeting is less likely to edge into small talk.

  13. Out of 50… I’d say about 25 would say it back. 20 would do some sort of head nod and/or smile. And maybe 5 or so wouldn’t respond. And probably a few out of that 5 would regret it as it was more accidental than anything.

  15. I live in garden apartments in suburban Detroit. I always say hello to people I come across and they respond also.

    When I lived in Brooklyn, I usually exchanged greetings with neighbors or people who worked on stores I frequented. People responded to me.

    Saying hello to everyone I passed would have been impractical because there was always a steady stream of people on the street.

  17. Are you looking for a positive response or any response? What if people told you to fuck off or just gave you a quizzical look?

  21. I think 95% respond, however I don’t live in an area where 95% would say it first.

  23. If I’m being honest, no one would probably do this and most people are probably wearing headphones.

    In the instances it does happen (I’ve only ever experienced this walking in the neighborhood or on a trail), 50/50.

  25. I would definitely say like 95% or more. If you don’t respond to a greeting, you just look like an asshole. Working in retail or customer service, if I greeted a customer and they ignored the greeting I’d always think “well I guess I’ll just go fuck myself then.”

  26. Do we count a slight nod as saying it back? If so, then all 50 would say it back.

    If nodding counts as ignoring me, then like, 10 or so.

  27. Damn near 100%, because if you don’t there’s a good chance the greeter will say something passive/aggressive back about your lack of common decency.

    Sometimes it feels like the Midwest is where Southern hospitality and East Coast attitude meet in a weird mix.

  28. Most everyone will acknowledge it with a reply or at least a head nod.

    It’s pretty rare that someone will just ignore it.

  31. In my area in Kansas (small town) almost all would respond somehow with a nod, smile or greeting. Not everyone responds but it is normal to greet people you pass here.

    Passing 50 strangers would be more unusual.

  33. Most if not all would return my greeting in my hometown

    At the bare minimum, you’d at least get a little head nod from someone even if they don’t say something back

  34. In New Orleans, it’s a toss up. Locals respond; most tourists and many transplants don’t.

  35. I’m going with 100% because my town is so small I would greet them all by first name and they would respond with mine. ¯\_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯

  36. In my area? I can’t imagine any choosing not to respond. Anyone that didn’t answer back likely just didn’t hear you. (Probably on their phone).

  37. I would think about half would say “good morning” back and the other half would give a nod. I’m in New York.

  38. I would guess, about 90%. This is the Midwest (michigan). The cultural, if not the politics, is very southern. People are, in general, very friendly here!

  41. 100% if they hear you.

    Here when an old person walks into the a waiting room at the doctors office, they greet everyone. “Good morning everyone!” Everyone responds in kind.

  42. I just greeted 10 strangers walking down the street in Los Angeles with a good morning. I am surprised and happy to report that 9 out of 10 greeted me back. The nongreeter was a cool hipster lady who looked at me like I was trying to mug her or kidnap her lol

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