Incident 4.1
I’m not feeling the positivity today. As a result, the café has transformed into a psychological battlefield, where everyone needs to decide if you are allies or enemies; if you can take refuge in the seat by their side; or if unspoken wars will ensue from one distasteful glance.
The dishevelled man angled just within my peripheral is positioned to sit and stare straight in my direction. This is a pet peeve of mine as it would seem normal to at least look away momentarily when caught staring, but he ceases to desist. Battle on old man. Let’s dance.
“Eye for an eye” is such a great phrase. Although timeless and overused, I find the literal meaning behind it amusing. I always think of it when put in a situation where I feel uncomfortable from relentless onlooking eyes. Cliched phrases have directed me to stare back at this man until one of us cracks.
After some observation (a.k.a. an immature adult stare-off) he has finally turned properly in his seat, his side now facing me, and opened his satchel to retrieve some reading material. He has become a faceless member of the java society here who contentedly sips on their overpriced brews and enjoys either solitary contemplation or polite conversation.
Odd how, now, with simple purpose he appears less unkempt. By focusing on an object, rather than an estranged person, he manages to change his identity from a rude, unwelcoming miscreant to casual member of society. Maybe a simpler focus on writing and what I want out of it will transform me from frustratingly unpaid to passionately employed.
Incident 4.2
What began as a need to plug in my laptop adapter has become a test of agility and character. With the café a bustling locale today I had to find a seat four feet from the outlet on the wall. There are no obstructions anywhere around my cord, which sits starkly black along the off-white tiles, yet people still manage to kick the cord as they walk by. I give credit to those who had their hands full and can’t necessarily look down. However, there are people who fully look and see the cord, even pace their steps approaching it, and still manage to trip on it. Then there are those who are offended to find any obstructions in their path. I’m sure they’re used to being carried on thrones around their own property and having the commoners bow as they pass. Unfortunately The Café offers no such treatment. Get over yourself.
No matter what the situation, I will always be surprised at the complete uselessness of some people.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
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I'm going to stir the pot a little here and say that 1. Your cord is in public (althought technically private) space and fair game to be trampled on. 2. If I was the owner of the cafe I would probably have a problem with non-profit devices sucking the electricity out of my rental space's veins.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if someone has written about people plugging in their laptops at cafes?
P.S. Thanks for the plug!
I understand your stance, Trevor. I'm aware that I'm in public. I'm just surprised at the lack of consideration or coordination of some people.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I come to this coffee shop I see people using the outlets with their power cords strewn across the floor, which is to be expected from a "HotSpot" cafe (i.e. provides free wireless internet). Also, I'm suspecting the owners are fine with the extra power surge since their cafe offers free WiFi services specifically to get students and professionals to come do work while buying their products.