Over the Shoulder

Before I touch on the topic at hand let me just say I am, at times, guilty of this same action from behind my darkened sunglasses. I am talking about people reading over your shoulder when you are on a train, riding to or from your job.

I had this happen the other day while I was riding the train into work. A guy gets on at Orinda and sits next to me with his iPod going. Of course I am reading and watching “questionable” material in the eyes of some (and no it was not porn!) But out of the corner of my eye this guy never too his eyes off my laptop. As we got through the Berkeley Hills Tunnel I powered down my laptop and the guy turned away.

I just thought it was rather rude and inappropriate. The train was not standing room only at this time, but I could not turn my laptop in order to provide myself a but more privacy (in this public area). Again, on a train that is standing room only and I am not reading something on my Blackberry or from a book, my eyes will wander and I have been known to look over the shoulder of someone reading the paper and skim the headlines. But to spend 10 minutes, eyes glued to what I am doing on my laptop just comes off as rude.

I know what some are thinking. If you do not like it, then turn off your laptop. Sure that is always an option, but just like reading a book this is the way I usually pass time while on the train. Thankfully it was not personal, private information I was perusing. Then again, IF I were to do that I would make sure there was no one next to or behind me who could see what I was doing.