Originally Posted by
azkid
Voiren: spot on about personal space versus friendliness.
While on crowded light rail public transportation in Denver, someone talking to random people makes others want to exit at the next stop. But if going to a sporting event? Different story.
Hi on the sidewalk downtown? Yeah, no. It's kind of weird to greet strangers. In suburbia where I live, often people do greet each other. We are neighbors after all.
On remote dirt roads and jeep trails waving is basically expected. Fortunately the opposite—flipping each other off—is rare in heavy highway traffic. Of which we have a lot.
Most of the time eye contact means a smile. I have heard it said Americans smile a lot in public greeting. Based on limited international travels I believe it.
I grew up in the desert southwest and the contrast to Denver is interesting. Service industry workers often seem apathetic to your presence in southern Arizona in start contrast to the friendly, helpful attitude up here.
Also my general impression is that many people are crabbier and less happy down there. Maybe it's the brutal heat. Up here people seem much less irritable and more universally friendly.
Drivers in southern Arizona are notably more aggressive than they are up here. I always have to readjust when I visit.
Speaking of brutal heat, you just don't know how it affects everything if you've never lived in it. It sometimes reaches 117°F (47°C) out, which is common in Jun-Aug and always above 100°F (38°C) after May.
It gets so hot that tar used in crack repair in parking lots gets soft and will stick to your shoes. You can hurt your fingers on old school chrome car door handles. Or on metal seat belt buckles.
You have to let the car air out for a few minutes before getting in because it is like when you stick your face in front of the oven and open the door to check on your baking.
Often we jump in, turn the car on with AC and then jump out for a minute or two. Opening both front doors or rolling down the windows helps speed the process.
They say it is a dry heat—easily 10% humidity or less, except in monsoon season in August—but above 105° nobody feels reassured by that. And, yes, you can feel 5° differences above that.