I’m not a big fan of strangers.
It probably comes from the whole Masshole thing, but when someone I don’t know makes a move like they’re going to talk to me, I have a mini panic attack inside.
(It also may be because my father used to regularly present me with newspaper clippings of the latest little girl snatched into an unmarked van, never to be heard from again. Once someone pulled over to ask me directions, and I dove over a stone fence and took off through a cemetery.
It was in the center of our suburban town.
And I was 18.)
Ahem.
Anytwaddle, I’ve gotten better- I can now direct someone to the White House without screaming “Stranger Danger!!!!” and pissing myself- but that underlying fear and dislike of the unknown person remains.
(It’s a good thing I’m not single anymore.)
But every now and then, I am put into a situation where I must consort with a stranger… and sometimes, oh so rarely, it is fantastic.
Yesterday on my commute home, I was sitting next to another 20-something girl on the bus when a bedraggled Englishman hopped on, pulling a very damp and unhappy 7 year old boy behind him.
Of course, they sat right behind us.
The kid spent the next ten minutes whining at 7 year old volume about everything- he was unCOMFortable, the ride was so LONG, why COULDn’t he take his COAT off, stop SMILing at him like that!!!
His poor dad tried to placate the child- in his British accent, no less, which somehow made the whole spectacle all the more ridiculous- but he wasn’t having any of it. He berated his father until the moment they exited, and the bus heaved an audible sigh of relief.
I noticed the girl next to me giving me “the peripheral”- you all know what I mean- and somehow, I overcame my fear of the Stranger, and I looked.
We instantly broke into peals of laughter, swapping jokes about bratty children, and marveling at their skill at exponentially multiplying the syllables in a single word.
Two complete strangers, bonding in a moment of utter ridiculosity.
(It’s a word. Shuttup.)
An Unknown talked to me… and it made my bus ride home.
Moral of the story?
Clearly, I should mock others with complete strangers more often.
***Wait, you’re not done! Don’t forget to check out my round up on DC Blogs today!***
{ 100 comments }
OMG I was so scared of those flyers at the grocery store with missing children on them. I am still scared of strangers to this day.
This is what I’m saying. I like my body how it is. You know… NOT touched by strangers.
I hate strangers who go for too much eye contact! Makes me feel a little shifty!
Or when they get inside my bubble. Personal space: I NEED IT.
.-= jen´s last blog ..Can Anyone Answer Me This… =-.
Bedraggled? Bedraggled? I WAS NOT bedraggled.
It was smart casual, with an unhealthy emphasis on the casual.
So YOU were the girl in the cemetery huh? If I had known I’d have protected you. Well, I might have done, if you hadn’t insulted my dress sense…
I don’t need no protecting! I’m an independent woman!
…who knows how to RUN.
.-= Mo´s last blog ..Pint-sized Crime Stories (Crime Writing Festival) =-.
But bedraggled? The cheek.
.-= Mo´s last blog ..Pint-sized Crime Stories (Crime Writing Festival) =-.
I completely avoid strangers, too. I used to take the bus to work and even on days when my ipod battery was dead I’d keep the earbuds in my ears to avoid any chance of conversation.
I know. Even if it’s dead. THEY don’t know…
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Love/hate =-.
I hate strangers who stare at me. Especially on the metro. When I have my headphones on.
But I’m OK with talking to people…if I’m waiting in line at the store or something. Common bond and all that.
Maybe it’s just because I’m used to people asking me questions ALL THE TIME from my customer service days.
Staring means caring.
Wait, what?
.-= PQ´s last blog ..How to Party Like A Blogger =-.
Hahahaha girl, you and I are the same person. For real.
<3
Tall and big men scare me. I don’t talk to them. Especially if I see one in the dark. My bones are not that strong and hence I can’t put up a fight if they happen to rapists or kidnappers. I love babies and kids but when one is crying I run miles away. But in the bus you can’t do much but sit still. I tend to give them a mean stare…hahaha and when their parents look at me I put on my sweetest smile…
Buses, planes… all enclosed spaces are DANGER ZONES for children.
.-= The Mercurial Wife´s last blog ..Where I Get Spammed =-.
Love it…you talked to an UNknown…its like a page out of the diary from Dancing With Wolves or something…. you’re so brave!
I was just saying on Saturday how I’ve never seen that movie. Hilar.
My interactions with strangers are based solely on my mood. Bad mood = get the f*ck away from me. Good mood = let’s talk! let’s be new friends! I like meeting new people!
Also? I love that ran off—INTO A CEMETARY—from someone asking for directions. Ohhh, the visual…
I should also mention that it was, oh, 2pm? Aka broad daylight.
KLASS.
.-= Hannah´s last blog ..This is my story. =-.
I am not a fan of public transportation, but have spent most of my adult life needing to utilize it. Men of my own ethnicity either completely ignore me or ridicule me. However, men of other ethnicities often try to engage me in conversation, want my phone number or otherwise engage in flirtatious behavior with me. Just yesterday I had a 23 year old guy on the train ask for my phone number and another invite me to “snuggle” in the bus shelter (for the record, there was no canoodling in the bus shelter OR ELSEWHERE).
I just try to keep my head down and avoid eye contact. And carry a big, heavy bag to fend off strangers if need be.
The big bag is CLUTCH, even if it just gets me some buffer room.
.-= MsDarkstar´s last blog ..Non-Coffeehouse Sunday Post (17) =-.
Strangers are no longer strangers once you find a common bond. That common bond is nearly always someone who is crazy/hilarious/a twat.
Know exactly what you mean about the peripheral eye contact thing!
The peripheral is perfect because I COULD have chosen not to acknowledge, and no harm done. I knew she was probably a good egg after that.
.-= The Girl´s last blog ..Worst girlfriend ever? =-.
My worst fear, being in an elevator with strangers. Always the most awkward experiences ever. I take the stairs every day at work because our elevator is that scary. Of course at the gym the elevator took 15 minutes to get to our floor and I was stuck awkwardly waiting with 3 other strangers… after we had all gotten off on the wrong floor.
I always take the stairs. And I tell myself it’s for the exercise, but really? I just can’t stand the Elevator Awkward.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Another post about how I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing with my life. =-.
I’ve literally begun telling people I don’t want to talk to them on the bus. There’s just been too many cases of creepies or crazies, and you know what? If I want more friends I don’t think I’ll have any trouble finding them. And they won’t be on the bus probably. Maybe they will, I shouldn’t judge. Except it shows how fucked up the world is when the heavily tattooed girl on the bus is the most sane one there.
Dudette, tats are awesome. To me, they’re a sign that I’ll probably like someone MORE.
.-= miss. chief´s last blog ..are they really that mean? =-.
Oh, you make me laugh. I often have to remind myself to make eye contact with strangers, just because I spent so many years avoiding it, all “don’t look it directly in the eye and it won’t see you!”
You get me. You really get me.
Have you seen Taken?
For sure, I’m a grown ass 27 year old man, and if anyone asks me for directions anywhere, I’m diving into that same cemetery.
I love laughing at strangers with strangers. And then you can laugh at THAT stranger with another stranger when all the other strangers have left.
Wait. What?
What! When it happens, the “stranger kindred spirit” bond is sacred!
.-= Travis´s last blog ..Final Proof That Michael Phelps Cheated In The Olympics… =-.
Oh my, that’s great.
When I was a kid, my mom liked to talk about rapists and she constantly told me how I needed to stare down strangers, ’cause if you make eye contact with them, they’re less likely to assault you. Dad just showed me the spots on the other person’s body to kick/punch in case of an emergency.
HA. If I had a nickel for every time my father reminded me “how strong the human bite is”…
.-= Jean´s last blog ..Mom and Dad and Mr. Curls (Almost) =-.
You could have been murdered!!!!
Dammit! I couldn’t see the homicidal glint from her peripheral!
.-= Kristina P.´s last blog ..Throwing in the Bowel =-.
Ahh, stranger danger … I commute to school (1-hr long bus ride) and I am SO weary of strangers’ lurking eyes that I can not even eat my banana on the bus. It’s very sad.
But yesh … whenever I get into a situation with a ridiculously loud kid, the first thing I do is amp the volume on my mp3 player.
Okay, I am rolling at the banana thing. Not because it’s weird, but because I TOTALLY GET THAT.
.-= Nikolett´s last blog ..simple smile + snowy goodness! =-.
I’m the same way..always feel odd about strangers. But I’ve been getting better too, now I’m ok striking up that convo with that old lady at Walmart. haha.
Not WalMart! Never WalMart!
.-= Nickie´s last blog ..Beautiful Blogger Award. =-.
Sometimes it just takes a perfect situation to bring out the laughter amongst strangers. And it usually involves bratty kids.
Or someone being an asshat in general. It’s a great thing.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Let Me Blog About That =-.
Bonding with strangers on public transportation over ridiculous circumstances is AWESOME.
Have you seen that French Canadian condom commericial with the bratty kid? You totally should. Laugh fest.
No, but I will youtube the hell out of it when I get home…
.-= Vie´s last blog ..Once Upon a Friday =-.
Hahaha, I’ve seen that commercial. Loves it!! Too bad it’s a fairly accurate representation of the way some parents choose to deal with their children, which is, not at all. I have told my boyfriend that if we marry and pop a baby out “Alien” style, they will not be allowed in public until they are old enough to control THE VOLUME OF THEIR VOICE!
.-= Simply T´s last blog ..Quidditch and Hogwarts and Muggles, Oh My! =-.
Ack! Strangers. It’s totally my parents’ fault, too! All this child molesting and kidnapping and mutilating and my GOD! I used to stay up for hours at night, worrying about getting taken away. AND IT IS THEIR FAULT! I make them pay for therapy when I talk about them.
P.S. Sorry, Mom. Love you.
.-= k8´s last blog ..Hidden Joy =-.
I’m a New Yorker living in Boston. I’m basically bred not to make eye contact with strangers. Or smile at them. And it doesn’t help that there’s been a rash of muggings at the subway stop 2 blocks from where I live and that the police are always handing out pamphlets on how to be safe on the train. I should probably learn kung fu or something. Then I’d totally be safe.
Everybody was KUNG FU FIGHTING!!!!! Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh!!!!!!!!
Sorry. Couldn’t be helped.
I love a good “you know what I mean” moment on the metro. Usually it helps if the other person is in your same non-scary demographic. Aka other 20 something female. Dudes I always assume are trying to mack.
Non-scary demographic- EXACTLY.
.-= Dating is My hobby´s last blog ..whoa =-.
Most of the time, I like strangers way more than many people I know.
* Disclaimer: if you are a person I know and you are reading this, well, I didn’t mean YOU. Of course I didn’t mean you. You’re awesome. Just keep being fantastic, OK?? I was totally talking only about the OTHER people I know. The ones who will never read my comment here. Ahem.
This officially made me chortle out loud.
.-= JustLinda´s last blog ..Everybody gets a trophy! =-.
the man behind me at the grocery store last night was commenting on aliens living amongst us humans. needless to say, i left as quickly as possible. though running through a cemetery is something i’ve never done.
I will gladly race you through a cemetery on April 9th.
.-= cavy´s last blog ..“a night with cavy, in photos.” =-.
HAHAHA, I love this post. I wish moments like this would happen everyday- not the 7 year old screaming but the laughing at people with complete strangers part.
It seriously made an otherwise Perfectly Horrible Monday a lot less horrible.
.-= Matt´s last blog ..Money To Blow =-.
I am kind of the opposite of you. I seek out strangers and violate their personnel space, just to, ya know, see what happens…
See, I do that when I’m drunk.
.-= Skylers Dad´s last blog ..Bad Tat Tuesday =-.
I embarass the hell out of my husband everytime we leave the house because I’m a HUGE stranger-talker.
I ask people questions, I make comments, I compliment their unmrellas, whatever.
I love it.
Yes, but you’re adorable. If you did that to me, I would probably find it darling, and not at all scary.
.-= The Maiden Metallurgist´s last blog ..This Weekend Socked! =-.
Ahhhh yes. Common ridiculousity is the root of nearly all my friendships. I should be more scared of strangers, but after I had to hitchike when I was 17.( One time and for like 7 blocks, but still)I got over my fear of the strange/ers.
You’d think after 10 years in the restaurant biz I’d be over it, but instead I feel like I “put in my time” being nice to strangers. Now LEAVE ME ALONE.
.-= carissajade´s last blog ..Post it Note Tuesday and Moving is for the birds! =-.
Me too! The worst is when I’m in an enclosed space like an elevator and they look at me and say “hi”….
I just about die.
Just don’t get too comfy with the laughing with just any stranger. That’s how they get you.
I think.
You’re probably right. STRANGER DANGER!!!
.-= Ela´s last blog ..Name Calling =-.
I wasn’t even there and I’m giving that kid the stinkeye right now. I bet he feels it. It’s a good one.
He would have squealed like a pig. And it would have been glorious.
Ah yes, annoying people are one of the most common ways to bond two strangers in my experience. Plus sometimes I feel like a bit of a bitch for being mean about annoying strangers- you know, in case it’s just ME who feels that way – and knowing someone else AGREES? Makes me feel far better about myself…
And that’s really what life is all about, isn’t it?
.-= Paula´s last blog ..HOW TO APPEAR ON "MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEEN" . . . =-.
I can’t believe you found a normal person to speak to on the bus – public transport always just throws up freaks for me (and they all speak with British accents over here ;D).
Believe me… I was shocked enough to blog about it, wasn’t I?
I wear sunglasses to avoid eye contact. Helps with driving too. If you make eye contact, you’ve yielded the right away. Keep your eyes/sunglasses straight ahead and floor it! (well… it works in the middle east, I might be in trouble when I come back to the DC area).
Sunglasses are a MUST. Too bad I can’t hang onto a pair for longer than a day…
.-= Connie´s last blog ..Cover up =-.
I firmly believe that mockery is one of the best bonding tools.
Though, 95% of the time I’m with you, and I avoid conversations with strangers at all costs.
All great friendships are built on the mockery of others.
I think that’s Dickens, no?
.-= Liebchen´s last blog ..I’m no Lindsey Vonn…at least, not yet =-.
God you’re SO missing out on so much of the world.
Strangers have the best candy.
I hope you taught your kids that.
.-= moooooog35´s last blog ..My Son is an Angry Black Man =-.
Ha. What a great moral to a great story. Strangers with children particularly drive me crazy. They always seem to remind me to either not have children or not take my children anywhere. \lol/ Thanks for sharing!
Children should be locked in the attic until they’re 23. Everyone knows this.
In Vancouver strangers talk to me ALL the time. Maybe I look more approachable or something here. I have no clue. I have full convos with complete strangers about anything. Insane.
It was kind of like that in Carolina. You didn’t have a choice. There’s definitely a geographical factor involved…
.-= Margarita´s last blog ..My Look at the Olympics =-.
The older you get, the less scary it is to talk to strangers. Or the older you get, the more fun you can have talking to total strangers. I’m not at the point yet where I’ll start a conversation, but I’ll definitely respond if it’s guaranteed to be a short exchange. On the metro or at bars and coffee shops. But definitely not on a plane!
Oh, the plane is SUCH a gamble. They can either be awesome or horrible, but you are stuck with them for HOURS.
.-= Cyndy´s last blog ..It’s always something… =-.
I’m a bit neurotic if I have to go somewhere alone and surrounded by strangers!
I don’t mind them around. Just talking to me.
Well, unless they’re in my way.
I’m not a nice person.
.-= andhari´s last blog ..what am i? I’m tiny and I wiggle a lot! =-.
Well, I am glad to hear you had a pleasant encounter with a stranger on the bus ride home!
I got lucky.
.-= meleah rebeccah´s last blog ..Doing Things Differently – My Week In Review [Part Three] =-.
The British are definitely the low-hanging fruit on the joke tree, and by no coincidence one of my favorite ones to pick.
There’s a sexual innuendo in there somewhere, isn’t there?
.-= Jay´s last blog ..Freestyle Friday: Yeeaaaahhhhhh!! =-.
Strangers are Strange—I think I shall go dance to some DOORS tunes now. Remember a stranger is a friend you have never met–unless they are smelly, annoying, freaking—well, ok maybe I am with you on this.
That’s what I thought.
although most people say that it’s wrong to make fun of people, I tend to feel like it’s therapy! you go girl!!! also, 7 year old Loud isn’t as bad and like nails on a chalkboard as 5 yr, 4 yr and 2 yr old whining! trust this…thank god I have a perscription to get me through it!
holy fuckindoodle…rediculosity is a word..I used it the other day…and my husband was like, Danon, it’s not a word…and I was like “um ya it is…AND it would be a triple word score on scrabble bitch”
own it! have a great day – and please write a book…just sayin
danon
Are you offering me an advance?
.-= Danon´s last blog ..Dear Ann Landers, eat your heart out! =-.
I used to be like that on airplanes…if I ended up sitting next to a talker, I’d put in my iPod and pretend to sleep. I did do one business flight, though, where I ended up talking to my seat neighbor and we actually ended up cracking up/getting hammered for the entire flight. One of the best trips I’ve ever had to go on
Aw. You schmoop! You’re totally penpals now.
.-= kate´s last blog ..Memoir Monday: Why Is It That The World’s Worst Ideas Seem Like The World’s Best After A Night Of Jager Bombs..? =-.
I have to have a few drinks to get chatty with metro riders. But it happens and its usually a good time.
.-= Jane´s last blog ..#75. Oysters + Beer = Heaven in Maryland. =-.
So yeah, I must have that from my mom, because I will talk to anyone if they are open to it. If they make eye contact with me, it’s totally ON!
But not in the creepy way.
Really.
Not creepy.
I promise.
I think this is precious… random moments when you connect with a complete stranger that you’ll most likely never ever see again.
.-= san´s last blog ..Finish the sentence… =-.
I hear ya! I rarely strike up a convo with a stranger but I love when they talk to me first. Met so many cool people on my weekend trip, just by chance. And I can’t help but grin when a stranger says, “Good morning!” to me.
.-= Candice´s last blog ..The Spontaneous Weekend, or How I Ate Gravel =-.
I enjoy talking to strangers but as I am a big guy I don’t usually talk to women I don’t know as they tend to get panicky. I’m sorry but the mental image of you freaking out and running through a graveyard has me cracking up.
Thank you for giving me something better to call it than “a side-glance”. Nothing like mocking others to bring people together. Love it.
.-= Kendall´s last blog ..The Odd Duck’s Top 20 Nostalgic Television Shows Part I =-.
Hahahaha. This is the funniest shit I’ve read all day. I know it’s already noon, but I can pretty much guarantee this is the funniest thing I’ll read for the rest of today as well. First, I totally feel you on the stranger thing. I get freaked out when people smile at me on the street. Like, what’s so Goddamn funny, chuckles? I purposely walk around with a scowl on my face to deter any overly friendly passersby from attempting to strike up a conversation. And don’t ask me for directions, because the mere fact that sounds are coming out of your word hole has got me in such a state of panic that the only thought in my head is “I need an adult,” and I have promptly forgotten where Wrigley Field is, even though it’s 2 blocks from my house and big enough that you can pretty much see it from space… Wait, why are you asking me, then??? This is clearly a trap! Where’s a graveyard when you need a quick escape? Pardon me, I think I need to go call my therapist…
But yeah, kids are annoying.
die. great story about the cemetery! i learned to avoid strangers well when i was in NYC riding the train everyday. being from TN, you smile and say hi to people. my boss advised me not to do such a thing…b/c when you smile and say hi to someone on the subway, he will follow you home! needless to say, ipod in. no eye contact. alone with my thoughts. even if the ipod is dead, i still pretend!
.-= allison´s last blog ..Snowboarding, Success or Failure? =-.
I wish I had those kinds of experiences. Shoot, that would make my bus ride home too. But, of course being me, I have this phermone or magnetic pull that draws any creepy/highly annoying strangers into my world. EVERY DAY.
A crew of Christian missionaries on a SEGWAY tour, asking me if I have found Jesus yet.
A crew of guys who look like they just got finished gang banging a girl in a dark alley.
A family of 14 from Minnesota asking me for directions to the “Gosh darn Museum of Natural History, don’t ya know” .
WTF. I am all about that Stranger danger business. I try to look unreachable and taciturn, but I guess my angelic face doesn’t really convey that emotion. So I settle for plugging my iPod in my ears and letting that be my sign.
.-= T. The Destructor´s last blog ..Diagnosis: Senioritis =-.
Stranger Danger is the most hyped up bullshit ever invented to mankind. 98% of bad things happen because of people the victims knew.
According to Pen & Tellers bullshit anyways.
The way I see it, strangers are the MOST trustworthy. Unless they have a gun or a chest bomb and are screaming FOR ALLAH! Then you might want to steer clear.
.-= Mike´s last blog ..Nutella =-.
The Masshole in me has the same attitude. Anytime anyone addresses me on the T, it shocks me. What? Talk to someone on the subway? Never! I think we are kind of an insular group of people here and it takes a good nutcracker to crack us.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Fashion Help =-.
Now here’s my problem; maybe it’s because I’m from the Maritimes, where everyone knows everyone, or maybe it’s because I put too much faith in Ja providing, but I have no fear of strangers. Like, I have accepted more rides home from totally unknowns than I can count. I’ve hitch-hiked. In Sicily. Alone.
All of this prompting one friend to marvel with equal parts awe and horror, “I can’t believe you haven’t been killed and left to rot in a ditch yet.”
Me neither.
lol i constantly avoid eye contact to stop people from talking to me lol u make me feel so normal
I’m proud to announce “the peripheral” just entered my vocabulary.
.-= Marissa´s last blog ..Things I’ll see in hell. =-.
I treat all “unknowns” like a serial killer or a pedophile, until I find out differently. I watch waaaaay too much Cold Case.
.-= Summer´s last blog ..Where’s Sissybear?: Part 1 =-.
I love talking to strangers. Well, when I am in the mood and not trying to grab a nap on a train, or trying to read, or trying to listen to my iPod., or..
Oh hell, I really don’t like talking to strangers.
.-= Tee aka The Diva’s Thoughts´s last blog ..Do You Have An Ex You Are Not Over? =-.
it must be a masshole thing. i get nervous when people talk to me in line at the grocery store — which they do A LOT here in oregon. people are SO friendly — but that alarms me a little (especially with working in the news).
.-= siovhan´s last blog ..all the single ladies… =-.
You’re not alone. My Mother has made me so paranoid. Recently I wouldn’t climb into the back of a delivery van to help our delivery guy get something out because I was scared he would close the the door and someone would drive away with me.
No wait…that was probably a smart decision.
.-= Nikki´s last blog ..La Rustica =-.
So I have to say, this really surprised me. Since you’re so outgoing, I totally wouldn’t picture you as a non-stranger-talker.
.-= Lemon Gloria´s last blog ..We are widening the corridors, and adding more lanes… =-.
OMgee. You have no idea how much Stranger Danger was engrained in me (and I’m a Southerner, we’re supposed to be all like, “Hey y’all!”) thanks to my journalist Dad who once covered a serial killer who preyed on Girl Scouts and ate them (not the cookies, no) and guess who never got to sell her cookies door to door? Me. I also was the girl who shrieked “WHAT’S THE PASSWORD!” when our babysitter, who managed our church, came to get me from kindergarten one day. I still get weirded out by 90% of strangers and go for my mace over them, but that 10% that are just awesome make my day. So, in short, amen and fathers should not be allowed to read/work in newspapers at all.
1. i heart talking to strangers.
2. i once called the cops on the church bus, because they tried to lure me on it with candy. i was eight.
.-= verybadcat´s last blog ..The New Window to the Soul… =-.
I’m always writing about how I love talking to strangers, but the moment has to be *right*. Like, they can’t be creepy and there has to be something to talk about. Bratty kids? Perfect ice-breaker!!
I had to reread that sentence describing the interaction like 3 times because I got so much pleasure out of picturing the poor suffering dad placating (in proper British English) the little monster. What a great image you painted.
.-= spleeness´s last blog .."I would rather have chards of glass in my ass" =-.
As long as she didn’t shake your hand or anything.
Baby steps.
.-= mrsblogalot´s last blog ..It’s My Time =-.
I’m the same way with strangers (read: I’m also a Masshole), but every so often I will have one of those encounters, and it raises my expectations for all of mankind.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..If I could just sit with You awhile… =-.
think about it this was…. every new friend was a stranger once!
wow, that sounded pathetically sappy.
.-= alexa – cleveland’s a plum´s last blog ..my newly proposed retain lebron james in cleveland campaign =-.
I vote we start a more mocking, less war campaign. Before we know it the Jews and Palestinians will be mocking that crazy cat lady who lives in van down by the river together!
.-= Cheddar´s last blog ..I Might Be A Death Eater =-.
Glad that even in the big city sometimes encounters with strangers turn out pleasant.
I’ll talk to strangers, but I won’t give my name. I’ll just agree to talk awkwardly until it’s one of our stops/the ride is over (like if we’re sitting in the same row on a rollercoaster at an amusement park (yeah. an amusement park.))/the line is finally moving again/etc. and we never have to see each other again.
.-= brad´s last blog ..blogroll, please =-.
this is such a sweet story of bonding over someone else’s despair, i truly do love it. strangers unite!
.-= katelin´s last blog ..Bloggers, Half Marathons and Margaritas. =-.
i’m the same way.. which is really super strange since i’m from small town south… but it really FREAKS ME OUT when strangers try to talk to me.. in fact, i’ll be in line somewhere.. and i can tell when someones about to do it.. they take a deep breath and go to turn toward me… and … I’M OUTTA THERE… seriously, i’ve turned and left before.. sad right?!!?
.-= Randi´s last blog ..A Perfect Day =-.
Hahah you Masshole – the only time we can truly bond with another person is at someone else’s expense.
Mocking and judging people is the only way to bond w/ strangers. Otherwise the only thing to talk about is the weather and no one wants to do that. Plus being judgy mcjudgerton is fun. What? Don’t judge me!
.-= Kellie´s last blog ..Weekly Want-it’s! =-.
mocking others with complete strangers is totally acceptable when one finds themselves on public transportation. it is like a sport. i love it!
.-= emily´s last blog ..saving the best of last is for assholes =-.
Nothing like horrible strangers to make the awesome strangers seem that much more awesome!
.-= Hope´s last blog ..Race Results! =-.
I’m in my 30s and when walking anywhere, grocery store parking lots, sidewalks, anywhere, if I see a van . . . I’m scared. Wary. If there’s a van parked next to my car in a lot, I won’t get in it. Our fathers were apparently quite similar.
.-= colby´s last blog ..Living in the land of sex =-.
I think the moments where strangers come together to share laughter over ridculosity (great word!) is probably the best kind of stranger togetherness. And probably the only ok kind…
.-= Nora´s last blog ..Beatin’ the Monday Blues =-.
I agree with Amy – I love my iPod for that purpose! Even when it’s died at the gym, I still keep them in my ears to avoid weirdos talking to me.
I can’t believe that kid didn’t quiet down when he heard that calming British accent.
.-= J´s last blog ..My Life! No, MY Life! =-.
Talking to strangers can be dangerous…just yesterday I read a story in the paper about a 20 something getting snatched off the bus by some person she became friends with on the ride home.
Seriously though…british kids are the worst. Even when they aren’t being purposely annoying their mini high pitched british accents do the work for them.
I’m glad you made a friend
.-= OG´s last blog ..I may have lied… =-.
I am always looking for an ally when someone is weird in public. It makes my day!
.-= Herding Cats´s last blog ..Thoughts? =-.
My best friend also hates strangers. To the point where she’ll just stare at someone new while I do the talking. And leaving me to do the talking is not a good idea. I do love those rare moments of stranger-shared joy, though.
One thing I have learned at my job is that the best way to deal with an asshole customer after the leave is to make fun of them to your next customer. They are usually more than happy to poke one at some douche that just made a fool of themselves.
.-= Extremely Witty´s last blog ..Charleston’s Favorite Son =-.
Haha, cracks me up! I think I have ‘talk to me’ written on my forehead, because legit everyone thinks i want to chat. Sometimes, I’m down for a stranger convo, but most times, no thanks!
.-= Jessica´s last blog ..Where In The World Wednesday =-.
My mom inserted the fear of strangers deep in my heart, and we were from the south, so maybe that’s just a parent thing? Even so, I’ve found most of the strangers I’ve had to interact with to be delightful–I’m okay with them until I start getting the creeper vibe, which I probably pick up more often than is necessary!
.-= Her´s last blog ..Miscarriage pockmarks =-.
If there weren’t random strangers sitting next to or across from me on the subway every morning, I wouldn’t have anyone to share my over-exaggerated eye roll with.
I don’t talk often to them, but it always makes my morning better to give a shared death stare to the girl taking up two seats bc her designer bag is so big.
.-= texpat´s last blog ..special salad =-.
i find myself talking to strangers ALL THE TIME.
i’m like one of those old ladies that doesn’t get out enough and will talk someone’s ear off in line at the grocery store.
it’s sad, really.
.-= tia´s last blog ..Premiere ready. =-.
I’ve never had a problem with strangers. In fact, I talk to random strangers on a daily basis. It’s part of my charm. That, and I plan to rule the world one day, so they will all be my minions anyway, so it’s win-win.
You don’t like strangers but you organize and attend “blogger meetups”. Oh my god you’re like sooo crazy.
Oh, anon! You silly bear. One thing I have NEVER claimed to do is make sense.
Hey, look at your fear this way: At least your parents knew you knew your bidness when it came to strangers
Sounds like the bonding experience was a profound moment for you-Good for you for overcoming your fear!!
.-= Kayla´s last blog ..Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief *Movie Review* =-.
LMFAO!!!! Awesome! LOL
.-= BigMamaCass´s last blog ..Swim baby swim!! =-.
I love you a little more for the explicit statement that an Englishman would speak in his ‘British accent’ to the child… as if that was noteworthy…
.-= Sebastian´s last blog ..Why men pick their nose (an ‘exploratory’ video) =-.
i think that’s one of the reasons the fiance and i hit it off so well initially. we made fun of someone together and bonded just a tiny bit.
.-= cari´s last blog ..a book… =-.