No matter what the situation in life, unless you're introverted to the point of hating every other human being, every time and place is the right time and place to make some new acquaintances. Ok, so they might be amateur thieves; but hey, sometimes petty criminals have some traits that might come in handy later on in life. Meeting someone new always offers a new opportunity to make a friend for life, even if you don't realise it. So even if you think your substitute real-life Merry and Pippin characters are a little strange, don't sack them off too quickly. In the long run they might prove loyal chums.