Go away

[illusionofjoy]

I do not understand what possesses some random people to simply go up and talk to others in non-social settings. While the trolley station is technically public, I don't think of it as a place to socialise. It is a place I go to finally escape from the drudgery of my workday; I'm sure many feel likewise.

Due to my schedule, I'm generally running to catch my train. If I time it out correctly, I can be home approximately half an hour after quit time. If I miss that train, I have to wait fifteen to twenty minutes for another one and then I end up home an hour or more after quit time.

So, I'm running to the platform like I usually do, expecting the train to be just pulling up and expecting to just make it on in time. This time, however, it seems that I am either early or the train is late. The former is good, the latter isn't as good. In any case, I've run to an empty platform.

Minutes later the train arrives. I prepare to board and as I do so, a bald somewhat elderly man standing nearby, out of nowhere says to me, "right on time!" One beat later he continues, "I saw you running."

I am confused. Who is this joker who thinks he knows when the trains are supposed to arrive? He's obviously wrong about the timetable - a quick look at the clock over the platform reveals the train to be slightly delayed, not, as he said "right on time." More to the point though, I looked at the guy, wondering if I'd met him somewhere before and no files were surfacing in my mental database. Why was this complete stranger talking to me?

I got on the train and picked a seat. The man walked towards where I was sitting and then quickly moved elsewhere. I refused to look up, becoming intently interested in whatever page of the newspaper I was randomly opening up to as I heard him say, somewhat gleefully, "wouldn't want to make you feel any more uncomfortable."

Creepy.

Comments

[strangelover.livejournal.com]

Don't ever come to Greece, seriously.

I lived in London (UK) for ten years, where you just don't speak to strangers (especially on public transport), but since moving to Athens I've had countless random encounters with strangers, topics of conversation range from my (admittedly cool 12' record) handbag to my relationship with my mother.

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

I just like to keep to myself and more than once I've been put off by the tendency of Pittsburgh natives to just randomly strike up a conversation. Such things don't happen in New York. Most of the time I can shrug it off, but there was just...something about this guy that made me uneasy.