As I was out for a run today, I got stopped on two separate occasions by people looking for directions. One was an older, foreign couple looking for the Japanese gardens and the others were two teenage girls looking for a specific street. In both circumstances, I was at busy intersections with plenty of people around to ask, but they specifically sought my guidance. This leads me to many possible reasons as to why I was the one out of the crowd that they selected:
1) I just appear to be such a local. Unfortunately, in my American running gear, short ponytail and blonde hair, this doesn’t seem like the most appropriate conclusion.
2) I’m non-threatening. This is more likely – probably for the same reasons that I’m not such a local – the workout clothes, Minnesota-nice attitude…
3) Anyone non-porteño gives better directions. The typical porteño response when one asks for directions is “por allá” (“over there”) while giving a hand signal directing the person to go straight for what could be one block or 3 kilometers and magically never with any turns. I was able to give much more exact directions to both couples, so if this was their reason, they were accurate in choosing me.
4) I looked like an easy target. One of my first reactions when someone asks me for directions is that it’s only a ploy to rob me, so I’m immediately on guard. Luckily, the only thing to take from me when I’m running is my house keys, which are clipped to the inside of my sports bra under two shirts, so there’s not too much risk of this being the case. (Instinctually, however, I always do an inventory check after giving the directions.)
5) Candid camera. There’s a study going on to see if foreigners actually know Buenos Aires, and I was set up…and succeeded twice!
1) I just appear to be such a local. Unfortunately, in my American running gear, short ponytail and blonde hair, this doesn’t seem like the most appropriate conclusion.
2) I’m non-threatening. This is more likely – probably for the same reasons that I’m not such a local – the workout clothes, Minnesota-nice attitude…
3) Anyone non-porteño gives better directions. The typical porteño response when one asks for directions is “por allá” (“over there”) while giving a hand signal directing the person to go straight for what could be one block or 3 kilometers and magically never with any turns. I was able to give much more exact directions to both couples, so if this was their reason, they were accurate in choosing me.
4) I looked like an easy target. One of my first reactions when someone asks me for directions is that it’s only a ploy to rob me, so I’m immediately on guard. Luckily, the only thing to take from me when I’m running is my house keys, which are clipped to the inside of my sports bra under two shirts, so there’s not too much risk of this being the case. (Instinctually, however, I always do an inventory check after giving the directions.)
5) Candid camera. There’s a study going on to see if foreigners actually know Buenos Aires, and I was set up…and succeeded twice!
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