Environment GOING ALONE THREAD

[Hoops]

Going to the football or movies by yourself can be better than with a friend.

I'm big into hiking and recently just started doing overnight hikes by myself and may not see anyone for a whole day, I enjoy it and tend to reach my destination quicker, but in the back of my mind there is that feeling if I broke my leg right now how long would it be before someone finds me. or will a crazed man hiding in the bushes bludgeon me to death tonight whilst asleep in my tent.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

I travel a bit for work and often go out for dinner alone. We get given a certain allowance for meals when travelling so i tend to go to nice places (why not, i'm not paying) and don't mind it at all. Take a book with you and it can be quite relaxing

 

[Paul Kersey]

Some of my best times overseas have been going out alone and seeing where the night takes you. Always meet people. Happy to go to the football alone and enjoy plenty of beers alone. Don't see what the issue is.

 

[Gasometer]

Smart phones kill self consciousness.

Look at any food court next time you are in one and look around at the heads buried.

 

[crownie]

Here I've gone to a few gigs on my own however wouldn't go out and do anything else alone.

however overseas id do anything on my own, had some good nights out drinking and meeting strangers.

 

[Scotland]

Overseas is different.

'Hey I'm Scotland, I'm from Australia. I'm just traveling through.' 'Oh cool, come have a drink with us. So you do you have a pet kangaroo?'

'Hey I'm Scotland, I live 10 minutes away but am drinking by myself.' 'Please leave us alone.'

 

[SpaceCow]

Will happily do a fair amount of activities on my own. Shopping,, cinema, meal etc. I find people watching quite interesting so I generally enjoy doing these things without the sometimes mundane nature of conversation.

 

[kickazz]

Yeah go to movies alone all of the time. It can be good with others, but only if you also catch up before or after, otherwise what is the point.
Some sports that mates aren't into I'll go alone. Even if normal footy crew aren't going, I'll still go.
Pub - usually no problem if there is sport on TV or I have something to read.

I guess if the activity is engaging enough that makes it easy for me to do alone. Restaurant by myself I would struggle with, yet I have a cafe that I'll regularly go to by myself for breakfast on spur of the moment and think nothing of it.

Concerts - no problem there, though it can be a bit boring between sets if you don't feel like trying to talk to strangers.

Golf alone I have done once or twice - get a weekday off and you can almost have the course to yourself and motor through it. Actually one time I played by myself and another solo bloke asked to join me half way. I said yeah okay, was one of those old campaigners who had heaps of boring stories and would stop giving unsolicited golf tips, etc. Was nice enough bloke but yeah, kinda wished he left me alone.

Contiki - only way to do it. You will make friends.

Club - that would be a bit weird for me. One time I did find myself doing it (wasn't a planned thing, but mates piked, I was keen, etc) I was at front of the line, group of girls behind me chatting away. Had a few already so not too self-conscious but it was a bit weird. Anyway, bouncer about to let me in asks 'how many of you'. Without thinking I turn around, count five chicks and turn the bouncer and say "six". Didn't have a problem going in alone, but declaring it as such seemed a whole lot harder than pretending to have a harem with me. All worked out for the best anyway....

 

[craigos]

From what I can gather the secret is to go somewhere alone, take photos of said aloneness and post to social media telling everyone how much fun you're having alone and proceed to spend all the amazing fun time you're having alone looking at your phone watching the 'likes' tick over.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Golf alone I have done once or twice - get a weekday off and you can almost have the course to yourself and motor through it. Actually one time I played by myself and another solo bloke asked to join me half way. I said yeah okay, was one of those old campaigners who had heaps of boring stories and would stop giving unsolicited golf tips, etc. Was nice enough bloke but yeah, kinda wished he left me alone.

One afternoon, when I was having a solo pint after uni, there was a guy a few years older having a beer and a read out in the sun. After about 10 minutes some random bloke comes up to him and goes "hi mate, it looks like you could do with a friend!" The dude who was reading was obviously pretty pissed off but acted nice enough. I cringed.

Used to see it occasionally with older blokes on the top deck of the G or people sitting down for lunch out the front of the State Library... usually those people aren't happy to be alone, and the reason they're alone is because they're total pricks – "oh yeah I've read that book. Have you read his other ones? No? Well I've read them all" and "hey, you know with that pasta you've got, you should really slow cook the sauce, yours looks burnt..." type 'conversations' tend to come out with these arseholes, too.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Go to the footy quite a bit by myself. Have a few mates that MCC and we go to all the big games together but if it's something like Hawthorn v Melbourne which would be shit for the neutral (and worse for Melbourne supporters) I am more than happy to go solo. At footy the main attraction is the footy if it's a Hawthorn game and the company is just a bonus.

I actually like some alone time though. Not the most social guy going around. Numerous times where I've been asked to go out and just cbf.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

One afternoon, when I was having a solo pint after uni, there was a guy a few years older having a beer and a read out in the sun. After about 10 minutes some random bloke comes up to him and goes "hi mate, it looks like you could do with a friend!" The dude who was reading was obviously pretty pissed off but acted nice enough. I cringed.

Used to see it occasionally with older blokes on the top deck of the G or people sitting down for lunch out the front of the State Library... usually those people aren't happy to be alone, and the reason they're alone is because they're total pricks – "oh yeah I've read that book. Have you read his other ones? No? Well I've read them all" and "hey, you know with that pasta you've got, you should really slow cook the sauce, yours looks burnt..." type 'conversations' tend to come out with these arseholes, too.

Regardless of whether you are by yourself, I hate when randoms come up and just start talking to you. Countless times I've been at sportsbars with mates and some goose just comes up and starts talking about the footy, racing etc etc

"ummm.....do I know you"

 

[Silent Alarm]

People on here seem to enjoy it but I ****ing hate backpackers coming up to you in a pub. I've been seeing a few friends I haven't for six months or so and because it's summer and Europeans (and the English) have this fascination with Perth, they're everywhere. Losing your conversation to some sleep-eyed Estonian is not a good night out.

 

[NitroFan]

do plenty of things alone. concerts, movies (prefer going alone), have been to america a few times alone and attended numerous sporting events. my tastes in sport (my main reason for going to america) and music are different to most of my friends and i would much rather see them alone than not at all. at first i was nervous about traveling alone but i very quickly came to enjoy the freedom of it.

although i dont think i'll head to disneyland/world alone again. that felt kind of weird.

 

[Zarrix]

Think it depends on 1. What mood you are in and 2. What vibe the person who is trying to converse with you is giving off.

If I'm at a bar, if someone tries to converse in a exuberant, positive way, then I will rarely (if ever) have a problem with that. On the other hand, don't want some old bogan campaigner spewing out their mid life crisis story. Or some young hotshot arrogant campaigner putting you down and talking themselves up incessantly.

 

[PP34]

It's actually enjoyable to do things alone sometimes. I tend to do a lot of things with my mates, but sometimes you just can't be bothered putting up with their usual antics.

Haven't been clubbing yet alone, and doubt I will as the clubbing experience is already wearing thin on me but pubs and bars aren't bad alone.

I tend to find if I go somewhere with mates (excluding clubs, pubs and bars) I end up more focused on having a good time with them, rather than enjoying the footy, the waves at the beach or something else.

Plus isn't it good to just do something alone, not having to worry about your mates judging you for doing certain things, enjoying something and so on?

 

[little graham]

Regardless of whether you are by yourself, I hate when randoms come up and just start talking to you. Countless times I've been at sportsbars with mates and some goose just comes up and starts talking about the footy, racing etc etc

"ummm.....do I know you"

14 thousands post on a forum say you're being a bit pretentious.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

14 thousands post on a forum say you're being a bit pretentious.

wot

 

[magic_johnson!]

Been alone travelling for large parts of the last few months. Absolutely loving life. Amongst other things, i've seen a few gigs by myself (sticky fingers, boy and bear and flight facilities) all in germany. All three occasions i just happened to meet a heap of people and end up having huge ones, actually never truly being by myself the whole time. Being an Australian at an aussie gig really makes you stand out to other aussies. Wouldn't be quite so easy at home i'd imagine... After boy and bear, had an absolutely huge one, couldn't tell you the name of one person i was hanging out with and didn't get back to the hostel till about 6.30... After going to a shitty club at about 2am, a couple of them wanted to get a half time kebab. A lovely german girl who i'd met in the smokers who i convinced to come out with us at this stage came to the realisation that i didn't actually know these guys prior to the gig, and that we could just leave, go to a better club and have a good night. You can just do shit and have no repercussions, don't care about what people think about you.

Thought it weird to eat alone also, but trying to eat local cuisine often leads to having to eat out at restaraunts. First experience of this was in Austria, where i'd been solo exploring all day and starving. Stumble into this nice looking restaurant, only to find the only tables vacant were about 8 seaters. There were however a couple of four seat tables taken by single old guys, so i ask this bloke if i could sit with him because one person at an 8 seat table was bloody werid. Anyway, turns out this old guy was head chef on a cruise ship for 10+ years, had some great stories and was buying me shots of jaeger. Loaded as hell, really keen on a chat. I sat down at first actually hoping that i could just sit down, look over my photos and maybe browse fb without being that w***er who took the 8 seat table to himself, but ended up hearing some great stories off someone i'd never have otherwise spoken to.

 

[Zarrix]

heading out tonight, solo for a part of it. hope silent alarm doesn't judge me too much.

 

[Borry]

Well, looks like I'm heading to the tennis alone this afternoon.

May well run into one of quite a few tennis friends there.

 

[Borry]

Well, looks like I'm heading to the tennis alone this afternoon.

May well run into one of quite a few tennis friends there.

Met a few friends here, but I am sandwiched between boring couples and families, would prefer to sit in a vacant block alone.

Tennis really attracts the w***er types. My program slips under the seat of a person there with their other half and family. I cant get to it so I advise them that my program is under their,seat, just sat there no response, so oh well I will just have to crawl under you to get it instead.

 

[Kram]

Used to go out to a couple of bars in Northbridge at times alone for a period a few years back when my flatmate that usually always went out with us was away with work and the other more into smoking meth and sitting at home playing computer games with a couple of other gearhead idiots.. Other lived in Mandurah so hard to always organise them to come up. Tell some people say at work and they would sort of think it was odd and yeah maybe not ideal but I thought **** this I gotta get out of the bloody house, why not go for a few drinks, listen to a live band and watch some sport?

On the other hand I reckon going out with more than a couple of other mates is often crap, always get some whinger that doesn't like this or that and trying to tell everyone to go here or there every 5 minutes or buying rounds when you aren't ready for another beer. Plus I reckon it hard to talk to or interact with anyone else because being in a big group you feel contained within that and also look unapproachable the other way.

When I can manage to go to the footy now go alone, used to be members next to my brother for a few years which was good but when we both moved away from Perth for a long time both dropped our memberships and he doesn't have that much time now hard to organise tickets as well now with the ground full. Don't mind it by yourself but for a change wouldn't mind going with someone else, doesn't help that none of my friends are Freo supporters all go for Vic clubs or the Eagles.

Only done it a couple of times but one of the very few things not a massive fan of solo is going to the cricket for some reason.

Also agree that people who think that they 'need' someone to go to the movies with is about the dumbest thing ever if you are actually going there to watch the thing is beyond stupid.

 

[Kram]

Although one advantage of living with a boring speed head is that they would often not be drinking as well and often be up for and interested in a drive at some random hour like 3am to come get you from town saving you $25 for a ride. Not to mention as most from Perth would know a massive mission to actually find a ****ing taxi.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Is going on Contiki really "travelling alone?"

There's a huge difference between getting a ticket there and back by yourself and not knowing anyone overseas, and meeting at Melbourne International, getting your Contiki pack, and meeting people you'll be 'travelling' with right away. Plus the biggest hurdles and most important things, getting lost or losing passports or being mugged and missing trains, don't come up when you've shelled out $14,000 for three weeks in eastern Europe.