Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 22:53:05 -0500
From: Ted White <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Odd event on Metro
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Keith F. Lynch wrote:

>  This evening on the way home on Metro, a woman sat in my lap. She
>  immediately said, "how rude," to me and got up again. I thought
>  maybe she wanted the seat, so I stood up, but she also remained
>  standing. The seat remained empty even though the car was
>  standing-room only, until someone got on at a later station who
>  hadn't witnessed the event.
>
>  She was middle aged, white, well groomed, and professionally dressed.
>
>  As the crowd thinned out, she eventually sat in another seat. I went
>  to the far end of the car before sitting down.
>
>  She got off at the same station as I did. As far as I could tell,
>  she wasn't following me.
>
>  Has anyone else experienced anything like that? Any idea what was
>  going on? She certainly didn't look crazy.

Had you been occupying that seat for at least one stop?  You didn't just
scoot into it right before she sat down, I mean.

Very likely she, for reasons of her own on which I won't speculate,
thought the seat was empty when she sat in it -- and in your lap.  Thus
she *might* have thought you'd scooted under her into "her" seat, and in
response reprimanded you for your rudeness.

Alternatively, perhaps she was scolding herself.  Hard to tell, from
your narrative.

--Ted White