r/Barbados • u/Ok_Following_6772 • 4d ago
Question Does anyone realize this.
This isnt meant to cause hate or anything but it's a genuine question,as a Bajan it's common to say Good morning/evening what haves you and *most* people will answer back except for tourist imo all the tourist I walk pass and will greet they never seem to ever answer back do they think i'm gonna rob them at gun point or something? Is it a cultural difference I'd really love to know!
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u/MasonJam246 4d ago
Something similar to this happened to me when I visited New York. My first time visiting, I would greet people in the hotel elevator and I would get weird looks and most of the time people would just ignore me.
I soon figured out that it was culturally inappropriate to speak to strangers. I guess that's kind of expected when you're in a city with literally millions of people. It's all cultural. Don't stress about it.
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u/Abiness00 3d ago
It's so hard not to greet people especially in elevators. I can feel the spirit my mother pinching me on my arm for embarrassing her wirh my lack of manners. Sometimes I slip up and still say good day etc.
Not a Bajan but a fellow Caribbean person
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u/247Hustler247 2d ago
That can be twisted . I always greet people in elevators in big cities, NY, Miami, Atlanta, Chi etc and if they don't acknowledge I say something slick and get a smile or a response so it's just the shells that people put up in big cities that need to be broken down. The norm is "mind ya business and keep it moving" just have to break the narrative. Will make someone's day
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u/IfThisWasReal21 4d ago
Canadian here and frequent Bim visitor, Canadians are big on polite greetings, maybe it's tourists from elsewhere?
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u/RhinestoneRave 4d ago
Agree. I always greet people when in Barbados and appreciate that people do it.
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u/MikeWalt 3d ago
1 on 1 that's true, but not in groups of strangers. No Canadian would say "Good morning" to everyone standing at a bus stop or when entering a doctor's office waiting room.
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u/Loyalty_Code 4d ago
Cultural differences. For example, even in the U.S. some areas have people that are very friendly even to strangers and others that are taught not to speak to anyone they don't already know when walking by. Having spent time in both types of areas, they typically don't mean anything but, they've just been conditioned to mind their own business and that sometimes others that are seemingly too kind to them could result in more trouble than it's worth, but even if they don't respond back, they likely still appreciate how warm and friendly bajans are. Which is one of the reasons people always come back.
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u/Top-class-0246 4d ago
I think it's a cultural thing.
Speaking to strangers on the street in foreign countries is definitely not a thing.
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u/TheRumBarron 4d ago
Cultural differences, having lived in the Uk and traveled a lot you will see this - for example in the UK you greet people up north or in Scotland and 95% of the time you will get a greeting back…if you go down south or into London and try the same “good morning” to a stranger they will look at you as if you had two heads…
When travelling around Europe it’s the same behaviour small towns and areas outside big cities people are friendly, people who live in big cities do not carry the same attitudes.
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u/360Waves617 4d ago
As an American born with a bajan dad, at home in the us, I dont greet people. But when im in bim, I greet everyone. I'm happy to be in Barbados so im in a much better mood. When im back home in the us, these people can fuck off lol
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u/Ivy1908Pearl 4d ago
As a true southerner in the US, I love when someone greets me in another country. I mostly be thinking the locals don’t answer back. When I did visit Barbados, I felt very welcomed. I felt like I was him with my people. Everything felt natural. It’s part of the reason, I have a strong desire to relocate and live there. I’m still mapping that out and waiting for my husband to retire from his job.
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u/willwork4onigiri 4d ago
American here. It's a cultural difference. "Stranger danger" is drilled into your heads from the time you're little so it's safest to mind your own business. The first time I went to Barbados and everyone was talking to me I was very uncomfortable.
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u/TurquoiseToaster 4d ago
I’m from Scotland, visiting Barbados next month, and I assure you I would say hello back!!
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u/aysecube 4d ago
As someone whos visited family in Barbados-- from Canada I was so enamored by the genuine kindness from passerbys in the morning. So definitely a culture difference lol , not sure how Canada has a reputation of being super nice when I find Bajans nicer LOL
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u/WirelessZombie 4d ago
Is a legitimate cultural difference.
Still can't help but say good morning and expect it back but where I'm at it's more of a statement I guess?
Was strange at first
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u/ThatsaLottaGum 4d ago
Cultural thing. Most foreigners won't be expecting a GM/GN from a random person, so might not have noticed.
Also, as a foreigner sometimes on Barbados, I give such greetings and sometimes get one back but sometimes instead get no response and a hilariously awkward stare while the person rubbernecks me while I walk by lol. So it's all jumble of mixed signals and expectations I guess.
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u/Nasher1234 4d ago
I would say cultural - I am a northerner from the UK and we would say good morning/ evening to strangers. It’s completely normal here. But if we go south to London we think it’s rude they don’t respond - it’s not - it’s just a different culture.
I found the same when I visited America, people looked at me strange for starting a conversation with them in the big cities but in the smaller towns, they were so chatty and could talk for hours.
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u/hrt_mnder77 4d ago
We are currently visiting and travel a lot. We feel the only people happy to greet us are in the tourist industry. When we go for groceries or local stops no one smiles or at best mumbles a return greeting.
At Oistins fish fry we did have a lovely chat with a local lady that made our day. Many people open up once you get past the hello stage.
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u/OwnCarpet717 4d ago
There's a you tube video by a comedy group about how a man from Northern England, traumatized To donors by saying "Good morning"
Now here's the really interesting bit, lots of Barbados early white settlers/ indentured laborers were from the northern English countryside in the Cromwell years. Is this a cultural transplant or is it just that people in smaller societies are more familiar?
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u/Far-Jelly-4273 4d ago
If I make eye contact with someone, I smile and will sometimes offer a greeting. Is that acceptable? I don’t want to offend anyone.
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u/Lookralphsbak 3d ago
I'm from America, New York city to be specific, we aren't talking to anyone when we walk by them. Rule of thumb is mind your business, unless you know someone. Being Bajan, thigh I also know that I greet people when I'm walking down the streets in Barbados and say it to people when they say it to me, or at the very least wave to people. I do greet people of I walk into a Caribbean business in my neighborhood though.
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u/Far_Meringue8625 3d ago
Mostly cultural.
But I've been to New Orleans, Louisiana and the people there greet strangers with a "how ya doing?"
But in the big cities in the northern USA they won't greet you, and might look at you "funny" if you greet them.
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u/Far_Meringue8625 3d ago
As a black person I was a bit skeptical visiting a southern city, but in fact both black and white people offered a "how ya doing"
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u/Far_Meringue8625 3d ago
Of course we understand the need for big cities, but I think that big cities "do a thing" to us humans. Being among so many "strangers" amplifies our fears I think.
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u/LazyKebab96 3d ago
In finland if you greet your neighbor in the same building, rumors will spread that you use drugs or are mentally insane. People that grow up in such an environment wont greet anyone on the street, especially not a stranger 😅
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u/Icy-Fill7929 2d ago
So many foreigners are here so I've stopped saying it altogether, stopped caring if I'm viewed as rude or not
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u/boxybroker 2d ago edited 2d ago
In the Caribbean, Good Evening/Night is a greeting. In the US it's a goodbye. It took me a bit to understand that I was supposed to say it back, because I'd never encountered it as a greeting before. Threw me off.
I'm from the US South where it is normal/polite to greet and acknowledge people. When I'm in the South, people usually greet back. When I'm in other places and outside the U.S., not so much. I am finding lately that more and more younger people don't naturally greet strangers when passing by or even when entering a room and it strikes me as off-putting and rude.
I do find in Barbados, people expect a verbal, voiced acknowledgement in a certain way where in the States the response is much more flexible and casual. In general, if I say "Good morning" and get "hi!" back, it's fine. It doesn't even have to be audible. People can greet with a nod or a smile. (Which I do often.)
In Barbados that's sometimes taken as rude or not enough of a greeting. So there's also a difference in degrees of *how* the greeting is being given back.
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u/Evening_Plantain_837 2d ago
I’m always thrown off by people greeting me with “goodnight” because to me it seems like a threat lol in America we say this when you leave so I’m like, do you want me to go?
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u/thealdc 2d ago
Definitely a cultural difference. Bajan here who grew up in the north of England and Scotland. Over there, to greet people, you just smile (most of the time). I moved to Barbados and I was told as a child I had to say morning to everyone. I did not know. Also as an adult, Bajans were asking me why ppl from other countries smile as a greeting and they thought it was strange and I said it’s just a cultural thing.
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u/elbourne007 1d ago
Man, I’m going to visit just to check this out, but l already know, they will think I’m one of them.
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u/One-Yesterday1702 21h ago
Definitely cultural. I’m from a very rural part of Pennsylvania and everyone around here says hello when you’re walking around in the neighborhood. I think it’s more common in close knit communities where everyone knows each other. My mom is from Philadelphia and you would think that I would’ve learned not to talk to strangers because she’s from the city. Nope! Not my family, we all talk to strangers. When I say talk to strangers, I mean like, we may become best friends after our encounter lol. I’m always looking for “my people.” Best part about that is you make friends all from around the world! Her family originally came from Scotland. We recently visited Scotland and the people were very friendly as well so I asked, are Scottish people normally talkative? That person said that they felt that the celts are very talkative friendly people but you would not get the same reaction if you were in London.
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u/toremtora 9h ago
It is cultural, yes. Fun example: some years ago, a Canadian came to this subreddit complaining that Barbadians are unfriendly.
Why?
Because people looked at him strangely when he walked around with a large smile on his face.
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u/Reasonable-Flan-982 4d ago
It's cultural. You are definitely going to get that with visitors from UK/Europe. They don't even acknowledge each other.
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u/borokish 4d ago
Parts of the UK, not all.
Me and my wife are from northern England and we have been saying good morning/afternoon/evening to everyone we come across on the streets!
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u/Nasher1234 4d ago
Hello fellow northerner!
I always think of the Jason Manford sketch about being a northerner visiting London (hopefully you have seen it 😂)
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u/Ok_Following_6772 4d ago
That's interesting it seems easy to me (and i assume other bajans) to greet each other even if automatically and you dont really mean it, it feels sort of cynical (though I don't think that's the right word)to not acknowledge each other,I realized it when I went to NY too
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u/shhhthrowawayacc Local 4d ago
It’s not cynical (or whatever word you’re groping for). It’s just different. It’s not like it’s a genuine greeting anyhow
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u/Ok_Following_6772 3d ago
As I said cynical isnt the word i was looking for and I never said it was a bad thing it's just a culture shock for me I guess
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u/bajanstep Helpful 4d ago
Yes thats how we are raised, lord help ya if as child your parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle near by and you dont say good morning/afternoon back....instant smack cross ya head! "You aint got no manners" ... in primary/secondary school in class if a teacher/principal enters you immediately stand..... a local pass another local if you say morning/afternoon you are full within your right to be rate them and again ask "you aint got no manners"
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u/Ok_Tree_6619 4d ago
Just visited Sept 20 to 30. Stayed at sandals. Walked the streets a few days. One day we rented a car and drove around the island. Other day we did a paid tour (I had paid for the tour b4, and could not refund. I was tired of the hotel so rented a car). Everyone was friendly and nice. Greeting was said and returned and a few conversations. Love Barbados.
I choose to visit because of you PM. Love that STRONG FEARLESS WOMAN.
The things is, I'm originally from Jamaica now in the US. So that may be why it was the bitten to greet people and have conversations
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u/osyemni 3d ago edited 3d ago
I’m Asian American and I grew up in Southern California. We were taught stranger danger as school children but my parents always taught us to be polite to our elders, especially since our neighbors were mostly retired folks. I still say good morning to everyone when I’m walking my dogs. Most people will reply back but I notice the younger generation like 20s-something’s will just ignore me.
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u/finzup77 4d ago
Americans will greet you .. thinking maybe people from uk/Europe don’t normally
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u/FenianBastard847 4d ago
Not true… here (UK) people are generally polite and will return a simple greeting. Obvs some don’t but it’s the same the world over.
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u/finzup77 3d ago
It’s probably regional and curmudgeons could live anywhere. I shouldn’t have generalized
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u/ichtyostega 4d ago
I just visited Barbados. I am sorry for being the rude one, but for me it is weird greeting strangers. They are after all strangers. You don’t talk to people unless you want/need something from them.
You are not suppose to bother people unless there is a reason. This is Ofcourse a simplification, but hope it helps in understanding. Could explain more deeply if needed.
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u/Far_Meringue8625 3d ago
You are not being rude. You are just being you acting within your learned culture. But in Barbados we think "what if I fall and break my arm? Will the person who I didn't greet come to my aid? Or will they think he is so rude, the fact that he has fallen is none of my business?"
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u/sread2018 4d ago
Its a cultural difference.
Many times its being said AT you anyway and isnt a genuine greeting, its cultural manners.