My dad, who is an observant chap, and likes to reflect on what he sees, has a theory about the likelihood that someone you meet on a country walk will respond to your greeting and it's this: the further away from 'civilisation' you are, the more likely it is that someone will greet you.
I started to wonder whether there were rules for this in the city. Are people more likely to smile at you in the suburbs, where I live, or in the city centre, where I work? I've started to look directly at every person I met, ready to smile if they make eye contact with me.
Here are my observations:
People walking in pairs or groups will never make eye contact.
People in the city centre are more likely to smile than people in the suburbs.
People with headphones on or on the phone will not make eye contact.
The proportion of people who will smile in response to my smile is very small, maybe as small as one in fifty.
I find it very cheering when a complete stranger smiles warmly at me.
The only two people who I can count on to consistently greet me are the Big Issue Seller and the succession of women, mostly likely trafficked, who beg outside the supermarket.
I suspect my very jolly red coat helps in this endeavour.
I will continue my researches and report any new conclusions.