Funny thing: body language and its importance.

[funkedup]

Santa, I have noticed a similar phenomenon, walking around a huge (35000 students?)college campus.  I am a pretty big dude so a lone person won't give me any crap.  But when you get groups of fratboys, especially when they are drunk, they will be more aggressive.  If I stumble along with my normal "who gives a toejam" slouching gait, wearing my normal slobwear, the subadult jackoffs might not give me any room on the sidewalk and maybe talk a little toejam.  I found that if I assume a more rigid posture and look like maybe I am ready to kill them, I get plenty of space and they shut right up.  I also noticed that if I am wearing a suit, this effect is amplified.  I dislike putting on a show like that but when I am faced with rude morons on a daily basis, "I gotta do what I gotta do."

[ 08-31-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]

[MrBill]

Nother thing that is kinda cool.  
Get in a large crowd and when you get bumped look at the person but do not let your eyes focus, do a head twitch or two, and deadpan "but they say I'm doing much much better now" then do a lopsided grin and twitch your head a couple more times.
It will not be long till your all by yourself, in no matter how large a crowd.  

[StSanta]

Maverick wrote:
 

Experianced Cops are masters at watching people and determining threat status by body language. It works in reverse too.

Oh yeah: noticed this yesterday night.

Was woken up by large bangs. Wondered what it was and it continued; three fast thumps, then silence. Then three thumps.

Figured someone was trying to break into one of the flats next to me (we've had 9 break-ins in the last two years, 7 of 'um by the druggie that lives two doors next to me. Well, at least 7).

First I figured the other neighbors would do something about it and call the cops - I have one of those phones where ya insert cash on that you then can call for, and was outta credits. But no cops came, and the thumping kept on. So took a baseball bat, a few coins, opened the door, checked for an intruder: found no one. Walked up to a gas station bat in hand and called the cops.

First they suspected me I think: I was standing out in front of the window watching the light go out as I approached: baseball bat ready. These were old cops: around 45-50 years, pot bellied and around my size. Yet their body language made it quite clear to me that it was a very good idea for me to a) put the bat down and b) explain just what the hell I was doing.

Anyway, the cops checked the apartment - the door was totally broken; three pieces, two hanging there and one on the floor. The burglar was nowhere to be seen. i mentioned that the neighbor is a druggie so they knocked on his door and after a while he opened. Claimed he'd been sleeping and hadn't heard a thing.

What followed was VERY amusing. The cops didn't say much. The druggie got more and more nervous just by the cops standing there, assuming differet poses and changing facial expressions. Eventually he talked himself into a bad position, slipped a few words too many and basically confessed. Very amusing.

Too bad the idiot will just be fined and then released. Am renewing my home insurance which I had neglected to pay because of shortage of money now.

And why the hell did my other neighbors do NOTHING? Makes me wonder about people.

[mrfish]

man, we are funny monkeys.

there is even a right of way law (for cryin out loud) for walking on the sidewalks in the u.s. - stay right - not very complex huh?

...and still these daily little mini-confrontations take place over and over and over. especially in big cities.

easily half the sidewalk is walking on the left, across the sidewalk or even just standing there - dazed look on their face, blabbing on the cell phone, dancing around 60 other people and wondering why the city is so iritating.

i mean you'd think people might have the situational awareness to follow a simple routine to get where they are going most efficiently but most can barely recall their name at any given moment much less think about their most efficient path across a sidewalk.

1000 more years of evolution maybe....until then it's a posturing and chestbeating contest. at 6'3" 230 i guess i got lucky! of course twitching like a speed freak spun out at the end of a 4 day tweak binge helps too - especially on the bus or subway.    

[ 09-01-2001: Message edited by: mrfish ]