Good question. I probably wouldn't mind too much...but I'm a bit paranoid, too, and would probably be a little nervous about talking to some random guy. Also, there is no way to know anything about him right off, such as whether or not he's a Christian, if he's single, or even if he's a total creep!
If he really wants to talk to me, he should not just walk up and crack a joke. He should have a point in talking to me, such as "Hey, I noticed that you are reading a book by Jerry Bridges...I've been wanting to read something by him for a while, but don't know where to start. Is that a good one?" or "I heard you ordered a Cinnamon Dolce Latte...I've never tried one before. Is it any good?" Those are two very different examples, but I think they could be decent conversation starters. Also, if he really wants to start a conversation, he shouldn't try to force me to talk to him. Oh, and he should stay a respectable distance from me...if I feel physically threatened, I'm likely to make a scene or call 911. :angeldevil:
If I'm interested in talking to him, I'll probably put the book down, set my coffee down, turn to look at him, answer his question and leave it open for him to reply, etc...in other words, I'll make myself available to talk to him. If I'm not interested for whatever reason, I'll barely look up from the book, answer with one or two words, become suddenly interested in my meal, or anything else to show that I don't want to talk. I know that seems complicated, but it's a sort of natural reaction that I have when I do or don't want to talk to a stranger.
