Is this inappropriate behavior?

Question

Is this inappropriate behavior? You are sitting on a long distance bus in Spain. There is an empty seat next to you. A mother with two children, a young boy (say 7 years old) and a young girl (say 6) eyes the empty seat and sits the young girl next to you (you are sitting by the window). You (a middle aged male) say hello to the young girl and her mother. The mother looks annoyed, rudely seizes the young girl away from the seat, and seats the young boy next to you instead. You start looking out the window and laugh loudly at this incident. When I told my Spanish friend about this I said that I found the mother's behavior rude, and he said that "in Spain, one never speaks to anyone's children like this".  Was I innapropriate in giving a brief greeting here?  I was not leering at the child as I remember.

? · Accepted Answer

I think it is not impolite to say hello to someone sitting next to you. In fact, what people do now, ignore someone even when they are in such close proximity, would have been considered extremely rude just a few decades ago. She was in the wrong. 
Anyway, people in Spain are on average rude. I clearly remember sitting at a restaurant and have a waiter come and say literally "what do you want?" with a rude demeanor, while in the US the waiter would say "good evening, my name is so and so, what can I offer you today?"

Pearl L · Answer

i dont think you did anything wrong, i think she did

Anonymous · Answer

You didn't say if you look like a pedo?

Anonymous · Answer

Everyone thinks everyone is a rapist now #metoo. If a cellphone zombie girl runs into you or crosses the street to jump into your path, apparently you existed just to rape her. All motivation is based in emotions and I think Goebbels got a new job at Facebook with this ****.

Yes it's goofy and stupid to think everyone on a bus is a child rapist. Also, ignorant to not know while they may be assaulted equally, boys rarely report.

y · Answer

in Spain, one never speaks to anyone's children like this"
I do not know the customs in Spain but if what he said is true, then you were rude and are now. Being disrespectful of it.

? · Answer

She could of thought your a pedophile? Or interested in children Some weird paranoia

Anonymous · Answer

Good God Yes!  Me too!  Mi tambien!!!!!

Jackie M · Answer

I dont think it is rude and over the years I have spoke to lots of Spanish kids just as in the past the Spanish people stopped me to speak to my daughter when she was young and now my grandchildren but it shows how bad the world is and everyone is judged as a child molester?

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Is this inappropriate behavior?

8 Answers