Silly Little Country

Averted Eyes

Andy Barrie revived this one on his show recently (he is a halfway intelligent radio morning host in Toronto, but far too ready to follow his own hobby horses). In some interview I can not really recall he conjured up his notion that people in Toronto are unresponsive to eye contact, and respond immediately with 'the averted eye'. He cited the performer Nancy White as another expert on this subject.

Well, I don't know. I was at a Nancy White concert some years ago when she made this assertion and I found it bizarre. Made me wonder whose eyes were averting, as I have never noticed this in Toronto (but sure have in Paris - go check posts from a year ago).

So I was headed for a morning walk around the waterfront that morning and decided it was time to collect data. On my walk I confronted 35 individuals coming the other way, stared into their eyes as they approached me, and said "Good morning". 34 responded with the same greeting. One pretended not to notice me.

My guess is what we are hearing from Andy Barrie and Nancy White is their own self-projections (which is really weird, as White is a Maritimer, and they are normally friendly).

It still baffles me they let this stuff get broadcast on the CBC every morning. As the think tank said, a country sinking in mediocrity. But of course Barrie's show has never been concerned with facts, just attitude.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 5:35 PM