The Strangest Places

Last week, I witnessed two incidents where people did very normal things in the strangest places.

There was the man who tied his shoes. Tying shoes is normal. Tying them in the middle of the street is strange. He was crossing as I approached the stop sign. I was about fifteen feet away when he suddenly paused, bent over and started tying his shoes. Not wanting him to feel hurried, I braked and waited, admiring how methodical he was with the laces. After ensuring everything felt right, he continued across the street, never once glancing in my direction.

There was the woman who ate a banana. I eat them all of the time. Eating bananas is normal enough. Eating them in front of an automated teller machine is peculiar. As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw her retrieving her money and ATM card. I thought, "Ah, cool. No wait." I parked in a stall and was about to get out of the car when she pulled a banana from her purse, peeled it and began eating on the spot. Not wanting to rush her and cause indigestion, I sat and waited until she finished. She stuffed the peel into the little ATM garbage slot and walked off. She never glanced in my direction either.

At the time, I found their actions confusing, but now, I find them most amusing.