Autist here, do you greet or say hello to people when you meet them on hikes or going on a walk through a forest or whatever? What's the social etiquette here?

>>2812412 (OP)
Don't worry about it. Just focus on actually going outside.

>>2812412 (OP)
Yes. Just say hello and keep walking

Considering most are wearing headphones, there's not really any point but i usually just smile and say howdy or if i feel like resting/talking i'd strike up a conversation, it's pretty simple and reasonable i'd say. Having a script for encounters is gay. I usually almost always say howdy though unless im just in the worst mood imaginable. Like one time i had been walking in the sun all day and passed some gent and i was not very friendly, turns out we stayed at the same hostel that night which was like an hour away and i really regretted not being friendly, so ya never know really, we ended up getting along, but i had to work a bit extra.

>>2812412 (OP)
Just go with the situation. Often if I'm in the middle of nowhere and it's rare to see someone I'll stop and chat. If it's some popular trail with a bunch of idiots you probably say nothing.

>>2812412 (OP)
This is what I do: Look away from them but smile slightly. If they say anything then say "hi" in response, but keep moving.

>>2812412 (OP)
"Good morning/afternoon" to the leader and then just a nod to everyone else in their group unless they also say hello. I ignore w*men completely and just look past them as I walk by

If there are hazards I passed like a rattlesnake/bear/high water crossing I inform them of its approximate location

>>2812412 (OP)
I just give them a nod and continue on with my day.

>>2812412 (OP)
If they have pets off leash: no
If they have pets on a leash: maybe
If they don't have pets: if they aren't woman.
>>2812414
Get new material, Karen.

>>2812412 (OP)
Make eye contact and audibly fart

>>2812412 (OP)
head down, don't look at them, don't acknowledge them, don't move aside for them. Keep walking. If they follow you or start to get pushy: bear spray

>>2812412 (OP)
Hi, hey, g'day or a friendly nod as you pass.

>>2812414
/thread

Only if they're White.

>>2812412 (OP)
Sure, so long as they arent black or jewish.

smile and wave

Do whatever feels right for you in the moment

My own autistic observation is that the further you get from civilization, the more common it gets to greet other hikers. Probably because the people are there just to work through the trail and then go home by evening, so they're in some kind of hurry.
The Lycra mafia who run, ride or ski very fast don't greet.
Groups don't greet, unless they're foreigners. Germans are polite, Japanese are bubbly, like they haven't been said hello to by a white man before and think it's very novel to say hello back at him, Americans are loud, Brits are quiet. Chinks just smile back, but their eyes are dead.
If you meet a family the patriarch or matriarch might greet, you can hear by their tone if it's a "are you on this frequency, are you a threat to the kids?" probing kind of greeting or a polite greeting. Sometimes their kids run ahead, they greet.
Old people greet.
I find women greet more often than men. From that I deduce that the women who claim they'd rather be innawoods with a bear than with a man don't really go out much.
Dog people are 50/50, but if the owner greets, the dog often also does.

>>2812412 (OP)

>>2812525
>if they’re not white…
Larper. You’ve never been hiking, ever. If you had, you’d know about the lack of people of color. You outed yourself as a liar.

>>2812673
I wish this were true but it isn't. I saw jeets in horrible places.

>>2812412 (OP)
Autism sufferer here
I give a strained "hi" and attempted smile and little wave
I usually do not get a response because they can sense my autism and inherently dislike me
But I must perform the actions regardless because doing nothing makes me more anxious

>>2812683
>urge to break that anticipation of socializing
For me I just turned that feeling into pretending I'm hyper social and got pretty good at acting extroverted. I can't fool other autists but most normal people find me ftiendly/easy to talk to/want to tell me things they shouldn't for some reason.

Smile, find default statement, don't make eye contact until you are 5 or so metres away (use phone or watch to buy time) etc.

>>2812674
>I went to a shitty tourist trap and saw shitty tourists
>t. shitty tourist

>>2812412 (OP)
I like to do a bit where if I'm on the way in to some viewpoint and they're coming back, I'll ask them to describe it to me in detail. Once they do that, I thank them, turn around, and start following them back to the trailhead.

>>2812412 (OP)
The answer is so simple op

>>2812510
>bill gates looking mf comes up to me on trail
>immediately starts cheesing while lifting his leg
>pinches a massive loaf down onto his toe shoes
>does 360 and waffle stomps tfo

>>2812890
>waffle stomps
those fucking dutchies

where I live most trails are pretty tight and it would feel weird to pass so close to someone without acknowledging them, the only times I don't say hello is when I come across two people who are completely absorbed in a conversation

>>2812412 (OP)
I just say hi and that's it. Not stopping for a conversation because that'll mess up my Strava stats

>>2812414
Put em on clutch

I greet EVERYONE and judge you if you don't say hi back or respond weird. The only time where this isn't the norm is super popular trails full of cityfriends, which I avoid like the plague.

>>2812412 (OP)
Just say how u doin and keep walking

>>2812683
My fix has been to close my eyes, smile and give a little wave. This way I'm following the mandated social interaction rule, and if there is no response I can just assume they gave a wave during the 1-2 seconds my eyes were closed. If you aren't very coordinated this probably isn't the strat though.

>>2812412 (OP)
This is my least-favorite part about hiking. Every time I encounter another person or group, it feels like I've momentarily been transported back to society and its judgements towards autistic/unattractive/single males. That's what I try getting away from on weekends and vacations.

>>2813407
Just smile and say hi anon, no need to be retarded about it.

>>2812412 (OP)
Find a greeting that rolls off the tongue easily.

Saying "YO" in a deep bassy voice isn't appropriate unless it's another large man.

Hola and ciao work better for greeting women.

>>2812412 (OP)
Hiking yeah, everybody on the trail does it.

I ask everyone I see what their trail name is. If they don't understand or don't have one, I know they're day hike losers and rage hike away

>>2813550
Your new trail name is Mr Furious

>>2812412 (OP)
>old white pgoing? Out & return hike
"Mornin!" (Short, small wave)

>old any-other race out & return hike
(Smile, slight nod)

>mid age white people out trip
"Hey, how's it goin?" (They say good) (keep hiking)

>mid age white return trip
"You're almost there!" (Fake laugh) (they will fake laugh with you)

>mid age any-other race out trip
(Short wave) (Short eye contact + smile)

>mid age any-other race return trip
"The view is beautiful up there." (They will agree / confirm / smile if they're out of breath)

>young white out trip
"How was it?" (They will say something Short, "great" "you'll love it" etc.

>young white return trip
"I like your ________" (compliment anything. Shoes. Shirt, backpack. They will say thanks and compliment something random of yours. Neither of you have to actually like it. It's just a platitude.)

You will never see young of other-race in nature. So there's no need for a behavior protocol.

>>2813638
Also to add on for you, on narrow trails there is a hierarchical etiquette rule list

Priority level 1: horses / mules have the right of way
Priority level 2: uphill hikers have the right of way
Priority level 3: returning hikers have the right of way

>>2813638
>"You're almost there!"
Just don't say that when it's obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes.

One time, I was hiking up a fairly well-known mountain with a visible plaque at the top. I passed this couple near the end of my ascent. The woman goes "Almost there!" in an annoying cheery voice. I replied "Obviously" while shaking my head and looking at the ground. Sometimes a simple "hi" will suffice.

>>2813645
Were you hiking alone by any chance? Can't imagine anyone would want to hike with you if this is your attitude.

>>2813664
Not them but I hike alone very often because most people can't keep up with me on the hikes I enjoy.

>>2813665
I feel you. Whenever I take someone with me, in my mind I decide that this one is going to be for them to enjoy more than me. There's a joy in that too, and it certainly doesn't ruin the trip. People appreciate it when you share cool places and experiences with them at their own pace. You just have to go into it with different expectations.

>group of people
If they look happy then yeah maybe chat a bit.
>two parents and their kid(s)
Let them make the first move, otherwise maybe a nod of the head.
>person walking their dog
Just keep walking like they're not there unless the person says something.
This isn't being rude, this is just showing the dog that nothing special is going on, keep sniffing around or whatever puppydog.
If you do end up talking with the person, please ask before petting the dog.
>one person
Depends what they look like they're outside alone for.
Maybe they just want to jog in silence.
Maybe they are there to take nice photos of the land.
Maybe it's a 70 year old lady visiting where she dumped her husband's ashes.
Maybe it's the next buffalo bill looking for a victim.

>>2813639
>horses / mules have the right of way
Fuck no, they shit on trails, push them off the mountain.

>>2812488
This, depends on how far away from civilization you are

>>2812412 (OP)
Smile at them directly with warm intentions and when they lock on you say a casual hello at a fleeting moment in a casual mid-conversation tone like you have been talking to them for hours. Sometimes talk bullshit about trail conditions or how long walk. Always with a fleeting undertone so they can pick an easy way out and continue walking. Never formal, always passing-by vibe. Whatever suits the situation

>>2812412 (OP)

>>2812660
>Brits are quiet

>>2812683
Why dont you inherently dislike them back? It will be a lot easier because the fucks you will give about their opinion will be reduced and you will be less anxious.

>>2812412 (OP)
>What's the social etiquette here?
Say hi or hello and keep walking. If they look to be in trouble offer assistance.

However, if you are on a popular trail near a city most people won't respond. And teens are far to afraid to respond. And a group of friends in deep conversation will often not respond. Either way, don't sweat it.

>>2814579
>don't sweat it
dumb advice, if half of the 4chan community were able to do that, 4chan would have died years ago

>>2812412 (OP)
Nod at medium distance.
If they are paying attention then say hello when passing.
If they give a less generic greeting before then, then return it.
If you accidentally get involved in a drug deal while doing this, then go through with it until you're out of sight and book it.
If you have just been involved in a drug deal, abuse the prior etiquette steps to get rid of your drugs at a slight markup.

>>2812412 (OP)
I don't. I'm not there to socialize, I'm there to hike, climb, dive, whatever.
Anyone obsessing over saying hi and talking at any length is from a city and oversocialized.

>>2812412 (OP)
Just say hello back.
Even to a 'how you do'
Thankfully my dog is an effective killer of any conversation by her sheer walkmaxxing mentality, no interest in random dogs or people.

>>2812412 (OP)
Maintain intense eye contact. Begin sprinting.

>>2812660
>Dog people are 50/50, but if the owner greets, the dog often also does.
the dog might be a skin walker if he can talk anon

>>2812412 (OP)
>be ancestors (Cree Indians)
>white man comes out of the bush
>”hey how are you”
>shoots
>stop greeting people on trails
>raid them instead
>run out of warriors
>assimilate if there’s booze and don’t have to work
>still not saying hello on trails to this day

>>2815404
>heya
>hoya

Serious question: how far away is someone before i should greet them? Sometimes i lock eyes but theyre far away and i feel like i need to let them get closer before i say hello but then i dont know what to do with my eyes and decide to lock eyes again and say hello at an appointed distance away from me. I have this problem in every day life as well.

>>2812412 (OP)
Just don't do it the /pol/ way.

>>2814550
boomer

>>2815684
Whenever you make eye contact it's good to say hi, but the less busy the trail the farther the distance feels normal. If they have a dog you can say hi a little farther than usual. There's a curve for party size where if there's two or three people, you can say hi from farhter than normal, but after a certain size don't bother until they care right by you. Lots of weird little rules, if you aren't autistic you can just play it by ear of course.

Hike a lot and develop a conscious heuristic to determine the appropriate greeting for people based on their demographics, demeanor, and actions. Autists can eventually learn to brute force normal human behavior if they apply themselves. Yeah, it's hard. Tough; those are the cards you've been dealt.

>>2820132
I hike a lot. My consensus is you don't need to say hi to people on trails. They get a nod of acknowledgement and that's it. Don't overthink it.

>>2820134
You don't need to do anything. You don't owe anyone acknowledgement. The goal is to influence the way other people see you for the social benefits. Neurotypical people do this automatically, but if you're happy being an outcast let your freak flag fly.

>>2812412 (OP)
Yes or just nod and smile at them but if they don't do anything in return i spend the next 5 minutes thinking about how they are assholes

>>2820136
its not just for a social benefit its how the other person feels. When you ignore people it makes them feel bad. You lack empathy.

>>2820142
An inability to read others' internal emotional states is pretty autistic. Regardless, even autists who are also rock-stupid can figure out how to parrot greetings from passers-by and solve that problem. You don't have to be the first person to speak.

>>2812412 (OP)
Most likely anybody you meet is also an autist. It’s a really niche hobby that attracts those on the spectrum

The only appropriate greeting is a great big warm bear hug and peck on the cheek, followed by a playful smack on the ass as you part ways.

>>2820152
I'm pretty fucking autistic but I have a ton of empathy. I think you have to have autism to the point of being physically retarded to not understand or care about how other people feel. psychopaths are more apt to walk by people without acknowledging their existence.

>>2820160
Greetings fellow hiker! I would say "good morning" but it's noon somewhere, ha ha! It's a beautiful day to be out on the trail, wouldn't you agree? Your shoes are the same color as mine!

>>2812484
why would you wear headphones on a hike though that sounds dumb

If it's sunny I say "Beautiful day, right?"
If it's raining I say "I'll take rain over snow any day."
If it's snowing I say "I hate snow."
Any other time like when it's cloudy I just say "Hey."
If it's somebody who looks like a crackhead I keep my head down and keep walking.

Why not wait for them to greet you and reflect whatever they did or said?

>>2812412 (OP)
If they are fat I ignore them.
If they are non-Euro foreigners or domestic invaders I ignore them.
If they are pretty girls then I bow my head a little.
If they are black I hold my breath.
If they are cool I say 'Hi'

If they are uncool for whatever reason, and they ask advice, I pretend not to know or give them wrong advice.
Like near a trailhead this Mexican with his pitbulls asked if trekking poles were helpful, I told him "Not really". Or I told this fat black lady that there are snakes and coyotes about (which is not entirely false).

Also I never tell uncool people what trails I hike. Shits too crowded already.

>>2812673
You will find out, but only once its too late.

>>2812412 (OP)
>>2820745
Also, make sure to step off the trail for them to pass. Otherwise since normies are retarted destructive animals that will trample and destroy all side vegetation, widening the trail too much, and make everything ugly.

I've never had trouble with greetings, but I'll be damned if I can figure out the timing for passing in opposite directions. I feel like I need to yield a hundred feet from people or they start scrambling off the trail in awkward places to let me pass when they have the right of way. Chill, folks, there's a big obvious wide spot between us; nobody has to yield until we meet.
I just got back from the Columbia River gorge and it was especially bad, probably because the steep terrain spooks people, but I felt the need to be extra coddling lest some touron fall off a cliff.

You should beat them up and loot them, how would you otherwise make some profit out of your 120 l backpack?

>>2812412 (OP)
>wooo Maga country!! Yeeaaahhh
Everyone smiles and goes wwwoohoo in return.
High fives entire group in passing.
Feels good.

>>2812412 (OP)
I just raise the volume on my music so I can pretend I didn't hear them.

If they don't look me in the eyes I don't say anything, otherwise "hello" and keep going.

>>2812949
>clutch poster is back
welcome back mr.clutch

>>2823058
The clutch poster is just one of the fishing general anons. There's coincidentally a new reply in the fishing general within a few minutes every time the clutch poster does his schtick.

>>2820307
Zoomies cant be alone with their thoughts for a minute.

>>2812493
Don't do that, you'll keep missing their his and not responding and feeling like an asshole, instead take initiative and be the person who says hi first, if they miss it it's way better than not saying hi back. It also gives you a bit more control over the situation, if you say HI and that's it chances are nobody's going to go all "wonderful day we have today innit how about a shag in them caves there yonder"

>>2812412 (OP)
I say "howdey" in a deep voice. Works every time, no problems so far.

>>2823194
I say ciaody like a spaghetti western

>>2812412 (OP)
Look at them for a second, say “hey”/“hello”, and then keep on enjoying the views. I’m not really the person to hold longer conversations with though.

>>2812412 (OP)
>do you greet or say hello to people when you meet them on hikes or going on a walk through a forest or whatever
Yes, right before I stab them. It's common courtesy, after all.

>>2813504
I prefer a "what up, niiiiigga"

>>2812412 (OP)
Be the American that they fear you are. In a foreign land on the street or public transportation say Hi, make eye contact, smile, and make small talk. Be the happy carefree human being that the city folk and foreigners don't understand. Absolutely on the trail say hello, ask or tell about nearby landmarks. Kill them all with kindness.

if you're male, it's a good idea to say "I'm not going to rape you" so they know you're not going to rape them. most will appreciate this.
on the off chance that this makes them nervous, growl at them to show them you're serious, and that you're really not going to rape them.

>>2812660
I'm not OP, and I'm just visiting (saw this on the home page), but this was very informative. Thank you.

>>2812412 (OP)
Warn them a bear or cougar is in the area even if there’s not just to make scared.