I've noticed lately that I tend to give solitary individuals a nod when I walk by them. More than half the time I get a nod back and I find I initiate far more

I've noticed lately that I tend to give solitary individuals a nod when I walk by them. More than half the time I get a nod back and I find I initiate far more nods than I receive. I'm sure it's function of all kinds of things, all cultural. For example, if the person is having a cigarette outside a bar, I'll usually get a nod back and especially so if it's daytime. If it's in my building, I'll usually get a nod back under some sense of neighborly solidarity I can only guess. On the street it's much more random. I'm on the east coast and originally from the west coast.