First of all, I fail to see how attendance at neighborhood picnics relates to whether or not one chooses to speak to one's seatmate.

Secondly, while I believe that you may be isolated from your neighbors, I can assure you that ain't the case around here. I dream of the day my neighbors become a bit more isolated... and a little less interested in everyone else's business.

I find your tendency to state sweeping generalizions (in this thread and others) as fact amazing. Just because no one in your neighborhood attends picnics any more, doesn't mean they're not alive and well in many areas. I live in one such community and my in-laws live in another. These are places where the whole town is invited to wedding receptions via notices in the local newspaper; places where everyone, and I mean everyone, shows up to cheer for the high school football team. Not only is the neighborhood picnic alive and well in these places, they often serve as fund raisers for community needs (like purchasing new equipment for the volunteer fire department or sending the school choir to NYC).

Possibly your premise is backwards. Maybe it's those of us with rich family lives and active roles in our communities, who have no need to seek superficial connections with strangers on airplanes.