I love how weird normative behaviour is. We are all so detached from each other and we would have it no other way. I mean, imagine a man sits next to you on the bus and starts talking about what he's doing this weekend. How dare he sit next to you. Clearly you need that empty seat beside you. Clearly he should know the unsaid rule of two seats per person until you have absolutely no other choice. You'll probably politely smile or awkwardly reply, but in your mind you will be counting down the minutes till he will shut up and leave you alone.
That's really what our ipods, books, cellphones, and magazines are for. They are introverted technologies which allow us to disconnect from what is going around behind us, beside us, and in front of us. We put in those little ear buds and feel a sense of security. Those small sound emitters protect us from outsiders.
"You can't talk to me because I can't hear you."
See, that's the problem half of the time--we simply don't hear (let alone listen to) anyone.
