Do you wave to people on canal boats?

[grannyinapram]

yabu - don't wave at strangers
yanbu - yes god damn it wave to the captain!

ps I've been waved to and I have waved. I am all for waving! I get sad if people don't wave back.

Never. Didn't even know this was a thing!

Waving is friendly. Why being cold and antisocial? I also say hello and smile to strangers on walks. Not every single person but when there is an eye contact. Our society can definitely benefit from more connections with other human beings, and for no material benefit. It's a feel good factor.

I usually wave.

If they don't wave back, I don't take it personally, for the reasons mentioned in the post by @AnaisNun It's someone private home, and some of them get goaded and hassled anyway, and can't always be bothered.

A woman in a canal boat on the canal near me was very aloof, and looked the other way when anyone went past, and even though I passed 3-4 times a week on my walks, she ignored me. On the 17th or 18th time I saw her, I smiled as she caught my eye, and she smiled back and said 'lovely warmth for February..'' I said 'yeah it's lovely.' After that she always smiled and waved.

So I think she (like some others) took a while to warm to people, and was only friendly when they were sure about someone.

I also wave to people on steam trains.

I usually exchange "hello, lovely day" type greetings with passing boaters, same as with people on the towpath. It's completely different to cars and trains because of the speed ... if you're going in the same direction the relative velocity is very low.

I probably wouldn't if someone was moored unless they said hello first - it's their space then.

Of course, also to trains passing. The face on some dc when I waved back recently was class! They were delighted!

I do, or would if there were canals near by, but I also wave at people on the metro (local train) going over level crossings, or if I'm on the top of a double decker bus and there's another bus next to it (usually near bus station). General I just enjoy waving.

@Scarby9

Always! Also to people on little trains, even if they then stop at a little station or little signal and you have to keep waving for an embarrassing length of time from too close a distance.

Yes this! Also to those little trains that run along the beach in seaside towns, and on tractor rides at the farm 😂

I don't live anywhere near a canal so, no.

You've just reminded me of a lovely family who got my DS to 'help' push the boat along when they were mooring (?) - absolutely made his day. We would wave and say hello to people, yes.

Oh I do! And on steam trains - I also say good morning etc when i pass someone. I'm from a small village, Just how we are x

Waving just has to be done!

@Sparklingbrook

I don’t think having a week’s holiday on a canal boat counts being part of that friendly community. I was a bit ‘stop looking at us’ 😂

Don't do the Caledonian Canal then... hauling the boats through the flight of locks in Fort Augustus you find you've become part of a tourist attraction.

Fuck yeh. I love a good wave!
I wave to tractor drivers, Eddie stobarts, I just wave to folk on buses if they look like they might enjoy a wave :)

Live near the river and people are on boats / punting. I always wave especially to kids. Its cute.

I don't live near a canal and didn't realise this was a thing, but I think this is such a cute thread and I will definitely wave if I ever see one!

AnaisNun

Sorry I know that sounds narky-

Yep, does a bit. If I were you I’d revel in the envy and sit up top, white gloved, ready to return with a royal wave.

@Horehound

Fuck yeh. I love a good wave! I wave to tractor drivers, Eddie stobarts, I just wave to folk on buses if they look like they might enjoy a wave :)

ooh I always feel weird receiving a wave (I'm the walker) but live giving them. And I've definitely accidentally shouted tractor and waved when thre have been no children with me we are in the city though so I'm torn between city rules and farmer rules

canals are like stepping into another world, everyone says hello or good day, if I were 4m to the left we would ignore each other

@amber763

I don't live near a canal and didn't realise this was a thing, but I think this is such a cute thread and I will definitely wave if I ever see one!

Oh yes, boats, trains and tractors. we don't wave to ambulances anymore because there are so many but my kids loved fireengines when they were smaller, we always got a wave back, sometimes a bib hopes it was for me not the kids lol

I used to kayak a lot so hell ya, I love river rat people.
But some aren't friendly, they just want to scowl & have their isolation. Fair enough.

As a boater - I will wave back, unless I’m deep in concentration, like trying to reverse half a mile past moored boats in the wind. 😳🤣

canals are like stepping into another world, everyone says hello or good day, if I were 4m to the left we would ignore each other

Round here most walkers say hello to each other too. Canals with their slow speeds are much like an extension of the footpath really.

People can walk faster than a narrowboat- the bottom is way to near the top!!

I'm a waver. I waved at a car the same as ours yesterday and the woman driving it looked at me like

Yes and I wave to people on trains too.

Yes! And what a lovely thread OP

< waves >