And it has all kinds of implications and context and shit.
How the fuck am I supposed to tell what's just people doing things at random and what's a part of all-singing-all-dancing-shit-show the neurotypicals call "social norms"? Down with NTs.
Honestly while it's really fucking annoying that refusal to participate could result in some silly neuronormo interpreting a completely innocuous action as an offense, and it can cut you off from social shit, I think it's basically the only way. The same button never does the same thing twice. Screeching rn.
One of my weirder experiences in my college years was walking home from one of my retail jobs, one that was unfortunately close to a "scene kid" hangout where I found the squealing screaming valley girls loitering around insufferably loud and I hated having to clean up the restroom after they regularly trashed it, often ten at a time... and there they were, rolling up and honking and squealing at me.
And they offered me a ride down the road where I was going. I accepted, squeezing myself into a car packed with scene girls.
They seemed confused that I just sat there, annoyed, but glad to get off my feet for a while. Did they expect me to paw at them or something? I found them annoying, not hot, especially because I was some years older than any of them and the way they carried themselves was gratingly immature.
My lack of interest in them seemed to get them excited, like, I was forbidden fruit or something. Made me more uncomfortable and I politely took my leave once the car went far enough.
They started being nicer to me from then on, even trashing the restroom less while still loitering.
I wouldn't know, maybe they expected something to happen but lbecause you didn't do anything maybe they were thankful.
I'd have been the same, I tend to shut down if there is a lot of people. Like I'll only really talk when spoken to so verbally I would be quiet and it would be misread as there something wrong lol. Depending on the people I would typically sit and happily listen to what goes on or listen to a radio or something if they were annoying lol I'm generally polite regardless.
Literally me 😭😭😭😭