I'm sitting on the train and this guy across and a little to my right is studying me. I had made the mistake of looking out the window as the train came up from underground. This indicates to some that I am strange or new to the city. Why else would anyone make the effort to stop reading, turn around and gaze out the window? And my gaze was a bit wistful as it was so beautiful out and the neighborhood I was looking at was the one I just moved away from.
I gave up too much information in my action. I don't have a poker face really and my eyes are not only the windows to my soul but every possible emotion traveling through. Some have taken me for a push over because of this which can leave people surprised in the end.
What can I say? It's best if I wear sunglasses and stand very still if I'm trying to be remote. But as I was not trying to be remote and felt it was worth any inquisitive stares to see what I wanted to see while feeling what I wanted to feel, I craned around with chin in hand and watched my neighborhood pass by.
We had gone back underground and the guy is staring with a so-you're-new-meat look or a serial killer you're-looking-like-the-pigeon-I'm-going-to-follow-home-and-do-icky-things-to look. I couldn't tell which because if I held his gaze longer than two seconds he would have read my non-poker playing you're-a-rude-dick look and I was too tired to see what that would have wrought.
Instead I hike my book up so it obliterates his beady eyes from view. This took a bit of balancing considering the height of the man. My book was well above eye level for me and with every bump I had to reposition my blind. I balanced this way for three stops at which time I got out and he stayed. It's safe to say he wasn't giving the serial killer look or if he was he too was too tired to see what it would have wrought.
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7 comments:
Maybe you could perfect your serial killer look?
This is a good idea but you have to like blood and guts to get the look right and when I think of blood and guts I look ill instead of scary.
Maybe he just liked your glasses and was wondering where you got them...I know, not in NYC
LOL Sue. Sometimes people do ask about my glasses or if I'm wearing patchouli. But sometimes they stare and mumble, 'nice tits.' too.
As a movie buff you must know that people always hide behind a newspaper. It's bigger than a book so you have to make so many bump adjustments.
And, don't get me started on the 'nice tits.' mumbler.
Newspaper! This is good, I'll remember.
I always look out the window when I'm above ground. I like seeing the Empire State Building as we cross the Williamsburg Bridge... I like reading the grafitti that I've read 10,000 times. Sure, I get that "new meat" look, but I shoot back a look that says "I ride this same train at the same time every single day. If *you* weren't new meat, you would know that."
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