"Picket Fencing"
I've noticed a pretty annoying habit on the increase, at least around me. Is this a trend, or an anomaly peculiar to me? Am I just noticing something that's been around, or is there some sort of new book out suggesting ways to subtly assert oneself? Whatever it is, it's happening far too often to be mere coincidence.

If I've discovered something new and indeed have naming rights for this phenomenon, I'll call it "picket fencing," though I'll accept suggestions. The image I have is Tom Sawyerish, a child with a stick or twig, walking down the street, dragging the stick along a fence row to achieve a clackity-clack sound. In the adult world, it seems to work like this... people trailing a finger along the wall when they enter or leave a "foreign" space, say a co-worker's office (though I've seen this socially, and in public spaces such as stores, as well).

It looks like it's done distractedly, but the people I know who do this are fairly selective about where they do it. They don't do it in the boss' office or during board meetings, for example. They do it after they've harassed someone, or after they've insulted someone, dumped a bunch of work on my desk, or something similarly "punky."

This strikes me as an unsubtle way to "mark territory," perhaps less so than pissing on the wall would be, but not terribly far from it, either. Seriously, what's up with this? Are you flagging an escape route? Didn't get to draw on the walls much as a child? Rubbing your "scent" onto something? Does the wall work like an emery board and cut down on a need to trim your fingernails?

The psychological issues are potentially astounding. For me as well, I guess, if I'm reading too much into this.

But I don't think so. It seems like a "technique" that would be favored by the sorts of people who believe in overfirm handshakes with their wrist slightly tilted so their hand "dominates" yours (and who will struggle, mid-handshake, to achieve that grip if you don't readily give it to them).

Of course, if they rub their fingertips on the wall and then want to shake your hand, well, that's just gross. 1:02:38 PM    comment []trackback []