I’m asking because it’s a very normal thing to do here.
When you enter a room, but also things like a hairdresser or say a small cafe, you say hello to the people there and say goodbye when leaving. Or when taking a bus, you say hello to the driver and goodbye or thank him when getting off.
I was only recently told by some online friends of mine that this is pretty weird in other places. So I’m wondering if I’m (or my country) is the weird one or them
Do you live in a smaller community, where it’s likely that you know the people there?
I mean, I do. Sort of. I live in the Netherlands so even the rural areas are pretty much next door to bigger cities. I live in a small village, but do everything in the nearby city, even there it’s normal. Maybe a bit less so, but that’s just because there’s too many people. No point in trying to thank the driver of a full bus, he won’t hear you anyway. But if I’m in a smaller cafe, people will say hello when I arrive and goodbye when leaving.
I’m an introvert, but that does sound pleasant.
I live in a large US city, and it’d be considered weird to greet patrons of an establishment I didn’t yet know as an acquaintance. Greeting staff however is good, and a good way to build familiarity.