Having lived all of my 47 years in Bellingham, and seeing it change from a dumpy little mill town to... whatever it is today, it makes me sad how many people don't return a friendly hello on the trails and around town these days. In my memory, which isn't totally dependable, everyone used to say hello, nod or wave to each other. Now it is very rare. I agree with the theory that in a bigger city people are inherently less friendly, and maybe that has something to do with it, but I also saw a noticeable difference during covid that has continued. People just seemed to take "isolation" to a whole new level.
I work in central Washington on occasion, and trail users in that area are often very friendly, and will not only say hello, but will stop and have a little conversation. There is a much lower population density in that area, and it's less frequent to see other trail users out on the trail.
I think population density is definitely a factor.
April 19, 2024, 9:11 a.m. - hairymountainbeast
Having lived all of my 47 years in Bellingham, and seeing it change from a dumpy little mill town to... whatever it is today, it makes me sad how many people don't return a friendly hello on the trails and around town these days. In my memory, which isn't totally dependable, everyone used to say hello, nod or wave to each other. Now it is very rare. I agree with the theory that in a bigger city people are inherently less friendly, and maybe that has something to do with it, but I also saw a noticeable difference during covid that has continued. People just seemed to take "isolation" to a whole new level. I work in central Washington on occasion, and trail users in that area are often very friendly, and will not only say hello, but will stop and have a little conversation. There is a much lower population density in that area, and it's less frequent to see other trail users out on the trail. I think population density is definitely a factor.