Avoiding People on Walks...

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I too hate having to think about when, and how, to say "Hi" to a stranger I meet on a walk. My solution to this problem is somewhat unorthodox - I only go for walks in the middle of the city, where no-one is looking at me or expects me to say "Hi". I don't mind people as long as I don't have to interact with them.

am already go on walks that am know don't go past any people [sometimes there are some but not often],it's a cat walk as such,it goes past all the places that cats live and crap in.
but am don't avoid people for the reasons that many WPers do,am trying to avoid children and teenagers because they are always nasty to am,am do not feel the same force or have the same needs for speaking as other WPers so don't think any different when going past random or whoever people,if it's on the same path and it's teenagers or children walking towards am,am will cross over though,if they are the bad ones,they try to force and hold eye contact as they are coming towards,and then start shouting.
am know NTs who also cross over when seeing them also.

That's why I went for my walk at 6 am in the morning with my dog. Now if I go walking I take my bf so people leave me alone.

I'm an NT and I often get annoyed if I am walking and another person approaches - I have to decide "do they look friendly?" "would it be rude it I just didn't say anything?" Like someone else said sometimes I'm in a really friendly mood and it doesn't bother me. My favorite thing to do would be get up at 6:00 am (can't do it now because it's too dark then) and ride my bike. You can almost always avoid "The Hello" when you're flying past someone on a bike!

I ride my bike every evening when it's dark because the idea is nobody will see me! I ride along the cliff paths (sounds dangerous!!) out the way of any traffic or humans. But every now and again I will meet someone either walking their dog or riding their bike. Because it's dark I can't see their face so I don't know if they will be receptive. I do feel like saying hello because when it is just two people I think, this is my fellow man... it's not like the city where nobody says hello to anyone because the whole experience is overwhelming. I don't want the city culture to ruin general friendliness... Since it's dark though I think will people get scared for saying hello out the blue like this? Once a fellow bicyclist said hello to me on a dark rainy night and I said hello back. I was so happy, and relieved!! !

If I've gone out and it's not quite dark yet and I see someone I will glance their way and smile (not make eye contact though). Sometimes I am even brave enough to whisper a "hi" but I don't think they ever hear it at least, nobody has ever responded so I feel very stupid and analyse the encounter for a thousand pedals.

I also feel terrible if someone walking has stepped out my way so I can ride past I say thank you thanks and beat myself up for not getting off my bike... but I'm learning because when I beat myself up I fall off my bike... just kidding!

I think this is based in personal preferences. Autistic people are far more *likely* to skip pleasantries, and NT people are far more likely to enjoy them. Family habits probably are the biggest influence in how our natural bias plays out.

I am biased against pleasantries, but occasionally I enjoy them. I prefer to stay in my own world, but paradoxically when I *do* make eye contact and smile at a stranger in passing, it's a nice experience for me. I definitely prefer to be the one making that small overture, though -- I feel strange when a stranger tries to elicit a "hello" from me even though I'm not making eye contact.

i was thinking about asking this question the other day. i'll even change my routes in the grocery store or as i walk across campus just so i don't have to pass anyone - this is especially true if i'm feeling particularly overloaded that day. some days i just wish the world would shut down for an hour or two so i could have it all to myself (but then some people would have to come back because i would miss my husband and a few of my friends)

People are always smiling at me... I have noticed this. Even though I look like a miserable so and so most of the time, both females and males smile at me when they catch me looking their way and of course, it is unexpected and I am often not in the mood to force a smile back, so I am then left thinking, 'Did I smile in time or had they looked away by the time I smiled back', as I usually smile without actually properly looking at them.

And how many times have you tried to say something to someone and then felt sure it was the wrong thing to say and came across as weird?

I often start conversations with people's dogs and ignore the people walking them.

I stop and light a cigarette until they pass. That way I don't have to worry about eye contact since I'm looking at my lighter, and I avoid that uncomfortable feeling of walking past somebody too close.

Good one. Lately, I have put my cell phone to my ear (turned off) and pretended to be talking to someone. A woman actually called out that she liked my sandals, even though I had this phone up to my ear and was actually talking to myself.