The Bend-a-little routine

We were sitting in the classroom yesterday and one of the students was late getting in. The presentation was projected on the wall and the professor was engaging the students' attention with his fascinating real-world stories and his pronounced gestures.

One lady student who was late to class by a few minutes had to get to her seat. As she walked through the front of the class in between the presentation and the students, she bent a little, because she didn't want to rudely interrupt class. This is not the first time I have noticed someone wanting to be polite.

If you have had any conversation in a corridor or hallway and someone needs to pass through, you can notice they would do the bend-a-little routine. Please note that I myself am too sanguine to have a conversation in the corridor blocking other people's way :-) The same is true in movie theaters. You might have noticed people who left their seats in the middle of the movie to attend nature's calls or to refill their soda. When they return to their seats, they do the bend-a-little routine so the people behind them don't get interrupted.

While these people want to convey "I don't mean to interrupt you", it does not solve its purpose, because people take notice anyway! You might have been faster to just walk straight and walk fast :-)

If you think people won't notice a 5 foot 6 inches tall person who shrinks by a few inches (bend-a-little routine), you are quite mistaken. If you really don't want to be noticed, you are going to have to follow the bend-a-lot routine so you'll be only 2-3 feet tall head to feet. Then maybe you won't be noticed. This might have other ramifications, however, with you toppling over and pulling down everything and everyone around you. If your objective was to only substitute a verbal "Excuse me" with an unspoken gesture (bend-a-little routine), then that's fine. You are excused!