#302: Unfiltered (Friday, October 12)

A few times, I've found myself in the elevator with the same woman. Most people smile politely then stare at the ceiling until they've reached their floor. Others don't say anything. A few will engage strangers in "elevator" conversation--the weather, sports, something on the news. This woman is in a class by herself. In the three rides I've taken with her:

• She's explained her bathroom-going habits (in the morning as soon as she gets into work, and the last thing she does before she leaves the office, in case you were wondering)
• I've been asked to check the back of her skirt to see if she had an accident
• And I know she sweats profusely, so she keeps an extra deodorant at her desk

Did I mention that I don't know this woman? So now, I approach each elevator ride with trepidation, pressing the 'Door Close' button furtively and praying she doesn't slip in before they do.

This woman is part of the population that has no etiquette filter. So it's challenging interacting with folks like this because they don't see right/wrong and appropriate/inappropriate in the same way most of us do. I used to think it was funny. "They're just different," I'd say. "It's good to be different."

But try introducing one of your unfiltered friends to your boss. Or sitting in a cubicle next to an unfiltered colleague. Or being stuck on a six-hour flight in the middle seat next to one. And then it's not so funny anymore.