Same.

I like to start conversations with strangers by asking them to tell me something they personally find interesting (specifically not something they think I’ll find interesting, something they do). Sometimes I get some great new information, sometimes just a short conversation.

It really weeds out people with no personality or hobbies or whatever, though. Like the dude who decided to explain basketball to me… not as an info dump, just because he had nothing else to talk about and it was on tv…

Even the guy who told me about how he designs machines to make trash bags was more interesting than basketball dude.