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I Can’t Hear You

Some people just don’t know who to approach and who not to approach when looking for help. They would walk up to the nearest person who’s on the phone and bombard them with queries best handled by Google Maps. And they wonder why they get ignored. The talking-on-the-phone thing is a sign telling other people to not disturb them. And it’s the same with those of us who like to listen to music when they’re out and about by themselves.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not antisocial. I like talking with people, but sometimes I want a bit of alone time while I walk the streets. What annoys me the most is that while I’m blasting my music, some lady, whom I’m sure is very nice, will walk up to me from the side and start talking to me. The thing is, when I’m listening to my music, I’m also immersed in my own thoughts and don’t want anyone to bother me - hence the music. It’s a sign that you need to shut up and ask someone else how to cross a street.

So please, if I have my earphones in, I can’t hear you. I also want to spare both of us some bad impressions and embarrassment. Remember, if zhe’s¹ talking on the phone, you don’t approach zhim. If zhe’s listening to music, don’t approach zhim either. We can’t hear you.