[dragonsky67]

I'm not sure that your observation of peoples behaviour is accurate.

Just a bit of background. I'm an introvert, I'm happy in my own space. Too much noise or too many people make me very uncomfortable. Birthdays, for example would have to be up there as one of the worst events of the year only topped by Christmas Parties. So you see, I'm not one for talking to random strangers. Don't get me wrong, I'm actually a fairly contented person with a small family group of about 6 people I happily interact with on a regular basis.

I travel to work via bus and it is a rare day when I don't get approached by somebody at the bus stop or on the bus who is looking to chat. I'll go through the polite hi how are you type of thing before getting back to my book or whatever I was filling the time with. My point is, that most of the people on the bus seem to be conducting some degree of social interaction with semi random strangers and if I were a different person I guess I'd be right along with them. Even with my attitude I still enjoy the fact that on our bus there is a small thriving community where people share the time of day.

Yes, there are a lot more phones being used than 10 years ago, but people still seem to be chatting, the phones are just there as an adjunct rather than as a barrier to communication.

[ar-nelson]

That doesn't seem typical to me... I've used public transit for years, in both the Seattle area and Massachusetts, and it's rare for anyone to strike up a spontaneous conversation, with me or anyone else. Whenever someone did, they usually seemed a little... odd. Maybe one time out of five it would be an interesting conversation, and that only happened every few months of riding the bus every weekday.

The main thing I learned from this is, if I started conversations with random people on the bus, I'd be that odd person who makes people uncomfortable. I wish it didn't work that way.

[chillacy]

I can confirm that seattle is pretty cold on the metro. I did meet an ex-girlfrend at the bus stop, but even then I felt weird chatting on the bus since it's so quiet it feels everyone else is listening in. So yea, public transit in seattle, a bit weird to talk. But airplanes, I'm usually very chatty.

[mncharity]

> I travel to work via bus and it is a rare day when I don't get approached by somebody at the bus stop or on the bus who is looking to chat.

Local cultures can vary a lot. In NYC, riding the bus, I more often end up in a conversation than not. In Boston, that is just not done. Except with tourists sometimes. I used to travel more, and it became a standing joke... At someplace not Boston, chatting. While traveling, chatting. Hit the subway by Boston Logan airport, chatting... sort of... with people awkwardly uncomfortable... facepalm, back in Boston, burned again.

[Zitrax]

Cultures must really be different. I have used public transport to work for years and I can't even recall one single time someone tried to start a conversation.

[weavie]

Indeed. Here in Devon, Uk, at one time when I was commuting by bus, the regulars on the bus were so friendly we got to the stage where we were decking the bus out in tinsel and sharing cakes and bubbly when it was someones birthday.

[RugnirViking]

Wow thats really odd. I've always thought in the UK that in london and the south people keep themselves to themselves but in the north like Sheffield people were a lot friendlier but maybe thats just because I lived there longer ago before smartphones were a thing

[thorin]

Devon/Cornwall is a lot more like the north or indeed a different country compared to London. Even in London people will come together in the right situation - commonly moaning about the weather, queuing etc.