Take your hat off

Four seater sections in public transport, you gotta love 'em. I'm not extremely tall, 1.85m, but always have to put my legs in the most unnatural positions to not touch the person sitting in front of me. Then there are these awkward situations making eye contact with the other person. Especially with the special editions of mankind I just cannot resist...

Like a few days ago. There was this guy of around 50 nervously eating sunflower seeds. Cracking a shell with his teeth every few seconds. He was chucking them away like a hamster, constantly looking me straight in the eyes with these ice cold eyes.

After a few minutes he quickly put his hat off for a second and put it back on his head. It was like some kind of tic I thought, like you see with some illnesses. The routine continued: crack 4 times, take the shell and chew the seed. For about 4 to 5 times and then the hat thing. Lifting it up maybe just 1 centimeter and put it back on his head. Crack, crack, crack, crack, chew chew chew chew, hat off hat on, this guy was a nervous wreck!

When we got off the bus it was the first thing I asked to my wife, "did you see that???". She explained me the hat thing was because of the Maria chapels they have here. She told me every time we passed one he took off his hat for a second.

It made me think of very religious people in the Netherlands, with a rosary in their hands nervously moving it between their fingers. 

There are tons of these small Maria chapels on the streets, way more than in the Netherlands. I would get nervous as well not to forget one...