Do you say "hi" to people even if they are strangers?

If I'm 'doing business' with someone - anyone from a bus driver to a business contact - I always say Good Morning, Good Afternoon or Good Evening depending upon teh time of day. I don't usually say 'Hi' as I find that a bit informal and reserve it for friends or family.

Yes i do ....becuase saying high is the only word u can say to begin ur conversation ....u should have a good and charming smile ..to make him/her comfortable

When I am at work, I usually say hi to everyone because people will complain if we don't. Otherwise, I'm with you. I feel creeped out when a complete stranger, especially a man, comes up to me to say hi. I often get severely criticized because I don't say hi back or I don't respond to them as cheerfully as they do to me. The thing is, I seem to attract weird people who want to hurt me. I remember one guy tried to rape me when I was walking down a public street. He started by coming up and saying "hi" and being friendly.

I am too shy or backward to go up to someone and say hi to them. It is not safe anymore at all. I have a hard time saying something to someone I don't know. I have a hard time finding words to say to others that I do know also sometimes because I am afraid they do not want to hear what I am talking about. I will say hi to someone if they say it to me, like at a cashout register. Most cashiers will say hi. I will say hello back to them out of respect. I just don't want people to look at me weird when I say hi to them and it would hurt my feelings if they do not say it back to me.

Well, I tend to, because I work in a service industry. I always have to greet people and smile and stuff, so when I go home it just sort of sticks. One time, this elderly gentleman came up to me and told me that a smile from me was more medicinal than any medication he could ever take :)

I do, it doesn't cost me to be polite, even if it is a stranger. If someone is being polite with me and says 'hi' the least I can do is to do the same. It's not because it's a stanger that I'm not going to talk to him/her.