I'm out jogging at lunch today, feelin' fine. I round a corner of the Mall and ahead there's a group of about eight tourists. As I'm jogging past, one of the guys raises his finger (the "excuse me" index finger, not the middle finger) and ASKS ME FOR DIRECTIONS. From what I can hear through the music playing on my headphones, he wants to know where they can get something to eat.
I'm completely flabbergasted.
I mean, I'm wearing shorts, a t-shirt, an Ipod and RUNNING past them. I'm not wearing a red jacket and I'm not on a leisurely stroll. I am exercising, an activity that would have to stop for me to engage them. And it's not like I'm the only guy on the Mall.
As I continued on without stopping, I motioned at my headphones and said, "I can't hear you." Not the best answer as it doesn't excuse the rudeness of ignoring them. A better answer would have been, "Sorry, I can't stop," but I don't think of that right away because I AM FRICKIN RUNNING HERE!
Of course I then feel bad because I blew them off. Typically, I quite enjoy helping tourists as it makes the city more friendly for them. My bad feelings didn't linger, though, because, after all, they were the ones violating the social contract. My part of the contract is that I don't sweat on you or crash into you as I run by. All everyone else has to do is not talk to me.
3 comments:
I suppose this is sort of similar. My wife reads several newspapers; I do not. It's not that I don't care what's going on in the world. I'm just lazy. If I'm going to read, I'd rather read comic books or a game magazine.
Anyway, while she's reading, she will come upon a story that she wants to share with me. These stories are always one of two types: someone has done something horrible to someone else, usually a child, or someone has done something heartwarming for someone, usually a sick child. In 16 years of marriage, I haven't yet find a way to tell her that I don't give a shit. So I look, and nod, and say "Hm" and then go back to whatever it is I was doing. And because I haven't discouraged this behavior, she persists. Sometimes she'll interrupt me several times for different parts of the same horrible story. And I seethe quietly to myself.
So, while clearly rude, I applaud your paper-thin mimed excuse for not stopping. Maybe they'll think next time before getting lost, the bastards.
Er-- ahtitan, I don't think there is any type of social contract that covers spouses interrupting each other, infringing on each other's space or time. And, Ipecac, I can't tell you how many times people have tried to ask me stuff while I was running. The thing to do is to grab them by the arm and make them run with you while you answer their question. It might be considered assault or abduction or something but I think they opened the door to "no hold barred", so that should make it legal.
Those people are going to think all Washingtonians are bastards because of you. They will probably go home and demand that Congress cut off funding for all government agencies because those bureaucrats are just a bunch of rude jerks. We'll all be out of a job and probably have to live on the streets. Thanks a lot!
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