Canadutch
This week’s FOAD is dedicated to one of the groups of people I hate most in this world. The people who have no concept of personal space.
The Personal Space Invaders!
Face talkers are the ones I hate most. The people who can’t talk to you unless their nose is almost touching yours. As if they are deaf, or getting into position just in case something you say gives them an incredible urge to kiss you.
As someone who is slightly claustrophobic, this drives me to no end. I hate it so much that I even react to it in my sleep. According to my husband, one morning when he woke up, he leaned over to tell me he loves me and give me a kiss. Sweet, huh? How did I react? In my sleep, I reached my hand out and laid it flat on his face and pushed him back a few inches.
I know, I’m such a romantic.
I often wish I could do this with strangers. Whether it’s a sales person, the person sitting next to me on the bus or an aquaintance at a social gathering. I would love to plant my hand on their face and tell them to BACK OFF!
If I feel their breath on my face, that’s the end of me. You may as well shoot me right there on the spot.
Other types of Personal Space Invaders I loathe include strangers who do the following:
- Stand really close behind me while I’m at a banking machine.
- Sit on my side of a bench when the whole other side is empty.
- Sit directly next to me in a theater without leaving an empty chair in between (unless it’s a totally packed movie, then I understand.)
- Sit next to me on the train in a 2 seat row, when there are other 2 seat rows totally empty for them to sit in.
- Hover around me while I’m shopping (salespeople).
Any one of these things makes me scream FOAD in my head and wish I could just shove them until they are out of my space.
Americans understand this better than anyone. In America everyone stays at least an arms length away at all times unless u are sleeping with said person. I have only encountered this behavior with foriegners. I went to Uruaguay last Januaray and they were always up on your ass, it was so un-nerving! At the store, in line for drinks, or for anything that required people to be near you. And me being the paraniod American would have to turn around and ask them to step back a pace, but them having no idea what I was saying had no idea what my problem was. But it did help that I was taller than most of the entire population there haha.
I’m guilty of this, I’ve even used it as an intimidation technique.
I never water boarded anyone but when I did interrogations in Iraq this was the most effective means of intimidation. I would sit down in a chair, them in a chair and put my face one inch away and just start asking questions.
It might have helped that I’m a big guy too.
Different countries have different idea’s about personal space too. I can’t help but wonder why, but seems that the ones who have absolutly no concept of personal space are the same that don’t have daily showers either.
Love,
Charles~
Hehe There is a comedian who has a commercial going here in canada. He says. “Men have a 4 or 5 foot personal space around them. If a woman come withing that personal space the man believes they are in a relationship! Makes elevator rides tough….45 floors of heartbreak and agony.”
NEVER come to HK. EVER.
I have snapped at people who are so close to me in the queue for the ATM. They have NO concept of personal space here. NONE!
A FOAD after my own heart. It happens to me ALL the time when I’m in line at the grocery store. I mean really, back the eff up and don’t get pissed at me b/c when I turned around I knock into ya!
Ummm…you’re in NL, so there is no getting away from it. The Dutch have a different personal space than we North Americans are raised with. Big people + tiny country = less space for each person.
This is, of course, only my opinion. Love ya, Xander!
Let it all out, don’t just scream it IN your head, darlin’
Absolutely. I wonder if people who do those things realise it makes them automatically repulsive.
I can totally relate! I am so claustrophobic, that I almost audibly gasp for air.
Understandable. But also understand that this isn’t biological, but cultural. If you’d grown up in some cultures such behaviour would be normal and westerners, for instance, would appear stilted and stand-offish.
All attitudes are malleable.
Oh,wow! And I thought I was so weird! The worst: being in a situation where a stranger actually breathes on you!
Cluny
I hate that too! I’m also slightly claustrophobic plus I have social anxiety, so it really bugs the hell outta me when people invade my personal bubble.
This is something I can relate to as well. (Although I’m in sales I don’t invade anyone’s space.)
Oh man, you totally nailed it – I’m the exact same way!!!!
Terrific post – you crack me up!