# You're sitting around mind your own business in a public area... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664 "2011-03-22T23:54:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/41 "2011-03-23T22:11:32Z")
Of course I’d do it! Heck, I’m such a helpful guy, you probably wouldn’t even have to ask! ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/42 "2011-03-23T22:13:40Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Those pics of me flipping the bird are already on the Internet. So, yeah. The same is probably true of me (meh, I don’t keep track of every photo taken of me by a friend); and if a potential employer gets the vapors over me doing something that completely harmless in an obviously joking manner, I really doubt I want to work for him. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/43 "2011-03-23T22:30:04Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > And how do you know the person won’t put your name on it once he has the picture? “Thank you. And what was your name again?” “Heywood Jablome. That’s H-e-y-w…” ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/44 "2011-03-23T22:44:21Z")
Heywood Jabloyou? That’s a funny name… ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/45 "2011-03-23T23:33:33Z")
I’d tell you no, and then give you the bird. ---
**Author:** ![maisoui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@maisoui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maisoui)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/46 "2011-03-23T23:43:34Z")
I would probably do it once I knew the reason why you were asking (I think the camera would be a clue). The best photo I have of my husband was taken by a student who needed 40 pictures of “men with facial hair” for her photography course. She was the daughter of my husband’s coworker and he happened to come in while she was in the office talking to her mom. ---
**Author:** ![Kewk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kewk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kewk)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/47 "2011-03-23T23:59:14Z")
Well bunch’O replies here… sorry can’t answer them as they come in. The whole work/sleep thing gets in the way of that. :smack: > [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Anybody who would take you up on it and let you photograph them would surely not be in touch with the world and pretty stupid as well. Once those photos are taken they could end up anywhere around the Internet. Potential employers are learning to check blogs, Facebook and so forth to learn about their candidates. Such a photo would reflect badly on the person. Of course, if you are low class and don’t care what people think about you, go for it. You missed the point entirely. The photo will be completely contextualized before anyone even views it. IE This is about intent, of which you are unable to see. > [@MostlyClueless](#): > > Perhaps it would help if you brought with you some prints or screenshots (on you cellphone/pda/whatever) of previous pictures you took. This is actually a strategy that I have thought of. I already have one to start with! 🙂 [Inspiration for an upcoming project... :) | Been saving this… | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/kewk/5088219266/) > [@Wile\_E](#): > > No. I don’t like having my picture taken by people I know, I’m not going to let someone take one whom I don’t know and I don’t know what they’re going to do with it. No is fine and I can accept that. However, every person I approach will know exactly what I intend to do with it and be given my website address to view their photo and all others. > [@kayaker](#): > > Sorry, but I usually would rather not be approached in that setting. I can’t read minds only body language. If your body language does not tell me to back off then you’l get a warm hello from me. > [@Dogzilla](#): > > For all I know, you’re some sick twisted pervert trying to collect photographs of women’s elbows for your spank bank. If that was my goal I would not be asking your permission. I’d be across the street in a bush with a telephoto lens. > [@muldoonthief](#): > > I’d politely decline. If you were persistent, I’d become less polite. If you pulled out your camera anyway, I just might pull a Sonny Corleone. ^ Tough guy on the intrawebz 🙂 I’m ignoring the other question because the answer is already there. :smack: > [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > A guy I know from the rock gym did a similar project called “Angry People Pointing”. He asked random strangers to… well… point at the camera while looking angry. Thats actually an awesome idea. Is his work anywhere on the web? > [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Because people are readily identified by picture all the time. And how do you know the person won’t put your name on it once he has the picture? It’s very simple. Don’t do stupid things on camera and they can’t come back to bite you. That’s just common sense. BOB IN MY OFFICE NOW! What are you thinking Bob!? You can’t be out in the world, on your own, time giving people the bird! YOU EVEN DID IT WITH A SMILE! > [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > I’d tell you no, and then give you the bird. My camera will be cocked and ready to go just for that! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kewk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kewk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kewk)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/48 "2011-03-24T00:03:26Z")
And just to add since it does seem to be a contention point. One “no” is all I need to politely say “ok, thanks for your time”. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/49 "2011-03-24T01:45:50Z")
If you got right to the point (photo project) and quickly showed me a couple of samples like the one you linked to while you described it (intentions greater than words or actions) I’d do it in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/50 "2011-03-24T02:14:15Z")
In a NY minute! Hell, we have a picture from one Christmas where I’m flipping my uncle the one finger salute. > [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Bank robbers never think they will be identified from their pictures either, but they are. It’s just silly to “perform” for somebody because you believe you can get away with it and will never be identified. Again, if this is the normal low class nature of the person, they probably see no problem and will do just about anything. :rolleyes: Oh please. You don’t have ANY pictures of you acting goofy with friends? At all? None in a Halloween costume, or making funny faces at the camera? (BTW, I find this amusing from someone who chose the name “Al Bundy”) ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/51 "2011-03-24T02:51:00Z")
> [@Kewk](#): > > … and someone comes up to you and politely asks you if you would give him the bird so he could photograph you. Would you do it? No. But only because “the bird” is an example of American cultural imperialism and everyone knows that the proper way to express the sentiment involves the first and second fingers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/52 "2011-03-24T02:58:42Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Anybody who would take you up on it and let you photograph them would surely not be in touch with the world and pretty stupid as well. Once those photos are taken they could end up anywhere around the Internet. Potential employers are learning to check blogs, Facebook and so forth to learn about their candidates. Such a photo would reflect badly on the person. Of course, if you are low class and don’t care what people think about you, go for it. I’ll have to tell this to my friend/neighbor who is a state supreme court justice. I have a picture of him dressed as a clown. I’m pretty sure there are pictures of this somewhere anonymously posted on the web. He did it to amuse his grandkids at Halloween. Is that so hard to explain to an employer? I do a quick search on his name (Supreme Court Justice Last Name) and I get close to 11,000,000 hits. I’m a middle of the road mid-western guy… Conservative to anyone on the coasts 🙂 and I would do this in a heart beat. I’d even volunteer my family to do a portrait. I could probably get my demented mother-in-law to do it (she may leave thinking she really hates you though) but I’m sure it would be a good photo. As far as an employer questioning it (if they could find it in the 11 million links) I think it would be a positive to tell them how I participated in an artistic project which may stimulate a good conversation or at least set me apart from the other candidates. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/53 "2011-03-24T13:50:06Z")
> [@Kewk](#): > > I can’t read minds only body language. If your body language does not tell me to back off then you’l get a warm hello from me. Hopefully my headphones would be “readable” as a clue I do not wish to be disturbed. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kewk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kewk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kewk)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/54 "2011-03-29T18:26:30Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Hopefully my headphones would be “readable” as a clue I do not wish to be disturbed. 😉 Absolutely 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/55 "2011-03-30T20:13:06Z")
Hell, there’s footage out there of George W. Bush flipping off the camera during a sound check! And you know what? That’s AWESOME. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/56 "2011-03-30T22:05:35Z")
I’d turn you down. I’m pretty sure I’d be polite about it and wish you luck in finding someone else, but you would not get a picture of me for your project. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/57 "2011-03-31T01:09:56Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I wouldn’t do it. Regardless of what you told me, I’d suspect you were trying to make me look like a jerk. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/58 "2011-03-31T01:11:05Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Hell, there’s footage out there of George W. Bush flipping off the camera during a sound check! And you know what? That’s AWESOME. No. It just proves that Bush is a lout. ---
**Author:** ![dkwrtw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@dkwrtw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dkwrtw)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/59 "2011-03-31T16:27:19Z")
I’d tell him to piss off, I don’t like being approached by strangers. ---
**Author:** ![Kewk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kewk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kewk)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664/60 "2011-03-31T18:35:49Z")
> [@dkwrtw](#): > > I’d tell him to piss off, I don’t like being approached by strangers. I’m not sure how I would react to that. I guess, really, it depends on how my day was already going. However, assuming I was extremely polite, and you said that to me I doubt I would react in a positive manor at that point. I would likely say something to test just how committed you were and then go from there. :o Of course how you looked would greatly influence the reaction as well. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-sitting-around-mind-your-own-business-in-a-public-area/575664.md?page=4)