"... most men, even good caring men, have no clue what we go through on a daily basis..."

[KitSileya]

142. I don't know, how much bother is having a little conversation?

I don't think men can understand what it is like for women unless they truly empathise. The cartoon Brickbat links to upthread is very descriptive - one conversation might be ok, but a series of them not so much if they keep breaking the boundaries one tries to set up. The woman in the OP talks about having to fend off these conversations at least 50% of her trips, and while one of them might be benign, and even welcome, when they keep happening, despite the signals she puts out?

It's like my metaphor of poking - one poke might be funny, as you jump and we both laugh. A thousand pokes not so much. But according to you, we should let each poker have their go at poking, so that they get a chance to create, with you, the rapport of two people laughing together of the same thing.

What we're saying is that men need to learn to accept the body language women have - if they're reading a book, don't approach them about their book unless they look away from it and smile at you and by body language invite further interaction. Don't take it as your god-given right that just because you want to comment on the book she's reading that she's obliged to give you her attention. Just because a man wants to talk to/hit on a woman, he doesn't have the right to get to try that. It's not his privilege to do what he wants when it infringes on her right not to be disturbed.