You Talkin' To Me?

I'm sharing the following anecdote which in retrospect is quite funny, but not so much at the time.

I'd finished running errands in downtown San Francisco and was waiting at the stop for the next street car. The various models of street cars, (from SF's past and from other parts of the country/world) have been restored, and are not intended for efficiency; they're a SF historical landmark. However, they comprise the "F" line which is the only transportation running down Market Street from where I was to where I wanted to go.

These cars were restored for authenticity, not necessarily comfort ...some are less comfortable than others. I especially dislike the "Peter Witt" car (modeled after a streetcar in Milan), which is especially uncomfortable. The seats are long wooded benches which run the length of either side of the car, causing the passenger to look, not out the window, or at the back of the person sitting in front of you, but right in the face of the passenger sitting opposite. After the intitial acknowledgement and smile, you're forced to play this little game of "where to focus your gaze" ...if you don't have something to read. So, when the guy sitting on my right started up a conversation, I was more than eager to engage him. The sporadic conversation itself consisted of just the exchange of simple pleasantries, nothing personal or specific.

In the meantime, there were two [young] girls sitting opposite me, nudging each other and giggling incessantly, while looking in my general direction. After awhile I began to feel uncomfortable as I realized that I was the source of their amusement. I continued making the occasional comment to the guy sitting next to me.

Then he got up to leave. I was puzzled that he was still talking, not to me, but to no one in particular. As he passed and I got a view of his right side, I was shocked to see the earpiece he was wearing, and cringed as I realized that he hadn't been speaking to me at all, but was engaged in a conversation on his cell phone. I also realized that the girls had obviously picked up on this scenario and found it most amusing. Not so much me. I felt very foolish; I immediately got off the streetcar ...several blocks before my intended stop.

At the time, I was so embarrassed, but looking back on the situation, I can now laugh. It was funny, as the giggling girls can attest.

Quote of the Week: "If you can't laugh at yourself, make fun of other people."