Get out of here you single person!

Ouch that hurt. I am sitting here in the food court of the mall where I try to show up at every weekend with my laptop or a book. Normally I get a Subway sandwich but since I had a late lunch today, I didn't get anything else. Suddenly this gentleman walks up to me, leans in and asks me, "Sir did you order anything?" I reply, "No." He then says, "Then I will have to ask you to sit properly (This one is my fault, I was sitting with my feet up on another chair.) Also, could you go sit in the other part of the mall? People are coming to my food court here and want to use the tables for their families."

Man, I knew being single sucked but this is just terrible. I don't think a couple, or a big family for that matter, would have been asked to move if they weren't eating. As the single guy here, I am the designated destitute?

I told him that if that was the case I'd get something to eat from one of the stalls here. He was immediately contrite, "It's not like that sir, you can sit in those tables over there." "No no" I told him, "I don't want to move from here, and if I need to get something to eat in order to sit here, then I'll do so."

Well I purchased a Coke can for Rs. 25 that I have no intention of drinking since it's past 9pm. I think I'll just leave it there and show it to him the next time he comes my way.

I guess this only became an issue this week because Ghajini (Hindi) is out this weekend and the multiplex is totally packed with crowds. But hey, I came here first and if these couples and "families" want to sit at these table, they should have shown up first. Isn't it that simple?

That's one area in which India really sucks. You don't get half the respect when you're single as you get when you get married, like you're not really a person till you have a woman on your arm. I say woman since it's the males who are shown such utter disrespect. A single female is treated as an oddity but I don't think she's get disrespected the way single guys do. The funny thing is, I thought my gigantic laptop and my UT t-shirt that I'm wearing would have been an indication that I am not a hobo. Maybe I should be carrying my IIT degree around my neck? Wear a ton of cologne? What can a brother do to get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T?