Went with the P-man today to a birthday party at the U of C gymnastics centre. It was a lot of fun with kids running all over the padded gym climbing on various pieces of equipment. There was one instructor for all 20-something kids so the parents that stayed served as spotters, supervisors and general helpers. P. had an awesome time and it was another great opportunity for him to bond a bit more with his still new-ish classmates. He particularly liked the rings, swinging back and forth on them.
At one point in the day another one of the parents who I hadn't met yet came up and started to ask me questions about the facility, the equipment, etc. that I really didn't have the answers to. I wasn't quite sure why he was asking me and I certainly didn't have answers for him, so I suggested he ask the instructor who worked there. At which point he said that he had mistaken me for being someone who worked there. Yes, that's right, he mistook me for a gymnastics instructor, which is so absurd that I struggled to not start laughing. (Which I'm sure he would've misinterpreted as me laughing at him; I've learned that one the hard way)
Second to people insisting that we've met before ("Trust me, we haven't," has become my stock reply), this is the second most frequent odd mistake strangers make about me in daily interactions. At least when I'm in a good place inside; when I'm down or not feeling particularly "myself" it never happens. So I guess that's a good sign?
Though it is a little unnerving at times to be walking through a book store or some such and have some complete and random stranger come up and start asking where such-and-such would be found or what the price on a given thing is. It always takes me a few moments to figure out what's really going on, prior to which I usually try and come up with an answer for them as my mind spins a bit. Which only makes the interaction more bizarre.
This is why I always ask someone if they work there before I start peppering them with customer type questions. And besides, that's why they put the workers in uniforms: to tell them apart from innocents like me.
Though I suppose this is an improvement over when I was younger (young?) and it was fairly routine for security to follow me around through stores. I was, after all, so menacing and dodgy looking back then. *smirk*
What sort of odd things do people mistake you for being / doing?
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That happens to me a lot as well. I often get asked questions about where such and such product is if I'm at a hardware store, grocery store, electronics store, etc. Once I was wearing a blue shirt and khakis and happened to stroll into a Best Buy, and some lady started asking me all these questions about computers. I knew all the answers (probably more so than the employees there :) but kindly said "Oh I'm sorry ma'am, I don't work here". She had the nerve to yell at me and ask me why I'm wearing a blue shirt and khakis!
@mo: "ask me why I'm wearing a blue shirt and khakis"
lol! that's classic.
and yes, how dare you wear colours in a configuration that might bear a resemblance to the worker bees! ;)
oh man ... society is so messed up.
"probably more so than the employees there"
almost certainly; that bar is rarely very high and if you're the sort who reads the blogs of free software hackers ...... =)
Invariably it's assumed that I am the brother of whoever I'm with. The funniest was when I worked with a fellow named Derek, and a bank manager asked if we were brothers.
Derek
Hihi, yeah, I get that a lot too. To the extend that when I see people come over that might ask such a question I act a little out of place, which is the non-verbal way to give them a clue "hey, I feel just as lost as you".
My mother tells me I have had this since birth; whereever I go I feel at home, as opposed to showing you are new to the place. Best example is when I was little and the family going to a amusement park. I always was through the gates before my parents had the chance to pay, and the park suggested to only charge them an entry-fee for my sister.
So, in a world where most people are confused (we don't have uber-obvious class-differences from the 1900s anymore) about whom to talk to in a shop or gym or amusement park, most people cue in on the non-verbal signs of someone who acts like a visitor and someone who acts like an employee.
Unfortunately for them, you are not that easy to classify ;)
when I try to get free samples at costco, I'm sometimes asked if I have a parent with me. I think the last time this happened, I was 21. the minimum age for getting samples without a parent is 12. :)
I've always taken it as a compliment :)
the funny thing is that back when I was a teenager, some guy trying to sell stuff asked if I had kids... so I guess there are a few people in the world that don't think I look like a child.
People don't seem to mistake me for being or doing much (other than people thinking I'm not a nerd when I clearly am).
As for people insisting you've met before, over this side of the pond insistence you've met someone before is normally a sign they are chatting you up :)
I have blonde hair, and this never ever happens to me. If I'm with someone my age who also has blonde hair, then people start to ask if we're brothers -- kindof strange to see how much hair color matters.
http://wetriffs.com/
isn't it you in the gallery?
I'd swear one of the pics is you!!
am I right? haha man...that's awesome! :D
It must be a genetic thing. I am ALWAYS stopped in stores and asked for prices and if there is a different size/colour/style etc! Too funny..
I usually end up helping the person as REAL store employees are usually too busy doing important things like taking a break! ;)
Jaye
heh, that's funny, I've never heard of people having similar experiences, but from the comments, I understand it's quite common.. :) at least amongst the readers of this blog ;)
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