I was in a restaurant yesterday standing at the counter waiting to pay for my meal. As I was waiting for the girl to help me I happened to turn my head to the right to glance around the restaurant for something interesting to look at when I saw this woman put her arm around the man she was sitting next to, point her phone in my direction and heard it make that classic fake camera noise that phones often make when you're taking a picture of someone.
I blinked and my mouth probably fell open in a really attractive way. She glanced up from her phone and looked at me, slightly alarmed, then pretended nothing happened and made herself REALLY SMALL behind the guy she was sitting next to. AS IF I WOULDN'T NOTICE.
Okay, so... what the heck?? Now I'm all paranoid. Strangers are taking pictures of me. I am certain I'm funny-looking now. My picture is out there on the web on some web site where they make fun of people standing in line at restaurants. In fact, I spent an hour this morning looking for blogs where they make fun of people standing in line at restaurants, but couldn't find one.
Or maybe she was doing a social experiment in which she takes pictures of strangers and then makes a note of their reactions. I haven't looked for that kind of web site yet.
I stood there for a moment thinking I should take a picture of her to retaliate, but then I thought what if she was taking a picture of a nice vase behind me? I looked. There wasn't really anything interesting or attractive behind me. Or in front of me. And I don't look particularly interesting or attractive. I mean... well, don't misunderstand -- I don't have self-esteem issues per se, but can honestly say out of a hundred people in a room I'm going to be one of the more boring looking ones in the group if I'm just standing there. In line. In a restaurant. Strangers taking pictures of me. Standing there.
Do you take pictures of strangers in public? What's the etiquette of that? And what's the etiquette if you're the one whose picture gets taken? Is it wrong to throw a glass of water on a woman who just took your picture? What about stabbing her hand with a fork? Is that wrong? Someone help me out here. And if you can't help me out, for heaven's sake, someone loan me a Xanax.
I'm all for screaming in her face,"Are you with THEM?"
ReplyDelete"Did THEY tell you to follow me?" " I will NOT go back on that Spacecraft! I won't!"
Then I'd ask politely at the counter for some aluminum foil and put it on my head.
Of course this may get you sent to someplace where ...um...your picture gets taken with a number in front of it...
Damn...I'm weird...
LOL @ Neen's comment :D I ♥ her too! And OMG Wendy um, there was NOTHING that looked interesting around you? That's just crazy! I'm sure if some random stranger took a pic of me I would flip out.
ReplyDeleteps I have to add a LOL @ my word verification: conderm hmmm that's pretty darn close to something else :)
Wendy, I can only tell you that I make regular appearances in Glamour magazine in the "what not to wear" section. You can't tell it's me because of the black line acorss all identifiable parts. But I assure you: it is me.
ReplyDeleteYou, however, seem like you've got it going on. I'm thinking they snapped you for a fashionista mag: on the "what to wear" side of the column.
Meow. Congrats, baby. Now I can say I knew you when . . .
Neen, wow... where were you when I needed you? That could have been good!
ReplyDeleteKathy, hey, I'm trying to spice things up for you! :D
Lawyer mom, you just made me shoot good ole Southern sweet tea out my nose.
ReplyDeleteI am a fashion disaster. In fact, I'm gonna run to the nearest newsstand and see if I can see myself in the aforementioned "what not to wear" section! I am sure you've hit the nail on the head!
:O That would send me in a tizzy for months. I would annoy my husband to no end if that happened to me (I am a bit of an overthinker). LOL.
ReplyDeleteI have to post two comments that came in from Twitter because they were pretty amusing:
ReplyDeleteFrom @thesnackhound: That's really freaky. I would have made sure my skirt wasn't tucked into my tights or something.
From @lunaea: I believe you're supposed to send a henchman over to smash the camera, then you throw some money down contemptuously.
Of course they wanted a picture of you. You are beautiful!.. Just next time, walk up to them and tell them your going rate is $1000 an hour for photos and you can negotiate on the freaky stuff after you all agree on a "safe" word...
ReplyDeleteEnvie, same here. :)
ReplyDeletePaige, HAHAHAHAHA. Okay, that's hilarious!
You know, maybe she just thought you were somebody famous. Of course you ruined it for her when you turned around and she saw what an awful mistake she made.
ReplyDelete(just kidding, do not stab)
Maelstrom, yeah, I'm a big ruiner. You and my husband both agree on that. ;D
ReplyDeleteIf you stabbed her with the fork before throwing water on her, you were totally in the right. I'm afraid the other way around is really not proper etiquette.
ReplyDeleteSherri, I am really impressed with your knowledge on this matter. I feel really inadequate by comparison. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's good to know for next time.
I once took a picture of a guy on the bus who had my name tattooed on his neck, but I did it all suave and sneaky-like. Only, I forgot my phone made that stupid fake camera noise and then was really scared because if this guy was tough enough to get a tattoo on his *neck* what would he do to the nerd on the bus taking a picture of him?? Fortunately I looked at my phone really confused and I think he thought I was just another bus crazy, so win!
ReplyDeleteAlso, hello! Your blog is lovely and my brother is also a Tristan! I'll be stopping by again soon...
umm... Wendy? I think maybe she was taking a picture of her and the man she was with? Holding the phone out in front of her toward you but it was pointing at her and the man? Just a theory... not to spoil your fun. I'm sure you're quite beautifully photogenic!! :)
ReplyDelete