I went into the city centre and found a mobile phone on the floor. I took this to the police station, and in the lobby area there was an older guy in there who popped in to ask the desk clerk if she had a cigarette.
This older guy initially mistook me as a lady, which we had a chuckle about, but as I was dealing with the desk clerk in giving my details and handing over the phone, the guy started going on about he felt like he was about to be robbed, how he had a gun shoved in his face earlier today, that he has a pump shotgun but someone stole it etc. etc.
The desk clerk then decided to ask me into an interview room to get away from him. I wasn’t really that bothered at the time but I was relieved to not have to listen to him rambling. I kind of just agreed with whatever he said and all that, and when I was done he wished me a good night and left me alone, so all-in-all not too bad of an experience.
Reminded me of a few instances of people who have decided to speak to me on trains and it’s never gone particularly well.
Stuff like this does have a tendancy to put me off and not sure if that’s rational or not. I guess my question is, am I being over-sensitive by being uncomfortable, and is there a better way to deal with it?
If there is a better way, I’d also like to know what it is. Maybe acting out even crazier than they are would work. If anyone has the balls to try it, please report back.
Why do people who want to start a conversation on trains always turn out to be slightly deranged men in anoraks? It seems to be an immutable law of nature.
I dunno, generally speaking, it’s better to hear what’s around you. You don’t want to miss someone shouting “Watch out!” when a flower pot is about to land on your head or a driver loses control over his car, which then goes right to the pavement where you walk.
I try to be polite as possible to anyone trying to approach me and start a conversation. Be polite and excuse yourself, saying something like, “Sorry, I’m on a run.” Some crazy people are very sensitive to feeling disrespected. Some might even be crazy because of a lifelong experience of being shunned, ignored, insulted. We are all human beings, equally deserving some level of respect. Some people are just lonely, disoriented, desperate. Let’s have some compassion, then walk a way.
There was a loopy old bat who lived near me. I made the mistake of talking to her, so whenever she saw me she came over to babbly incoherently about hating China and having a crush on Colin Farrell.
Agreed. Plus people rob you for the headphones and the phone. After being mugged previously (for a whole £2…) I don’t carry with me anything of value.
Also just excluding yourself from society with technology isn’t the way to go in my opinion. I’m happy for people to approach me and talk shit to me but my question was when it gets uncomfortable is there a better way.
“You’ll have to excuse me, i have a bus to catch. Take care!” runs
I think it’s better not to wall yourself off from the world. That said, if somebody starts with the crazy stuff it’s a good skill to know how to get rid of them.
I like talking to the crazies. Just play smart defense. Ignoring someone may make them more interested in you. I simply engage while I wait for my halal chicken or pump my gas, etc. If I don’t like where the momentum is going, I say, “Well, I don’t know about that–” and then leave with or without saying goodbye. A toothless bagger was trying very hard to talk me up in the supermarket last week. She actually kept pushing out a tooth that was holding on by a thread of skin. Gross. “There’s a man on the bridge,” she said. A jumper apparently. I’d heard it on the news. She said it again. She kept looking at me, talking about this man on the bridge nearby and bagging my food, as it came down the treadmill thing. I paid and thanked her for putting my eggs under the frozen vegetables, as that’ll keep them cold.
Normally I bag my own stuff, but she looked, like really looked like she needed the job she just got that day. Haven’t seen her since.
But yeah–headphones, and a loud, “WHAT?” will also work.
A modification of the headphone one is to have in an earphone, then pretend you got a phone call and give the “I got to take this call look” and walk off calmly while saying “Ok I will be on my way quickly …”.
Or speak to the crazy in a made up Russian sounding language which does not exist saying “Me no spealy Engrish vlad mu nu ska”" (I have done that and it works).
