Social Science Do you say 'g'day' to your neighbours?

[Scotland]

I say "How good is Australia?" to my neighbours Scomo style.

They all think I'm a freak and avoid me.

We've had a run of PMs/opposition leaders that you'd see in the street and avoid eye contact. Give me a hard nosed leader who you don't necessarily agree with or a toff like Mal over some creep who wants to be your 'mate'.

 

[Freofalcon]

The neighbours on my right. No.

I throw my dog s**t over their fence. campaigners.

The neighbours across the road. Yes. We often watch sports at each others houses and our kids have become good friends.

I'm on a nod and wave with everyone else.

 

[dales.girl38]

Pretty friendly with ours. We've fed their cat for short periods of time away, put their bins out etc. and yes, always say hello.

 

[William Wonka]

When I moved over to Mawbs, one thing I noticed was the heads-down mentality of everyone in the suburban street. You'd be walking home at 5pm or 10am Saturday and there were no 'hellos' from one person to another – the closest was big-noting women with puffy jackets and inbred dogs thinly competing a surgeon husband to a lawyer at Atherton Reserve – it was all heads down, anonymity.

When I came back between semesters, it was always a cool little quirk to walk down to the shops and have someone say 'hey mate' as they walked their dog.

The general exchange is: you don't want to be their friend, there's no stop and chat, it's just a person-to-person, humanist interchange as you both pass. 'Gidday.' 'Nice night hey.' That's it.

What strikes me as strange is people who do not return this.

I live in an area pretty much crawling with baby boomers amongst the students (increasingly priced out) and career hospo folk. Something I've noticed lately is how often people (aka boomers, people under 20) shirk the very idea of a hello. For example, this afternoon I was walking back from the shops and this old bastard was looking me up and down from metres away... as we got within three, he looked down and to the other side. Very intentional. When I was taking the recycling down, some woman was doing the same – so clearly a neighbour – and I said 'hey.' No response. 'Oh fantastic!' I said. No response. 'Pretty ****in rude' I said loud enough for the old bat to hear.

Another example is being at my girlfriend's about six months ago. We were going to Taylor Swift and it must've been a Saturday. December. Beautiful. I reckon 30 degrees, sun's out, no sky, it's 9/11 loike up there. We leave to walk to Newmarket Station. In front are two women (40s, probably late 30s) with a couple of six year old girls. Now I love the vibe of a big concert... one person, whored out and whoring out to an industry, but still one person drawing in 55,000 to have a good time and forget the debt and bills and what Terry's done and what's due at work; the magnet of a good sized city all going to this one little space. The worry your seats'll suck, the angst and nerves of getting there too late, the tension and excitement. They're walking in front of us and I see their ticket. We all had a can in our hands but it's barely three trackie-dacked-decked meth heads. 'Ah Taylor Swift! You guys excited?' They looked at me like I asked them if they had a pet ferret I could ****.

My favourite thing to do is to seize up an old boomer and say 'hey, how are you?' They generally won't reply, especially with headphones in. Saying hi again is a pretty good tactic. At this point they definitely won't reply, or if they do it's a nice little surprise and you give them the benefit of doubt – being a silly old deaf campaigner. Anyway at this point I pull out a 'I did actually say hi to you' and at this point they ****, get apologetic and usually lie about how they said hello or something before. Good game to pay as some old campaigner with a cancer growing on his prostate clips his ugly introduced flowers.

So – do you say hi to your neighbours or people in your neighbourhood?

Do you tense up, worry, and scare if someone is about to do this?

Do you find it odd if people don't return a simple, easy 'hey' as a gesture?

Are people becoming increasingly ******* odd?

Liked for:
"They looked at me like I asked them if they had a pet ferret I could ****."

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Most of my neighbours are great and we all say g’day.

There’s this one little *in weirdo, he barracks for Freo (I know, WTF?). I ignore him when he talks to me, hopefully he stops.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

We have one ******* dickhead two doors down who absolutely hates us. Once HBF was taking the dog for a walk and Dickhead Neighbour was in the back corner of his garage. HBF didn't look in and see him so didn't say hi. Dickhead Neighbour cracked the shits and yelled out something like get ****ed. HBF responded that he hadn't seen him but he didn't believe him. After that he's been extremely hostile, to the point of yelling out at HBF MATE I GOT NO *EN TIME FOR YA and spitting out his car window.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

I say "How good is Australia?" to my neighbours Scomo style.

They all think I'm a freak and avoid me.

See, you probably aren't employing the 'ScoMo smirk' after saying so and thus why you aren't getting the response you desire.

NOTE: You may need to induce a very minor stroke on yourself to replicate said smirk.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

No. Eyes down, headphones in mostly.

Next door neighbours are a bit different, we moved around a bit growing up and some of them were great but most of them kept to themselves and we did the same.

In high school caught the same bus on and off as the next door neighbours girl. In five years didnt speak a word to each other. But ended up meeting up a few years ago and now she is my wife.

Actually the last sentence was a lie. No happy ending, just crippling loneliness.

Haha it did read like a Reddit post.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

I say hi to everyone who lives near me, everyone is friendly except one family who are culturally different and that's fine, the women in that house don't talk to my partner when he walks by either.

Ayn Rand and Muslims don't get along, eh.

 

[Taylor]

Ayn Rand and Muslims don't get along, eh.

Hahaha she died a long time before I was born.

The family near us are very traditional, the women are dressed in full coverings so when I jog past with my shoulders out and shorts it doesn't get a hello back

 

[raskolnikov]

A couple of my neighbours are teachers at the same school. But I can't remember ever having seen them outside of school. We do complain to each other at school about other neighbours who are feral revhead bogans.

 

[raskolnikov]

We have one ******* dickhead two doors down who absolutely hates us. Once HBF was taking the dog for a walk and Dickhead Neighbour was in the back corner of his garage. HBF didn't look in and see him so didn't say hi. Dickhead Neighbour cracked the shits and yelled out something like get ******. HBF responded that he hadn't seen him but he didn't believe him. After that he's been extremely hostile, to the point of yelling out at HBF MATE I GOT NO ****EN TIME FOR YA and spitting out his car window.

A couple of my neighbours are teachers at the same school. But I can't remember ever having seen them outside of school. We do complain to each other at school about other neighbours who are feral revhead bogans.

We have the same neighbours?

 

[Craven Morehead]

I wouldn't say gidday to the OP if you paid me.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

We have the same neighbours?

Maybe. Is your neighbour obsessed with his lawn and has it precision trimmed at every opportunity? Does he go for shirtless walks with his two pomeranians, or workout shirtless in the middle of the road for maximum attention seeking opportunities?

 

[Gough]

Maybe. Is your neighbour obsessed with his lawn and has it precision trimmed at every opportunity? Does he go for shirtless walks with his two pomeranians, or workout shirtless in the middle of the road for maximum attention seeking opportunities?

Need pics.

 

[raskolnikov]

Maybe. Is your neighbour obsessed with his lawn and has it precision trimmed at every opportunity? Does he go for shirtless walks with his two pomeranians, or workout shirtless in the middle of the road for maximum attention seeking opportunities?

Lol. No. Mine's the opposite. He never mows his lawns but spends most of his time revving a motor of some sort and riding his unregistered dirtbike around the block.

 

[Perth gal]

My neighbors slam the front door. Every time. The car door and bin lids also. And every afternoon they go for a walk with their dog. No lead. And every day the dog goes in my front garden. And every day they yell at their dog to come back from up the street. One day it will get run over.

The other side the dude was building a picket fence between his and ours. Ripped up one of my plants and merrily went onto my property numerous times without asking me. Ripped him a new one. Yeah I won’t be sorry to leave here really.

 

[DidakDelight]

My neighbors slam the front door. Every time. The car door and bin lids also. And every afternoon they go for a walk with their dog. No lead. And every day the dog goes in my front garden. And every day they yell at their dog to come back from up the street. One day it will get run over.

The other side the dude was building a picket fence between his and ours. Ripped up one of my plants and merrily went onto my property numerous times without asking me. Ripped him a new one. Yeah I won’t be sorry to leave here really.

Sounds like the issues are in your head.
You’re getting hyper irritated by the smallest of things. Car doors closing, bin lids, a dog smelling and sniffing in your front yard.


Your other neighbour, fence man, probably should have spoken to you before hand, but in fairness to him if that’s what your like then we’ll yeah...

 

[Craven Morehead]

Sounds like the issues are in your head.
You’re getting hyper irritated by the smallest of things. Car doors closing, bin lids, a dog smelling and sniffing in your front yard.


Your other neighbour, fence man, probably should have spoken to you before hand, but in fairness to him if that’s what your like then we’ll yeah...

I don't think common courtesy is the smallest of things at all.

 

[DidakDelight]

I don't think common courtesy is the smallest of things at all.

Never a truer word spoken my friend

 

[PoppedCorn]

Lol. No. Mine's the opposite. He never mows his lawns but spends most of his time revving a motor of some sort and riding his unregistered dirtbike around the block.

Same prob
We are on two acre blocks but are still in a residential suburb area
Morons over the road decide that when mummy is working away for the weekend that they will crank the unreg uninsured road trail at 10pm of a night and slam it up and down the road
The thing is theyve done it a few times now and each time someone has gone outside absolutely giving it to them verbally.
U dont hear anything for three weeks coz mummy is home and them sure enough the week she is away a mate goes round there in his 1000$ car with a 2 grand stereo in it thinking everyone wants to hear it withing a 2 km radius.
Absolute *******s
Everyone in this area is quiet, just usual mowers and chainsaws at the correct times etc
But these *******s have been told numerous times even thou its big blocks of a couple acres its still a residential area and recreational vehicles arent permitted due to decibel laws.
Ive been standing at their fence telling them this on a sunday arvo at 5pm when the while suburb is quiet as a mouse and they're on trails and they just stare at u blankly and ride away

Place is feral too, absolute pigsty
Has about 7 cars chucked up the back, old caravans etc
They drive pieces of s**t with exhausts that can be heard a km away ffs
But ive just found out they rent....and revenge is a dish best served cold

Ive never understood why people would be complete idiots around their own area with bikes cars muaic etc...u attract attention and now everyone knows where u live

Ohh listen to my shitbox corolla with the massive milo tin exhaust eveeyone im so cool...

Looks like s**t, sounds like s**t, and cops are attracted to it like bees to pollen
Dumb *s

 

[Catfish Alley]

Not just neighbours but anybody else if walking my dog or something. I’d say 80-90% of people do in this area. It has kind of a village feel.

 

[the_interloper]

Yep I do, wave when driving past, live in a small court and have good campaigners in there. Had the same next door neighbour since I was 10 (I bought the family home), they come to our parties etc, never used to lag me in when i had parties as a teenager etc, great value.

 

[palmomagpie]

Bit of an odd one. I know when I was in Darwin, you didn't get too many "head-downs". It was usually "how you going chief?", "hey gotta smoke" or "what you staring at bruss". But at least it was a greeting. Since moving to Adelaide, I certainly have noticed more of the heads down. The old folks tend to be friendly and say gday, but the younger ones not so much. Will get the odd smile from females <40, but never even brief eye contact from blokes.
My neighbours specifically, the couple on my right (mid 40's) with 3 kids, I always say Gday and get one back. The young 23-25 year old couple on the other side (who in theory should be more inclined to say hello as i'm their age) look at me like I'm about to ask if i can come inside and sh*t on their rug.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I only really know the family directly opposite and next door on one side. If I saw someone in the front yard in the rest of the street, unless there were any other obvious clues, I probably wouldn't know if they lived there or not.

I don't typically initiate a keeping stride g'day or hey, but happy enough to reciprocate. It's probably like 20% of people on my way to the local shops who do this, which goes up to over 50% for some reason when I'm going for a run. And then like 75% if I'm with the kids.