You arrive, and park, at a Wal-Mart, so your friend can go cash a check. You’re the driver. Your friend just flew in so he has quite a bit of stuff, and much of it hanging out of an unclosed trunk (tie-downs in place) which would be easy to grab and is quite valuable. Being that you’re not moving anywhere and you don’t really trust leaving the items in the trunk exposed to guilty pleasures you decide to stand outside of the car. Keep in mind there is quite a bit of foot-traffic at this time passing your car and there is no one else with you. It is an enclosed parking-lot and is daytime.
Your friend now heads into the store…
How, exactly, will you be spending this next 10 minutes standing outside of the car?
Well, I figured this wouldn’t get far, and before it gets further I’ll point out the action I was looking for, yet, was not expecting, and that is ‘calling/texting people from your cell phone you never really cared/planned to call but you call them anyway’. And most of these conversations are very brief and pointless. It seems people get really self-conscious when they are in situations where they are alone around other people and cannot get comfortable and for some reason this action seems to be the default option when you do have a cell phone…
Maybe someone with more experience in psychology can elaborate. Just what does this say about one’s personality? I’m usually pretty good with this subject but this one I can’t grasp.
You know, I’ve been the recipient of those sorts of calls and I’ve been less than honored. Especially when they start the conversation with “So I’m waiting for so and so and then we have to go, so don’t be surprised if I hang up all of a sudden. But I have about 10 minutes. Anyhow, how have you been? It’s been, what, six months?”
So as a result, if I do call someone as a time-filler, then it’s my boyfriend or my mom or someone I talk to all the time anyhow. Otherwise I’ll just check my email or maybe clear out my text message inbox. I wouldn’t have any problem staring into space for 10 minutes in a wal-mart parking lot. If I’m in the lobby of some 4-star hotel lobby, maybe i’d get fidgety. But Wal-mart? meh. I don’t care what they think of me.
But yes, I know what you are talking about. And it’s usually the same people I get these calls from.
Firstly, why is the valuable stuff in an easily grabbed position, rather than, say, in the back seat? If it is so easy to grab, wouldn’t it be in danger of falling out? Just seems pretty poor loading technique to me. Stand outside the car? Why, is the wally-world in a high crime area? Doesn’t the car have mirrors allowing a decent view of the rear of the vehicle? Otherwise I’m sitting in the car, listening to the radio. If I feel the need to “Stand Guard”, I can do it comfortably for hours, just observing the surroundings, it’s what I do for a living. Text or call people I don’t want to talk to? Seems asinine to me.
The location is pretty irrelevant since I notice this activity in quite a few places. I just thought of it as being kind of odd is all and somewhat of a trend since quite a few people have cell phones on them.
I’m only inquiring because I had the urge to do this today, but did not comply because it didn’t feel right, so I really wanted to get an understanding of why I would have that urge… Hoping it isn’t a bad thing.
Anyway… off to the movies. I’ll check back at this later. Thanks for chiming in.
The scenario really has nothing to do with the point I was making.
As for the scenario, it’s difficult to explain how things were arranged. There were limited options of placement. As much as I wanted to just sit in the car listening to the radio I realized waiting outside a few minutes would be better than explaining to someone who’d I’d just met where their belongings may have wondered off while I was there with the car.
I would be reading the newspaper or the small book I always keep with me for those times when you are waiting in line somewhere. Yes, I have a european carry all, and no, it’s not a man-purse.
I would be reading the paper, or if I didn’t have one, listening to the car radio. I’d park the car in a spot in the lot and wait in the car. I would figure it would be pretty hard for someone to approach the car and steal something out of the trunk without me noticing, even if I was in the car.
I would watch people in the parking lot. I often work on cleaning up the accumulated junk that tends to pile up in a vehicle. I’ll also check the wiper blades, tires for damage and the washer fluid. There’s always something to do.
Stand outside, and probably watch people. I don’t really think anyone is really going to notice you, and if they do, so what. Call someone on the phone, maybe.
Okaaay…so if I follow you, the whole scenario you laid out has nothing to do with the question you’re asking?
You basically could have been anywhere, waiting for someone/something for any reason and wanted to know if you were the only one who ever felt like “cold dialing” someone on your cell phone just to have something to do/be seen doing something because you feel nervous or self conscious when by yourself amongst strangers?
