Are you ready to share a table with a stranger?

Is Mumbai a friendly city? On the face of it, many would say yes instantly. But, like how most international metros are judged, one way is look at whether single diners feel comfortable in the city and if they can easily chat up another. While a new concept, that of a jar with a flag hoisted up to say you don't mind sharing the table, is trying to help single diners socialise, we spoke to city singletons whether this works for them.

When we did a dipstick poll with 50 singles in the city, most said they liked the concept but they might be inhibited to take that first step. Only 30% of them felt that they wouldn't mind sharing their table, while 25% felt that they'd rather dine by themselves, with their tablet or book for company, instead of worrying about striking a conversation with a stranger.

Says model Aamir M, "While Mumbai is a city that's more cosmopolitan than most Indian cities and has many young people living on their own, not everyone is comfortable striking a conversation with a stranger. Sure, if it were to be a more informal setting, like a party, they would be more chilled out. But, with many people noticing you, a restaurant or pub setting doesn't make it easy for one to approach someone who is seated alone, even if they're willing to share a seat."

Kajal Shah, MBA student, feels that people in the city are already friendly and they do share tables when they get talking. "Recently, I was at this Colaba joint, where I'd placed my order and sat with my book. While the place was empty, there was this other person who'd walked in with the same book I was reading and we got talking. Since he was also sitting alone, he joined me at my table. It was interesting," she says.

Writer Preeti J feels that Mumbai is a city that has always welcomed people, given the history of how immigrants from different parts made it home. "The city has been open to conversing with strangers, which we see daily in the local trains for instance. But, all said and done, sharing a table with a stranger at a coffee place or a pub is a novel concept. I've seen it work well in the West, especially America and Europe," she points out.

Psychologist B Kapur feels that human beings are born with the innate need to share and conversing is one such way to share. "While Indians are brought up with rules such as don't speak to strangers, the modern-day lifestyles, where most people live by themselves in the city, creates situations where even a 10-minute conversation with a stranger can have a therapeutic effect on them. Conversations can be cathartic and you don't feel pressures," he says.