Those living in towns and cities, can you really be anonymous?

Even living in a megalopolis, I know my neighbors and the local shop and store owners. I run into people at the eyeglass place or the pizza joint or the gym or the drugstore. I see people I know from my stop on the subway. I've bumped into co workers and people I know from the US in France and Germany.

I think true anonymity is impossible.

I've always lived in London and the anonymity factor depends entirely upon your involvement event in your area.

I moved to a new area when I left home and knew absolutely noone locally for years. Which was fine as I had social connections in the areas where I worked.

Once I had kids, I knew loads of people through them and would often bump into friends' parents etc when I went to the shops.

Now my kids are adults and I work miles away, I can go for days without seeing anyone I know at home.

I must know more people than you, as I have bumped into people I know from growing up in Ireland, in London, Amsterdam and a few other cities! Ha! Ha! I just can't escape! 😆

I live in Glasgow. I’ve only bumped into a few people over the years but generally can go out and not know anyone.

I lived in London (for 20 years) and I now live in a small Devon town. I find big cities lonely and its quite easy to be anonymous. People don't want to stop and chat, its much harder to make friends. You can easily go around all day and not bump into anyone you know. A small town or village is the complete opposite and I much prefer the community spirit of where I live.

Maybe if its possible relocate to a big city so that you can have the experience of city life but with the option to return if its not for you.

Depends how much you keep yourself to yourself. I live in a village and people are friendly/nosey, I keep myself in a comfortable bubble and feel anonymous somewhat.

See I lived in. London for a while and actively dislike no bumping into people I knew randomly

I felt anonymous in Manchester but in Liverpool every bastard knows each over. So it must depend on size.

I don't think it's possible to be truly anonymous anywhere anymore, but it is better to be somewhere where not everyone talks about your business too.

What is it specifically you’re looking to get away from?

I’m in London and wouldn’t exactly say I “enjoy” being anonymous, in the sense that whilst I don’t constantly bump into people I know everywhere I go, I am active in my local community so I do see people locally, people know who I am at the local pub, through the local museum and the conservation group I volunteer at, I know most people in our street etc - and I really like that. If you have children then to some extent wherever you live you’ll be known in the school communities. Unless you don’t interact, you’ll never be completely anonymous.

I grew up in the same small city that my mum and her mum grew up in; so there was absolutely an element there of them bumping into people they’d known all their lives and information being shared about and via all the people they knew that way. My mum will still tell all and sundry about me and my life and how I’m getting on when she sees them - but I’m doing immensely well and she’s very proud, so it’s all good stuff.