He's probably an SC somewhere!

[Arachne]

I'm sitting in a cafe right now, working on some writing after work, and there's a guy in his 40s sitting a short way away from me who is displaying all of the maturity of a 13 year old.

When I came over to one of the only empty tables in the cafe (it's very crowded today) to sit down, he clearly didn't want me there. He tried to discourage me by telling me he'd be doing a lot of talking. I told him that was fine, I was putting in headphones, so I wouldn't hear him, he could talk away.

Needless to say, that was obviously just a way of trying to get rid of me, because he hasn't done any talking. A couple of times, however, I've caught him shooting glances at me and rolling his eyes like a teenager who's frustrated with HOW UNCOOL adults are. He's like twice my age, and I feel like I'm dealing with someone ten years younger than me.

What the hell does this guy expect? He's in a cafe. People are going to sit near him. In this case, I'm at least ten feet away from him, so it's not even like I'm THAT CLOSE. If he wants total isolation, he should try doing his web browsing at home. (Oh wait, no free internet there.)

BTW, the second time I caught him rolling his eyes? I responded the way that all wise adults respond to this behavior -- by becoming more of a dork. I turned up my music and started just rocking out to it. After I was really bopping along to a new Iron Maiden song, he started studiously not looking at me anymore. I think he's scared of me now.

[myswtghst]

Go you. I used to get this all the time when I would study at Denny's in college. I would be all set up in my booth, getting coffee, having headphones on and a laptop in front of me, a stack of books by my side studying for finals, and I would have people act like I was going to eavesdrop just because they were in the next booth, and I obviously care what they talk about.

And I'm very much with you Arachne--I love to turn up the metal in the headphones and just rock out. It seems to frighten people.

[draftermatt]

He was probably going to look at porno and didn't want you seeing it.

You should have given him the finger when he rolled his eyes at you.

[Arachne]

I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting that kind of rise out of me. It seemed to annoy the daylights out of him that I was sitting in "his" space and having a good time, so I decided to sit there longer and have an obnoxiously good time. I actually stayed longer than I wanted to (the bathrooms at that place are out of order right now, and my drink had made it to my bladder) because I wanted to out-wait him. I did, then ran back to my work about five minutes after he left, to pee.

I think he might have just been someone who has a problem with women, because when a man came in later on and sat down even closer to him, he didn't even blink.

[HYHYBT]

I think he might have just been someone who has a problem with women, because when a man came in later on and sat down even closer to him, he didn't even blink.

Yup, porn...

[Arachne]

I'm not so sure. The seat I took positioned me so that I was facing him. IE, all I could see of his laptop was the back of it -- couldn't see the screen. If I'd wanted to look at his internets pr0n, I'd have to actually get up and walk over to stand behind him. He was also positioned in such a way that ANYONE walking over to that part of the cafe could glimpse his screen.

If it was porn, and he was so paranoid that he was worried that I might get up and walk over behind him to look at what he was doing, why not take the (empty) table that I took, which is in a back corner where no one can really come and see what you're doing? Why take one in a major walkway area?

[GayleShy]

I think he might have just been someone who has a problem with women, because when a man came in later on and sat down even closer to him, he didn't even blink.

Maybe he'd just come to terms with the fact that he WAS in a public place, and he WOULD NOT be left alone. He might have acted the same way if yours and the other man's timing had been reversed.

[Arachne]

Hmm. That's possible as well. And truthfully, that might also explain why my favorite table (which is also the favorite table of many other regulars) was free -- he'd been "warning" everyone away with his promises of being loud. I was just the first person who didn't care.