Why is it so hard to chat to people nearby?

I recently went up to a conference in a city I'd never visited before. As I was sat on the train up, I wondered if any of the other passengers were also going to the conference. It's a bit socially awkward and creepy to go up to a bunch of strangers and interrogate them about their plans for the weekend. So I sat in silence. Back when everyone was on Twitter, there was a reasonable chance that you could reach people with: Hey! I'm attending #Conference. Anyone else on the 0915 to #City?…

Terence Eden’s Blog