Showerthought: The difference between a polite nod and a full smile at the grocery store

I gave a polite nod to a guy in the cereal aisle who was blocking my path, and he just stared blankly; the next day, I gave a full, awkward smile to a woman in the same spot, and she immediately moved her cart and said, 'Sorry, go ahead!' It was like flipping a switch. Is there a secret code of aisle etiquette I'm missing?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_xena4d ago

That blank stare after a polite nod is so real, it happens to me all the time. I wonder if a smile just reads as more of a direct request for help, where a nod could be seen as just acknowledging someone's presence. @young.nora has a point about frozen aisles being a special kind of war zone, but maybe the smile works better there too because everyone just wants to get their stuff and leave the cold. It makes me question if we're all just waiting for a clear social signal to move.

ericj454d ago

My friend's smile once cleared a whole frozen food section!

young.nora4d ago

How could a smile clear a frozen aisle? That stuff is packed tight. I've seen people block the whole freezer just to stare at the pizza rolls.