# How do you deal with bumping into people you know?



## apx24 (Jan 31, 2012)

I don't mean friends, I mean people who you know, and who know who you are. What do you do if you're walking to class or to the library and you see someone who you know?

Are you supposed to say hello to them? Are you supposed to make small talk with them? Is it awkward or wrong if you say nothing or change direction to avoid them? Are you supposed to look at them as you approach them or do you look down? I just don't know anymore :sigh I ****ing hate being around other students sometimes I wish everyone would just piss off.


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## rikkie (Sep 27, 2013)

If you don't want to, you don't even have to greet them or anything. It's very easy to pretend that you don't see or recognize them, and you can also make it seem that you're busy.


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## dine (Jul 16, 2013)

i pretend to talk on the phone whenever i see them so i dont have to talk to them


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## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

apx24 said:


> Is it awkward or wrong if you say nothing or change direction to avoid them? Are you supposed to look at them as you approach them or do you look down?


Err, social etiquette says not to deliberately ignore them (at least not in an obvious way..).

Depending on how well you 'know' them, brief eye contact and a nod should be good enough... Maybe a "hi"... But keep walking... don't break stride. You are not expected to stop and chat - no one wants that.


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## Raynic781 (Feb 8, 2013)

Just a simple "Hey" will suffice. I bump into people I know all of the time because I live in a small town. I never stop and have a full blast conversation with them though. Just throw up a peace sign and keep walking!


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## Frostbite (May 14, 2013)

Ah the misanthropes of SAS. I say hello and make small talk if I have time. It's good practice.


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## elise92 (May 3, 2013)

I usually either smile or just say hi and keeeep on walking.


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## BigBlueMoon (Feb 7, 2013)

It depends on how friendly they are. Generally though, I feel uncomfortable when I pass by people that I know. I never know what appropriate thing to do.


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## always starting over (Mar 15, 2013)

If they're headed right for me, I'll just say hey or whats up or give a small wave. Still, it's something I dread, every single instance feels awkward, no matter how they respond.


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## Ivy60 (Aug 16, 2013)

Smile, make eye contact and keep on walking... Although it's easier said than done with SA. I'll usually tell myself to do it, but then end up keeping my head down and ignoring them, making them think I'm stuck up.


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## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

Ignore them and hope they don't see me. I don't wave or give any kind of greeting.


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## apx24 (Jan 31, 2012)

Lol I was walking to my halls of residence and I saw a girl I knew today so guess what I did? I turned onto a dead end pathway to avoid having to walk past her and talk to her and waited at the end of it staring at my phone. God knows what she must have thought if she had seen me.


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## apx24 (Jan 31, 2012)

SilentLuke said:


> Ignore them and hope they don't see me. I don't wave or give any kind of greeting.


Happy belated birthday btw (noticed your age change)


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## AxeDroid (Jan 11, 2013)

I say sorry and keep walking.


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## SilentLyric (Aug 20, 2012)

apx24 said:


> Happy belated birthday btw (noticed your age change)


oh thanks! yup, I am 22 now.


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## Farideh (Nov 13, 2011)

If it's someone I don't like I don't say anything to them. I just say oh my god, move out of their way, and continue walking to my destination but when it's someone I don't have any complications with... Then I just say hi but tell them I have to go. I'm not in the mood for small talk at all.


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## VeMuñeca (Sep 5, 2013)

I get shy, but still say hello to them. Sometimes I stop to have conversation depending on who the person is. For example, I always talk to my previous chemistry professor and classmates who are cool.


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## nrelax11 (Jun 9, 2013)

rikkie said:


> If you don't want to, you don't even have to greet them or anything. It's very easy to pretend that you don't see or recognize them, and you can also make it seem that you're busy.


This. My friends ex gf walked by me like a week ago, I said hi, but she didn't even look at me lol. She hated me anyways lol. That and don't think about running into someone. I always run into the people I don't want to see.


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## VeMuñeca (Sep 5, 2013)

nrelax11 said:


> This. My friends ex gf walked by me like a week ago, I said hi, but she didn't even look at me lol. She hated me anyways lol. That and don't think about running into someone. I always run into the people I don't want to see.


Something I've noticed is it seems that I more often run into people I can't stand than people I actually like.


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## Mcquiz (Jul 31, 2013)

I just look at them and nod my head a little bit. That usually does it. Although every interaction like that kinda feels awkward.


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## TobeyJuarez (May 16, 2012)

Depends on who it is really... If it was someone I liked ill say hi... If it was someone I disliked, or was indifferent about ill try and avoid the situation but they ussually end up trying to talk to me anyways so I just kind of nod my head and listen to their ten minute spill about how life has changed so much... Then when they stop talking I give them the "oh, look at the time (even though I'm not ussually wearing a watch), I'm late for _______." And then I excuse myself and go about my way


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## FunkyFedoras (Aug 30, 2013)

You sound like me, OP. I complain about this problem like everyday of my life. I usually end up just smiling at them or saying hey.


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## tbyrfan (Feb 24, 2011)

I'll tell them i'm in a rush and make my escape so I don't have to make awkward small talk.


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## lordseshomaru86 (Aug 13, 2013)

my mind goes into overdrive working through all the possible responses, but I usually just go with like a quick nod at them and don't stop for anything


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## glossy95 (Sep 27, 2012)

Depends on my mood. When I'm so anxious, I pretend not to see them. When I feel good, I smile or say hey. Been called selfish often just because of this..


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## 0180917 (Jun 2, 2013)

What I usually do is this a combination of these things: look at the ground for a few seconds, look around at trees or buildings or whatever, take your phone out of your pocket and look at it like you've just received an important text, then look straight ahead and pretend like you haven't even noticed the other person yet because you have too much on your mind. Then finally look at them and act all nonchalant and be like "hey, what's up?" and continue walking.

Basically, the key is too look busy.


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## Peme (Jul 17, 2013)

I live in a smallish town and go to a local community college, the most attended college in the state, so I have to deal with this crap all the time.

I usually try to avoid them to the best of my ability. However, should we get in close proximity of each other or make eye contact, I am left with no choice but to acknowledge their existence. I just wave.


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## blue lightning5 (Oct 7, 2013)

I was running and saw a guy I knew from my high school I haven't seen in like 7 years and he kinda saw me coming and made an open gesture with his hands to great me surprised to see me and said hey bro ! Very enthusiastically I replied sup! And kept running past him. Pretty rude of me but I could only think about how uncomfortable I would have been to catch up on everything since then. I felt bad because people are excited to see you, so are you in a way,but the thought of feeling uncomfortable is just too strong. I can only hope he didn't feel like crap.


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## Jordan321 (Oct 7, 2013)

I usually try to avoid them, especially if they are with other people. But if they say hey to me I will say it back and just carry on.


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## Tokztero (Sep 12, 2013)

I ignore them sometimes but then they stop talking to me.


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## vaoilade (Dec 10, 2011)

Maybe a wave will do if you don't feel like talking to them


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