ya know how when you're walking down the street and cross a stranger and do that kinda half-smile? cus it's not practical to speak "hello" to everybody as you walk past but you still want to be friendly. and you don't want to give a full teethy smile cus that's just coming on to strong? so all you're left with is that kinda half-smile just so you look like you're acknowledging their presence and don't come off as an asshole?

what's the deal with that?

4/30/2008 12:49:58 PM

1

4/30/2008 12:50:42 PM

i think you just explained what the deal with that was

also a head nod can be substituted

4/30/2008 12:50:52 PM

i walk down the street with a big stupid grin on my face and both middle fingers raised. so i dunno about that half smile stuff

4/30/2008 12:51:04 PM

it is what it is.

4/30/2008 12:51:05 PM

head nods are more common when it's 2 guys crossing, so you don't appear ~

4/30/2008 12:51:58 PM

I do kissy faces

4/30/2008 12:52:33 PM

You should smile over-exuberantly at their boobies if women, and their giblets if men. Problem solved.

4/30/2008 12:53:32 PM

lol, "giblets"

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 12:54 PM. Reason : s]

4/30/2008 12:54:05 PM

what i don't like is if you're walking down a long hallway, and you make eye contact way too early... what then? do you hold eye contact until you pass... no, that's way too long. do you look at the wall? do you look away, then back, then away, then back again? do you look at the floor? how close is too close to make eye contact again to half smile and acknowledge their existence?

at work, i've learned to always carry a print out with me so i have something it looks like i really need to look at.

i think i just think too much about it.

4/30/2008 12:54:59 PM

Wink next time.

4/30/2008 12:55:06 PM

^^ i know right. the whole system is broken. i say long hallways and sidewalks should be banned

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 12:55 PM. Reason : what is the internets equivalent of this phenomenon?]

4/30/2008 12:55:37 PM

Quote :

"at work, i've learned to always carry a print out with me so i have something it looks like i really need to look at."

i use the ol trust iphone for that

4/30/2008 12:55:53 PM

^^ You know, you could just try talking to people about their day. That's what they made meaningless pleasantries for.

4/30/2008 12:56:13 PM

but not if they're all the way at the end of the hall walking toward you... that's weird

4/30/2008 12:57:06 PM

So what do you do when someone comes up to your desk and proceeds to tell you this long pointless story?

I try not to look them in the eye and I don't smile, so they won't add more to the story since I seem interested.

What do you all do?

4/30/2008 12:57:35 PM

yeah, not everybody is black and can get away with yelling at somebody down the hall or across the street

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 12:58 PM. Reason : the blacks got it all figured out. their community bylaws are superior to white peoples]

4/30/2008 12:57:48 PM

Eh, do it anyways. Oh yeah, and wave uncontrollably too.

4/30/2008 12:58:00 PM

^^^ i look up at them with a half eye roll and sigh heavily haha

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 12:58 PM. Reason : rarg]

4/30/2008 12:58:06 PM

^x4 I tell them to, "Shut the hell up, I'm busy!"

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 12:59 PM. Reason : 4]

4/30/2008 12:58:46 PM

the black people in our office are all really quiet... except for that one girl that laughs A LOT AND REALLY LOUD!!!!

4/30/2008 12:59:43 PM

CALL WRAL

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 1:00 PM. Reason : yeah all the black dudes in my office are pretty well-adjusted to the white experience as well]

4/30/2008 1:00:03 PM

carl face

4/30/2008 1:00:31 PM

Quote :

"So what do you do when someone comes up to your desk and proceeds to tell you this long pointless story? I try not to look them in the eye and I don't smile, so they won't add more to the story since I seem interested. What do you all do?"

Tell them that you're busy and to talk about it at lunch or right after lunch. Usually they'll forget or they realize it's not that important. Another trick is to tell them to email you the story.

4/30/2008 1:01:44 PM

I swear I should add "Therapist" to my job title

4/30/2008 1:02:28 PM

you're a receptionist right?

4/30/2008 1:03:10 PM

"listener" sounds better.

Start charging money.

4/30/2008 1:03:50 PM

receptionist/admin/therapist listener/jack of all trades

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 1:04 PM. Reason : fixed]

4/30/2008 1:04:09 PM

"Therapist"?

4/30/2008 1:04:35 PM

^doesn't count if he's hot as fuck

4/30/2008 1:05:00 PM

Quote :

"I swear I should add "Therapist" to my job title"

anyway, the receptionist at our office should do the same thing... this one guy, especially, stands at her desk talking all day long. he's told her things like, what bathroom he likes to take a shit in, the fight him and his wife got in last night, how his marriage is on the rocks, how he's peeing blood (i know! wtf?!) i sometimes feel really bad for her

4/30/2008 1:05:53 PM

"Therapist" "Thesurprisesexist"?

4/30/2008 1:06:26 PM

^^^ haha

[Edited on April 30, 2008 at 1:06 PM. Reason : far you sob]

4/30/2008 1:06:28 PM

Quote :

""Thesurprisesexist"? "

gotta love skirt day

4/30/2008 1:07:07 PM

Skirt day is tomorrow and dress day is Friday

Too bad no one is worthy in this office!

4/30/2008 1:08:15 PM

skirtworthy or spongeworthy?

4/30/2008 1:09:15 PM

A water fountain can be a good oasis for awkward hallway walks. If you see someone and you've seen someone and there has already been the eye contact but there is still lots of space, just head right to the fountain until they pass or go in a door.

4/30/2008 1:17:21 PM

qntmfred! Go to my office thread! show us your office!

4/30/2008 1:20:30 PM

"what is the deal with the 1/2 smile"

4/30/2008 1:25:17 PM

I also hate when you see someone you know and want to talk to but they're really far away and you don't know whether to wave or yell or whatever or just pretend like you don't notice them until you get closer.

4/30/2008 1:31:48 PM

^^^ i work in the film foundry in south end. i'll post some photos later

4/30/2008 1:40:54 PM

i do this.

this interests me.

4/30/2008 1:41:34 PM

^^ i know where you work the AIA office is in there.

4/30/2008 1:42:42 PM

^ yep

4/30/2008 1:48:55 PM

I actually try not to look at people going down the hallway. I only really like a handful of the 40-50 people on my floor, so that makes it a little easier. When I do, I look past them until about 10feet, then look and smile and nod or something. I really just don't acknowledge most people when passing them in the hallway. I dont have the energy or time to fake-smile all day long.

4/30/2008 1:48:56 PM

this thread sums up my work day, awkward half smiles in the long hallway, and then more outside on the way to my truck, there's always a lot of people around, I work downtown

4/30/2008 1:52:27 PM

i got a bunch of these yesterday

7/4/2008 9:17:06 AM

See, I'd be uncomfortable if I had to do this all day. I try to slowly learn and be friendly with everybody I encounter at work, and I gauge how friendly/sociable I'll be with them on their reaction to me (somebody that they haven't met before). If they seem skittish and new and don't feel like saying hi to people then I'll just leave them be, usually. Last thing I wanna do is be the creepy too-friendly guy at work.

7/4/2008 9:35:00 AM

I do this thing where if I don't think I'm getting back the same level of friendliness I will make a comical "mad face" complete with one eye closed and popeye scowl. even really intimidating lookin g people will just look the other way because its just not something the mind is prepared for

7/4/2008 9:39:03 AM

just hold your head up and exude confidence, doesnt really matter what you do from there

7/4/2008 9:43:43 AM