so you see a coworker coming your direction from across the hallway and you make eye contact...he/she is still too far away to say "hi" and holding eye contact that entire distance would be a little "weird" or uncomfortable, i mean, that could be construed as staring (plus i can't hold a fake smile that long, it hurts)...so you both pretend to look elsewhere - on the ground, at the wall, at your watch etc. until a safe distance is reached and you can both hear each other say "hi" with a nice little smile

does this only happen to me?

happens to me, thats why I work at home now.

I don't work in an office. But I see your point. It has happened to me.

OK, I'm glad I'm not the only one that happens to!!

Just stare straight ahead until you come close enough to give a nod and a hi with a fake smile.

sweet, i thought i was weird or something for even thinking about this...i guess it's a natural phenomenon

i usually try to carry papers and stuff when i walk around and walk fast to look like im doign something important. i usually wave at that distance, and then go back to looking ahead to get somewhere.

I just turn around and walk the other way to avoid akwardness

happens to me too - see someone coming, maybe smile, look somewhere other than them, get closer, eye contact again, smile, hi, keep walking

i usually try to carry papers and stuff when i walk around and walk fast to look like im doign something important. i usually wave at that distance, and then go back to looking ahead to get somewhere.

so are you carrying papers because you actually need them or do you carry those papers for the sole purpose of looking like you're doing something during that "uncomfortable" phase? lol, i never thought of using props like a newspaper...i should carry one with me everywhere i go!

so are you carrying papers because you actually need them or do you carry those papers for the sole purpose of looking like you're doing something during that "uncomfortable" phase? lol, i never thought of using props like a newspaper...i should carry one with me everywhere i go!

i usually am going back and forth between the file room to get files (i still find it awkward to ask a secretary to do this for me) so most of the time im carrying paper anyway, but i also do it to look busy and so that no one gets offended if i dont stop and talk with them for a half hour... i have enough people coming directly to me to waste my time with useless (albeit interesting) conversations.

Happens to me all the time. Depending on how well I know them, I generally start up the conversation upon eye contact. But I walk fast, so a simple, "hey, how's it goin'?" and their response will usually eat up "passing" time.

i usually try to carry papers and stuff when i walk around and walk fast to look like im doign something important. i usually wave at that distance, and then go back to looking ahead to get somewhere.

Yeah this is my usual solution as well, I really don't want to talk to our users about anything, and being in IT it will usually be about their crappy computers at home.

However I'm fortunate enough to be in a secured area so I don't need to meet LUsers on a regular basis and all my co-workers are cool anyway so no problems there... :)

I just wave once I make eye contact and say "How are you doing?" as I walk by them. If they actually answer, I say "That's great." before they finish and keep walking. I'm that kinda person. :D

break the tension by flashing gangsigns until you're close enough to slap em on the ass as you pass by.

break the tension by flashing gangsigns until you're close enough to slap em on the ass as you pass by.


lol...i guess you can also hang your willy out while vigorously shaking it and saying, "Yea, how you like me now!"

thing is, i don't think you should do this...it wouldn't be polite!

lol...i guess you can also hang your willy out while vigorously shaking it and saying, "Yea, how you like me now!"

thing is, i don't think you should do this...it wouldn't be polite!
Depends on the culture. :D

If you really don't want to interact with the approaching person, just start screwing your face up into a contorted pre-sneeze grimace... then as they get within greeting distance let loose an enormous fake sneeze while covering your mouth and nose with your hand.

Then wipe your hand on the front of your shirt as they pass by. Guaranteed -- they will not say a word to you.

or better yet, go to wipe it on them.

Yeah, I get that akward feeling too. Plus our hallways are so damned long. Once you get in our building, it's another quarter mile down the hall (passage way in NavySpeak) to my office.

Wear sunglasses

If you really don't want to interact with the approaching person, just start screwing your face up into a contorted pre-sneeze grimace... then as they get within greeting distance let loose an enormous fake sneeze while covering your mouth and nose with your hand.

Then wipe your hand on the front of your shirt as they pass by. Guaranteed -- they will not say a word to you.
Dude, that's awesome. I'm so gonna try that next time. :D

sounds like a seinfeld episode

lol...i guess you can also hang your willy out while vigorously shaking it and saying, "Yea, how you like me now!"

thing is, i don't think you should do this...it wouldn't be polite!

lmfao

Sounds like the awkward "elevator moments". :)
How many times you going to look at your watch or the walls? :)

Sounds like the awkward "elevator moments". :)
How many times you going to look at your watch or the walls? :)

that's another moment i hate, in the elevators...i mean, you can only talk about the weather so many times throughout the day!

Sounds like the awkward "elevator moments". :)
How many times you going to look at your watch or the walls? :)
The etiquette for that is to only stare at the floor indicator. Don't look anywhere else, even looking at the buttons is construed as a sign of aggression. And don't even think about looking at the other person's reflection in the mirror doors, things almost always get weird after that. :eek:

The etiquette for that is to only stare at the floor indicator. Don't look anywhere else, even looking at the buttons is construed as a sign of aggression. And don't even think about looking at the other person's reflection in the mirror doors, things almost always get weird after that. :eek:

i said i didn't use props but i lied...my iPod is perfect for elevator situations...even if it's not on you're not obligated to say anything to anyone since supposedly, you can't hear them anyway...

that's my best way out of the building...i'm in IT so before i had my iPod a walk out the building meant passing by users that have those last minute questions that took more than 10 minutes to answer, usually having to do with their home PC...but now, with the magic power of the iPod, i can walk right past them...no wonder iPods are so popular!

i remember when i was 16 years old, my friend gave me a dollar to go in the elevator with at least 6-8 people and just face them. i did and it was the most awkward moment of my life

so you see a coworker coming your direction from across the hallway and you make eye contact...he/she is still too far away to say "hi" and holding eye contact that entire distance would be a little "weird" or uncomfortable, i mean, that could be construed as staring (plus i can't hold a fake smile that long, it hurts)...so you both pretend to look elsewhere - on the ground, at the wall, at your watch etc. until a safe distance is reached and you can both hear each other say "hi" with a nice little smile

does this only happen to me?

happens to me all the time at school

break the tension by flashing gangsigns until you're close enough to slap em on the ass as you pass by.

LOL


To the original Q, yes this happens to us all. Completely natural. My problem is fading vision as I get older, when I'm outside the office but still in the building, or on the sidewalk outside, I don't recognize people as I used to.

so you see a coworker coming your direction from across the hallway and you make eye contact...he/she is still too far away to say "hi" and holding eye contact that entire distance would be a little "weird" or uncomfortable, i mean, that could be construed as staring (plus i can't hold a fake smile that long, it hurts)...so you both pretend to look elsewhere - on the ground, at the wall, at your watch etc. until a safe distance is reached and you can both hear each other say "hi" with a nice little smile

does this only happen to me?

yes it happens to me at school too, in high school i just used to yell out "Yo whats up" but now in college, i just nod my head.

Heres another awkward moment, you see some1 at the mall or any place and you say HI to them and then you happen to bump into them again, do you say hi to them again or ignore them? i always say hi but its just a little weird.

I was having a conversation about something similar to this the other day with a gal a I work with. She was telling me about her visit to Paris and that she found it uncomfortable on the subway etc. because of the way the French guys would look at her. They would look straight at her continiously even when she looked at them. (This gal is stacked so she would attact looks). In this country people usually quickly look away when you catch them looking at you, but not there apparently. Her observation on this was that even though if made her a bit uncomfortable the french guys were more "honest" (her words) about looking at her, while here people pretend that they weren't looking even when you know that they were and that to her that seemed a little "dishonest". To me it was an interesting comparison of two cultures.