Posts tagged “encounter”

Semiotics of subcultures

Recent political scandals have much to teach us.

…Officers wrote that they knew from their training and work experience that the foot-tapping was a signal used by people looking for sex.

After a man in the adjacent stall left, Craig entered it and put his luggage against the front of the stall door, “which Sgt. Karsnia’s experience has indicated is used to attempt to conceal sexual conduct by blocking the view from the front of the stall,” said the complaint.

The complaint said Craig then tapped his right foot several times and moved it closer to Karsnia’s stall and then moved it to where it touched Karsnia’s foot. Karsnia recognized that “as a signal often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct,” the complaint said.

Assuming this is true (and recalling humorous-in-retrospect documents that we’ve all seen about law enforcement deconstructing hippies, punks, heavy metal, gangs, etc., it very way may not be), it’s cool to consider a signal that can only be interpreted by those that know what it means. To everyone else, it may not even penetrate your awareness. Until the communication is decoded, it’s almost perfect, especially for messages that may be risky.

I’m fascinated to consider that (maybe, just maybe) someone may have at some point tapped at me, and I wouldn’t have necessarily noticed and certainly not interpreted it as it’s presumably intended.

How (not) to hire a marketing consultant

There I am on Sunset Blvd the other night, and a guy is yelling at me from the next lane “HEYYY HEYY!” and gesturing to roll down the window.
“What’s YOUR NAME??!” he screams at me.
“You don’t know me.” I reply, nervous.
“YOU LOOK LIKE THAT PENN AND TELLER GUY? YOU HIM?”
“Umm, no…”
“WHAT YOU DO???????”
“Uhh, I’m in marketing” (not really true, but I don’t think yelling at the stoplight requires me to give my elevator pitch)
Meanwhile the light changes, and cars start honking, we start driving and he’s still yelling.
“YEAH, I GOT A COMPANY, IT’S CALLED BLAHBLAH HEALTH BLAH. HOW MUCH WOULD YOU CHARGE TO ****BLOW*** ****IT**** ***UP***?”

I had no idea what he was talking about. We’ve moved along quite a bit. He yells something about blowing it up, and then turns off and gives me a gesture to follow him. Uhhh, right. Then I drive off, and he does not follow, fortunately, but gives me an “oh well, why you blow me off” gesture as I pull away. Very uncomfortable, actually.

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