I am stuck between two stations in a dark tunnel and cannot therefore leave the train.
My fellow passengers initially started expressing their irritation by merely sucking (deliberately audibly) the breath between their teeth. Then, the sighs of annoyance became louder as if to alert everyone within earshot of their displeasure. Now conversations are being started between complete strangers and it must be said, that this is most unusual behaviour for the Brits. Each person however is relating why their own potential tardiness is of greater importance than the next person’s. We all want mutual sympathy, hand-stroking and a way of expressing our frustration … which is not being helped by the dreary voice on the loudspeaker telling us he knows even less than we do. Marvellous.
The lady opposite me who brought her entire makeup bag and had given herself a makeover is now repeating the exercise. Lipstick first – most peculiar. Now she’s plucking her eyebrows which frankly are sparse enough … I hope this won’t encourage any others to trim their nasal hair or cut their toenails.
Sadly the little boy who previously occupied my seat got off at the last station with both his parents. He entertained us all by telling us, complete strangers, with a deadpan and utterly sincere face about his holiday to the swimming pool yesterday and how he’d like to go again; but this time just with daddy because Daddy is more fun. This resulted in snorts of laughter around the carriage. Daddy smirked. Mummy didn’t look best pleased.
The man beside me has rather obviously cut himself shaving three times presumably due to a blunt razor blade. He has little pieces of loo paper attached to his chin, but one is rather dangling down, hanging on by a single whisker which he clearly missed .. I’d love to pull it off. Perhaps the lady with the tweezers could oblige.
I love people watching. Others watch me but I care not. A little observation is no bad thing, too much is deemed creepy and anything beyond that is obviously stalking! So I think I’d better get out my book and amuse myself that way …
If only I could just tweak that teensy bit of dangling loo paper off his chin though …
Katie
Are you a keen people watcher? What do you think people see when they look at you? (Don’t worry, I know that others see a batty, scatty, ditzy thing with a dodgy haircut when they look at me … if that makes you feel any better.)
I’m an avid people watcher. Many of my posts are written on the train to and from Belfast. Which increasingly resembles the Mumbai Express (3rd Class) at rush hour. I’m fully expecting Northern Ireland Railways to start charging people to sit on the roof or precariously hang on to the side of the carriage. You are far too posh for public transport and should have a stern faced chauffeur whisking you round London.
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Ha!! Oh no! I’d love to go on the Mumbai Express … In truth I’ve never been to India which is on my ‘big time, gotta go there’ list. I’ve heard that it’s an assault on all the senses and yet also has some incredible beauty. As for you, I know you’re a people watcher! … That’s why you write so ridiculously well. You’re observant. Right, that’s enough flattery for one day.
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Oh, just run off to Mumbai together and leave us in peace with our loo paper and tweezers. 😀
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😂😂 We could ALL go together!! A WordPress and partners outing!
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I’m all for it! We need to find some sponsors, though.
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I think we might find ourselves just laughing too much!
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I’m definitely a people watcher, but don’t enjoy the reverse. I start imagining I’ve a spot on my cheek or a stray booger, or maybe a bit of loo paper stuck to my chin…
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Ha! I’ve always worried about coming out of the loo with my skirt tucked into my knickers …😳
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😂
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I admit I’m not much of a people watcher, but maybe I need to become one given how entertaining I found this post! 🙂
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Oooh its a wonderful activity! And the best part is it makes us realise that even with our own little quirks and foibles, we are actually quite normal … (compared to the majority of people)!
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I’m an occasional people watcher when I’m around home, but very keen on people watching when travelling. I find it’s easiest when I’m outside with dark sunglasses on, because then I can stare to my heart’s content. Another option is to pretend to look at something convincingly interesting but really be looking at the people in the same line of sight. Or in India, just go ahead and stare openly, because as a random white person everyone is going to be staring right back at me anyway.
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I love the sunglasses trick! I think I shall use that in future … 😀 Have you ever played that game when you and somebody else have to stare at each other without blinking? It’s really hard and I always lose, normally because I start laughing!
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I haven’t done the no blinking game. I suspect I would end up running away and hiding.
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Yes, I think that would be a very natural reaction!
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I love people watching at airports, I will even start crying sometimes with the emotions that are expressed there. I sit there and mentally build up a whole story about the people and where they are going and why LOL. I’m rarely disappointed if my flight is delayed because then I get to indulge in more people watching.
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Yes!! It’s like in the opening and ending of the film “Love Actually” with everyone hugging and kissing … and it’s just the absolute BEST! 😍
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Well, that makes me feel like less of a nutter. I’ve never made up stories. But I often stare at people in passing cars and wonder where are they all going 😂. Motorway service stations bring out the curious side of me, but I can’t imagine being pleased that my flight was delayed just to watch some more. Wow, you must have a great imagination! 😂
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Catherine Alliot wrote in the first chapter of her first book (The Old Girl Network) about how her main character used to sit on the tube and look at all the men and work out which one if she had to choose just one, she would have a ‘romance’ with and he ended up being a baddie in the plot from what I remember! It was absolutely hilarious and I’ve always read every book that she publishes since then!
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Haha I don’t know if you can decide if your less of a nutter by using me as a gauge (although I’m sure your not a nutter for the record). I just feel and in some ways absorb the emotional energy of the people I’m watching.
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I am a people watcher. Proud of it too. I just like to call it being extra observant.
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Yes, I think that’s a far better way to describe it! Perfect!
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Oh I am a people watcher, it is essential to learn how to understand the people around you. I do not stare but nonchalantly observe and often wear sunglasses to stop people looking into my eyes or look upwards.
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Ahh yes, another sunglass wearer! I think you have a very good idea here and I shall try it in future as it may stop me from looking a little too interested in someone … they might take it the “wrong” way!
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Very true, you can casually observe without being noticed.
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So that one doesn’t look a bit ‘cuckoo’! I like it!
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I’m getting scared. There’s more of us about than I realised and now I feel like ‘the watched’. Brings me back to your post on seasons…summer is now definately out of the league for being my favourite month, what with all you voyeurs peeking at me through your shades!
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Ha! We is watching you honey (said in a creepy accent!) 😂😂
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I am a constant people watcher. I always like to be totally aware of my surroundings and have a good gauge of those around me. Maybe that’s a slightly different issue though….. Hehehe!
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Ahhh, I think that’s a really good quality … being aware of what or who is around you. Certainly when I was doing my cycling trip last summer, that really kept me safe and I was in a few remote and at times pretty seedy areas.
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Yeah I’m not a big or scary looking fella, so I like to be alert and aware of anything that is be happening around me. It’s kept me safe through all my foreign country travels. Never got robbed or scammed so I guess it works.
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Absolutely it does. I had some trouble with a load of kids at one point … not a problem in itself, until their big brother turned up. I didn’t sleep well that night.
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I love people watching !! I read somewhere that good writers like to people watch or just do it without realising. Gives them content 🙂
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That absolutely makes sense … in that case I shall have to do it even more in the hope that it’ll make me a better writer! Thanks for reading 😁
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I always people watch. Just remember, if you see me watching you, I am probably thinking ‘Do I need to put this person into a story?’ And then, of course, ‘Will it end badly for them?’
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Oh I like that a lot! If you don’t warm to them, they can come to a ‘sticky end’ as my mother used to say. Brilliant. 😃
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You wouldn’t believe what I’ve done to some unappealing work colleagues…
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The mind boggles! I wonder if they ever guessed …
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I doubt it.
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Hilarious! I love people watching, so much better than TV !! have a lovely weekend x
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Thanks and you too!
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Thank you so much! 😊😊
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Most definately! This made me laugh so much, that I remember what I have missed by being off WordPress so long, and therefore have not had the pleasure of reading any of your posts for a while.
Yes, people are very interesting.
Rowan Atkinson fashioned Mr. Bean on people he’d secretly observed.
One thing puzzles me though…how could you have seen all this if you were stuck in a dark tunnel? Ah…just remembered my days of tubing..,there are lights in the train…duh!
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Yes, thankfully we don’t all sit in the dark! That would be too creepy! You’re very kind to read my posts and I so love it when you comment because you always make me smile 😊
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Definitely a people watcher. I often try to imagine the stories behind the faces.
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Yes. And I think it’s a good thing to do that. Everyone has a story. Everyone has good things and bad things that are going on in their lives … we can get a glimpse of that here on WordPress. And somehow, I don’t know about you but I find it slightly reassuring that when I’m going through a tough time, I am not alone. We all have problems, and in the grand scheme of things, mine are not so bad. Katie
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