Rants

Hints for living: crazy person edition

This afternoon, after my media law class, I grabbed a window seat on the train and headed for home. The woman who sat down next to me seemed to be carrying on a conversation with someone across the aisle, but a quick glance over there revealed only people trying to ignore her.

Sensing that this was not someone I could allow to get my attention, I pulled out my textbook and began reviewing today’s case. Between the sunglasses and the book, I was pretty well insulated, and I was able to tune out the lady’s continuing babble, even as she stared right at me.

She wasn’t about to give up, though, and before long, I could no longer ignore what she was saying. Without looking up, I turned my attention to her voice. In an accent that sounded Haitian, she plowed robotically through some kind of nonsense. “To many this is. And will. Always be folly. But we have staked upon it our all.” Pretty typical script for a public transit lunatic, so why was it so distracting? “U-nited States vee Ah-sociated Press. Fifty-two eff supp three sixty-two, three seventy-two. S-D-N-Y nineteen fahty-tree.” Dammit! She was just reading my textbook out loud! United States v. Associated Press, 52 F.Supp. 362, 372 (S.D.N.Y. 1943).

She continued to do this for the rest of my trip. It was one of the most irritating things I’ve ever encountered. If my ride had been any longer than 10 minutes, I don’t know what I would have done.

So for all you people who ride trains, buses, planes, or whatever, and are determined to get the attention of people who choose to ignore you, here’s a great tactic. Read those people’s books into their ears, and see what kind of friends you can make.