I've never seen a confrontation at a DO, and don't expect to. That said, there are times as SkiAdcock mentions above, where people consciously avoid someone they have had issues with, don't like or has very different views than they have. As long as they don't make their issues public and don't go out of their way to make that person or the group at large uncomfortable, to each his own.

A lot of the DOs, esp the large ones are microcosms of society at large, a mix of different views, ages, personalities, experiences and attitudes. It's truly fascinating to observe as virtual strangers come together and conversation rarely falters. ^