From what I've seen in desert west, unless you're hot or the person sitting next to you is trying to peddle something or just has a very loose filter, strangers are far more likely to chat up the bus driver.

The most interaction I've seen is when a group of Mormons started a cringey debate with a group of Mennonites on the train. Everyone else around them very intentionally put on their headphones or stared out the window.

As a Midwesterner, we really do seem overly gregarious. The bus tends to be a bit more cold-shouldered compared to the average population outside of transport, but I think that's largely how miserable and cramped it can be.

Still, I've struck up coversations or been invited to some myself. It's usually more small-talk, but chatting about citylife or books can be a good time.

No way in NYC. I live in the outer boroughs so they’re a bit chattier the further you ride away from Manhattan but people still prefer reading a book or listening to something.

Here in Wales it's absolutely the case that people'll just dump their entire life story to strangers on public transport (and also at bus stops, train stations, queues in shops, and in the middle of the street if you don't walk away fast enough).

From what I've experienced of England, it's the exact opposite where strangers won't even look you in the eye unless they're drunk in which case they'll suddenly become incredibly chatty.

I regularly make use of my local paratransit service and it basically turns into a rolling social club when they start picking up retirees.

Honestly, it's pretty cool. I've heard a lot of really interesting historical stories about the area that aren't in the history books.

In Rio de Janeiro this happened a lot. Me and my wife are immigrants in Brazil so if we were talking between ourselves some people just start talking to us, with broken Spanish, and we were like ehh. Now that we live in São Paulo dosen't happen anymore.

I have no public transit where i live but if i did id spend every second praying some fucker doesn't try to talk to me

it's a thing in Dublin for sure but usually older people who are doing it

Every so often there's that one guy (and yes it's ALWAYS a man) who surveys everyone on the bus, and whatever sucker is unfortunate enough to make eye contact with them is their next victim. The dude will go up and sit next to them and just talk at them ad nauseam until the poor bastard is lucky enough to arrive at their stop. I've seen this happen about three different times and it's always highly uncomfortable for everyone.

Other than that, there's a few regulars who take the same route every day that we chat with, but not usually to strangers.

On the West Coast, not usually. Most people who talk on transit to someone who is not their companion are dealing with something.

A little bit (also in the central us) but its not that frequent

much more common on amtrak

absolutely not in southern England

I talk to stranger on public transit on two occasions

1.) when I see some crazy shit, and I give them the “you seeing’ this shit?” Look. That’s the conversation in the whole, the exchange of the look.

2.) when I see something that Signals “I’m a dork ass talk to me”. If I see a a cool nerd shirt, button, or other geeky loser apparel. I say “hey nice trinket! 😄” and if they seem receptive I’ll talk to them

i have no idea because i would never, ever ride transit without noise cancelling headphones

to themselves, yea

I wish they did

Not normally no. If i peep a chess app I'll 1v1 a stranger though

Talking to people on transit seems normal to me, I haven't lived a lot of places where it happens much.

Protestantism was a human mistake.