American sense of 'space'.- Page 2

[StockardFan]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:08pm

OOOH, the people with 25 items in the 15 and less drive me nuts too.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:12pm

Different spaces, different freaks:

Occasionally I have an odd experience in the elevator. Like, I'll be the only person in it, and someone gets on and squeeeeeeezes between me and the nearest wall, as though that's the only available square foot of space.

Or once I was, again, alone in the elevator, and this woman gets on and stands facing me. Um. Hello?

I thought about touching her nose with my finger and going "Boop!"

[nygrl232]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:15pm

>>I thought about touching her nose with my finger and going "Boop!"

LMAO! Oh, imagine the reaction.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:15pm

Facing you???

That's very odd.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:16pm

Reginald Tresilian, nut magnet.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:18pm

I like "boop."

[nygrl232]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:19pm

Was it one of those elevators with doors on two walls? Sometimes people face the door they're going to use, socially weird choice or not.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:20pm

Maybe she just thought you were cute, and wanted to look at you.

[Q]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:22pm

That was my thought, Stockard - I'd do the same thing.

Unless I wanted him to check out my butt.

[artscallion]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:24pm

I have absolutely no desire to meet new people on the street, at the movies or in restaurants. I meet plenty of new people. But prefer to meet them under less random circumstances, like parties, work, through friends, etc.

As far as space goes, I do have personal space issues and bristle at close talkers, or people who generally get too close to me when the available space around us doesn't make it necessary for them to be so close. I don't see my preference as a problem. It's just the way I feel. I also don't like people that are touchy, unless they're someone I have a touching relationship with.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:25pm

No, no other door. Just an elevator, a lunatic, and me.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:31pm

Isn't that a song?

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 12:37pm

Scallion, you just described the way I feel about this topic.

Here in NY, it's true that you could feasibly have an altercation on every line you join!

Here's one of my most ridiculous ones: The line in the post office was so long that some of us weren't even inside, but on the other side of the door in the outside vestibule. We couldn't hear one of the cashiers who was making an announcement. So I opened the door and tried to stick my head inside the place to hear what she was saying.

Some completely disgruntled with life guy was annoyed that I was trying to hear the announcement and asked me why the hell I needed to hear it. "Because maybe it pertains to me" I said. Then he said to me "Oh why don't you go home and put more color in your hair."

LOL, after I got home later I realized I should have said back to him-"I will if you go back and have some more collagen put in your cheeks!"

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 1:24pm

And I am about to shower and go to the post office!

off topic, jane, didn't you have a cool sunset pic as your avatar yesterday? Looked like it was taken in the city from a fire escape. I really liked that pic!

[StockardFan]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 1:27pm

Yeah, I liked it too.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 1:34pm

Thanks you two, but it wasn't a sunset. I leaned out my window and looked up the block when it was snowing. That yellow coloring was a street lamp that was glowing!

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 1:35pm

It was a great pic. I hope it returns!

[KrissySim]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 1:53pm

In much of Europe, especially Eastern Europe and Russia, eating is considered a social occasion. You will often be seated with other people in a restaurant, even if the room is full of empty tables. Not only that, if the people you are seated with already have their food, they will politely wait until you receive yours before they continue eating. But I think this custom is changing somewhat as people realize that Americans like to eat alone. (If they know you're a foreigner then they may seat you separately, or al least ask if you would like to be.)

In theatres without reserved seating ( i.e. cinemas) people do tend to cluster, too.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 3:21pm

They do. And I wonder why that is. I like to sit on the aisle at the movies and it never fails, the whole row can be empty and two people will come and sit right next to me.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 4:22pm

hey i'm the one that started this topic from another thread! woo hoo... haha

anyways... when it comes to my personal space i need it... but i'm willing to adapt to the situation... when i'm on public transportation i usually don't mind if someone sits next to me if there are only a few scattered empty seats... i've been to restaurants where people sat with me and i didn't mind because it was busy and they asked if they could sit there... i've talked to people in elevators, in lines, or just walking out and about... my problem though was from my initial post... when i'm somewhere and there are vast amounts of empty seats and the person just sits right next to you... that kinda bugs me... maybe i wouldn't have minded so much if the person had left one space in between... but she chose to sit right next to me... oh well... life moves on

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 5:18pm

Would you consider getting up and moving away a little from her?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 5:21pm

I recommend touching her nose and going "Boop!"

[Weez]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 5:26pm

Maybe she thinks you're hot. :3

Reggie, that cracks me up every time I think of it. XD

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 5:27pm

I also recommend it if a policeman ever questions you.

[Weez]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 5:30pm

I think I could only get away with it if I were wearing a top hat, somehow...