Scanning

So I visited a friend of mine once who had moved from the H'burg to the city and she introduced me to the concept of scanning. The idea is that you look around at people and if your gazes meet and hold a little while it makes it potentially okay to walk over and introduce ones self. This is at least my understanding of the concept. It allows for an entry into meeting someone that you otherwise would have no reason to tal to.

In Paris you apparently are not allowed to meet people in the metro. I think this kinda holds true for most cities. I mean it is somewhat allowable if there is no one around and you are looking to bum a cig or vice versa. The cig in this case can be used as the reason to meet, at least that is one way it works here in Paris. There is an art student who I have seen twice on the metro. Both times she has been sketching the other passengers. I want to ask her if I can see her sketches sometime.

The thing that makes me uncomfortable though is when you scan, catch a gaze and then it holds and it becomes a battle of wills who will look away first. I got into one of these earlier today on accident with a girl wearing a 9 inch nails hoodie. It lasted for 3-4 seconds and ended when I blinked a touch slower than a normal blink. Maybe I am just spineless.