Let’s Get Together … and Ignore Each Other

“There isn’t one because this isn’t a joke. This is what I
observed at my local Starbucks last week as I was working on a
story and people watching. The two Dilbert-esque gentlemen I
described walked in together, signaled their order to the barista,
sat together at the same table, and never spoke a single word to
each other or even bothered to acknowledge the presence of the
other. More dialog has been exchanged between hostage and
hostage-taker than these two. And why? Were they mutes who only
expressed themselves in sign language? Were they devout monks who
have sworn a vow of silence?

“No. The first guy was talking on his cell phone; the second,
texting on his Blackberry. From what I was able to gather from the
rather loud talker on his cell phone, it wasn’t an important
business call that required his immediate attention. Despite his
professional appearance, the conversation contained the typical
mundane banality that teenagers exchange in their wolf packs. He
just used bigger words.”

Complete
Story