Talking to strangers

[Nihilego]

How good are you at talking to strangers? Be it someone at a till, someone you're sat next to on a bus, or someone in school or the workplace that you've never met before - how good are you with strangers? Are you able to make decent conversation and find common interests or do you just make small talk? Or nothing at all? Any particularly interesting stories you've got that arose from talking to strangers?

 

[Shining Raichu]

I don't talk to strangers, my mummy taught me that that was dangerous and I could get hurt.

 

[Poki]

What is that socializing with people thing you speak of?

 

[Joel.Lion]

I work retail, so I've no choice but to talk to strangers. But it doesn't bother me regardless. All my friends use to be strangers.

 

[Nick]

It depends on how social I am feeling that day. More often than not, I don't feel very social so I'm not up to holding a conversation with my family, let alone strangers. But I do get into moods where I just want to talk.

 

[Astinus]

I also work in a job that requires me to talk to a lot of different people, which helped lessen my fear of talking to strange people. After I started working, I found that I'm a lot more at ease talking randomly to people, especially others who work in retail.

When out in public, I tend to keep to myself, so I don't talk to random people on the streets. Small talk is something that I never got the hang of, and trying to hold a conversation full of small talk makes me more nervous than holding a conversation about a common interest.

Really, I'm the most comfortable in work. When it comes to talking to customers or new coworkers, it's easier than being out as a normal person. Probably because being able to talk about the store that I work at opens up to conversations about other things, which leads to me knowing those people more.

 

[Honest]

I'm probably too comfortable, honestly. If I'm alone, I'll gladly talk to some stranger, but I'd only so it if I needed something, or if I'm at a social event, to be social. Aside from that, I keep to myself. When I'm with friends, though, oh god. I'm a massive jerk for doing it, but I purposely get strangers involved into the conversation my friends and I are having for a laugh. The reactions people give are highly amusing.


It did almost get me punched in the face once, though. Maybe I should stop.

 

[for him.]

Well... I am usually really awkward around strangers. ;D

Most people I meet don't have a good reaction towards me because of the way I sound and often make fun of me, (My voice never cracked soo... It's really high-pitch.) so I am usually hesitant when it comes to talking to strangers. (I'd rather not receive homophobic slurs if possible.)

However, there are moments when I do speak up and that just ends up in awkward silence.

 

[Mark Kamill]

If its 3 in the morn and there's someone else waiting, it usually ends in a convo between us. Best is when its a girl, always nice to broaden the horizons.

 

[Auticorn]

I hardly ever talk to strangers... like ever. I guess you could say it's a good thing, but it's kind of not. If I meet strangers who are friends with my mom, I get nervous around them and become this mute little mouse. :/ But, I usually open up after a few minutes or so... *shrugs*

 

[Sirfetch’d]

I once talked to a stranger. It was a terrible idea. Never talk to strangers kids ever!

 

[Corvus of the Black Night]

Talking to strangers for me is honestly very unnatural but I've learned how to do it in a way that doesn't sound like a routine. Unless its required though I avoid it outside of politeness.

I find a lot of little talk between people to be rather meaningless...

Sometimes I'll walk up to people I think are interesting and just start talking to them but I get all weirded out if they do that to me! I feel kinda bad about it, but it is how I made my best friend.

 

[Kikaito plush]

I only talk to people that my family know.

 

[acatfrommars]

Yeah, I have to talk to them every day at work. Outside of work though, I normally don't talk to strangers. I try to mind my own business. My dad is the worst, he will talk to random people and not shut up!! I'd say I'm good with strangers, I can talk to most people and get along with most people. I don't have any particular stories really. Eh, actually here's a short story. I spilled tea on some dude's lap while doing drive thru at work and he got pissed. I just laughed, and told him sorry. Meh, don't know how that relates. lol

 

[mikey]

I'm pretty good at making small talk with strangers. I did it a lot when working in customer service in the past. I'm pretty comfortable with it thanks to that.

 

[ElGuapoAssassin]

I hate talking with strangers, it feels so awkward and I always feel like I come off as a jerk.

 

[antemortem]

When I'm with other people I know I'm sooo terrible at it, because I find that their presence makes me more nervous than if I was by myself. I think twice about what I'd say because it wouldn't be just me hearing it, it'd be those people too and it just has a strange effect on what I say. I really like conversing with strangers otherwise.