You’re sitting on an airplane or standing in line at the supermarket or riding a stationary bike at the gym, etc. How likely are you to strike up a conversation with the person next to you? How do you feel when the person next to you strikes up a conversation with you?
I’m talking about non-flirty conversation - or at least conversations where flirtatiousness is not the foremost thing in your mind. Just two citizens, unknown to one another, striking up a conversation. How do you feel about that?
Rarely do it unless there’s something I find important enough to discuss, and dislike it being done to me, though I try always to be courteous in response. But I don’t encourage it at all, you have to be really persistent/clueless to keep a conversation going with me.
I’m naturally asocial but work in customer service, so when I’m not at work I avoid all interaction with the public.
I never start up such a conversation, even if I have a reason for wanting to.
Having someone start a conversation with me can be nice, but not if it’s small talk, or political or religious, or vacation pictures, etc. etc. In other words, my range of interests is not congruent with a large fraction of the rest of the world. And if it’s not something I’m at least potentially interested in, I don’t know what to say. “That’s nice,” “I guess so.” Und so weiter (sp?)
Roddy
Unless I am specifically at a place or event where interaction and similar hobbies is expected - a convention, a book club, rally, etc, then I don’t often appreciate random conversations from strangers. I’d include “bookstore” but my most recent awful stranger conversation was 20 minutes of an overbearing man in a bookstore. I’d normally never talk to someone on a plane or train, but one of my best stranger conversations was a 30 minute talk with an old lady as we rode amtrak. So there’s always exceptions.
I strike up conversations with strangers very rarely, and at most it’s usually an agreeing comment and we don’t talk for more than 30 seconds. By very rarely, I mean once a year perhaps.
Most conversations directed my way are by strangers who seem a bit “off”. Way too overzealous about their interests, overbearing in their attitude, strange segues, spilling too much personal information, too touchy/boundary issues, poor hygiene or health, or just plain dangerous sounding (talking about fire and hurting others).
I virtually never do it, certainly not cold. I have sometimes said something when others are having a conversation near me and I have a question or comment related to it. But I’m not sure how much that counts, as it’s the sort of thing where they’re talking about a sporting event and I want to ask about the score or they’re talking about a band that I’m a fan of (which is very rare, since most of my favorite bands aren’t popular) or other things like that. I remember several months ago interjecting when I overheard some interesting stuff about cosmology, and one of the guys wasn’t a complete stranger, so I’m not sure how much that counts either.
As far as it happening to me, whether I mind or not depends. It happens to me fairly frequently, actually. It definitely makes me uncomfortable when,when someone just wants to complain, or if it’s just trite conversation. Sadly, that makes up a huge amount of random conversation, but I will engage if they actually have someting interesting to say. Even in situations where I’m more open to that sort of thing, like at a concert, if you just want to talk about how much you like the band we’re there to see, I don’t care, but if you want to talk about another show or similar bands, I’m interested. If I’m at the gym, and someone just wants to complain to me about their poor results or how crappy the place is, I don’t care, but if you want some advice, I’m glad to help.
Most frustrating of all though, is I get people randomly touching me all the time, it’s never meant in a bad way, but it’s just odd being touched unexpectedly by a stranger. I have long hair, sometimes random women, usually middle-aged or older, will just come up and touch it THEN ask me about it. I’m also in good shape, and sometimes people will just come up and touch my arm or shoulder THEN say something about my muscles. Some people are just really touchy in general and will touch without any real reason for it. I’m not anti-touching per se, but I can’t believe anyone thinks it’s cool to touch a stranger, without their permission or even without them being aware beforehand.
I’m a smoker, so I spend a fair amount of time standing outside my office building. I generally nod and/or speak to passers by (sometimes with a comment on the weather or local sports), and at least a couple of times a week somebody driving by will stop to ask directions. Just part of life in a small town.
All the time. For any period longer than, say, an elevator ride, it starts to feel really weird that humans are in close proximity without interacting.
I had a serious problem with not talking to anyone. Finally I decided to start talking with strangers just to see what happened.
I’ve had some of the best conversations of my life on buses, in libraries, talking to small children (or dogs) with their parents (or owners). Some of thr people have become everyday acquaintances.
I am open to it. There are lonely people out there and I have all the time in the world. If I sense someone is lonely or wants to talk, I 'll nod and smile and leave it up to them.
Airplanes not so much. Actually not anywhere where I could accidently be held captive!
Crazies don’t bother me unless they are obviously hostile.
Actually, one of my hobbies is going to Care Centers and asking staff if they have anyone who never gets any visitors whom they think might enjoy some company. There are many old people who have fascinating life stories and want to tell them. Some of them have a great and entertaining sense of humor as well.
Sometimes. I’ve been attending the ATP tennis tournament in my town. It’s certainly easier to strike up a conversation with strangers when you both share something in common.
I seldom initiate it, but am happy to chat with strangers. I’m even happy to talk about their wacko religions, politics, or whatever. I enjoy the opportunity to find out more about people completely unlike myself.
Sometimes, but usually I will just provide an “opening” for a conversation. Ask them a question, and if they want to continue a conversation, I will be glad to do so.
Sometimes I just put my earbuds in and ignore the world, but often times I like chatting with strangers on airplanes or whatever.
Sometimes talking to other people while traveling alone annoys me. Usually if I’m by myself on an airplane, it’s because I’m traveling for work. Because of that, it’s probably the only quiet time I’m going to get for quite some time. If I’m on my way to a business trip, I usually wind up working 14 hour days. If I’m on my way home, when I get there my children will be crawling all over me unless I get in at midnight, in which case I’m exhausted. I get so little time even to finish a private thought that strangers talking to me for no reason feels a bit like an imposition.
That said, unless the person is creeping me out or an asshole, I’ll usually continue the conversation.