When you meet a tall, dark stranger

DANGEROUS LIAISONS

However with a large number of outsiders coming into the City, it is a common practice these days to just walk up to a stranger in a cafe and get talking about one's life.

In a time and age where people need to cover long distances to get home, and there exists just one odd weekend to get together with friends, people are constantly on the lookout for recreation immediately after work. The stress buster after work is usually a simple old coffee in an upmarket cafe. These coffee houses have become second home to most of the working populace, who due to their regularity in these places, get talking to the other regulars to sometimes find converging interests. Metrolife asked people in the City if they too are a part of this social phenomenon.

Raksha Kothari, a professional, says personally she is against the concept. “I honestly would really freak out if a stranger walked up to me and said that he/she was bored and wanted to talk to me. I guess if it is a girl, I would be less apprehensive and probably even entertain her but if it is a guy, it would be a strict ‘No’. As far as I am concerned, I will never approach a complete stranger.”

Raksha’s beliefs are in accordance with the old school of thought, where most people believe that strangers always have hidden motives behind their approach.

Karthik Hegde, a BA student, another conformist of the old school of thought says, “If I approached a random stranger, they would think I am a psycho. However I am very open to the idea of being approached. The sex of the person would play a significant role as far as my response is concerned. If it is a girl, it would be perfect but if it is a guy, it would depend on what he is looking for.”

Anip Mehta, an entrepreneur on the other hand, says meeting random people in
a coffee shop is a wonderful way of getting to know people. “Bangalore is a nice blend of migrant and non migrant people. The town is pretty open to new people in a coffee shop. It is strange, but most of us go way back only because we keep bumping into each other in the same coffee place,” he added.

Trust is the biggest concern when it comes to making friends in a coffee place. Prakash Kanchan, a software engineer, begs to differ and says, “It works on a simple philosophy really, nice people meet only nice people. So if your intentions are clear, I don’t see what are the chances of you getting stalked or harassed in any way. Every person gives out a certain vibe. It is all about reading those vibes and trust me, if you are comfortable with who you are, chances are that you will have no issues with anyone you meet.”