Been wanting to ask for opinions about an interaction I had with one of the women that works in the small grocery store in Trellis Bay. I was going in to empty some trash in the dumpster and when I got there it wasn't where it used to be. So I looked around and noticed she was outside the store so I said hello and asked her if she could tell me where the dumpster was. She replied "I really can't say". A guy sitting at the picnic tables, who I didn't ask because he looked like a landlubber/tourist, told me they were up the path behind some bushes.

I know I'm over thinking this but it was just one of those times that make me say hum. Did she really not know where the dumpster was? Now, I learned that if you are genuinely friendly and strike up a conversation with people (I learned that here BTW) that most of the locals are pretty nice. Because of that I must admit I'm a little perplexed. I am certainly open to the idea that I might have somehow inadvertently broken some cultural norm. If you have any ideas on this I'd like to know (they do seem to move dumpsters around a lot) so this might happen to me again!

For quite some time it's been to the right and about 30yds behind some bushes from where it was the previous 10 years.

Yep, I found it. I can remember when the bin in CGB was to the left of the dingy dock and then it moved down the road to the right.

maybe it's a private dumpster and she pays the bill and she doesn't want it filled up from random people putting trash in it?

If I remember correctly the green colored dumpsters are not private they are open for anyone to put trash into.

They are public.
G

Not everybody is going to be friendly and helpful every time. Even those who make a living off of being friendly and helpful sometimes get tapped out of friendliness.

If she isn't dumping any trash from work, she just might not know where it is.

Beer me, Do what we call Dinghy Dumping...
First spot a dinghy attached to a boat with no one in the cockpit then fly by it and toss your garbage into it. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Out walking today it dawned on me that dumpster might not have been the right term to use. Don't they call them bins and a few other things we yanks wouldn't know? Anyway, I think I was looking for the "secret handshake" or something but I guess I'll never know...

Hee hee, I like it! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />

I lived in St Croix for a bit... I was told by my father to always start a conversation by saying, good morning, good afternoon or good evening, depending on time of day, I still do that today and it seems to work.

We've hit an all-time low by resorting our conversations to "where is the dumpster!"

No, actually, the original post was a sincere desire to figure out where the poster had possibly offended the lady. It wasn't really about where is the dumpster, although several people chose to try to answer that question.

I rushed into the C&I building on Jost to check out of the BVI. I exclaimed "is this where you check out of the BVI?"

Two uniformed ladies were behind the desk. The older of the two looked at me like I just walked in with a stick of dynamite in my hand.

She stiffened her posture, raised her chin in the air and with a perfectly manicured ruby red lipstick smile said "and good morning to you sir!"

Lesson learned! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

It depends on how the wind blows sometimes if you say Good morning youll get a Good morning back, other times you'll get a grunt and other times ignored.
If they ignore you then there's no need to continue to be polite just finish what you wanted to do and leave.

Thank you Carol! Poor choice of subject title on my part. "Personal interaction with locals" was my second choice but it sounded a little condescending.

Harleyk, I think it's pretty useful to know where they are, especially the public ones.

I mentioned in the OP that I learned here to take a genuine interest/say hello or good morning. I might not have said hello as I expected a point or a "behind those bushed" response, ie., very quick personal interaction. It didn't seem like that was the issue, more like confusion?

Could be "having a bad day" or "that's the thousandth time some idiot asked me where" but I didn't get that vibe.

Possibly she didn't know but I find it hard to believe. Thirty yards from a dumpster and you've never heard the noisy truck picking up trash? Maybe though...