People who pretend they don't know you.

I can't recognize people out of context. I'm hopeless putting names to faces even if I realize that I do know the person.
If I met my dentist in a supermarket, I wouldn't have a clue who he was. I only recognize him when he's hovering over my face with nasty looking instruments.

Oldnproud, a lot of what you are saying rings so true with me. I am hopeless at faces and always said I had ‘face blindness’. I don’t have very good eyesight either so often rely on recognising people’s gait as they walk towards me. I am much better at recognising voices. My husband will recognise actors etc by their face but I can recognise them by their voice.

I'm rather unobservant.
A friend, who was once a store detective and had been trained to notice things, came with me to a third friend's house for coffee.
Afterwards this store detective friend asked me what I'd thought of the house.
Had I liked the wall colours, the furnishings etc?
I couldn't remember any of it.
She couldn't believe me.

I could easily not notice passing someone I know well in the street. My mind will be away with the fairies.

LovesBach I have chatted to someone at the gym now-and-then for maybe six years.

I didn't recognise her when I saw her chatting to my husband as she was out of context!

Nandalot

*Oldnproud*, a lot of what you are saying rings so true with me. I am hopeless at faces and always said I had ‘face blindness’. I don’t have very good eyesight either so often rely on recognising people’s gait as they walk towards me. I am much better at recognising voices. My husband will recognise actors etc by their face but I can recognise them by their voice.

It's interesting, isn't it.

My husband has always been good at recognising faces and also remembering the names of actors, but recently I have recognised several from their voices before he has realized who they were - though I might only have known the name of characters they had played, . In fact I have had to Google a couple just to prove to him that I was right.

Moth62

I know exactly what you mean. It’s happened to me, too. My only explanation is that we have a good memory for faces, but not everyone does. On a long cruise last year, we spoke to many people and I could always remember them and where they came from etc. I spoke to one lady who we had sat and chatted to for over an hour about ten days afterwards, but she could not recollect me at all. For some reason, people don’t remember me, but yet they will always remember my husband!

People never remember me either, but just the opposite with my husband, everyone knows him! I’ve given up trying to explain who I am - some people even think he’s with “someone new” when they stop and chat ( although we’ve been together over 35 years…)

A lot of people probably think that I am guilty of looking at them as if I do not know them.

The truth is that a person has to be very close to me for me to see them clearly enough to know who they are, even when I am wearing my glasses - and I never go out without them. So when walking I have trained myself to nod or smile at anyone who seems to be greeting me, even if I have not the slightest idea who they are.

When riding my bike, I do not have time to look anywhere except ahead of me, and to the right and left at cross roads and side streets. This does not go down well with some friends who claim they have waved when passing in their cars.

Said friends drive so badly that I now decline lifts from them, so perhaps they do have time to wave at friends approaching them, but I certainly in the interest of my own and others' safety prefer to keep my eyes on the road.

I apparently often blank people but those who know me well just give me a nudge. I came across a very old colleague a while ago ( she recognised me) and we met for coffee. It was lovely to catch up and I did think it might be the start of a pleasant friendship. I was then told by someone else that a couple of weeks later I walked straight past her in the street and she was not happy about it. I haven't seen her since and don't have her contact details. she has mine but I only ad hers on a scrap of paper which I lost.

I have problems recognising people if they are in the "Wrong 2 place. There was an item on Jeremy Vine radio show about 2 weeks ago - a scientific name I can't remember but begins with P.
some years ago we were in another town and my husband spoke to a couple. I asked him who they were and I was shocked to hear it was people who lived 2 doors away.

I definitly have face blindness and its very embarrassing.
I was on a bus a few years ago when a young woman got on and said "Hello". She then said "Hello Mum" !! Ive recently joined the U3A and worry every time I go out that I wont recognise someone from these groups. If someone says hello to me nowadays I just smile and say "goodmorning" and hope they dont get annoyed with me.

I usually struggle to recognise people out of context or if they usually wear a uniform but are wearing their own clothes. Its never about ignoring people

I've lived opposite my neighbour for 22 years. She recently got a job in the post office. I said "hello how are you"? She looked blank and said she didn't recognise me! Weird.

This very subject was covered on Jeremy Vine Show Radio 2 a couple of weeks ago.

I often used to see my customers outside of my workplace who seriously did not recognise me without my bank uniform on.

I seem to have the mild form of face blindness. I ran a business for many years and didn't recognise customers away from the business but remembered someones phone number rather than their face. It is more difficult with mobile numbers.

Agree with everything said by other Other Posters.

Plus some people really get off on snubbing people. It makes them feel superior.

Such is life

I knew a lady I did charity work for. She was my supervisor. She blanked me in the supermarket and again in the local beauty spot everyone goes to. I emailed her and asked her why, she said she wasn’t aware she had. Sorry, but that was a lie. I will do the same to her if I see her again, silly woman.

I agree with keepingquiet I have done it myself and been surprised when someone rushes up and hugs me when I haven’t even noticed them. I seem to attract hugs 😀I wouldn’t worry about it, seriously.

Pix5

I knew a lady I did charity work for. She was my supervisor. She blanked me in the supermarket and again in the local beauty spot everyone goes to. I emailed her and asked her why, she said she wasn’t aware she had. Sorry, but that was a lie. I will do the same to her if I see her again, silly woman.

It's highly likely she unknowingly suffers from Prosopagnosia (face blindness) a recognised neurological condition. It would be useful if you could send her this NHS link and also recommend she googles "faceblind UK" for further information and support. Awareness of this condition is so lacking that many sufferers are unaware and non-sufferers simply have no understanding of how awful it can be to live with. Thank you so much.
Here's the NHS link
Prosopagnosia (face blindness) - NHS share.google/IpsQcSUHPVh8ILOFu

Forgive me for side tracking a little. What do you do when neighbours, acquaintances ask personal questions; i.e.

Where are you going? (me), to the doctors, (them): why what's wrong with you? or
(them): do you have a mortgage? (me): no. (them): did you buy your house outright? and so on.

I'm like a rabbit caught in the headlights and answer but regret it afterwards. How would you answer without being rude?

barmcake

Forgive me for side tracking a little. What do you do when neighbours, acquaintances ask personal questions; i.e.

Where are you going? (me), to the doctors, (them): why what's wrong with you? or
(them): do you have a mortgage? (me): no. (them): did you buy your house outright? and so on.

I'm like a rabbit caught in the headlights and answer but regret it afterwards. How would you answer without being rude?

My neighbours/ acquaintances have never asked me questions like this.

Perhaps the only one might be ‘where are you off to.?’ if they saw me out walking, to which I would say, ‘oh, just for a walk/shopping’ or similar.

Never been asked if I had a mortgage, I would probably say with a smile, ‘Why, have you?’

I have never been asked if I had a mortgage etc, that is rude. I would reply, with a smile, why have you, when she answers say, say, nice got to be going. Then avoid. If asked where I am going and I don't know them and it's personal, , I would say an appointment and I am late. I have had to say on occasion, I don't discuss that. I had to say it to a neighbour when she asked why my grandchildren didn't visit, I felt quite choked. up.

Supernana1

I suffer from face blindness. I always had it, but it's only a few years ago I discovered it is an actual condition. I thought it was only me.

I've had chats with people on the street and walked away no wiser as to who they were. It's particularly bad if I meet people out of their usual place, or out of their work uniform. I'm sure some people think I'm just rude, but I'm not - honestly.

Another thing I can't manage is finding my way to a new place. I remember once having a new job a few miles from home, and I'm sure in the first month I must have travelled there by about six different routes. I couldn't manage to stick a route in my head. I'm the only person I know who can get completely lost with a SatNav.

It's awkward and embarrassing, but I've got used to it.

Supernanny1 that is me exactly do you think they go together? I always joke and say I can get lost coming out my own house ( nearly)
I remember when I was 14/15 I had a Saturday job cleaning caravans and you had the same small group (I think4/5 vans) to clean each shift ….I ALWAYS without fail took the wrong turning out of the last caravan and ended up somewhere quite different!
I also remember a festival, camping at night I took my lamp to go to the loo after dark and had absolutely no idea how to get back I was really panicking walking around getting in a bigger and bigger muddle, eventually I started to call to my friend and after a few minutes got a call back
So I’ve obviously always been like it, I have to think about left and right too and imagine my writing hand
But faces are the worst because it’s embarrassing
A couple of years ago a man came in my shop and asked for me by name they called me over and as far as I could see I d never seen him before and as there was another lady by the same name I said ‘oh sorry you ve got the wrong …….’ he said ‘no I haven’t we were on such and such course together don’t you remember me !!!!

BlueBelle

Supernana1

I suffer from face blindness. I always had it, but it's only a few years ago I discovered it is an actual condition. I thought it was only me.

I've had chats with people on the street and walked away no wiser as to who they were. It's particularly bad if I meet people out of their usual place, or out of their work uniform. I'm sure some people think I'm just rude, but I'm not - honestly.

Another thing I can't manage is finding my way to a new place. I remember once having a new job a few miles from home, and I'm sure in the first month I must have travelled there by about six different routes. I couldn't manage to stick a route in my head. I'm the only person I know who can get completely lost with a SatNav.

It's awkward and embarrassing, but I've got used to it.

Supernanny1 that is me exactly do you think they go together? I always joke and say I can get lost coming out my own house ( nearly)
I remember when I was 14/15 I had a Saturday job cleaning caravans and you had the same small group (I think4/5 vans) to clean each shift ….I ALWAYS without fail took the wrong turning out of the last caravan and ended up somewhere quite different!
I also remember a festival, camping at night I took my lamp to go to the loo after dark and had absolutely no idea how to get back I was really panicking walking around getting in a bigger and bigger muddle, eventually I started to call to my friend and after a few minutes got a call back
So I’ve obviously always been like it, I have to think about left and right too and imagine my writing hand
But faces are the worst because it’s embarrassing
A couple of years ago a man came in my shop and asked for me by name they called me over and as far as I could see I d never seen him before and as there was another lady by the same name I said ‘oh sorry you ve got the wrong …….’ he said ‘no I haven’t we were on such and such course together don’t you remember me !!!!

I don't think the two things go together - they don't for me, anyway.

As long as I pay attention (ie., don't just blindly follow the person with me) I am quite good at remembering routes, whereas my husband who is good at recognising people is useless at remembering how to get from A to B.
But no matter how much attention I pay to a new face, I am still very unlikely to recognise them again unless they are in the same place and wearing preferably wearing similar clothing.

A memory of starting secondary school has come back to me. About a week to ten days after we started, the form master handed one of my classmates the pile of exercise books that had just been marked, asking her to hand them out. I watched in amazement as she managed after only a little hesitation to give each one to the correct child, as despite hearing the register every day (possibly twice), I could only have put names to faces for a handful of them. That was when I first realized that perhaps I had a 'problem'.
I did come to recognise them all in the end though, and luckily we went through almost the whole of our time at that school in the same form group, so at least I didn't have to repeat that experience every single September.

Yes, I’m face blind, as was my dad. I don’t recognise people if I see them out of context, and have no chance whatsoever of placing someone I worked with years ago. I’ve had so many embarrassing conversations, trying desperately to recall the person who’s chatting away to me, asking about each of my children by name, when I daren’t even say “And how’s your family?”, because they may not have one! Low points for me have been not recognising my own grandsons, who I see at least once a week. One I was picking up from school - he was left standing by the teacher till all his classmates had gone, which is when I knew it must be him. He was wearing a new blue coat and I was used to him being in a red one.

I just smile vaguely at everyone when I’m out and about, and hope for the best. I’m sure people are offended by my not stopping to chat, but there’s not a thing I can do about it. It is a bit disheartening when after so many posts from people explaining face blindness and its effect on their lives, posters on here are still calling other people weird and rude for not recognising them. Perhaps we should wear badges!