What to Say When a Stranger Starts a Conversation
A stranger starts chatting with you at the airport. Should you be friendly, funny, or politely escape? We test different replies with ReplyDojo's AI judges.
Airports are strange places.
You're surrounded by hundreds of people, yet everyone seems perfectly happy pretending nobody else exists.
And honestly? I respect that arrangement.
Until a friendly stranger decides we're about to become best friends.
Do I make conversation? Pretend to be busy? Or suddenly become extremely interested in my boarding pass?
Let's see what ReplyDojo thinks.
The situation
You're at an airport, and a stranger strikes up a conversation with you while you're waiting for your flight. They seem friendly, but you're not sure if you want to engage.
What do you say?
For this prompt, I answered:
“Oh, hey. Where are you headed”
Here’s how ReplyDojo scored this reply:
WIT JUDGE
Nice and casual, but it's a pretty standard opener.
RELEVANCE JUDGE
Works well in this situation, shows you're willing to chat.
ORIGINALITY JUDGE
Not particularly unique, but it gets the job done.
For this prompt, I answered:
“Sorry, my social battery is already in airplane mode.”
Here’s how ReplyDojo scored this reply:
WIT JUDGE
That's a sharp way to dodge a conversation - the airplane mode pun is perfect for an airport setting.
RELEVANCE JUDGE
It's a good fit for the situation - you're at an airport, and it's a polite but clear way to bow out of the conversation.
ORIGINALITY JUDGE
I've seen 'social battery' before, but the airplane mode twist is a nice spin on it.
What else could you say?
Of course, not every stranger deserves an airplane-mode joke. It depends on whether you actually want to talk. Here are a few other approaches.
“Hey! Where are you flying to?”
A simple way to keep the conversation going. No cleverness required.
“Oh, hi! How's your day going?”
A polite response when you're not quite sure whether you want to continue talking.
“I was planning to spend this layover pretending to be busy.”
A little self-deprecating humor. If they laugh, maybe you've found someone worth chatting with.
“Are we becoming airport best friends now?”
A ridiculous little question that turns the unexpected conversation into a joke.
“My social battery is at 2%, and I forgot my charger.”
Probably best delivered with a friendly smile. And maybe a little less effective if you're visibly doing absolutely nothing.
“Sorry, I need to catch up on a few things before boarding.”
A natural way to end the conversation without being rude. No joke required.
So, what should you actually say?
Here's what I've learned from this experiment.
If you want to talk, ask a question.
If you're undecided, keep your first response short and friendly.
If you want to be left alone, politely say so.
And if you're feeling particularly brave, try the airplane-mode joke.
Just remember that you're dealing with a real person, not a Judge trying to award points for originality.
Speaking of which, I still have some opinions about those scores.
Apparently, responding to a friendly stranger is more complicated than I expected.
Or maybe I've just spent too much time trying to impress an AI.
The same goes for a stranger at a coffee shop, a bookstore, or even a dog park. You don't need a perfect comeback.
Sometimes a friendly question is enough, and sometimes a polite exit is exactly the right answer.
Think you can beat 78?
I tried being friendly. Then I tried being funny. Now it's your turn.
Same prompt. Your reply.
SCORE TO BEAT: 78 PT
Here's the problem.
The stranger seems perfectly nice. There's no reason to be rude.
On the other hand, I was mentally prepared to spend the next forty minutes doing absolutely nothing.
And I was really looking forward to it.