Space Invaders

Sometimes it's fun to be creepy and spy on people at coffee shops. Today I've noticed a few interesting things ...

Saturday morning coffee goers are very happy. They want to talk to everyone, especially couples with babies. I just witnessed a man walk up to a group of four (two couples, each with a baby), who were in the middle of a fairly heavy conversation, and insert himself into their lives like he was good old cousin Eddie.

It was something like this:

Scene: Two couples sit at a small table near the front of a coffee shop, discussing economics and whatnot. Man 1, and Woman 2 are holding babies.

Man 1: "You see, if cars become more efficient, then that means we will need fewer cars made each year, and fewer laborers to produce them, thus unemployment increases."

Woman 1: "No, that's the classic Luddite fallacy. Technology that replaces a worker, doesn't necessarily mean that there won't be another job created for them elsewhere."

Man 2: "But, is it really the Luddite fallacy? Cars aren't replacing human labor, unless people in India are buying cars over riding rickshaws. I mean, I'm a Neo-Luddite for sure but ...”

Enter 50-year-old man. He notices the babies, walks up to Woman 2, and puts himself at the level of the baby and talks to it, interrupting the adult conversation.

Stranger: “Well, hello there! Aren’t you a special baby? Yes, you are! What’s your name?

Woman 2: (slightly perturbed) “Her name is Anna.”

Stranger: (ignores Woman 2 and maintains focus on the baby) “Ooooh! Anna. That’s a pretty name. You’re a pretty girl aren’t you?”

Man 2: “Like I was saying, I’m a Neo-Luddite but…”

Stranger: (to baby) “Luddy-duddy-fuddy-whuddy. Yes, uh huh, luddy-duddy! Can you say, luddy-duddy? Oh, yes you can, uh huh!”

This seriously took place before my very own eyes. (more or less)