Chatting on chair lifts

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For those of you who ski or snowboard and go on a lift by yourself, you probably know that moment when you get on the lift beside a stranger and awkwardness ensues. I just went skiing for a couple days by myself and had this happen so many times. It's not quite as bad when it's someone much older than me, old enough to be a parent, but it's still weird to get into a conversation with a stranger. And with someone my own age, it's like, Oh god, don't look at them, pretend they're not there, hopefully they'll do the same... Usually parent-age people will initiate the conversation, and people my own age will not and I won't either, but with people in between, or people younger than me, I can't tell whether I'm expected to start chatting or what, whether they'll think I'm rude, or whether they'll be freaked out by a stranger chatting with them. It makes for a very stressful lift ride.

The other day I ended up on a lift next to an 11-year-old. He turned to me and started asking me all these questions about my life, like where was I from and where did I go to school, like he was 50 or something. I was like, Who are you and what planet do you come from? I also had no idea what to ask back.

Not sure if it's exactly on point, but for such interactions, when the person sits down, I use some sort of one-off comment about the weather, traffic, or something equally banal when we first sit down. If the person does'nt want to talk, they usually make some response back, and we can sit in silence. If they want to talk, they can start talking.

After that, it's actually easier, because you've established that you're both willing participants in conversation. Remember, you probably will never see this person again.

I wear headphones in my ears when I ski. This usually discourages conversation attempts on the lift or in the line to it.

I have a tendency to avoid gondolas. People like to talk on gondolas especially. In that case, I may bring a book along with me and read it during the ride. Maybe that will help some. One of the larger ski resorts in my area, Sunshine Village, has a mandatory gondola ride just to get from the parking lot to the base of the mountain skiing area. Will bring book next time I go there.