I see now. It comes across dismissive, when he ends the question with an 'I don't know.' Um? ((me, here in my mind, if I heard this...)) Um? Were you or weren't you busy? Um, are you or aren't you mad? And how don't you know?! I don't know, is not an honest answer! ((not in an anything to hide type of lack of honesty, but an inability to just be honest with himself, to be honest with you, if that makes sense?))

And, if honesty, is important, as the foundation for every relationship, a passive, I don't know, is enough to make anyone scratch their head and wonder, what is going on? Penny for you thoughts, type of what's going on.

Oh, I'm sorry for being blunt, I just finished talking to a less than neighborly neighbor. Or, I'm sorry, I didn't get back to you, I got caught up chatting with so and so, at the store, then....

To me, it's just wanting the courtesy to know what's up, kwim?