Walking Behind Women In Shopping Malls

Do you know what I hate?

It's walking behind women in shopping malls.

Do you see that photo above? I'm at the very back of that line, I'm hungry, and this is my daily nightmare.

Now hopefully that 'woman' crack wasn't too sexist a comment. It's an observation thought of every day as I walk through a busy shopping mall at lunch time searching for food or LEGO or Easter eggs or hair color (I'll deny it if directly asked).

I'm a quick walker, but I also have my wits about me. That means I observe when there are idiots on their cell phones ambling along the pathways like drunks on a bender, or small children walking without their parent's guiding hand ambling beside me so I can avoid them.

I purposely walk about 1-1/2 meters away from the store entrances/exits because people (women) frequently come barreling out of the stores without a care for what is walking in front of them.

I don't want to take anybody out with my 200-pound-plus frame and superior walking power. Despite body fat, I have a lot of muscle. I also have a purpose, and I know what it is when I enter any mall.

So I am observant.

I swerve out of the way of the children, incessant phone talkers, those people who walk slowly four abreast oblivious to the fact that there are other people in the mall.

And sometimes... I am forced to walk behind women. It happens every day I am in a shopping mall.

Normally - especially in the summer when the clothing is shorter - I enjoy walking behind women. I don't dawdle or ogle, but I look and admire briefly, with just the right amount of testosterone and intelligence so as not to be obscene.

I observe, because that is what I do. I look and I learn.

But despite my appreciation of the female form in all its glories, as mentioned, I really do hate walking behind women at shopping malls.

Why? Because women at shopping malls, whether alone or with a gaggle of other women like to stop suddenly in the midst of their walking.

Oh! There's something to look at! A sale on something I don't need or want! But it's on sale, so I'll actually be saving money!

Because I am ever vigilant, I am able to quickly side-step these bouncing Betty's, but it's still annoying. I'm getting older and pretty soon I won't be able to dodge my balls quickly enough to get out of your apparent right of passage.

I'm not saying I have the right of way - I don't. This is a shared information superhighway.

I am observant. I am wary of where I am and that there are other people in the mall - why can't they? Why do I have to avoid other people? I'm the faster and heavier vehicle on the road. I will run you down and you will possibly get hurt. I don't want to do that. You don't want me to do that. So why do you put yourself in possible harm's way?

It's like driving and being aware of your surroundings. I'm a damn good driver who no longer speeds. I've never smashed into anyone - but that's because I provide myself with enough time and space to react properly.

I expect other drivers to do the same, and to a large extent both male and female drivers do just that.

But at the mall, all bets are off.

So I have to dash to a side to avoid rear ending these women, which only sounds a lot more interesting and fun than what it really is.

It keeps me on my toes, but it's hardly fun for me.

If more people were aware of their surroundings and actually gave a rat's ass about other people, fewer people would get hurt or become an annoyance.

Why should I have to look out for your well-being as well as my own? It's not fair and I hate having to be responsible for everyone when all I want is to get rid of my grey (I'm not going grey!).

Kids, the elderly, pregnant women, women with strollers - whatever. That's cool.

I know it's rough, and I have no truck with you. But when I walked the malls with my son in his stroller, I was always aware of where we were. I didn't want him to get hurt.

And I don't want to hurt anyone... but can you give me a break, please?

Yeah, yeah... women like to shop while men go to malls to purchase. No problem. Just be aware.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
(Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5)

Do you know what I hate?

It's walking behind women in shopping malls.

Easily Solvable U.S. TV Police Dramas

Do you know what I hate?

Easily solvable U.S. TV police dramas.

There is nothing worse than sitting down for what one supposes is a police drama - well, written, well-acted and thought-provoking only to have it spoiled early on in the broadcast.

If that seems like a paradox, it's not.

What spoils it for me is how often a whodunnit is solved because of who has been cast in the show.

Maybe I'm going to spoil it for you, too, but if you are watching a police drama, check out the actors.

I don't mean the usual cast, rather I'm talking about the special guest stars.

As soon as you see a well-known actor appear in a role longer than a cameo, you know who did it.

No well-known actor worth his salt is going to be hired to play a minor role. No! They are being hired to play a major role. And... 9 times out of 10, that person is the criminal.

Don't believe me - check it out. Everything from CSI, to Law & Order and all points in-between.

It's ridiculous.

Perfectly well-written and acted shows ruined by the casting director.

Hunh. Maybe I should say I hate casting directors.

If you to find that this fatal flaw in casting to be true, might I suggest you watch a British cop drama - all over PBS on Masterpiece Theatre and others. DCI Banks, Midsomer Murders, Frost, Lewis, Inspector Morse, Cracker, Lovejoy... shows I suggest because unless you live in the United Kingdom, you probably don't know these actors or guest stars and as such, there will be no clue as to who actually did it.

As an aside, I believe only Midsomer Murders actually has proper sound pick-ups. I find I have to crank the volume up quite high on all the other shows, as their outdoor sound quality is appalling.

Do you know what I hate?
     
Easily solvable U.S. TV police dramas.

Racism

Do you know what I hate?

Racism.

Today, I received my first racist comment on one of my blogs. Hell... right below where people are free to leave comments, I state that comments about race et al are not welcome. Is racism blind? It would be better if they were blind to race.

I published it within this - You Know What I Hate? - blog only to admonish the anonymous commentator.

I have no idea why I am surprised about receiving a racist comment. It wasn't directed at me, but was more of a casual offhand remark which is perhaps more surprising, as in this day and age, it's real easy for anyone, should they wish, to track down who exactly is doing what on the Internet.

And yet.. I was surprised. By the 21st century, overt racism has been replaced with acceptance and understanding... or perhaps, for some, it's just gone into hiding.

It would be ignorant of myself to have assumed racism doesn't exist - it does.

A very good friend of mine described the phenomenon of DWB. Driving while Black here in the greater Toronto area.

He's not the stereotypical Black dude gang-banger we see on television or the rapper type on the music videos, rather he is a well-spoken, educated young man with a family who, like myself, lives in a community that is largely White dominated.

It is because there so few Blacks in the area, whenever he drove his own car there, he would be pulled over by the police for a 'routine' check. He wasn't pulled over because he was breaking the law, but rather because the police suspected he, a young Black man, was up to no good in the predominantly White area.

Toronto does not have segregated areas. I should state that, up front. But, the farther one gets from the city of Toronto proper, the fewer visible minorities there are.

When my family (of Indian descent) moved into the current part of Etobicoke (now part of the City of Toronto) back in 1973, we were pretty much the entire minority population... although there was one another family farther down the block, and a Filipino family around the corner. Otherwise, it was Ukrainian, Italian, and Canadian White - which is a term I can't explains, but if you saw the folks, you might understand. I'm just describing the area... I never really noticed anything else, except that the kids were curious about me and asked questions and learned.

While my friend who happens to be Black, after the police determined he 'was supposed to be in the area' because he lived there, they simply let him go on his way. No explanation about why he was stopped. No apology for the inconvenience.

So... racism exists.

In my family, I have a White wife, a mixed son, aunts and uncles from India, The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, French Canada, English Canada, Americans, Scottish, Irish, English, and mixes of all of those. Canada is a melting pot. I was engaged to a Buddhist Japanese woman at one time.... Jewish grandma... it's a whole grab bag. My friends are from all corners of the world and of every race, color, creed and sexual orientation (and then some). They are rich, poor, richer and poorer for better or for worse married, divorced, single, thinking about changing their situation and from a variety of professions that would make your head spin. But, unless they have no idea who I am, none of them are racist.

Despite by taste for racism, race means nothing to me. The same with religion. Despite having a political science degree, I'm not likely to care about one's political affiliation. Sexual preference - whatever. Love and do as you will.

As I get older, it seems to me that more and more people to whom I am exposed to in my daily life are not the type to care about race - it has given me hope to think that such archaic racial stereotypes or fears would be on the way to extinction.

And then... I'm reminded we aren't there yet.

Do you know what I hate?

Racism.