Thursday, September 18, 2008

Where's Emily Post when you need her? Or maybe the cops?


It's totally amazing to me which things my mind decides to totally drop. I forgot to mention this to ANYBODY. Yesterday I saw my BF at lunch. We had gone to a convenience store, parked, and he had gone inside. Sitting in the passenger seat I was just kind of staring into space until something on my right caught my eye.


There was a taxi parked there, right in the center in front of the doors which really isn't supposed to be a parking space. I wasn't sure what about this taxi caught my eye so I turned my head.

The door to the driver's side of the taxi was open and the driver was standing between the door and the inside of the car. He had a pack of cigarettes in his right hand and was smacking it against the palm of his left. He was an Asian man with a slight build, and he was looking straight ahead while he packed his cigarettes and peed.

Did you catch that? He was peeing! That's what caught my eye, the stream sparkling in the sunlight while it was bouncing off the pavement.

UGH!!!!!

I was so taken aback I looked away and doubted that's what I really saw for a second. It was bizarre, that's the only way I can describe it. We've all seen guys standing against a bush or a tree with his back to you and we know what he's doing. But generally they tend to go to a somewhat secluded spot, do their business and get on with it. But I have never seen a guy (we are discounting living in a college town where copious amounts of alcohol were involved) park in a highly trafficked area in broad daylight - whip it out and just pee - regardless of who was around, or who might see him!

He obviously was not aiming - in the traditional way - because his hands were in plain sight. How he was avoiding peeing on his legs and feet, not to mention his car, is beyond me. I would say this was something he was very practiced at and very comfortable with.

My BF came out of the store just as this guy was zipping up and getting back in his car. BF didn't notice anything, and I waited until the guy had gotten back in his car and pulled out of the parking lot before I said anything. To be honest, I was totally offended and was a tiny bit afraid of what the BF might do if the guy was still standing there with his willy out of his pants. BF is big. Peeing guy, very small.

I may be a conservative in some areas but I've never been a prude. But isn't there a certain amount of decorum that can be expected when you are out in public anymore? I mean, I know everybody pees, everybody has emergencies, but what about being a little discreet? Does this reflect a change in accepted behavior, or maybe it's a cultural thing? What do you think?

Because to me it was disgusting behavior and certainly disrespectful to anyone who was nearby, not to mention crude and just plain nasty. I'm sure the store wouldn't have wanted that to be happening right in front of their doors either, if the worker inside had noticed. But since it was about 12:30pm in the middle of a week day - he was pretty busy with customers.

So yeah, that slipped my mind yesterday but I'm curious. Am I overreacting or would you have found it bizarre and disgusting as well?

Just askin'.