Sorry, my mistake, obviously he meant from stranger list. However:
I've played for a ~year "as usual" before I've got mine 100%, and having 100% friend list speeds things not "a little" but a whole loads.
Even if you see them on strangers list ever so often, they are not that common. Granted, you can churn APs trying to find them - but then you will be drastically increasing your AP consumption.