Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Open-door-itis

I was at the mall earlier today, bringing the stroller in for a compatability test with a prospective infant car seat. I used the power-assist door, pushing the button and backing up to let the door open. What puzzled me was the line-up of 4 people behind me, waiting for me to go through said door and repeat the same process at the next one.

There were 6 other functioning and available doors, yet they chose to wait for me. I first remember observing this phenomenon in public school during the beginning and end of recess. The majority of people seem unwilling to open another door, preferring to follow in someone else's blazed trail.

Not that I consider myself an extreme adventurist, but something about these experiences makes me think of lemmings. Part of me can understand the obsessive compulsion of avoiding contact with handles, knobs, and railings in a public space. The rest of me wants to jump off a cliff.

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