>>4786
>I actually go out of my way sometimes to interact with strangers to see if I can make them like me/trust me. I do this by starting random conversations.
Talking to strangers is unusual or almost taboo in some areas of the world, particularly in cities or areas with high crime rates.
Where I live UK south-east, I've read that it's much friendlier up north and outside of the major towns and cities but I've never experienced it myself, talking with strangers is very rare and uncomfortable for most, and the polite thing to do is usually to keep to yourself or your company, and give appropriate distance to any strangers.
Being overly friendly and sparking up a conversation out of nowhere is perceived as a very American thing to do, and you would be looked at as overbearing and weird if you burst out with "howdy friend! beautiful day isn't it?" over here. Asking for directions with a smile, an "excuse me," and a "thank you very much" is fairly common, but you wouldn't want to impede too much on the other person's time.