Socialising while riding metro? Really?

Opportunity to socialise with others is one thing that normally people count as one of the benefits of riding metro.  You meet people from all walks of life. You see people of different culture, nationality and background. And a journey on the metro is perfect opportunity to talk and socialise with them! But is it really the case?

Today I started to work as usual, but car didn't start! Without a second thought, I decided to walk up to the Ibn Battuta metro station and get on Dubai Metro. Temperature outside is just over 20⁰ C and it is jut over a kilometre to walk. Commuting on the metro - I always wanted to do but seldom did!

It was about seven in the morning. I have ridden metro before, but I think it was the first time to ride in the morning on a working day. I saw a few children in the school uniform and with school bag at the station. I never knew small children go to school by metro as my perception was that children here usually go to school by school bus or in parent’s vehicle! It may be an exceptional case?

I am not a person who begins conversation with someone! (I will be happy if somebody initiates a conversation though). So, I was not very excited about the opportunity to socialise with strangers.  So next option for me is my smart phone! I checked my email and checked notification on my Google+ and Facebook. Then when I had a glance outside, I realised that I will be missing a great deal if I continue to play with my smart phone – yes the unseen scenes of Dubai from the elevated metro line! Aerial view of the roads, junctions and internal roads, progress of the construction of buildings and roads, spoiled and unspoiled spaces on the interior! A lot to see what you would not normally see when you travel on a car or a bus!

Coming back to socialising – everybody or most of them must be talking to each other, yeah? From Jabel Ali towards Rashidiya, it is off-peak time in the early morning, so there was no many people, may be just half of the seats are occupied. Most of them have managed to sit alone or at a distance from each other. There were nine people directly visible to me. Except two including me, everybody was busy with their smart phones. One lady was just sitting, looking straight in front or above. I was thinking about my changed perception about riding the metro, what she might be thinking about? Three of them were talking over phone and rest of them were doing something with the phone! With the advent of smart phones, we can’t say what people are doing on the phone! If they are with an earphone, it could be talking to someone or listening to music. If they are busy typing on the phone, it could be chatting on an instant message service, commenting on an online social network posts or writing a blog or email! Or they may be doing even some office work! It could be gaming or reading an e-book or a newspaper! Yes, possibilities are countless! So I don’t want to judge anyone!

Anyhow, one thing was clear to me - to say that metro ride would foster socialising is hypocritical! Or am I too judgemental? Or is everyone just like me who is not at ease to start a conversation with a stranger?