Leave me alone.
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.
mriormro@lemmy.zip 11 hours ago
RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz 14 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 5 hours ago
Or… shudder… shut down the conversation with your words and body language.
Oh god the anxiety of it all.
RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyz 5 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 16 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 15 hours ago
the [drunk & homeless are the] only ones who randomly talk to strangers most of the time
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 14 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.
jve@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
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.
Fully with you.
It’s annoying to have to talk to other people when you’re trying to think about things.
I would argue that a large chunk of the people you describe above are not “trying to think about things”, they’re just trying to get to point B.
And again, research consistently shows that these interactions tend to be viewed much more positively after they happen than those same people expected them to be, and it holds for either side of the interaction.
I’m sure I’m preaching to the atheists here in the comments. All those replying here all seem to be convinced already, and that’s fine.
Guess I just think it’s interesting that those that would bother to come on the internet to talk to strangers are so convinced that it would be annoying to talk to strangers.
People on the bus or train are just people.
HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 7 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 6 hours ago
Heh yeah that’s rough.
Baffling that you didn’t switch seats though.
HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 5 hours ago
It sounds dumb but I didn’t want to be rude.