Spying on Regulars
I'm writing this at the McDonald's near work, after having just scoffed a value meal for breakfast myself. (Mistake, by the way - I was just so starving when I woke up I convinced myself I needed it).
This McDonald's, even though I don't come here very often, I recognise it has its regulars. There's this older couple who sit in the same area every morning - the lady sits and eats and the man goes back and gets them coffees. I don't think I've ever really seen them chatting, or even paying a lot of attention to each other. They eat, he gets coffees, they drink, they silently leave.
Then there's a middle-aged lady who I don't think is quite "all there". (Oh that sounds cruel, but I'm sure you know what I mean.) She seems lovely, and I often see her talking to people (other regulars!), but the impression I get is that she may not be well-equipped to handle a so-called "normal" life. Okay, I just sound like a bitch, and I'm going to stop. I don't mean anything bad towards her, she seems very nice.
And there's another guy, who isn't actually a McDonald's regular, more of an "area regular". I see him all the time, and he's always wearing one of those sort of spy/detective hats, a scarf around his throat, a big heavy leather (utility?) belt, long pants, boots. He lazes around on the chairs here, alternating between overly casual and seemingly only just restraining to hold in his bursting energy. He uses the payphone, a lot. On the rare occasion that he isn't using it, he is sitting with his chair leaning onto its back legs, posessively guarding the general payphone area, in case someone else may try to use it.
The last regular is an older Asian gentleman, who appears randomly from the back of the centre, pulls up a chair and also uses the payphone for long conversations. (I'm yet to see the Spy guy and this guy both want the phone, but I'm interested now.)
I like to think of the older couple as madly in love, just quiet. And treating themselves to junk food as a celebration. A daily celebration. :)
The spy guy? I think maybe he's some kind of Indiana Jones type. His phone calls are super secret missions, treasure hunts, and he guards the phone so jealously in case someone else picks up phone calls meant for his ears only.
I find spy guy a little weird, actually.
Someone did point out to me a while ago - maybe I'm the weird regular, and spy guy's just a normal guy. Hmm. I don't like that theory anywhere near as much.
This McDonald's, even though I don't come here very often, I recognise it has its regulars. There's this older couple who sit in the same area every morning - the lady sits and eats and the man goes back and gets them coffees. I don't think I've ever really seen them chatting, or even paying a lot of attention to each other. They eat, he gets coffees, they drink, they silently leave.
Then there's a middle-aged lady who I don't think is quite "all there". (Oh that sounds cruel, but I'm sure you know what I mean.) She seems lovely, and I often see her talking to people (other regulars!), but the impression I get is that she may not be well-equipped to handle a so-called "normal" life. Okay, I just sound like a bitch, and I'm going to stop. I don't mean anything bad towards her, she seems very nice.
And there's another guy, who isn't actually a McDonald's regular, more of an "area regular". I see him all the time, and he's always wearing one of those sort of spy/detective hats, a scarf around his throat, a big heavy leather (utility?) belt, long pants, boots. He lazes around on the chairs here, alternating between overly casual and seemingly only just restraining to hold in his bursting energy. He uses the payphone, a lot. On the rare occasion that he isn't using it, he is sitting with his chair leaning onto its back legs, posessively guarding the general payphone area, in case someone else may try to use it.
The last regular is an older Asian gentleman, who appears randomly from the back of the centre, pulls up a chair and also uses the payphone for long conversations. (I'm yet to see the Spy guy and this guy both want the phone, but I'm interested now.)
I like to think of the older couple as madly in love, just quiet. And treating themselves to junk food as a celebration. A daily celebration. :)
The spy guy? I think maybe he's some kind of Indiana Jones type. His phone calls are super secret missions, treasure hunts, and he guards the phone so jealously in case someone else picks up phone calls meant for his ears only.
I find spy guy a little weird, actually.
Someone did point out to me a while ago - maybe I'm the weird regular, and spy guy's just a normal guy. Hmm. I don't like that theory anywhere near as much.