Talking To Strangers

Tonight I needed to follow up on some things for work. Those things involved checking on some sidewalk issues downtown. I live downtown, so it's rather convenient for me to check stuff out. And since the last time I went out it was 3pm and I nearly melted, I welcomed the opportunity to wait until the sun was going down to walk around downtown.

So there I was, walking around downtown with my clipboard, stopping at intersections and the middle of the sidewalk to make a note. I'm sure people thought I was a weirdo (or maybe not; who knows what strangers think).

I also take random photos of things that I think would be useful to have. Like when bike racks are being used. Tonight I was doing that when the owners of the bikes I was taking a photo of appeared. It was a bit awkward. I explained that I work for the City and like to have photos of the bike racks being used, since I am working on installing more bike racks. They looked a little dubious, so I had to assure them that there was nothing wrong with their bikes being parked there. We then talked for a bit about their routes to the Square and such.

I was finishing up my tour when I stopped to make a note on my clipboard. A gentleman passing by stopped to ask if I needed help. I assured him I was fine. Then he started asking me all these questions: What are you doing, where's your id, stuff like that? I tried to stay calm - I really do work for the City! He then laughed, saying he was just teasing me because I looked like a nice person. Then I actually said, "I am a nice person." He offered to buy me a drink and sit with him and his daughter. I declined because, even though it's been less hot than last week, I was still fairly sweaty from my walking.

Denton is just full of such nice people. I love that my job allows me to interact with them. Most of the time... :)