Personal Space

I like traveling into the city because of the anonymity of it all. You can wear pretty much what you want, do what you want and blend. There are over 1.5 million people in Philadelphia. I come from a town of roughly 55,000. There's a big difference there. Everyone was all up in each others business in my small town, but I adore the fact that I can walk through Reading Terminal Market, or Rittenhouse Square, and more or less, not get hassled. There is the occasional homeless person or crazy person. We all know that...it comes with the city.

However, it is the uncomfortable "hitting on" me that makes me anxious/irritated. For example, a good friend of mine came into the city from D.C. this weekend, arriving on the Chinatown bus. The Chinatown bus station is located at 55 11th Street, in an underpass. It is borderline shady to me, given the lack of light, and people trying to sell you tickets (I'm from the south, and therefor, slightly paranoid in urban settings, as much as I love them). So...I am sitting in the terminal, waiting, and reading a lovely Sookie Stackhouse book, minding my business.

"Hey there pretty girl, what are you reading?" Strange man asks me.
"A book." I answer, not looking up from the page.
"A book?" he asks, trying to be coy, but let's face it, just coming up creepy.
"Yes." I shoot him a look that says 'go away' but in fact, in his strange alien mind, says 'Please, engage me in more conversation. I am so interested in having a discussion about my reading material with you.'
"What is it?" he asks, attempting to read my page. I turn the book away from him and ignore him.

He eventually left me alone, but seriously. Why in God's name would you bother someone like that. It's like that MadTV skit my roommate turned me onto the other day, where the guy asks for the girl's number like 400 times. Being anonymous is what we need sometimes. If sitting in a bus terminal with a nose in a book and a get the hell away from me body posture doesn't get that, I don't know what does.