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Their son couldn't understand why people in cars coming down the road while you're driving, would wave at you. "We don't know them, Daddy. Why are they waving?" His dad told him they were just being friendly.
I've lived in lots of tiny towns where waving was a thing, but it varied quite a bit. One town would wave, the next might look at you as if you just arrived from Mars.
I lived in a very tiny AK town for 16 years that took the waving thing to an extreme. Even if your wave was a barely noticeable spasmodic twitch of an index finger it qualified. Actually, the place was so small you probably knew every single driver personally anyway so acknowledging their presence made sense unless you were truly an unfriendly person to begin with.
Saturday was errand day. Most working adults did their weekly errands in about the same order starting with the post office. Tired from the work week, you'd remain burrowed under the covers for as long as possible, then leap out of bed, drag on some publicly acceptable clothing just in time to make it to the USPS before it closed. There was only one road there so everyone in town used it. You waved at every car you met along the way.
Next to the landfill to jettison recyclables and garbage. No house to house trash pickup here. Again, only one road so you'd wave at every car again. Often the same ones you just waved at minutes earlier. Next stop varied depending on whether you had a dog to run on the beach or not. Didn't really matter as you were likely to see the same cars again. You might also meet the drivers on the beach and your dog also knew theirs.
If you didn't detour to the beach, your last stop was the tiny grocery. It came last to keep your ice cream frozen. Plus, you never left anything edible in a car around here unless you were sitting in it. Repeat of the whole waving routine all over again.
Oh, almost forgot another important timing consideration. NPR's Car Talk. Most folks listened to it and modified their errand schedule so they could stand around the landfill operator's workshop out of what was usually a chilly wind. It was a rare summer day when the atmosphere surrounding the compost collection bin was enough to drive people out into it again. Everyone knew the dumpmaster as he was one of the town's VIPs and had rigged up nice speakers. Either that or you plopped yourself down in front of the grocery store to chuckle along with everyone else.
If you didn't wave, someone was bound to ask you what was wrong. Why were you being such a grouch?
If you had the audacity to buy a new car you could cause traffic accidents. It didn't happen very often as cars arrived by marine barge/chartered landing craft at the time. That wasn't cheap so people drove their cars until rope would no longer hold them together. Meanwhile, back on the road, people would still do the reflex wave but suddenly realize they didn't recognize the car. They'd start peering in their rear view mirror, take their eyes off the road, hit a jaywalking moose, or end up in the ditch.
Last edited by Parnassia; 04-02-2023 at 06:20 PM..
....... your last stop was the tiny grocery. It came last to keep your ice cream frozen.
........
WHAT? No coolers in the truck bed?
Of course, a thing or two. After Dad left the service, I was still going to school in the town of his last station......so a time or two. I had a cooler in the station wagon with a list to go to the commissary after school and a blank check to pay for it.
As far as waving, well, why not? Of course, these days with tinted glass, you don't know if the person acknowledges your wave or not...................but I do it anyhow.
Finally, there is that we are friendly......and there is that we are armed......and I will leave it at that.
I have a problem because I want advance notice when someone is going to come over ? I'd say 99% of us dont like people just stopping by whenever they please without a thought as to whether weve had a long work day etc-
I have a problem because I want advance notice when someone is going to come over ? I'd say 99% of us dont like people just stopping by whenever they please without a thought as to whether weve had a long work day etc-
“Stopping by” is part of small town living. That’s just how it is. If that don’t sit well with you, stay in the city or the burbs. It’s annoying sometimes, yes, but that’s just how it is, it’s just part of rural living, like everything else you gotta take the good with the bad.
The thing is, many times that annoying neighbor would be there for you in a heartbeat if you ever needed something, so it kinda makes up for the annoying part. At least that’s my experience and I’ve lived in quite a few rural areas. If that’s the worst I gotta deal with I’ll take it any day over living in the burbs or a city.
Your right about him being helpful hence me coming to this forum looking for advice as to how to speak to him, and if this is normal etc-. As you said its annoying and I'm not sure that you cant be a good neighbor and still respect privacy. I would be there for him in a heartbeat (and have helped him numerous times) but I always text, call first.
Today is my first day off work, I'll see how today goes but my guess is he wont take it well.
The funny thing he has cameras and no trespassing signs all over his place and has routinely been confrontational with people who are looking to buy the empty lot between us so not sure how he could be offended but again we will see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotkarl
“Stopping by” is part of small town living. That’s just how it is. If that don’t sit well with you, stay in the city or the burbs. It’s annoying sometimes, yes, but that’s just how it is, it’s just part of rural living, like everything else you gotta take the good with the bad.
The thing is, many times that annoying neighbor would be there for you in a heartbeat if you ever needed something, so it kinda makes up for the annoying part. At least that’s my experience and I’ve lived in quite a few rural areas. If that’s the worst I gotta deal with I’ll take it any day over living in the burbs or a city.
I have a problem because I want advance notice when someone is going to come over ? I'd say 99% of us dont like people just stopping by whenever they please without a thought as to whether weve had a long work day etc-
When I lived rural and was outside I was always happy to have folks stop by and chat unannounced. I only disliked unannounced visits if I was inside because I had a chronic illness and often felt and looked lousy. I have to say that since I moved to the city I've been lucky with my new neighbors. If I'm out in the yard and they're out too inevitably one or more will stop by and chat or compliment me on my gardens. It's a most welcome distraction from my solitary labors.
b) will be ringing your doorbell for more than a cup of sugar.
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