There is a frum lady who owns a store down the street from me. I pass it regularly. I always wave and/or wish her a good morning/evening.
I make it a point to say “good morning/afternoon/evening,” to everyone I interact with — the bus driver when I put in my metrocard, the cashier at the store, the mailman/woman when I meet him/her in the street, etc.
And, believe it or not, very often when I mention this, someone will give me flack for “being friendly” with a woman (as at least some of those people tend to be female).
Perhaps we’re becoming afraid of associating with “someone improper” (whether it be someone of the opposite gender, someone not from our particular sub-group, or even someone not Jewish) that we tend to be “amazed” when someone actually displays common courtesy regardless of what others might think.
The Wolf