I`ve been aware of people surrounding me, in public, for many decades now - the work just made you like that and the tendency was strengthened by travelling in South East Asia.

It`s intrusive at first, but then becomes second nature as you scan the pavement in front for familiar faces, and certain characteristics - the awareness of what`s behind you and the right angle turn as an unknown potential threat closes in on you from behind.

It becomes, in fact, like a sort of built in radar and you don`t notice you are doing it anymore until there is a ping.

Familiar stuff of course to many people who have travelled a lot or have worked in front line services serving the public. Does that ring a bell?

Because I was in the coffee place again, second in line for service and a woman in front pulled out an iphone - scrolled on it and then popped it down on the counter to handle the transaction. Risky, or what?

Outside people walked past chatting away on loosley held phones - oblivious to all around them.

Then you get that `ping` on the radar and you notice someone (and often more than one) also doing a little people assessing and it`s not out of self preservation.

I stood looking directly at one set, shoulder surfing off a cashpoint and of course they quickly noticed me even though across the road and sloped off.

Then, a couple of modern day raptors on the precinct - interacting and watching for smartphones to be plucked straight out of hands as though a lollipop from a five year old.

You see a lot if you sit up by the Cathedral, but you have to hope your own phone doesn`t ring in your pocket - as there are a group of `assessors` on the next bench.

All of this with the ring of CCTV cameras too - makes you wonder what it would be like without them.

oilrag

Edited by oilrag on 27/06/2010 at 10:17