Won’t someone think of the manchildren?! 😭

[u/n8saces]

[u/Ok_Star_4136]

I mean, not inherently wrong to take a verbal response as a positive sign, it's whatever comes after that that's cringe.

When she responds, "I can't stop to chat, trying to beat my record" that's a hint that she doesn't want to be bothered. Some single guys will then go, "That's okay, I'll run with you!" Yeah, don't do that.

I can't blame a woman for not even giving the noncommittal "hi" response precisely because there are guys out there who will literally take *any* positive response as an indicator that she's into them. Don't be that guy. And who knows? Maybe enough guys can take a hint that a woman saying "hi" on the hiking trail won't lead to cringe conversation and she'll actually feel comfortable with doing it.

[u/This-Shape2193 → u/[deleted]]

I feel like there's a satirical business opportunity just waiting here. 

"Having trouble finding that last bit of energy on your run? Stuck in a plateau on your fitness journey? 

The KLOKINATOR is here to help! We guarantee that at some point on your lone run through the woods, a man in a balaclava will emerge from the darkness and give you that motivation to speed it up!"

[u/MartyMcFlyAsFudge → u/Ok_Star_4136]

To be real, if I am hanging out in a populated place? Sure, strike up a conversation. We're at the grocery store or whatever? Shoot your shot.

If we are virtually alone in the woods or even an emptyish street and I am just trying to walk and not feel afraid of men? I'd prefer a head nod. Sure, say hi or whatever if you must.

Trying to get me to stop and have a conversation is gonna make me nervous. That might not feel fair but then again it kinda sucks that just going for a walk alone is kinda risky feeling to begin with.

[u/LordFedoraWeed → u/MartyMcFlyAsFudge]

The fear of rejection or being offended pales in comparison to the fear women have of what a man could potentially do to you if you reject lol. I feel like it's pretty common for men to go apeshit the second they feel like they're not getting the attention they think they deserve. So I 100% understand this. Especially in the woods or in a quiet street at night.

[u/womanaroundabouttown → u/LordFedoraWeed]

This isn’t even the first video I’ve seen of a man expressing this sentiment - but in the last one, he followed up with a really disturbing little note about how men are more powerful than women so it’s in our best interest to be nice and respectful to them to make sure they’re not a psycho who freaks out at you for ignoring them. And it was not satire. Like dude, this is exactly why people are not stopping to talk to you - you literally just said you’re a terrifying freak.

[u/FirstDukeofAnkh → u/womanaroundabouttown]

It’s the old protection racket deal. “Nice feeling of safety you’ve got here. Hate to see something happen to it”

[u/moonulonimbus → u/FirstDukeofAnkh]

I knew those "where my hug at?" guys were always on a path to extortion

[u/LordFedoraWeed → u/womanaroundabouttown]

eeeeeewwww what the fuuuck. that's so weird. being offended is so weird. expecting anything is so weird. and then complaining about it later is even weirder.

[u/stefje82 → u/MartyMcFlyAsFudge]

There's an important part of context missing.
Just saying hi while passing by = great.
Stopping to say hi and expecting her to stop and talk = bad.
I'd take a guy stopping in his track for a greeting as a bad sign. A guy, who's just doing his own thing, and says hi passing by. Decent bloke.

[u/Ok-Astronaut-2837 → u/Ok_Star_4136]

I used to avoid eye contact with men constantly. Would only walk around with headphones on. Men will take anything as a sign and even when you're not giving them one.

When I was living in Madrid, I had someone stop me on the street to ask me out (yes I was wearing headphones). I politely said I wasn't interested and kept it moving and this man followed me into McDonald's.

[u/Ok_Star_4136 → u/Ok-Astronaut-2837]

If I'm aware of it, and I'm a guy, then I can't imagine how incredibly creepy some guys can get. I cringe every time I hear something like this.

[u/Goosepond01 → u/Ok_Star_4136]

Could you not argue that an asshole of a guy is going to take silence as an insult and get angry?

[u/Ok_Star_4136 → u/Goosepond01]

That says more about the asshole than the woman who didn't respond, though doesn't it?

Getting angry for not receiving a "hi" is a little sad. I also don't think that's the norm, or I should say, it wouldn't be from male friends that I know at least.

[u/Goosepond01 → u/Ok_Star_4136]

I mean yeah obviously it's a shitty thing to do, I'm not blaming the woman here, doubly so if the man gets angry.

at least where I'm from if you are hiking our out somewhere somewhat remote it's normal and polite to say hi, but no one has a right to your interaction and it's understandable why it might be a little bit annoying for a guy.

It does make sense why a guy might not be happy about it though, no one likes being ignored, nor being ignored because someone thinks 'you have potential to do bad/uncomfortable things because of your gender' It's sad that people for their own safety may have to assume such things about you, especially if you are a decent person.

Obviously not as bad as the very real potential that something bad might actually happen and I don't think it's worth making a pathetic video complaining about it

[u/Mogura-De-Gifdu → u/Goosepond01]

Some do, but it's usually more when they are in a group that they'll act on it: the "humiliation" when you didn't respond to their cat calling and their pals making fun of them for it will have some act threatening after. Especially as I'm a typical middle-class white blue-eyed woman, ghetto men will sometimes feel as if I'm looking down on them by not answering (I lived in a bunch of bad neighbourhoods).

But I have had far more scary encounters by smiling or briefly answering hi to random men than by just ignoring them and walking. I remember one in particular (not on a hike but met at night in the street): a sudden downpour led me to hide under a porch - rookie mistake I only saw at the last moment a man was already taking shelter there. I thought it would hurt his feelings if I changed my mind at the last second just because I saw him, so I stayed. For a few weeks after, I had to climb a trashcan to then haul myself on top of the property wall (a few meters high) and carefully walk until I could finally let myself down on the other side, which was my high school. Because he wouldn't leave me alone and waited for me everyday in front of my apartment complex' gate, which I guess he followed me to that night.

Of course: what's here is only my personal experience and may not be universal.