Notes » December 2007

Human Cockroaches

While out on a marathon photo shoot, I saw laziness taken to new levels.

On one street well off the beaten path I'd set up my gear about a foot away from a fire hydrant that had been jammed onto a spit of concrete nearly flush with a building. On the other side of the tripod was at least 15 feet of open space.

While positioning the camera for the next shot I noticed a young man approaching. I was bent at the waist, peering through the viewfinder, my body further reducing the one-foot gap I'd left.

So what did this cat do? Made a beeline behind me and squeezed through the tiny space instead of taking four extra steps to veer into the vast emptiness of the street on the other side.

This cockroach-like behaviour went on all day long at various locations despite my best efforts not to block pedestrian traffic.

What is it about walls that makes some people want to stick to them at all costs?

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