You know, there are all sorts of ways to start conversations with people that you don't know and find things that you have in common with them. I discovered a new way yesterday as I was waiting at the mechanic (Henry needed his pre-Thanksgiving road trip tune-up). There were several other people waiting along with me, and most of them didn't seem inclined to chat much. That is, they didn't seem inclined to chat until someone started flipping through channels on the TV and found the discovery channel show, Cash Cab. Has anyone seen that? It is a game show in New York City. People step into the cab, give the driver their destination, then all these lights come on and they get to answer questions for money on the way. If they get three questions wrong, they get kicked out of the cab. If they make it all the way to their destination, they get to decide whether to go double or nothing on a video question.
Anyway, I was amazed at what happened when this show came on. Everyone waiting started playing along and discussing what the contestants should do. Even a couple of mechanics, as they walked through the room, would pause for a few seconds to shout out an answer. Part way through the show, a teenage girl came in and sat down, looking incredibly grumpy and looking at us like we were idiots. She sat there for five or ten minutes, texting on her phone and refusing to make eye contact with anyone, until the contestants in the cab were asked what is equal to rise over run, and she called out, "It has to be the slope!" She, too, was hooked, and when I left, she was deep in discussion with the lady sitting next to her about whether they should go double or nothing on the video bonus quesion. It may have been the most pleasant mechanic experience I've ever had, and it definitely was a great way to start out my Thanksgiving week.
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