h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, yet again.

I paid a visit to the local shopping mall today, during shopping hours, which is kind of rare for me, since I mostly get home from w*rk when most shops have closed. But I'm on vacation.

The mall is busier in the summer due to all the tourists and those who own 'summer cottages' in the nearby archipelago.

So I'd say I came across somewhere between 120-130 people today.

I was looked at by two kids and one parent, who looked up to see what her daughter was looking at.

Ah, and two cashiers - no, make that three - but that's part of their job, isn't it? Say hi to the customer, and smile.

I even passed a bunch of boys in their upper teens - thrice. Did they look up even once?

No.

It's an odd feeling that I should have gotten used to by now, but when people just walk towards you and past you without ever turning their head as if you're not even there... I should be grateful they're not walking into me any more, I had a period when that used to happen, a lot.

Ah, hang on - now I understand why my gaming characters seem to always run headlong into danger - at least they'll be noticed that way!

(looks around confusedly)

did someone say something?

if so, that's a pretty handy trick you have there...
it could be put to some good uses...
like, for instance, noone would ever know who took the last cookie on the plate


seriously though, what do you suppose is going on


(aside to some passersby) no i am not talking to myself, i am on a bluetooth device

I know the feeling, Ti. Sometimes I'm glad to pass a mirror to make sure I really am still visible.

*hears a voice and looks around for the source*

TC, you too? I never knew - how comforting to know there are others feeling the same way

Half the people serving in shops here, won't look at the customer either...

and its certainly the case, walking down busy streets, just about everyone these days is a foot gazer... looking down at their feet, either at the PDA/phone in their hand, or just at the ground... Some of these people are bonified nutters, but most who do it clearly arn't... Its just a very antisocial thing a lot of people seem into these days... cutting themselves off... not having to engage with anyone... Ingoring the world... and most of the time walking into me, and then regreting it a minute or so later when the lores of physics inevitably means its they who fall over

I think this is the first time (but I could be mistaken) that you've commented on one of my journals, 2legs. And just because of that, I'm not going to put the blame on you

<>

...only to live most of their lives online?

I'd say that's true when it comes to the city centre of Stockholm, but I've just realized that one of the reasons I've stayed in this area (a suburb rather far south of the city itself) for more than 18 years (yikes, that long?) is because it reminds me of my home town.

Simple folks, working class mostly. And none of the members of the teenage gang had a smart phone. Neither do I. My mobile is pretty stupid, actually - I regularly have to hard reboot it because of a phone book bug.

I think most people in Sweden are simple, working class... not just Stockholm

I have noticed that if you go to Hammarby sjöstad or Nacka for instance, people are much more social...downtown Stockholm is very cold. Just like in New York City and Chicago actually, the compactness of the city seems to make people turn inwards. Its because we are in each others face - literally!

(so it has nothing to do with you, your not invisible!)

Goodnight

Speaking half-jokingly, you could get a wheelchair. Then you'll get stared at as if you were a circus act.

Just don't try using a white cane thinking it'll make people notice you.... I seriously think sometimes, that having a white stick, other people assume, because I can't t see them, they can't see me... Well, at least my 14 stone and low centre of gavity ensures they notice w me when they walk into me

I'm not sure if the looking down at their feet, thing, is particularly a city thing... notice it a lot in the high street when I@m back at my Dad's, too... and that is a pretty small semi-rural sort of place...
Mind, at least when people do walk into me, I get to use one of my 'best lines'.....
"what, you blind or something?".... Strangely they don't useually reply when I say that...

Oh, that *is* evil, 2legs - reminds me of a colleague who had a blind friend who'd say 'What? Are you as blind as I am?'

Re: post 2, bluetooth, etc., makes good camouflage anyway.

It used to be that it was quite easy to recognize the town eccentrics (or the village idiots, as they were called way back when) because they'd often walk around talking out loud to themselves - or an imagined person, not sure.

These days, with all these hands-free thingies, it's impossible to tell them from the 'normal' people. Not sure if that's a good thing or not.

See, years back when I w*rked at the front office of a hotel, we used to get visited by one of the eccentrics. Usually, he'd buy a light beer and a sandwich and settle down in one of the sofas in the lobby.

But sometimes he's start having these wild discussions with himself (or an imagined person) and when that happened, one of us would walk over to him and tell him to keep his voice down and keep calm, or he'd have to leave.

And that was enough.

It's not really seen as comme-il-faut to walk over to someone who's talking very loudly on the phone and ask them to quite down, is it? I hate listening in on the sometimes very private matters discussed over the phone on the tube. Can't it wait until they get home, for crying out loud?

The level of stupidity shown by some people, when using a mobile phone in public is amazing.... The worse case I ever saw, was one day when I was on the train, from Cambridge to London, on the quick 45 minute train....

A lady in the carriage just opposite, openly talking on her mobile, so everyone could hear. About a legal case involving a child, and, quite obviously sexual abuse... yes... I guess the woman was either a social worker/child protection person, or a solicitor for the family... Exactly the sort of thing one wants to broadcast to the entire carriage full of people...

I always find it easy round here to find the local excentrics... Looking in the mirror is useually sufficient

In a newsletter from my proffessional indenity insurers.

'A quite extraordinary proportion of confidentiality breaches appear to have occurred on mainline trains'.

So... not only do we have persons who feels they're not seen, but also persons who feels they can't be heard?

And yes, just during the last month I've overheard what sounded like therapists discussing their cliens, in public.

Even if they don't reveal any personal details, there could still be persons onboard who have been in the same situation and thus feel extremely uncomfortable having to listen to the conversation.

...there are warning signs on this posted especially in the elevators of the Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals in the USA, advising to respect patient confidentiality and refrain from discussing patient affairs in public places...

I've never heard discussions of the kind in context except that immediately pertinent to an emergency in the happening.

Titania - I can see what your saying about people talking out loud about pricate matters on the subway, however.... I am guilty as charged, I am one of those people!

Here is why: I have small children and I have a very tight schedule between that and my studies. When I am at the unversity, I am generally very busy with studies or other students. When I get home, I am very VERY busy with making dinners, arguing with upset chelidren, changing diapers etc etc. So... when is the time when I actuall have time to call people? Yes. On the ride between the university and our daycare!

Maybe this can help you understand at least a couple of those people on the train

Zapgirl, I'm not talking about the every-day-private conversations about who picks up the kids, what groceries do we need to buy and so on - I'm talking about loud-voiced quarrels, splitting up with someone over the phone, yelling at someone you're really, really angry with etc.

Much better done in private than public, in my opinion.

Hi, yeah I understand exactly what you mean, I ride those trains for over three hours every weekday. But that is what I meant, I have also had some very (stupid) private conversations on the phone there... I have had problems with my relationship and I have probably argued that with both the Mr and with my friends :/ since its about the only time in the day that I spend "alone" it just gets that way, but I can see how people who are able to take care of all private matters at home would have a hard time understanding why someone would talk about private things on the subway... I was not arguing, just giving a different perspective