Is this behavior a sign of pretentiousness, or just an utter opposition to basic human interaction? What ever the reason, it's just beyond my comprehension. Especially considering all of the fantastic people watching opportunities that would be missed if I were nose deep into The Great Gatsby instead of other people's business! In my humble (if not clearly jaded) opinion, the only two appropriate books allowed into a bar are 1.) A Bartender's Guide to Creating Great Cocktails, or 2.) 10 Easy Ways to Enjoy Yourself at a Bar Without Reading a Book.
K-Dogg would refer to this as a classic case of "Hey, look what I'm reading." This term was spawned by him last Friday when we caught a guy reading a book during the movie previews before the start of The Hangover. (I thought "jackass" was sufficient, but he has a better grasp of the English language than I do.) If you think that is the strangest example of IRS (Inappropriate Reading Syndrome) ever recorded, you'd be sorely mistaken. I actually saw a speed walker in Winnemac Park engaging in IRS a few weeks ago. In all honesty, it was virtually impossible not to notice him as he almost walked right into me and my dog while he was reading his, obviously, engrossing book.
Sadly, this is not a new phenomenon either. A few years back while doing our version of a two-man pub crawl through Lincoln Square, K-Dogg and I were greeted by a bouncer at The Huettenbar who was reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. You know, just a little "light reading" while the packed bar sang along with the jukebox playing "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. But hey, if you can't kick back and relax with a good book while surrounded by 50 drunken assholes screwing up the lyrics to an 80's classic, then when can you?
K-Dogg would refer to this as a classic case of "Hey, look what I'm reading." This term was spawned by him last Friday when we caught a guy reading a book during the movie previews before the start of The Hangover. (I thought "jackass" was sufficient, but he has a better grasp of the English language than I do.) If you think that is the strangest example of IRS (Inappropriate Reading Syndrome) ever recorded, you'd be sorely mistaken. I actually saw a speed walker in Winnemac Park engaging in IRS a few weeks ago. In all honesty, it was virtually impossible not to notice him as he almost walked right into me and my dog while he was reading his, obviously, engrossing book.
Sadly, this is not a new phenomenon either. A few years back while doing our version of a two-man pub crawl through Lincoln Square, K-Dogg and I were greeted by a bouncer at The Huettenbar who was reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. You know, just a little "light reading" while the packed bar sang along with the jukebox playing "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. But hey, if you can't kick back and relax with a good book while surrounded by 50 drunken assholes screwing up the lyrics to an 80's classic, then when can you?
I'm just as upset as you are about this abusive behavior....it needs to end!
ReplyDeleteK-Dogg