The other day, my boyfriend and I decided to go for a walk at night. We walked on 4th Avenue, the hangout street in my city. People were going out to eat and going to the bars. We were enjoying the nice weather and chatting.

Suddenly, a girl passed us. She was walking with purpose. She deliberately turned around and said, "Good afternoon," first to my boyfriend and then to me. She looked us straight in the eyes and said it with such conviction that both of us replied, "Good afternoon," like children who had just been scolded at school. Needless to say, I didn't mention that it was evening or even night. My boyfriend slowed us down. Both of us agreed that she was creepy and weird and it was that type of person that one should really stay away from.

However, looking back, she was just being polite, right? When did recognizing people on the street and looking them in the eye become weird? When did etiquette become creepy?