3 ms·
I think the different length of trips might have something to do with this. It's also the norm not to talk to strangers on subway systems in the US in my experi
by ryukafalz 4y ago
I think the different length of trips might have something to do with this. It's also the norm not to talk to strangers on subway systems in the US in my experience (at least the ones I'm familiar with; Philly, DC, NYC, Boston) but it doesn't feel as taboo on e.g
Amtrak. There might be something about longer trips that encourages it, since unless you've brought some form of entertainment you're sitting there for a while without much to do.
- vsnf 4y agoWhile there’s certainly something to be said for being forced to share space for an extended duration, speaking as someone born and raised in Boston, it’s not super uncommon to see strangers interacting on the T. Maybe the overwhelming numbers of students has something to do with it, I don’t know. But it happens from time to time. What I have no perspective on is if this is true, or not true, of other dense metro US population centers.
- nerdponx 4y agoThis is my experience as well: openness scales with trip distance. If you're on the subway, you're probably just trying to get yourself to work, probably stressed out, lots of creeps and weirdos, etc. Get on the train, don't bother anyone, get out of each other's way, get off the train at your stop. Whereas on Amtrak (and to a lesser extent buses) I've struck up conversations with people and had people strike up conversations with me. There's something psychologically different about being settled in one place for a while, as opposed to in a situation where everyone is up and moving and rushing past each other.