Trying to ignore people passing you on the sidewalk is pretty dumb.

Here is an exercise in futility if I've ever seen one. I'm walking on a sidewalk, and there's a person coming towards me on the same sidewalk. For some reason, I decide, "Nah, I'd rather not acknowledge that I see them." So I desperately try to feign ignorance - I stare at the ground, or I suddenly become supremely captivated by that cloud formation, or I get the urge to look - no, stare - at my watch, even though I know exactly what time it is. My favorite though, is when I just stare straight ahead as they pass. That gives the impression that, if the person passing me said hello, I would suddenly turn and look at him, completely startled, and say, "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." Right.

Heaven forbid we bump into each other once in a while.