I walked faster so I wouldn’t have to talk to them

[Excitedformondayforonce]

Am I weird?

Was having a lovely relaxing dog walk in the woods after dinner with Dh & Dc. Had been gardening all day and in pjs, so just pulled a pair of leggings and top on, hair not really brushed properly and in a ponytail.
Where we go by our house, we never really see anyone, except neighbours we know well. We were halfway around and I was in front by quite a bit with Ddog on the lead, when I heard Dc chatting away and another family behind us. Dc ran up and fold me it was someone from her school. They then ran back to chat with them with Dh. Ddog was pulling on the lead and does need to walk at a quicker pace, but as I got down the hill, they wouldn’t have been able to see me, I thought do I go back/wait and walk with them on the walk and be sociable (never met them before) and ignore the fact I look a mess or just get home, so I walked home quicker as I just didn’t want to be sociable.
Dh asked where I went and I said I was desperate for the loo
Is this weird?

I’m similar , sometimes not often I feel like this and I’d avoid, not in a noticeable rude way of course.

my mum did it to me a couple of weeks ago (that’s feedback for me) I was walking with my husband down the road and she must have come out of a shop behind me, I didn’t see her but heard her berating the dog for something, she must have seen me but she didn’t shout to me or try and catch up. Similarly I didn’t turn round but I’ve spent about 50 years being the adult to her child and modelling doing the right thing so I don’t do it anymore.

In your own garden?!

😂

Not running off, walking ahead, Dc often takes ages which is fine, but Ddog and me like to get a walk on and exercise. I don’t go alone in the woods with headphones as that would freak me out

Perfectly normal. I drove to an entirely different post office the other day to avoid talking to someone who is actually a close friend. I was very tired and looked like a bag of shit. She hadn't spotted me as I was pulling up in my car as she walked in.

I did actually tell her about it in a text and she laughed and said she would have done the same thing! Sometimes I will avoid people I know if I just can't be arsed, other times I'm super chatty. I just need to be in the zone for it.

So the family were quite a distance behind, they would have barely seen me, Dh said they ended up walking with them all the way around (30 minutes maybe) so i’m glad I did one 😂

So we should not stop, accost or ambush people. How about approaching, intercepting or waylaying? Or is the correct etiquette to by pass, or even circumvent?

Obviously not mentally healthy.

Oops - posted this to the wrong thread! I’ve now posted to the right thread and asked MN to delete this but if anyone knows how to fix this let me know…

I don’t think it is? I’m not sure what living in a busy place is to do with it either.

OP I think it was rude, a quick hi would not hurt. They don’t care if your hair was in a pony tail or whatever!

I like 'Buttonholing', which despite how rude it sounds, apparently means 'detaining someone in conversation against their will' 😁

I constantly buttonhole my dogs now I come to think of it.

I think for this thread to really reach peak Mumsnet, someone needs to berate the OP for daring to own a dog!

This happened to me when popped out from WFH at lunchtime, I was in baggy tracksuit trousers but hair a nest (which is pretty regular for me tbh) I was in intensely concentrating on a work project mode but had no milk for coffee so there was no choice. Thought I'd see no one and then my retired neighbour was walking his dog near the shop, chatting to me about some problem with overgrown bushes that back on to our garden from the railway so could I actually as the spokesperson again. Then my DC'S old infant school friend's Mum, who did look sympathetic like I was ill or something as I have really bad black shadows under my eyes at the moment. It is horrible as I feel I'm not ready for the world and thought I'd get away with it.

So no OP, I think you were fine, especially as you have the perfect excuse of a dog pulling.

When I can't be arsed I'd do this and sometimes I'll hide in a supermarket if I see someone that I know will chat for ages !!
I'm usually very sociable but sometimes I just can't and dog walks are my peace time so I never chat with anyone! I just make out I can't hear them lol 😁 (headphones)

I pass a woman fairly often when we are both walking dogs, usually early morning, I always say good morning and she always either avoids looking at me completely or looks at me like I just threw my full bag of dog poo at her! She has a spaniel too, and I think how can you be so miserable and rude with such a lively, happy dog! But usually the miserable owners are the ones with the grumpy unpleasant dogs! My dog has learned to completely ignore these people and their dogs too, perhaps that's their goal?!

I live in an area that gets a lot of city slicker holiday makers in the summer, it always amuses me how shocked they look if I say hello when I pass them, they look terrified that a stranger is speaking to them! Some of them love the surprise though and become very chatty.

Having said that though, I do also occasionally change direction or take a different route to avoid pleasantries if I'm not in the mood or looking particularly dreadful! I would never ever ever ignore or look rudely at someone who says hello though when we pass or if they spot me!

Only on mumsnet...

I think it's fine to do what you want to do.

Do you blank everyone you pass on the street even if you know them? 🫤

I think that’s quite normal (well I hops so). If I spot someone but just don’t feel like chatting I’ll quickly pivot and get away before they see me. Other times I’m happy to have a natter on the street.

Really??? Well that makes sense given the average person on mumsnet apparently drops to the floor and hides when someone rings the doorbell 😂

The only weird thing is gardening in your pjs! also surely you could have just told your husband the truth rather than saying it was because you needed the loo.

Wish I looked like this whilst I avoid small talk with everyone I know in town 😂