But what I don't understand is why would you expect strangers to want to talk to you? Do you go up to people on the street and look at them meaningfully and then feel snubbed when they look away? I HATE talking to people I don't know. It isn't because I'm cool, I can assure you -- I'm 32 + beer gut + 2 year old kid + systems analyst. Not cool. It just seems very junior high school to me to misunderstand people's being introspective and focused (I sure am on my bike) for being somehow a slight on you. It has nothing to do with you... these people don't know who you are and they don't care. I mean I guess I can understand certain circumstances where people are social the way you seem to want them to be: long distance hiking, the winnebago scene, things like that, but in a city most people prefer to mind their business and fo you to mind yours.