That’s the beginning of one of my favorite quotes from Good Will Hunting. It’s one of his “two certainties in life”. Following a couple of days at a trade show, I can only re-iterate. It’s astonishing how some people – especially men – behave once they view themselves out of their usual environment. Like “being on a trip” allows them to act according to a different set of rules.
The evertrue and easyist “trip rule” is peeing in public restrooms. Why is it that under every fucking public urinal you can see a collection of drops at any given time? Here are two random pictures, but it looks like that everywhere. And you have to wonder why? The usual form of urinals helps men hit the target I’d think, but apparently not. I wonder if the villains “leave as much behind” at home.
Then comes the staring. Away from the missus? Then you can stare it seems. Check out hot women. And not even in a subtle way (not that this would be better), but sizing up the woman, looking up and down, in plain sight. Themselves in sandals with white socks, a prime example for too much alcohol and fatty food.
Finally, and for me this is worst, negligence of professional boundaries. This behaviors is also often visible at home, but much more obvious on a trip. These people think of themselves as if they were in a bubble (hopefully). They comment on everybody around them, known/colleague/client/stranger. Often standing so close to the subject and talking so loud that I want to just vanish in the spot, feeling desecrated for being talked to in this fashion. Which I object to and want no part of it.
Don’t do that.