Why would you smile at a girl but not approach?

[Anonymous]

So a guy in the bus caught me looking at him and then I looked away.

I looked back and he smiled as he was walking down the stairs to leave the bus.

I kinda inside panicked and didn't smile back but kept looking at him. Then I run into him again on the street 10 mins later... as he was singing phantom of the opera (he turned out to be a busker lmao)

As soon as he saw me he started singing to me so this time I made sure I smiled back. Anyway, he kept looking at me but didn't approach. Why would he try to smile at me and do all this but not try to approach?

I don't get guys

[connemara_crocodile]

Probably because he thought you were out of his league, or it could be fear as well that by approaching it could be consider harassing.

It's not like before were men could just easily approach a strange woman and talk to her. For better or for worse, things are a bit more delicate now.

[Asker]

Aww, yeah I get that especially because I live in London.
The thing is if a guy is respectful about it and doesn't immediately get too personal, I would be careful but still probably talk to him if I was interested. It's a shame guys give up just because there are lots of girls that are not nice or rejected them

[connemara_crocodile]

Yeah it's a pitty, I've been in situations where I wanted to approach someone, but I was too afraid of how she could take it.

[Asker]

It's funny because in a girl's mind, if the guy who is not even that attractive to her shows that he overcomes this fear it means that he is willing to swallow his pride and fear just to talk to her, it instantly makes him 100x more attractive.

[Miristheiss]

He is just being friendly.

Maybe he is taken.

Maybe he casts a wide net. He smiles at lots of women and is friendly to lots of women but doesn't approach everyone he notices.

[In_Trance]

don't like her that much