Unpleasant people
Michael is walking into Back Bay Station with earphones on when he feels a hand on his shoulder and a guy yelling "HEY DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME!" at him:
... "Do you know where the something or other gallery on Newbury Street is?" I replied in my best David Spade circa 1996 sarcastic asshole voice: "Why don't you try going to Newbury Street????" He got really upset and PUSHED my shoulder and sprinted away olympic style as fast as he could yelling "asshole!!!!!!!!".
Sarah, meanwhile, is on the phone, reading off numbers from her computer to a client, when some guy walks in and decides to make absolutely sure she knows he's there:
... you felt the need to come right in, stand so close to me that i know how you had pesto pizza for lunch. then, after appx 10 seconds, you cleared your throat so loudly and in so pointed a manner that i actually flinched from fear of impending loogie missiles. ...
Don't ask Craig to spend any time at the J.P. Emack & Bolio's:
... One of the owners, Adam Goldberg, has been known to stand outside the bathroom door threatening to break it down if the child in the bathroom "takes too long", and demanding to know the child's age. ...
Comments
Isn't it sort of antisocial t
Isn't it sort of antisocial to walk through a crowded train station wearing headphones and ignoring everyone else?
Good point, Ron.
Very articulately expressed, too.
Perhaps
But hardly to the point of having somebody assault you just because you're ignoring his request for directions.
No
This way, the public doesn't have to be subjected to "Eminem" or "Fiddysent" or whatever other horrible racket the guy considers "music". Otherwise, he'd probably be using a boombox. That would be antisocial behavior.
Nope.
"Antisocial" refers to harming people, not avoiding them.
The DSM sez...
A. There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
(1) failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
(2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
(3) impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
(4) irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
(5) reckless disregard for safety of self or others
(6) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
(7) lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another
Why?
When did it become a requirement that we have to interact with every other human on the planet, 24/7? I'm pretty sure if I saw someone walking with headphones on, I wouldn't choose THAT person to ask directions from.
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From the brains behind http://www.bigdumptruck.com
It said that he was wearing '
It said that he was wearing 'earbuds', so it probably wasn't obvious at all to any passerby that he had headphones on.
It would be interesting to he
It would be interesting to hear the store owner's side of this story, so I filled out the feedback form at http://www.emackandbolios.com/contact.htm and included a link to it.
And to be fair
We're relatively frequent visitors to the Roslindale E&B and it seems most kid-welcoming - kids love the couches and nobody's ever yelled at them about bathroom use (then again, maybe we just happen to time our visits for when the owner's in JP - I've rarely seen him in Roslindale).
They phoned me
Someone from the Emack & Bolio's head office phoned me to discuss this matter. She said that the JP store has had problems with teenagers spending a long time in the bathroom and using drugs.
I told her that UniversalHub.com has a large readership and that she should post a message here. She was dismayed, but hopefully we'll see a comment from her soon.
strangers talk to me
I can't be the only one who's had drunk strangers try to chat me up on multiple occasions on the T. That's why I wear my "earbuds" to be able to better ignore these creapy folks.
Hell, I remember the time that clinched me from ever being reasonable to drunks on the T. This guy would not take a pleasant no for an answer and when I loudly told him to stop talking to me and to leave me alone, the rest of the riders in the vicinity looked at me like I was a horrible person.