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From: psh@hound.UUCP (P.HANSON)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: re: Jason on bars
Message-ID: <1269@hound.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Jul-85 13:47:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: hound.1269
Posted: Tue Jul 23 13:47:17 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Jul-85 00:12:56 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 28

In response to Rob's posting, I have to  agree that the
practice of stereotyping people in bars is a dangerous thing.
If one goes into a bar, has a drink and scans the place to observe
behavior hoping to spot someone to meet, one can't help but
categorize people the way Jason has done. And yet, it's natural
to "scope out" the bar. You're prrobably not going to walk into the place
and strike up a deep conversation with the first stranger you come across.
You're going to  look for somebody you think you might be more appealing
once you start talking to them.

The danger of stereotying is that most people exhibit some stereotypical 
behavior but  discounting them as undesireable people to meet means that
you'll probably sit at the bar and drink alone that night (and thus
fit an undesireable stereotype yourself).

It's also possible that someone may exhibit stereotypically undesireable
behavior as a disguise so that everyone and their brothers don't hit on them.
But, once they find someone that attracts them, away goes the disguise.

I did not take offense at Jason's posting. In fact I found myself
recalling images of people I had met, that fit his descriptions.
I was amused the way he stated his observations but I didn't learn
anything  that would help me out in a  bar situation.

I do believe that Jason published a similar article on answering
personal ads. Now that article did give some constructive tips.
I have a hardcopy of that one around here somewhere...now where
did I put that thing?