just laughing here

I was reading in the bus stop this last Monday. I do not usually read at bus stops, but this one was rather well illuminated. And to say that I do not read at bus stops will be telling the truth, but not all of it. So what was I reading? Mot science related anything, in fact. I was reading 'How to be good' by Nick Hornby. Of late, I have been carrying some current reading material around for commutes. This may give you the impression that every one of my waking hours is used to the full. That is not the case.

So, I was reading at the bus stop. (Is it 'at' or 'in'?) There was this Asian bloke hunched over his laptop. (In the US of A, 'Asian' means of Mongoloid extraction) Now he may have been finishing a presentation, or checking on a calculation. Or he may be reading Sardar jokes (which happen to be the Desi equivalent of Blonde jokes; point to note: I don't know if there is an Asian equivalent of Blonde and Sardar jokes) Or he may have been watching some really shady XXX stuff. Who knows? And who cares, for that matter.

Anyway, I suddenly laughed aloud. After having read a rather funny passage (something involving deep marital discord, but let that pass for now) This bloke looked at me with quite visible alarm and sort of shifted away. Which was a little difficult to do without actually integrating into the brick wall, but he tried anyway.

Which brings me to a very fundamental problem. What is wrong with people laughing aloud in public? I mean, it was just a perfectly ordinary laugh, one that may be forthcoming from someone reading a funny book. It was not an evil chuckle, or what is infinitely more disturbing coming from a guy, a giggle. Nor was it a guffaw (something approaching, what we call an 'Attohanshi' in Bangla) Just an ordinary laugh. And look at the reaction I got!!