Just can't stop ignoring some people

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When I'm out with friends, I'm still having immense difficulty to interact with their friends and acquaintances.

I can't connect with people but neither can they connect with me.

On one evening, all two-sided conversation I had with a girl whom I met then was 'hi'. Everything beyond that was entirely one-sided. I was commenting sometimes as was she, but there was no conversation.

I sometimes have the distinct impression that talking to people doesn't mean the conversation actually reaches them. Even if they're pleasant and interested in you. If they do not pick, you cannot reach them.

Seriously, it's like using a telephone. You call them, their phone rings and they try to answer it because they really want to talk to you too - but neither can hear the other because the connection is broken. Also not when they call you and you pick up the phone - you talk, they talk, but it's as successful as talking to a pet who just can't respond to you with words.

I often find that others are very interested in entering a conversation with me but find that they cannot just as I cannot because I'm autistic and they're... well... not autistic and just very strange by being normal.

Then they become frustrated with me or just ignore me, which is really the better alternative. Frustration means they start to be annoyed by my presence which then makes them dislike me solely for the reason that we both are incapable to communicate with each other. Ignorance however annoys me when I really really want to communicate with them.

And despite all the effort and therapy, I still haven't yet managed to stop 'ignoring' people like that when I'm talking to them.

Anyone like that?

I know exaclty what you mean

Sometimes I'm talking to an NT and each of us is making a monologue about completely unrelated things, and I realise I'm being a pain in the arse but I can't seem to stop myself.

I do feel like this as well. I am ok to meet new people, but if and only if I am prepared for it (e.g. as in a date, or perhaps popping off for a drink down the pub or whatever), but if I bump into one of their acquaintances or friends, there is never any spark there at all no matter how pleasant.

Also, if I am out and about with a friend, and bump into another one, this throws me into a spin, especially if it is down the pub/cinema/whatever as I am aware they are there but I am with my friend. I feel mentally torn about who to speak to in this case.

I used to have a really really hard time with this one...especially when my old venue was open.
We'd have these regulars who were friends with everyone else who lived there or who was a regular there..and I had a really hard time socializing with people "without reason"...So i would come off as standoffish..I really wanted to be left alone, except by the few people I was really comfortable with ..Their desire to make smalltalk with me was perpetually clashing with my desire to be left alone, and some people mistakenly thought that they just needed to try even harder to reach out to me, which drove me further away from them, while others became more negative towards me, which made me somewhat more negative towards them..especially when they were aggressive about it.

I did best with people who understood that I needed space, and interacted with me in lighthearted and passive ways.
Some people never understood this no matter how often and how politely i would attempt to explain it to them...

I think i alienated a lot of people in those days...oh well...

I was pretty good with dealing with the different touring bands that would come through.
I had a reason for interacting with them...They were playing at my venue...I had a system for dealing with them. I was as hospitable as I could be, and could ramble onto them endlessly about the various aspects of Super happy Fun Land...go into gift-giving mode with any girls in the band...have the same sort of interactions with them over and over again...these strangers that I would never see again..
But I sorta used the same system over and over again...