Buzz
Ever been with a friend or partner, watching someone do something completely absurd or frustrating, and you both just want to silently convey, 'Can you believe this?' without drawing attention? But of course, giving each other a look might give away your reaction. Tiny Cartridge co-editor Eric Caoili has a brilliant workaround.
Sometimes, a simple glance or a subtle nudge does the trick. But as Caoili explains to Mytour, 'A lot of the time, that’s just not possible. When you're with family, a shared look can be too obvious.'
Texting each other is another option. Caoili and his partner often do this when it’s safe to do so. But people who act inappropriately often seem to sense the attention around them, and you just know that Angry Apple Store Lady was aware of every eye on her. The last thing you want is to become the target of that energy.
The solution? Calmly take out your phone, open up that 'yikes' note, and show it to your friend or partner, as if saying, 'Look at this thing I just saw or received, which has absolutely nothing to do with what's going on right now.'
Caoili recalls the last time he used the 'yikes' note: 'We were riding the L train. Someone across from us had lost their phone and was loudly venting about it. You don’t want to show you're reacting—you definitely don’t want them to focus that frustration on you.'
So add this handy tool to your repertoire, alongside your Seinfeld-style secret hand signals, your well-timed fake incoming calls, and your perfectly executed deadpan expression.
