i am scottish, and i know that in scotland it can be considered rude to make eye contact with a stranger, i think it's sometimes to do with confidence, and how paranoid a person you are. if you believe someone is just looking at you in passing, it can be flattering, but certain people take eye contact as an invitation to fight.
- By: angelface on April 27, 2004

The best defence for avoiding eye contant (other than staring at the groud) is holding a camera in your pointed in the direction of the people making eye contact.
- By: anonymous on April 18, 2004

Khodadad, It doesn't matter what ranking Zurich holds in Switzerland. I live in the fourth largest city in Canada and I hear that Zurich is smaller even than it. On the other hand, I have been to smaller towns in both Canada and US. And people look at you all right. No question about it. I wouldn't be actually surprised to notice eye contact in Europe except a few large cosmopolitan cities (e.g. Paris, London, Berlin, etc). That being said it doesn't mean I underestimate cultures and habits. But I've found that the size of cities indicate many other trends.
- By: WhoMan on April 1, 2004

Eye contact and its intensity varies from one palce to the other. In London it is not as prevalent as in, say, Colombia, and what passes as eye contact becomes staring for other country. Definitely cultural.
- By: Camilo on April 1, 2004

I think David's point is accurate. Matter of making or avoiding eye-contact with passers-by is largely a matter of customs and cultures. I do appreciate and understand the Iranian and European way of making eye contact (I am Iranian after all!!!), but the North American habit of avoiding eye contact with strangers with whom you have no particular business at a time does not make me uncomfortable either. It is interesting you find it noteworthy. BTW, WhoMan, Zurich is small, but not THAT small! It is after all the largest city in Switzerland.
- By: Khodadad on March 31, 2004

My experience as an American has been similar to your Canadian experience with respect to eye contact, but I'm not sure it is fear that inhibits eye contact. I can't speak for all the other non-contact strangers that I have passed over the years, however, for myself, I often avoid eye contact with passers-by out of respect. I don't want to make them self-conscious by staring at them. Under different circumstances, like when I am doing business with a stranger (say at a store check out), I always make eye contact when I thank the person at the conclusion of the transaction. So, perhaps it is more of the context of the situation than a matter of fear or lack of it. Also, it may be just a matter of custom. Different cultures have different customs.
- By: David on March 30, 2004

Maybe they are all gays looking for a new face in the village to have some fun, watch out your assets!
- By: Automatik Wanka on March 30, 2004

I can confirm that it is normal in Europe to have eye contact with other passersby. And it is not only in Switzerland, Germany and France. From personal experience, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Belgium and Ireland are just the same. There is more human contact overall in Europe, be it even an eye contact ;)
- By: Nazanin on March 30, 2004

Eye contact is the habitude of the frenches and germans
- By: azizdoroduneh on March 30, 2004

I've heard a folktale (though I'm not sure who tells it, the Swiss, or immigrants to Switzerland!) that Switzerland has a population of 7 million, 7 million of whom are spies. Those eyes might be watching your every move.
- By: Alireza on March 30, 2004

From what I hear Zurich is a small city, especially in comparison to Toronto. I would expect to notice more eye contact of that kind in smaller cities.
- By: WhoMan on March 30, 2004

"do they find us more attractive or what?" if you were an iranian girl I would say that would definitely be the reason!
- By: domper9 on March 30, 2004