A perfect example was in Florida at the hotel. We were walking down a hall and noticed the guy in front of us had a really strange walk. He was raising his right foot way up off of the floor and swinging it out several inches. Only his right foot. As we stopped, my brother said to him, you are walking like my hip feels. He laughed, and said he had recently broken his big toe, and two weeks after his cast was off, he managed to stub it and fell down in pain. So if he is not in wearing his work boots, he is super careful to not hurt that toe until it is all healed.

It was not long before we were sharing life stories. He was a super funny guy, and works as a Sheriff's Deputy at the local jail. We had a great time laughing and chatting for a couple of hours.

My dad used to talk to pretty much everyone anywhere near him pretty much all the time. As a kid, it absolutely mortified me. He saw the world as being "full of friends he hadn't met yet". He was just the friendliest, most engaging guy I ever knew. Granted, not everyone was pleased to have a total stranger strike up a conversation with them, so with those, he would just politely ease back out.

I grew up so damn shy I couldn't even talk to my own sister. Painfully shy, introverted. I was that way well into my thirties. Then, one day, my wife kind of asked "is there anyone you won't talk to?" And my two then teenage boys let me know how "mortifying" it was to be with me in public. Because, well, I had become my dad.

And that's the way I see it - the world is full of "friends I haven't met yet". I find if I can break the ice with something the other guy is obviously interested in - like Glen's hot-rodding "new friend", it's amazing how eager guys can be to b.s. for a moment. Everybody loves to talk about things for which they have an interest, or a passion. Many feel awkward striking up that conversation, but once you do, most are "off to the races"...

All the time, and I try to never miss an opportunity to pay a compliment if I can . Cool shirt, nice car, you look great etc. It seems cheesy, but it's just a good way to disarm somebody and make for a more positive encounter .
I watched my partner do it for years, and always thought it corny , but I picked up on it, and it almost always gets a smile back, or a thanks. Lets people know that I'm friendly and harmless.
Dudes love to talk about their cars, motorcycles, boats, trucks, gun, tools etc....

Do I talk to strangers? I'm responding to you! I even dialog on PARF (and it doesn't get much stranger than that). LOL
Yes, chat with almost anyone anywhere. The one major exception is if they seem to be "not right". I'll keep my distance with those.

Dad was in the Air Force. Every single year, I went to a different school. Every year I heard "Class this is Glen the new kid" The only exception was 11th and 12th grade was the same school.

In third grade I think, I was super shy, and had no friends at all. None of the local kids that had know each other all their lives took the time to know me. I hated it.

On the way to the new school the next year I remember thinking to myself that as a shy kid I had a horrible year. So I was not going to do that again, and no one at the new school knows me. The first day I walked up to a big group of boys, (girls still had cooties) and introduced myself. That year my mom even commented, how I have a lot of friends this year.

I learned being shy is lonely.

I have had a few people let it be known they don't care to chat. So what, no skin off my nose. There is almost always someone else to chat with.

Well, I talk to you bone heads all the time:)

Yeah, all the time. When we were over seas a month ago, I had so many questions for all the Chinese folks we came across Too bad few spoke very little english.

Yes, all the time especially like the setting that the OP was in. My wife .............not so much.

Mother always says, "Tabs never talk to strangers." But i never listen and always talk to strangers especially if they are young and good looking...and you would be surprised at how friendly some of them can be....

I talk to thousands of strangers every summer as a heritage interpreter at the Tidal Power Center. Many of those talks turn to where they are from, have I visited and so on.
When I am playing at the Bistro, I will often engage the folks to talk about songs or artists.
So many people, so little time.

Best
Les

that's MISTER bone head, thank you.

When I want some interesting conversation, I mumble to myself. :)


Stranger danger!

First of all, you can't turbo a 914 ;)

And I remember the situation you described at the Q, I think. Maybe. Not sure. I've slept since then.
I don't want to mention any names but was his initials Jeff?

And where was that black forest guy the time it was pouring down rain at the Pomona swap meet and the starter solenoid on my 914 gave up?

Back on topic, I never considered anyone at a Porsche event a stranger.
Really easy to talk to.

How you doing John?
I remember a while back you were facing some challenges, hope that's going well.

I talk to a LOT of people at the hospital, especially since the remodel. You can totally tell when someone is lost, many do not ask for directions, they just look lost.

Only in the night.

hell yeah. look what i confide to this bunch. hell we even swap christmas gifts...or we did..

If I'm in a social setting and see someone who looks like they might be interesting, I can usually come up with something to open a conversation with. If I only get a one or two-word response, I know to just move on. More often than not, they'll respond in kind and a pleasant little chat will develop. Heard some great stories from complete strangers this way...

Yes. All the time and everywhere. My wife always asks, "Did you make another new friend?"

No smartphone here.

Sometimes I'm occupied with thoughts I'm not interested in breaking.

I notice a lot of people misuse introvert and extrovert; often reserved and outgoing are better words that fit the meaning intended by those that mistakenly write the former set.

I must admit, I tend to make superficial judgement that will cause me to go deep into the reserved category. If someone is twiddling on a smartphone, I'm not gonna chatterbox.

Once i stopped machining I became a lot less outgoing and a lot more reserved. A lot of it has to do with the second line of this post. The other part, people simply cannot relate to the kinds of things that are on my mind.

There you go.
I don’t talk much at all, to anyone, unless I feel “on” and I don’t feel “on” often.
I don’t have a problem with silence.