Does anyone else find it awkward when you bump into people you know?

[YouMustBeTheWeasleys]

In town? Or in the supermarket?

I find it doesn’t seem to matter who it is either - it could be a close friend or my own mother and I still find we are making awkward stilted conversation even though we usually get on well!

DH says it’s because you aren’t expecting to see them and you both have a task to complete that you are acutely aware has been interrupted.

YABU - it’s not awkward
YANBU - it’s awkward

Scan as you go ,op ,then you can avoid people
Don't give eye contact either ,then you can walk past pretending you didn't see them

I get confused when I see people out of context and think I have a bit of face blindness too. I've also said 'hello!' to people after what I thought was mutual recognition only to realise afterwards I'd probably scared some actor, television celebrity and on one occasion, Royalty! Latter was keen to follow up - probably because I ran away when I realised and they're bred to chase Prey - although normally on a well trained stallion and not a burly police protection officer who smokes too much and drinks to forget his career trajectory but's clinging on by fingernails for his Pension.

How many of you live in small places? Because where I live, it's completely normal to bump into people you know. I'd never leave the house if I felt awkward about it! I'd also think it was really weird if I saw someone I knew and they deliberately didn't make eye contact. I'm not looking for a lengthy chat, just a hello - which takes five seconds!

So glad to read this! I bumped into my Manager when DH & I were food shopping & he remarked afterwards that I seemed really flustered. It didn’t help that I’m on long term sick & haven’t even popped into work for quite a few weeks. I will often shoot off down another aisle if I spot someone I know. Actually, DH said that my Manager had definitely spotted me initially but pretended she hadn’t! Just to say, I’m a really friendly sociable person generally.

I don't mind bumping into people I know, so long as I recognise them. What I find really awkward is when I bump into someone who clearly knows me but I haven't got a clue who they are. This happens a lot.

Thank goodness you said this, I was feeling really confused. School run we usually say hello to about 80 people minimum who we know (multiple schools with people going in different directions around the same central area, plus playground). Any playground trip there will be at least 5 families we know. Nipping to the shops similar. Going to the park similar. You just can't go anywhere round here without seeing people.

Then when I go into the city for work there are endless old colleagues who all roam the square mile, so coffee or lunch you'll minimum meet 2 randoms who you haven't seen in years. Some of the parents from school are around there too, suppliers, colleagues... Once I met 6 different close acquaintances in one walk through Waterloo station; one was from primary school!

I like people, for me it's nice to say hello. When not rushing, a brief chat about the weather, work, kids, mutual friends etc is fabulous. If you get stuck for what to say or are tired just say "oh just the same old treadmill here, tell me about you, what's going on?" I love other people's random chatter, it's so refreshing to bring back memories of old times.

Is it just being introverted that make people dislike these small interactions?

Same! I'm actually mostly fine with it now but for many years I found it awful and did the whole, "oh, didn't see you there" if ever I did get caught trying to 'not see' someone which then made it even worse. I felt so terribly awkward. What to say? Pretty much fine now. Don't know what happened but it's a relief.

Is it just being introverted that make people dislike these small interactions?

Introverts don't dislike bumping into people. Socially awkward and misanthropic people do.

Like you, I like bumping into a friend I haven't seen for a while. Mumsnet has a disproportionate number of people who just don't like other people. I often wonder how they ever managed to meet their partners and become parents given that they hate social interaction so much.

I agree! I like bumping into people I haven't seen in ages. Mind you, I'm also one of these people who answers their doorbell when it unexpectedly rings.

Me too, and my phone 😁

This also happens to me a lot; mostly it's parents of ex-pupils or someone I went to primary school with. I didn't recognise a man who I dated about 20 years ago!

Yep, this happened last week to me when at a supermarket. I went to say "hello" and she suddenly clocked me and turned abruptly with her trolley. Weird!😀

I am quite face blind so I quite often fail to recognise people out of context which can be really embarrassing. I never deliberately ignore anyone I know.

It doesn’t feel shit to me - I feel delighted and respect the person for doing the same thing as me, as then we can both pretend not to see each other and then get on with our days.

I wouldn’t call this behaviour normal, no. It’s like you’ve never actually grown up and you’re expecting people to ask you: does you mum know you’re skipping class, why are you in the supermarket?
What the hell? Seriously?

If I am out shopping, I absolutely hate it, I want to shop and go, not stand around chatting.

I also actively avoid if I clock someone before they have seen me.

Also, I have friends of relatives who know me from passing but never have a clue who they are, so I am stood making polite conversation, totally pretending I know who I am speaking to, then left racking my brain as to who it was, than in itself takes up my thought process for the rest of the day 😆

Oh you're going too far now!
Nobody will even believe you. 😁

This exactly. Id be more surprised if I didn't see someone I know walking down the high street lol

The supermarket is the worst place to bump into someone... because after the initial chit chat, you end up bumping into them in virtually every aisle...and then having make a light hearted quip each time... absolute agony

It's interesting how the socially confident, outgoing people can't seem to understand that those of us who aren't super comfortable with these interactions find them stressful.
There's an ex-neighbour I occasionally see around and without fail, I'll end up saying something stupid and/or trip over a tree root/pavement etc. Every time. I don't know why.

It's only embarrassing when I stop to talk to their dog without recognising the person.
Generally it's a pleasant surprise.

The worst is someone you've known for a long time but haven't seen for ages. I bumped into a school mum, who I knew well for years, from primary school the other day and it would have been rude to just wave so we had an awkward conversation about our now 17 year olds and now they're getting on🤦🤣

The absolute horror of being on the bus and seeing someone you know get on.

Anyone else do the thing where you pretend to do a shoelace up so you can hide and make out you never saw them?

I have no idea why I want to avoid people - even people I actually really like - when I wasn't expecting to see them. I’ve always been like it, right back to when I was at school. There’s a great book to be written about this syndrome imho.

I don't mind unexpected meetings with friends or acquaintances at all.
BUT
It's when I'm already with a person they don't know, at which point I cannot think of the name of the friend who's just turned up so can't introduce them.

Every every time.
It's as if the hard disk is full up with the names of all the people I taught in 40+ years of teaching and there's no more room.

This theory would sort of work but I've been like it forever now I think of it.

The other day I said hello to a dog and its owner started talking to me, about my DS, calling him by his name. So someone who knows me within the 7 years since he was born, and I had absolutely no idea who she was. Dog looked somewhat familiar though...