The classic "I don't bite" remark

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How many times has someone told you, "I don't bite" or "We don't bite." I was once on a train going home on a particularly crowded day when this woman sat next to me. I tried moving over to give her more room to sit, but she got the wrong idea and thought moving over meant I was afraid of her. She then yelled "I DON'T BITE, OKAY!" and proceeded to sit next to me grumpily. She moved as soon as there was another open seat looking back at me as if she was saying "what are you?" This isn't the first time someone has told me they don't bite. I feel like saying, what if you did bite? Are you some sort of rabid animal if you do? It's the classic attempt to get you to be less shy, and it never works on me.

Wow, that womans a bit touchy. I do that all the time - nothing worst than somebody sitting on your coat and then being in the embarrassing situation of trying to prize it out from under then when you need to leave. Then again, it's London and we sit as far away from each other as possible on public transport.

i have had that happen. many times. i have taken to immediately saying, in as sweet a voice as i can muster, "oh, i thought you might like to have a little extra room. i know how unpleasant it is to be wedged up against people you don't know." i've either then gotten totally ignored, apologized to, or actually had a conversation start up. i think it's the tone of voice that's important in that first bit.

if i've been in a really bad mood, i've snapped back "really. well i do." and left it at that.

I get that a lot too. I always want to respond with, "OK, but I do bite." I don't know why people think I look scared, or whatever they think when they say that.

with men attempting to tease me, i have actually answered "that's a shame" to that remark.

i dont say i dont bite, but i do say to people, i may be a metalhead but i'm really a nice guy

When people are afraid of me, or they slink away from me like that, I usually say, "I'm not going to harvest you."

Granted, I'm usually the one that barrels through the crowd. It's typically others that do the slinking away from me, not me doing the slinking away from them.

-BC

Ah, yes, I often utilize the "scooch-away" maneuver on crowded trains... Don't you just love living in big cities?

It sounds like the woman you encountered has a bark worse than her bite.

I tend to find that it's *me* that has to make the 'I don't bite' remark, on the rare occasions I talk to someone.

^Ditto.

(well, minus the "rare occasions" part)