I take the train to work every morning. There is a guy who appears to be somewhat mentally challenged who hangs around the train station in the mornings. I used to think he worked for the T - he always seems to know what’s up with schedule delays - but now I think he just likes hanging around there. He always says hello to me, and I usually smile and ask him how he is today. Sometimes he tells me I look nice this morning, and I say thank you.
Well, one day this week, as I was about to get on the train, he handed me a folded-up piece of paper, and said “Don’t tell your husband.” I looked at it when I got on the train, and it has his name, address, and phone number. :eek:
It seems apparent to me that he has misunderstood my trying to be pleasant. What should I do when I see him in the mornings now? The last couple of days, I’ve nodded when he says hello, and then become very absorbed in my newspaper.
What, if anything, should I say? I’m sure he doesn’t mean any harm, and he’s no threat to me or anything. He doesn’t know my name or anything about me, and he’s never there in the evenings when I get home, so he can’t follow me or anything. I’d prefer not to provide the morning entertainment for everyone on the platform by telling him off, but I feel all icky about this.
Yeah, I agree with Ringo on that one. He’s most likely harmless, but it’s a good way to let him know you’re not interested and to avoid a scene in public.
But don’t let that stop you from being a nice person overall. When women are nice to guys, they start thinking “Hey, maybe I should ask her out.” It’s odd when it’s a stranger, but if it’s someone you see everyday, that brings comfort and a sense of friendly aquaintance, even though you really may have no more interraction than the occassional “Hey, how’s it goin’?” But in this case, I would stop with the verbal communicae, and if you see him before he sees you, find a way to get by without any acknowledgement. (God, I hate when people have to start playing such silly mind games).
I get in situations like this from time to time. I try to treat people nicely, and it gets sticky every once in a while.
Here’s what I would probably do: I would bring my husband to the train station once or twice with me. This shows that you have a loving relationship with your husband, and may get the point accross with out hurting the guy’s feelings. Not to mention you can continue to be nice to him.
That may not be the right choice, but it’s what I would most-likely do.
