Process essay

People-watching is an art. There are certain steps that must be followed so that you don’t get caught or look like a complete freak. I pride myself on watching people. There is so much to learn about a person when they think no one is watching. I’m not talking about being a peeping tom and staring into windows. I’m referring to standing in a busy place and observing the people around. It begins obtaining a prop, finding a busy area, and selecting a place to observe from.

                Props should ideally blend in with the area you are in. My favorites to use are a book and headphones, with or without music playing. You can bring both most anywhere and look inconspicuous. I mostly use headphones as they discourage people from talking to you if you happen to make eye contact, and you can pretend to be listening to the music while staring “off into space”.  A book can hinder your sight and promote people to make conversation if they happen to like that particular read. The worst thing you can do is start up a conversation while observing others. Conversations tend to be riddle with false personalities and lies, small or large. The more people in the area, however, and the less they will strike up a conversation.

                Finding a busy area isn’t particularly hard. The most common ones I frequent would be a mall or coffee shop, like Tim Horton’s. Malls provide a variety of people of all ages and there is a lot of space to be unnoticeable. People are generally forgiving if they catch me staring for too long. After all, they people-watch in a way also. The interesting thing I have discovered about malls is that people go to them in the hopes to be noticed. They are not there to simply shop, they want others to see them and wonder what they could be buying. In coffee shops, you generally only see older people coming and staying. Older people have similar tendencies so it grows boring watching them after a while. When they arrive, they smile and wave or settle into a table alone and stare out the window. They don’t move too often except to take a bite of a muffin or a sip of their drink. When they leave, there are a lot of hugs and kisses passed around or a sad air about them that indicates they are lonely. Both places provide little spots to relax and observe.

                Malls have the most places between the two, of course. My favorites would have to be the sitting area in the center of the mall and the corner table at a coffee shop. The center of the mall has the most activity since people must pass through to get to another section. Sometimes they idle and chat with friends or take a rest on one of the many benches. Most of the time, they meander along and look at the stores around them. The corner table of a coffee shop is most comfortable as I know that no one will be behind me and I almost always have a whole view of the shop. I can take a sip of my drink and watch people over the brim of my cup, or pretend I am looking for a friend. The worst place you could sit would be in one wing of the mall or in the center of a coffee shop. You miss too many people and it becomes obvious you are watching.

                The best advice I can give to potential people-watchers is to befriend the staff of the place you choose to frequent the most. If you gain their trust, they are not as likely to suspect you of doing anything weird and will leave you alone most of the time. Always have a prop, always choose a busy place, and be wise about the observation point. I pride myself on thinking that I can figure out most people just by watching them when they don’t suspect it. I have also developed the knack of locating other people-watchers like myself. When that happens, we normally share a smile because we are just so damn clever.