You did fine. That was a learning experience for everybody.
You do you, my nephew would have taken off running while waving his hands in the air. No shame in either of those responses... Personally I just remain quiet and wait for the person to assume I'm deaf, but we all deal with unwanted conversations differently.
Bro had zero game.
Bro is just like me fr
you dint do anything wrong. i witnessed several times on public transit, and stores, that they would approach women and get in thier face, and try to "flirt" witht them.
Approaching a woman to strike up a conversation is a bit of a fine art to do it in a way that doesn't skeeve them the fuck out and plopping your ass down right next to them is definitely in the list of don'ts. Hell I'm a guy and I'd be skeeved out a bit if this happened to me.
You did nothing wrong and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt of just being socially unaware since he didn't press it.
I learned in my 20's that when I strike up conversations with strangers, it's a lot better to ensure everyone (including yourself) has an easy physical exit. People are more responsive to someone else making a comment as they're passing by, rather than cornering them in a confined space, or requiring someone to physically change their direction of movement or step aside to let the other leave. It should feel graceful, where someone who doesn't want to talk can exit the conversation at very little perceived cost to anyone. It doesn't have to feel like rejection, and that often starts with the physical arrangement of the people involved, in the setting where it happens.
I've been with my wife for over 10 years, so it's been a while since I've approached a woman with the specific intention of seeing if there was potential for a romantic/sexual connection, but I still talk to strangers and build new friendships. Not everyone is open to talking to strangers, but plenty of people enjoy a little bit of low cost social connection, even if it's intended to be ephemeral. Or if you really hit it off and become friends. But every approach should be assumed to be a fleeting moment, rather than a "I'm going to talk to this person until they tell me to stop" kind of commitment.
Be good looking, don't be ugly. Or be rich and not have to walking around in a mall to find women. Or I don't know. Dating apps are no longer reliable. Shit glad not single because young men are fuck when trying to date. Because social media have caused more toxic men to given a platform, and women everywhere now must fear all strange men and FOR Good Reson too. Unfortunately this is creating a toxic space for young men which continues to perpetuate unless we find a solution to the problem.
You know, somehow we have got to get back to the place where strangers can talk to each other in public places. I understand your position and why you needed to do that. I just regret the fact that conversations in public seem to be a lost art.
My dad is one of those people who makes friends everywhere he goes - talking to people in elevators, etc. and people react well to it. Everybody can't be that outgoing and shouldn't be. But I think the % of people who can do that now is going to be much less than it was in the past, which is a shame.
Yes this person is just an asocial mean world syndrome asshole.
Women aren't required to make small talk because a man wants it.
I think it's good you listened to your instincts and were firm. If he has a disability that makes social things complicated, being obvious was a favor to him. If he did have bad intentions, your immediate willingness to leave showed you weren't an easy mark.
There are probably good scripts for this, but I don't know them. I just think you should know it doesn't sound like you handled it badly.
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