It’s like 90% drunk homeless people that talk to you on trains and buses though. It gets tiring.
If I want chance encounters with sober people, I’ll go to the bar. I mean eventually the people there get drunk too, but it’s a nice “5 hours and 10 beers” drunk not “what month and/or year is it” drunk.
jve@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
I’m the guy who takes a shot at a random conversation on the plane.
Doesn’t often turn into anything, but sometimes it’s a nice little glimpse into humanity.
Guess I don’t know what trains you’re on that are so full of the drunk and homeless, but that sounds like a problem in its own right.
HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 10 hours ago
I once took an overnight flight from the west coast to the east coast. The flight wasn’t very crowded and I intentionally picked a seat away from other ocupied seats.
I get on the plane, as I’m warking back to my seat I notice there’s entire rows that are empty. So instead of picking a seat in an open row, and this. fucking. guy. picked the window seat closest to my aisle seat, and he talked for most of the flight. In hindsight I should have just sat somewhere else when I first noticed him.
jve@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Heh yeah that’s rough.
Baffling that you didn’t switch seats though.
HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 8 hours ago
It sounds dumb but I didn’t want to be rude.
mriormro@lemmy.zip 13 hours ago
Leave me alone.
RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz 17 hours ago
On a plane? That’s much worse, you can’t just change seats or get out if you want to avoid the person. Oh god
jve@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Or… shudder… shut down the conversation with your words and body language.
Oh god the anxiety of it all.
RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz 8 hours ago
Yes the sort of people who start unsolicited conversations with others on a plane sure is the type to take a subtle hint
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 18 hours ago
It’s not that the trains are so full of drunk homeless people, but that trains are affordable and also conductors aren’t going to physically throw out a person that could get violent. Planes you don’t really get on without a ticket. An entire class of people are filtered off the plane because of that.
And anyway, said group are a minority, but they’re the only ones who randomly talk to strangers most of the time. Everyone else minds their own business in my experience.
jve@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
I’m not going to question your experience too much, but it’s sad to me that this would be true.
A random conversation in a random interaction with somebody you could have easily not talked to can be great fun.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 17 hours ago
It is great fun! That’s why I essentially lived at a bar for over a year and nearly always went alone. So many chance encounters and some people I still talk to. Plus even if you’re away for a year or 2, the regulars will remember you and come talk to you. Downside was spending 500 euros a month or more on beer.
But public transport? Nobody wants to be there. You’ve got a goal and it’s not socialising, it’s getting somewhere. Maybe you’re anxious about going to the doctor, maybe you’re anticipating a shitty workday. It’s annoying to have to talk to other people when you’re trying to think about things.
In our culture this is seen as normal: you keep to yourself in public unless at some place where socialising is the norm.