How do you feel if a random person starts talking to you..

[toffee]

I get this alot, especially when i am waiting for a bus or something.. most of the time elderly people start talking to me... i would feel more comfortable if they didn't, but i still talk to them anyway, and i try to pretend that i'm interested in what they're saying.. it's usually small talk.. about the weather, bus times, ect.. i do feel anxious, but i don't shake, blush, tremble or anything like that, because if i **** up or say something stupid, i don't have to deal with any consequences.. they'll forget who i am after 10 minutes.. but if i see someone that i know, eg. a family member, a family friend, someone on my street.. this is when the anxiety kicks in... if i say something stupid, i think that they'll tell everyone who knows me how much of a weirdo i am, who can't hold a conversation..a few weeks ago, i seen my cousin in town (i don't talk to her alot, but her mums visits often), and i was shaking and finding it hard to breathe as she spoke to me.. mainly because i am worried that she will tell people about me, which i don't need to worry about if it's a random person talking to me... does anyone else feel like this?

[Prakas]

I tend to just blow people off and give very short responses as if I don't want to deal with them, which isn't always the case. Or is it? I'm so confused. I guess I'm a bitter person.

I would like to say I'm a good listener, but I start tuning out after a few minutes for people that talk forever.

[Braxietel]

I hate it when this happens, also on my local tram there's a lot of little old folk who are impossible to understand, which just makes it all a lot worse.

[rdrr]

never happens to me. see http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/...l-faces-unite/

[lyssado707]

I think "aw sh*t" and then start getting anxious.

[chunkylover53]

Sometimes I can engage, depending on who is talking to me and what they're talking about, but most of the time I can't or I wish they would leave me alone. Having said that, it doesn't happen very often to me. Old people generally hate me and think that I'm going to steal their handbag.

[shyvr6]

I usually try to engage with them, but it's usually short responses, because I'm not good with on the spot conversations.

[malone]

Originally Posted by chunkylover53

Sometimes I can engage, depending on who is talking to me and what they're talking about, but most of the time I can't or I wish they would leave me alone. Having said that, it doesn't happen very often to me.

This.

[Meee]

Depends who it is. Got cornered by a crazy guy in a supermarket once lol, i made the mistake of helping him, which apparently in crazy town is a request to follow me around and rant about completely nonsensical things.

I don't know, it's surprising and gets me off-guard... gets awkward a lot when it happens. Sometimes it's nice, though, if i'm in the right frame of mind and they're a non-crazy person.

[hmf22]

it depends, if I think the person is talking to me because they feel sorry for me (they see me alone or think I'm upset), then I get kinda mad and in this "I don't need your pity" kinda mood, which I know I shouldn't, but I still do. If they really are just wanting someone to talk to, I can usually pull it off- it'll be awkward, and they'll usually move on if there's someone more interesting, but if not I'll manage to hold a conversation and even throw in a witty comment or two, and if it works out, I usually end up feeling great about myself after. If not, it's a bummer but at least I usually don't have to worry about ever seeing that person again.

[CrashMedicate]

I love when strangers approach me. I'll b.s. with anyone who comes up to me. Unless they're giving me the whole "my car ran out of gas down the street, do you have any money?" routine, then I shut down and say "no i aint got nothin" like a real jerk and walk away. Friggin' panhandling drug addicts. Psh.

[Logan X]

It depends how good i feel that day. I can talk to them and seem somewhat normal, but if i don't feel good I'll do my best to cut it short and be on my way. It also depends on what type of person is talking to me.

[Haydsmom2007]

Yeah I usually don't really have much to say back to them. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I went to the library at my school yesterday and all the computers were taken and there were other students standing around waiting for one... i was walking through to go sit down at a table and do some homework, and while I was walking through this guy standing there goes "dude, this girl is sitting there playing farmville and I have homework that I need to do." And I didn't know what to say except "sorry..." and then I walked away. lol. After I left I was like Damnit, I should have gone up to the girl and told her there were people there that needed to do homework and she was sitting there playing games. but I don't know if I'm brave enough to do that. My voice would probably be shaking the entire time.

[shadowmask]

Depends, if it's an older person who's not particularly intimidating, I can hold a decent conversation, although I'd still prefer to be left alone most of the time. But if it's a teen/twenty something, I'll usually give the shortest replies I can without coming off as a mentally incompetent weirdo and promptly get the hell away from them.

[Delicate]

That's interesting I never thought about it but yeah I definately find it harder to talk to people I have some sort of connection with and hate randomly running into people.

Lol old women at bus stops trap me too one started telling me about her son's friend who'd been murdered or something . People are funny sometimes I was looking at these candles yesterday and this girl walked past and went "OH MY GOD pink candles" then telling me which ones smelt the nicest and getting me to smell them lol. But yeah I didn't feel that uncomfortable whereas I would be if it's someone I know.

[Hadron]

It annoys me to no end! Especially when I'm really in a hurry and sombody forces me to be rude in order to get rid of them. I don't like being rude...

Usually the ones who start talking to me randomly in the street (people that I don't know at all; not anyone from college) are teenage males around about my age. I don't know why that is... does it have something to do with the way I look that makes them think I've something in common with them? Maybe that's the case - because I look a bit like a thug (which also, unfortunately, sometimes attracts to me the wrong kind of girls), and the people I'm talking about don't look like the brightest tools in the box...

[Efsee]

It depends on the person, sometimes my nerves will kick in. I might end up saying something stupid, or appearing cold and give off a gtf away from me vibe.

[Ospi]

Depends. A lot of the time the people who do this are druggos or drunk and talk complete bollocks in which case I ignore them or say "no thanks" and walk off but when it's a person sane of mind then I will generally chat back, I never really felt nervous with this kind of thing, no more than any average human.

Which bring up another point, I would put money on 90% of the population feeling quite uneasy when complete strangers randomly talk to them at a bus stop.

[somethinginthewind]

Originally Posted by Ospi

Depends. A lot of the time the people who do this are druggos or drunk and talk complete bollocks

You said bollocks. hahahahahaha SO awesome.

[Haydsmom2007]

Originally Posted by Ospi

Depends. A lot of the time the people who do this are druggos or drunk and talk complete bollocks in which case I ignore them or say "no thanks" and walk off but when it's a person sane of mind then I will generally chat back, I never really felt nervous with this kind of thing, no more than any average human.

Which bring up another point, I would put money on 90% of the population feeling quite uneasy when complete strangers randomly talk to them at a bus stop.

I actually love talking to drunk people lol. They are so funny and you can mess with them and say really ridiculous things. They're the ones making a fool of themselves.