I am a grad student in the USA from India. Even though I have been here for almost 2 years, I am still learning stuff about people here.
Today, I was in a SUBWAY eating my sandwich. There were no empty tables left. This guy comes up to me and asks me “Do you mind if I share this table with you?”
I take the question literally and say “Fine, go ahead”.
He then asks for half of my sandwich. I immediately assume he is joking and say “No way man”.
He then asks" But you said OK when I wanted to share the table…"
So, my question: Does “share the table” imply sharing the meal also?
Hmmm…very strange. It seems odd that he would ask to share a table if he didn’t have a tray of food, anyway.
So to answer your question, no this is not normal.
Zette
Love is like popsicles…you get too much you get too high.
My immediate reaction is to assume the poor fellow had nothing to eat and was just trying to get himself a little food in the most polite way he could think of.
Um, this is an experiment, right?
Dr. Watson
“The first and wisest of them all professed;
To know this only, that he nothing knew.”
-Milton, Paradise Regained
Hmm maybe this guy wasn’t from the US either. As far as I know… sharing a table is just the table. Now if he said share your dinner, or food, that would be a whole different matter!
My guess is he was messing with you.
I really try to be good but it just isn’t in my nature!
Sorry, Ramesh, I think you just encountered either:
an honestly crazy person
a wiseass
No, sharing a table just means sharing, well, a table and maybe a few polite pleasantries, e.g. “nice day, isn’t?” or “would you pass the salt”? It doesn’t mean handing over part of your meal, swapping shoes, etc.
I’m sincerely sorry you ran into this. (I can’t even imagine how confused I’d be if I were in your place, trying to be polite in a wildly unfamiliar context.) Unfortunately, sometimes 1 & 2 above aren’t that easy to distinguish, even for folks who live here.
I didn’t realize this until a Japanese friend said in frustration, “All Americans are wild cards!” It was a moment of truth, spoken from an outsider: we draw very wide, soft lines.
But in no way were you rude. As sweeping and blurry as our lines are, no one has the right to demand of you. Ask, sure. To our shame, we haven’t solved people (crazy, lazy or whatever) of begging, but no one has the social right to assume rights to your food–or anything else.
Frankly, I would have been suspiscious the moment the guy asked to share your table. Unless the place is really crowded, Americans don’t usually ask to share tables. Anyway, that’s my experience as a native-born American.
True, Guy. If someone asked to “share my table”, my radar would flash panhandler or wacko. I’d expect to eventually be asked for money. Food? That’s just bizzare.
Look at it this way: atypical encounter or not, this should become yet another “Those Crazy Americans” story. With suitable embellishment you can convince your friends we’re all weird. In one way or other, I suppose we are.
I hope all your encounters with weird Americans are entertaining yet non-threatening.
