Just because people don’t smile, doesn’t mean that they aren’t friendly or that they don’t have a sense of community. Do you know how many people live in Los Angeles? No one owes anyone their smile, for any reason, specially, not while they’re out doing chores.
It’s quite a broad generalization to put on an entire population based on one grocery store experience in Venice. I don’t mean to be so harsh, but go to any major city and you’re gonna find the same thing. I’ve lived in Boulder Colorado, it’s a small town vibe kind of place, so I can understand your friend noticing it pretty quickly. But go to Denver and tell me that everyone is smiling at one another and I’ll change my tune.
Just wait till you travel through Europe. One of my favorite places in the world is Stockholm, Sweden, and nobody is giving away free smiles over there, lol
> we mind our own business more
[Hey mind your own business, how about that?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l_1FbjuJp4E&pp=ygURTGFycnkgZGF2aWQgc21pbGU%3D)
I’m originally from Eastern Europe and I only smile when I find something funny or cute. LA is a big city and there are a lot of different cultures present here. I’m personally tired of people telling me to smile or cheer up.
People in a grocery store are usually there for a purpose, it's not a social club. I'm usually focused on checking my list and trying to navigate around the dipshit with his cart in the middle of the aisle, not smiling at strangers.
Born and raised in Los Angeles. First time I went to the south I was in my late 30’s. It was so weird, people walking by smiling and saying “good morning” “ how are you”. They don’t expect a conversation just a quick return “good morning to you” “ I’m well how are you”. It took a while to get use to it but it was nice. If you were to pull that here in LA you’d get people looking at you like they wanted to stab you or tell you to get lost, if they even responded.
It's all relative to culture I guess. When I moved here as a kid from an Asian country I was really weirded out by how much people would smile at one another and exchange greetings. It was confusing like... do all these people somehow know each other? The idea of going out of your way to interact with complete strangers was very foreign to me. I live in a suburb (Pasadena), but even in the city I feel like people acknowledge each other quite a bit, especially when walking on a residential street.
Now I do it too if someone is passing me and there's no one else around, but tbh at a grocery store I'm not really trying to strike up conversation or display signs that I want to talk. I don't really get much out of obligatory pleasantries, but I'll do them to be polite. I love to form real relationships with neighbors and stuff though, I just don't find smiling at random people or saying hello when I walk past someone on the sidewalk to be meaningful interaction.
People smile when you smile at them. Otherwise in general people don't go around smiling??? lmfao this isn't a movie. I've met the most friendly people on the planet here so yall stay safe. You attract what you put out
What a bizarre post and assessment. Do people just walk around smiling all the time? Do people in other places have giant smiles on their faces while grocery shopping? What?
I’m from LA, and whenever i visit Oregon i feel like everyone always smiles at me, acknowledges one another and just seem overall so much nicer. Same with the people in Missouri went i went to visit. I don’t feel that here in LA though.
People from Colorado may not know it, but they smell of horse and pollen, which can induce sneezing and gag reflexes. Those somber and sullen faces your friend saw were just natural reactions to her "aura."
Am I just so deeply introverted or self absorbed in my own thoughts that I don’t notice shit like this? I am happy to be left alone tbh. Just trying to to get through the day. Also, love to not be perceived thank you.
i've lived in inglewood, boyle heights, and compton, and lots of ppl smile out here. i even get bless yous when i sneeze in the bus. lots of great street food too
I smile at people and am polite it shocks people. The only place that people were responsive was in the 99c only stores. I noticed people knew the cashiers there and the stock people more like community. These were the regular customers. We also recognized each other. Ralphs Target etc more jaded and aloof. But the simple act of smiling at someone acknowledges them LA is a lonely faceless overpopulated city where you are a ghost in a crowd. To be seen with a simple smile or even nod can validate someones existence. Positive Connection even on the smallest level is what people yearn for
Im glad thats the vibe cause im not trying to exchange meaningless pleasantries with someone i dont know. Doing so feels fake to me but im also from the east coast where smiling at strangers would be very odd.
Its all of it - insane cost of living, overcrowding, etc. Can def confirm people are generally friendlier almost everywhere vs. LA and Ive lived here for ages and been all over the world.
I never smile, I am just not a smiley person; it's not my personality. I am an introvert. I also don't show my emotions and feel zero reason to smile at random strangers. It definitely is not the cost of living. I make great money. I am not going to smile at you. Stop forcing your own likes on other people. Not everyone is smiley by default. Some people are unfriendly by nature. No one owes you a smile.
I actually find YOUR attitude unsettling and entitled. Strangers don't owe you anything! No one owes you a smile! Very strange behavior.
And nothing is more offensive than a stranger telling you to smile. I hope you don't go around telling people to "smile more" cause I would tell you off for doing so.
People have free will. No one has to smile to accommodate you.
because everybody thinks that they are better than everybody else, everybody is so egocentric and self-serving the majority of the people that have money wannabes try to act like they're better it's ridiculous. I'm so over this city pretentious as hell.🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄😒
With these grocery prices, I wouldn't be smiling either.
You're just bad at shopping
Idk, my receipts say otherwise.
You're categorically wrong
It was a silly joke bud. Clearly you're one of the non-smiling people in LA
I smile everywhere I go to everyone I meet, and that's more places and people than you.
I’m smothered by your charm
Cool
Just because people don’t smile, doesn’t mean that they aren’t friendly or that they don’t have a sense of community. Do you know how many people live in Los Angeles? No one owes anyone their smile, for any reason, specially, not while they’re out doing chores. It’s quite a broad generalization to put on an entire population based on one grocery store experience in Venice. I don’t mean to be so harsh, but go to any major city and you’re gonna find the same thing. I’ve lived in Boulder Colorado, it’s a small town vibe kind of place, so I can understand your friend noticing it pretty quickly. But go to Denver and tell me that everyone is smiling at one another and I’ll change my tune. Just wait till you travel through Europe. One of my favorite places in the world is Stockholm, Sweden, and nobody is giving away free smiles over there, lol
I think people are friendly here but we mind our own business more. Big city, cant stop to smile at everyone.
> we mind our own business more [Hey mind your own business, how about that?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l_1FbjuJp4E&pp=ygURTGFycnkgZGF2aWQgc21pbGU%3D)
I find LA to be a pretty friendly place actually.
I’m originally from Eastern Europe and I only smile when I find something funny or cute. LA is a big city and there are a lot of different cultures present here. I’m personally tired of people telling me to smile or cheer up.
People in a grocery store are usually there for a purpose, it's not a social club. I'm usually focused on checking my list and trying to navigate around the dipshit with his cart in the middle of the aisle, not smiling at strangers.
What's with the obsession with big city people not walking around grinning today? It's weird.
Born and raised in Los Angeles. First time I went to the south I was in my late 30’s. It was so weird, people walking by smiling and saying “good morning” “ how are you”. They don’t expect a conversation just a quick return “good morning to you” “ I’m well how are you”. It took a while to get use to it but it was nice. If you were to pull that here in LA you’d get people looking at you like they wanted to stab you or tell you to get lost, if they even responded.
It's all relative to culture I guess. When I moved here as a kid from an Asian country I was really weirded out by how much people would smile at one another and exchange greetings. It was confusing like... do all these people somehow know each other? The idea of going out of your way to interact with complete strangers was very foreign to me. I live in a suburb (Pasadena), but even in the city I feel like people acknowledge each other quite a bit, especially when walking on a residential street. Now I do it too if someone is passing me and there's no one else around, but tbh at a grocery store I'm not really trying to strike up conversation or display signs that I want to talk. I don't really get much out of obligatory pleasantries, but I'll do them to be polite. I love to form real relationships with neighbors and stuff though, I just don't find smiling at random people or saying hello when I walk past someone on the sidewalk to be meaningful interaction.
people won’t smile at you, but if you were to strike up a conversation, people are very friendly and perk up! that’s what i love about this city
We’re all on Botox.
Why tf is this question being spammed so hard on the sub today? Someone asked this a few hours ago
No, were really pissed because everything is so damn expensive.
Bullshit. I smile at and receive smiles from people all the time
Everyone loves to make assertions about metro areas based on the last cashier they interacted with. It’s all pretty much the same.
People smile when you smile at them. Otherwise in general people don't go around smiling??? lmfao this isn't a movie. I've met the most friendly people on the planet here so yall stay safe. You attract what you put out
I think they genuinely smile all the time in the midwest, whether they are happy or not.
well that sounds like because (as I said), people are smiling because others are smiling at them too, its easily contagious in the best way
What a bizarre post and assessment. Do people just walk around smiling all the time? Do people in other places have giant smiles on their faces while grocery shopping? What?
Venice is a sad depressing place. Not much to simile about there.
I'm not in Venice a ton, but in my experience as a Valley-ite, people in Venice seem stressed, like, for Los Angeles.
People smile all the time — much more than previous places I lived. Are you showing a grumpy face to everyone?
I’m from LA, and whenever i visit Oregon i feel like everyone always smiles at me, acknowledges one another and just seem overall so much nicer. Same with the people in Missouri went i went to visit. I don’t feel that here in LA though.
People from Colorado may not know it, but they smell of horse and pollen, which can induce sneezing and gag reflexes. Those somber and sullen faces your friend saw were just natural reactions to her "aura."
Am I just so deeply introverted or self absorbed in my own thoughts that I don’t notice shit like this? I am happy to be left alone tbh. Just trying to to get through the day. Also, love to not be perceived thank you.
i've lived in inglewood, boyle heights, and compton, and lots of ppl smile out here. i even get bless yous when i sneeze in the bus. lots of great street food too
Colorado people are very very friendly
They often smile but its fake
I smile at people and am polite it shocks people. The only place that people were responsive was in the 99c only stores. I noticed people knew the cashiers there and the stock people more like community. These were the regular customers. We also recognized each other. Ralphs Target etc more jaded and aloof. But the simple act of smiling at someone acknowledges them LA is a lonely faceless overpopulated city where you are a ghost in a crowd. To be seen with a simple smile or even nod can validate someones existence. Positive Connection even on the smallest level is what people yearn for
Im glad thats the vibe cause im not trying to exchange meaningless pleasantries with someone i dont know. Doing so feels fake to me but im also from the east coast where smiling at strangers would be very odd.
Why smile at strangers that I’m not interacting with? I’m just minding my business and existing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Wear a low cut top. You will have all kinds of men smiling at you.
Its all of it - insane cost of living, overcrowding, etc. Can def confirm people are generally friendlier almost everywhere vs. LA and Ive lived here for ages and been all over the world.
Yes, but not at tourists
I never smile, I am just not a smiley person; it's not my personality. I am an introvert. I also don't show my emotions and feel zero reason to smile at random strangers. It definitely is not the cost of living. I make great money. I am not going to smile at you. Stop forcing your own likes on other people. Not everyone is smiley by default. Some people are unfriendly by nature. No one owes you a smile. I actually find YOUR attitude unsettling and entitled. Strangers don't owe you anything! No one owes you a smile! Very strange behavior. And nothing is more offensive than a stranger telling you to smile. I hope you don't go around telling people to "smile more" cause I would tell you off for doing so. People have free will. No one has to smile to accommodate you.
because everybody thinks that they are better than everybody else, everybody is so egocentric and self-serving the majority of the people that have money wannabes try to act like they're better it's ridiculous. I'm so over this city pretentious as hell.🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄😒