This isn't something that I have a problem with, per se. But I just wanted to bring this up and share my experiences with this happening and how I feel about it. All right, let's go.

So...

As a female, I seem to get a good number of male strangers just randomly saying 'hello', 'hi', 'how you doing', etc. to me when I'm out in public. I do like being catcalled by men but when they do that, my fist assumption is always "oh, he must suspect i'm trans" and if not that "oh, he just thinks I'm attractive, that's all."

Generally, I do pass for the most part. I can go in and out of the women's restroom without anyone giving me a hard time. I mean, I don't mean to brag about that because I'm sure other MtFs aren't so lucky in that department but that's just how much I pass. I generally get people addressing me as a female and the clocking is a lot more rare than last year, HOWEVER! I still have my trans-related insecurities, especially when men say hi randomly to me. Also, I just created my female Facebook page with only, like, three pics and I lie to you not, I get like FIFTEEN friend requests from all these GUYS who I never even seen or heard of in my life! I only have two friends on that account, both of which are female.

But the men that are trying to add me are all complete strangers, two of which are not even in the United States!

As for the random hellos, I did want to share one brief story:

I'm at this train station in Philadelphia. I make a quick stop to run to the restroom really quick. When I exit the women's bathroom, I exit it at the same time as this guy exits the men's restroom. He watched me exit the women's restroom at the same time I watch him exit his restroom. He gets a good look at me, I get a good look at him and he goes "hey, how you doing?" I reply, "I'm good, how are you," or something of that nature, and I proceed moving forward. As I'm going my way, he proceeds to say some crazy stuff about "oh, I need to watch my back because I might end up getting confronted by a cop or whatever crazy crap he was saying to me. And then he even said something about white tights and black flats, which I was wearing at the time (a denim skirt, thick white tights that cover my feet, and black flat shoes, and then my Baby Phat coat).

Like... I don't even want to write down exactly what he said out of fear of violating the site rules... not that I remember what exactly he said anyway. But I can tell that he was subtly trying to clock me. I find that and the whole situation interesting and if he was trying to clock me which I'm confident he was, I'm glad he saw me exit the women's restroom and how we watched each other exit our restrooms.

For the other MTF transitioners, have any of you experienced situations similar to mine? Where random men just say "hi" to you as you pass them on the street? Also, I'm not even finished my transition! I'm pretty much going full time at this point but I just love how I can just blend it so well.

EDIT:
I forgot to ask, when random men on the street say hi to me, is that supposed to mean they just find me attractive or do they suspect that I am trans? I don't know if or not this happens to cis females, that's why it gets me all worked up.

Yes, they find you attractive.
Yes, it happens to cis women all the time too.

As Karin says, this is exceedingly common for cis women. It is part of the backdrop of certain random men thinking they have the right to insert themselves into your space with general comments, attempts at conversation, harassment or worse. It's happened to me more times than I can count now. You need to be exceedingly careful of the environments in which you find yourself, how you respond and how they are likely to escalate the situation. You shouldn't have to but your safety comes first.

Sounds to me that you not only pass but they find you attractive.

Quote from: KarinMcD on April 15, 2015, 02:25:50 PM
Yes, they find you attractive.
Yes, it happens to cis women all the time too.

This.

It's just something you'll have to get used to. I just give a quick smile and nod or say hi and carry on. Not a huge deal but it can get a bit tiresome...especially when grocery shopping and getting the male shelf-stockers in on it. I just put on my bitch-face and mow people down with my cart now. However, on the flip-side of all that, I've noticed that the attention can be nice at bars. I've actually gotten into some good conversations when guys sit next to me. It's always while my boyfriend is working (he does restaurant entertainment), so they know I'm not there alone, otherwise it might go differently. But knowing I'm taken, they'll sit and talk with me while we enjoy our drinks. The company can be nice, and I'm glad I'm confident enough now to talk to people like that.

I agree that the guys are probably atracted to you.

My only other comment is that I have always gotten random hellos, mostly from men. Even when I was deep in the closet and presenting very male. It is the way I walk and interact with the other pedestrians. I always have my head up, a smile on my face and I tend to look at everything including other people and I often make fleeting eye contact. If you're not walking around like a friendly twit (like me) then I realy wouldn't read too much into it. Just be happy that you're pretty and it is springtime!

Quote from: KarinMcD on April 15, 2015, 02:25:50 PM
Yes, they find you attractive.
Yes, it happens to cis women all the time too.

+1

I'll also add in I had a big jolt of Culture Shock relocating from the NYC metro area to rural WV. Like EVERYONE, everywhere, was always polite, either nodded to me or said hello, etc.. This Joisey Girl had no idea what was up with that.

Since that first experience was in male mode, I never thought much of it at all in female mode.

If you live in or around a major metro area you may have a jaded view of society in general. Even with all my travel within and outside the USA, I was caught off guard by all this politeness. Heck, reminded me of the days of my childhood.... 50 some odd years ago

Guys are much nicer to me now with the random hi's and such when out and about. I just smile back, say hi, and keep going. I see it as something innocent - just guys being courteous, and it's an affirmation that they see me as a female.

If a guy is hitting on you - you'll know it pretty quickly 

Cat calling on the other hand can degrade into bad stuff very quickly depending on the time, the place, and the age/drunkenness/number of guys involved.

Why wold a person not say Hi to a stranger?

Sometimes, I fell that I am happy to live in a country where people have that mixture of Nordic, Baltic and Slavic mentality, when people very much keep to themselves and being spoken up by male stranger on the street is pretty much unheard experience.

It's interesting that you made this thread because I made a similar one earlier in my transition. I noticed that about 9 months - 1 year into testosterone I had men all of a sudden saying hi to me. And it was making me paranoid. I mean, that never happened to me as a female. But I knew I didn't pass as male yet. And T certainly wasn't making me a more attractive woman. So I was fairly disturbed by what this could mean. Now being seen as all male, it has stopped happening again LOL.

I still don't think there is a clear cut answer. I'm inclined to think it's a coincidence and because of the place I was in at the time I was just overanalyzing it. If someone said hi to me now I'd just say hi back and not think much of it.

I've noticed in the south (here in Alabama, or in Georgia where my parents live) people all wave and say hi. In Ohio generally not so much.

Quote from: LordKAT on April 16, 2015, 05:25:21 AM
Why wold a person not say Hi to a stranger?

Quote from: LordKAT on April 16, 2015, 05:25:21 AM
Why wold a person not say Hi to a stranger?

I mean, you could. But I'm talking about in a less general way. As a guy I don't get men saying hello to me on the street. I do as a girl. See a pattern?

The point I'm trying to make here is that I do like the attention I get from men but I would like it a lot more if I didn't have the insecurity of the men trying to talk to me somehow suspecting that I'm trans and since this I seem to get this a lot, it kind of makes me nervous.

Random men do say hi to me lots of times on my way to work and going home from work during my commute. It is annoying but I use it as a barometer to pass. One time, I was putting on my makeup while commuting and this guy who is a janitor cleaning the station came up to me and told me I was pretty and it is ok. I said "ok what", he said to cross-dress like what I'm doing. So I said "ok" and put on my mascara.

I'm very small built so many guys do look at me alot and that's the way it is. Do I like it? No, it is nagging and annoying, but assuring that I know I pass and helps combat my gender envy against cis women.

Little kids 3-4 years old see me as a transgirl as just as many 3-4 year old kids can see ghosts.

Rarely does it happen to me. I think it's because I'm not that attractive. Some have said that it might be because I look confidant and some guys can find that intimidating. Mostly I get complements about my hair anymore. Which is fine, I like my hair. But generally I am left alone. Which I like.

Yes, i noticed that quite early on after going full time. "guys" seemed to be more friendly and greeted more often... not with the usual nod, but with a "hi" or "hello" and usually a smile. You do get used to it eventually.
I also noticed it more from the older men, especially those that still have some old school values and respect.
I have even had a guy help load some stock into my van when out collecting stock.

Its usually all good untill they clock you, then most tend to dissapear rather fast or their attitude changes. For me, my voice is a dead givaway, and something that bothers me tremendously!  It is the next thing i am trying to somhow get sorted...