Introverts, how is your day?

[Pseudonym]

Partly, and because I knew I had that four days off on the horizon to look forward to and now it's gone. And gone much too quickly. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Four days?  I thought bank holidays were just the Monday, making a three-day weekend.  Oh, wait, you mean Good Friday, the two-day weekend, and Easter Monday.

Either or both of those are legal holidays in some states here, and even where they're not some employers will give their people the day(s) off.  But neither is a federal holiday (which is how I mentally translate "bank holiday").

[Pseudonym]

A bank holiday means you either get a day off, or are given a 'day in lieu' meaning you work the bank holiday but have an additional day added to your holiday allowance.

What's the difference between a legal and a federal holiday?

[Carol the Dabbler]

A federal holiday is a legal holidays for the whole country, whereas states and other smaller jurisdictions can have legal holidays that apply only in their area (for example, Hawaii celebrates King Kamehameha Day).

Some federal holidays are "real" holidays, like the Fourth of July (Independence Day) and Christmas, whereas most people think  of others (such as Presidents Day) merely as days when there's no mail delivery.

[J.P.]

Why is it called BANK holiday?

[Pseudonym]

Some weird historical reason to do with banking I think. Ah, Wikipedia tells me this:

Under the Act, no person was compelled to make any payment or to do any act upon a bank holiday which he would not be compelled to do or make on Christmas Day or Good Friday, and the making of a payment or the doing of an act on the following day was equivalent to doing it on the holiday.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Easter is Easter, of course, but I have the impression that some of your bank holidays (e.g., I believe there's one in August) don't commemorate anything, they're more like "Oh, it's about time we had a holiday!". Am I missing something?

[Hikari]

3 minutes ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

Easter is Easter, of course, but I have the impression that some of your bank holidays (e.g., I believe there's one in August) don't commemorate anything, they're more like "Oh, it's about time we had a holiday!". Am I missing something?

And Bank Holidays are always on Mondays, correct?

We have Bank Holidays to create three-day Weekends in America, too, but we call them 'Martin Luther King, Jr. Day'; 'Columbus Day'; 'Presidents' Day', 'Memorial Day' & 'Labor Day'. Other national holidays like Veterans' Day or Fourth of July (known across the Pond as the 'Anniversary of Separation/That Time The Kids Ran Away From Home Which We Speak Not Of) float around and can be any day of the week.  Veterans' Day is November 11th . . our version of Remembrance Day, I guess. 

[Pseudonym]

12 minutes ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

Easter is Easter, of course, but I have the impression that some of your bank holidays (e.g., I believe there's one in August) don't commemorate anything, they're more like "Oh, it's about time we had a holiday!". Am I missing something?

Religious days off such as Good Friday aren't technically bank holidays, but they are usually referred to as bank holidays regardless. 

As for other bank holidays, I don't know if they have meaning or not. Certainly nothing overt or widely known, and I'm feeling too tired and lazy to go googling. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I'm pretty sure Veterans Day (formerly Armistice Day) has been moved to a Monday, like the others you mentioned, Hikari.  All of them used to be connected with a particular date -- for example, Presidents Day used to be Washington's Birthday and Lincoln's Birthday, two separate holidays on February 12th and 14th (though only Washington's was a legal holiday) -- but then Congress in its infinite wisdom decided it'd be nice to have more three-day weekends.  At least that idea turned out better than so-called daylight-saving time!

 

Added:. Nope, it's back on November 11th. Here's what Wikipedia says:

Although originally scheduled for celebration on November 11 of every year, starting in 1971 in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act

, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October (Oct 25, 1971; Oct 23, 1972; Oct 22, 1973; Oct 28, 1974; Oct 27, 1975; Oct 25, 1976, and Oct 24, 1977). In 1978, it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11.

Guess I just haven't been paying attention!

[Van Buren Supernova]

Wait... why didn't I have those holidays??!

And i hate it when holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, because my company doesn't have the policy to replace them.

 

Anyway, this morning in order to avoid prolonged small talks with my neighbors (the idiot who cut my plant had been replaced by someone who is nice and friendly) I left in quite a rush and absentmindedly carrying trash that I supposed to put in the bin. All the way to my work, which is tecnically at another town. When I reached I was excited to see those grocery bags (reuse) and associated it snacks for the day.

This would be a happy ending story if I'm into shrimp shell, fruit skin and dog poop.

[SherlockedCAMPer]

My day: essentially snowed in. Yesterday I had a meeting for a conference I help plan and the snow came in during that meeting. The drive home which normally takes about 45 minutes took between 60 & 90 with a brief pit stop. My average speed was about 45mph when the afternoon rush hour didn’t force stop & go traffic. Today was clearing off my car once so that my sister could attempt an errand. I now have 6+ inches of snow on my side walk and half to try to get out in the morning to be some place by 10 am.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Fortunately you live in an area where they know how to use snow plows. Wish I could say the same for my area!

[Arcadia]

Hey, whoa, who's dissing Daylight Savings Time!!! I love DST! It's Standard Time we need to get rid of! 

I'm amazed about Veteran's Day too, I could have sworn it's always on a Monday. Someone's trying to confuse me. (It worked!)

[Carol the Dabbler]

I wouldn't so much mind setting the clocks an hour ahead, if they'd just leave them there!  It's the switching twice a year that I hate the most.

They claim that it saves energy, because people don't need to turn their lights on as early (if at all) in the evening.  When Indiana was dragged kicking and screaming into DST a few years back, they did a study to prove how much energy was saved -- and found that people were actually using *more* energy (turning on lights and possibly heat in the mornings).  But did they repeal the law?  Ha!

[Pseudonym]

I like daylight savings time too. It means it's actually light enough to do things in the evenings now, even if it is still gloomy in the mornings. Not a fan of the hour less in bed though. 

[Pseudonym]

Something unsettling happened to me today on the way home and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. Any advice?

I go running after work and I've been doing the same route for about two months. It's pretty quiet, in an hour I see maybe one or two other people. On one side of the path is farmland, but on the other side is a main road, which has a fair few cars in rush hour so I don't feel too unsafe. Today I got back to my car and it was getting late so there weren't as many cars about and no one in sight except a guy a bit further down on the other side of the road waiting at a bus stop. I stretch out my legs, go to the car boot, pause my music and become aware of shouting. I thought it was the app I was listening to, so I was a bit confused but not overly alarmed. I take my headphones off, and I can definitely hear yelling, though I can't make out any actual words. Turn around to look, at which point the guy at the bus stop, who had apparently been yelling at me the entire time yells "yea, I know you can F***ing hear me!" It's deserted, there's no one in sight, just me and some nutter yelling at me. I guess it's possible he was on his phone or something, but it would be a hell of a coincidence for him to yell that just as I turned to look at him, and it's also not something you would shout if you were just asking for the time or when the next bus was or something. Nope, pretty sure if was nasty and aimed at me. 

So now I don't know what to do. Should I change my route? Go earlier? Carry on the same and just hope it was a one off? That bus stop is not exactly on a main thoroughfare, it's only somewhere you'd use if you lived or worked in the area, which makes me think me might be there again. Since I was standing by my car he knows what car I drive, and that if it's parked I'm clearly out running. It's made me pretty uneasy, but I've been doing that route for two months damn it, I like running past fields full of little baby lambs, I know at which points to run and where to rest, I know the parts to push myself, and I don't want some misogynist nutter throwing off my training. Or maybe I'm overreacting, since I am always hyper aware of iffy situations, and even though he was yelling he didn't actually make a move towards me. I don't know. 

Any thoughts? 

[Van Buren Supernova]

I'm probably not the right person to ask, because I spent years of my life in a place that is considered very dangerous and shone like a bulb because I look different and seem like easy target. My over cautious behavior had saved me, eventually I carry this behavior everywhere, can't and don't wish to shake it off.

I'd guess that guy probably had been trying to talk to you before you noticed him. It could be cat calling, trying to be friendly, or he needed something. He probably suspected that you ignored him intentionally, and took offence with that. Giving him the benefit of doubt about his original intention, I'd still think him getting upset as something alarming. He could have a bad day, he could have similar situation of really being ignored while he needed help, he could have been in similar unpleasant situation that triggered him to associate you with it. Still, he thought you are at wrong without making sure and he felt he had right to yell and swear at you, which at any point, depends on the person, could justify himself to unpleasant or possibly violent act. 

Like you said, your regular time and habit could make you an easy target. Have you ever seen him before? How likely it is that he had seen you before? From the bus, from afar? I lean on possibility that he was aware of you, and probably trying to make friendly  contact since he got familiar with you and his anger escalated when you didn't respond so he made himself thinking that you were being arrogant and looked down on him.

I'd take different path for a while, park at different spot and pay more attention to the surrounding especially blindspots. Keep wearing earphone but turn off the music, be wary of turns, heavy shrubs or anything unusual. It's probably safer to drive around for a bit to access the surrounding before you park and go out for the jog. And if possible, make your timing and route a little bit random. Last but not least, I always carry some sort of self defence device. And if I don't have one and feel the need to be cautious, I'd pick something from the park. Sturdy looking twig maybe (which you could bring home as giant toothpick to make it worth your effort), and keep your eyeball rotated.

If you see that guy again, try to be calm but keep your distance. If he attempts to talk, listen to him and maybe it's just a misunderstanding but watch his body language and maintain the distance. If situation seems bad, remember eye, groin, chest, knee, throat. And get your keys ready if you need to run to your car. Or for extra, call someone you trust before you walk to his area and keep the phone on.

Too much? Not for me, but our situations are different. Maybe the rest could give you better inputs.

[T.o.b.y]

10 hours ago, Pseudonym said:

Something unsettling happened to me today on the way home and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. Any advice?

I go running after work and I've been doing the same route for about two months. It's pretty quiet, in an hour I see maybe one or two other people. On one side of the path is farmland, but on the other side is a main road, which has a fair few cars in rush hour so I don't feel too unsafe. Today I got back to my car and it was getting late so there weren't as many cars about and no one in sight except a guy a bit further down on the other side of the road waiting at a bus stop. I stretch out my legs, go to the car boot, pause my music and become aware of shouting. I thought it was the app I was listening to, so I was a bit confused but not overly alarmed. I take my headphones off, and I can definitely hear yelling, though I can't make out any actual words. Turn around to look, at which point the guy at the bus stop, who had apparently been yelling at me the entire time yells "yea, I know you can F***ing hear me!" It's deserted, there's no one in sight, just me and some nutter yelling at me. I guess it's possible he was on his phone or something, but it would be a hell of a coincidence for him to yell that just as I turned to look at him, and it's also not something you would shout if you were just asking for the time or when the next bus was or something. Nope, pretty sure if was nasty and aimed at me. 

So now I don't know what to do. Should I change my route? Go earlier? Carry on the same and just hope it was a one off? That bus stop is not exactly on a main thoroughfare, it's only somewhere you'd use if you lived or worked in the area, which makes me think me might be there again. Since I was standing by my car he knows what car I drive, and that if it's parked I'm clearly out running. It's made me pretty uneasy, but I've been doing that route for two months damn it, I like running past fields full of little baby lambs, I know at which points to run and where to rest, I know the parts to push myself, and I don't want some misogynist nutter throwing off my training. Or maybe I'm overreacting, since I am always hyper aware of iffy situations, and even though he was yelling he didn't actually make a move towards me. I don't know. 

Any thoughts? 

Yes. This sounds very scary. 

Like VBS said, there could be a perfectly harmless explanation but I would still be cautious. 

Could you park in a different spot and avoid the bus stop altogether? Could you take someone with you the next (few) time(s)? Could you change your hours (don't go running in the dark though)? 

Maybe next time, drive by the bus stop first and check whether he is there? 

Always make sure your phone is charged. And consider  carrying pepper spray. 

It's hugely unfair, but something about women exercising outdoors seems to provoke a certain type of guy. I never get catcalled or harassed - unless I am out jogging. Then all of a sudden, everyone feels called upon to try and get my attention, from school boys to octogenarians. I have been called every slur I can think of - and my running clothes are really baggy. Dunno what causes it but as much as I love solitude and scenery too, I only run where there are plenty of other people or houses close by and never after dark (unless it's along a well lit street). 

[Pseudonym]

Thanks both.

I'd definitely rather be overly cautious than not, I think maybe I'll run the road from the other direction for a while, avoiding the bus stop. I haven't seen the guy before, but the bus stop hasn't been there that long it was only put in a few weeks ago. It's entirely possible he could have been on the bus from another stop and seen me running. I was intending to be going at different times and days to be unpredictable, but I usually finish work around the same time each day so that makes it tricky. 

My first thought when I got home was to get some pepper spray to carry, but turns out it's illegal here. They do sell 'personal protection spray' but when I looked at it in more depth it's just a strong unpleasant smell and a UV marker to help police identify the culprit - not really much help in the moment. I never go running in the dark, that's why I stopped running through the winter, too dark all the time! I think next winter I'll join a club and go out in a group - I usually prefer running alone, but it's worth it for safety.

I'm the same with what I'm wearing - I only wear baggy androgynous clothes when I'm running this route, loose joggers, hoody, beanie. I want to deflect attention as much as possible. I don't seem to get catcalled much, though with my music playing I'm not sure I'd hear it anyway. I don't understand some men, do they not have mothers, sisters, daughters? 

[T.o.b.y]

Me neither. 

If you can't get actual pepper spray, a regular deodorant with alcohol in it is at least irritating to the eyes and may cause enough confusion for you to gain some distance. Or fill a spray bottle with some cleaning agent - remember Sherlock and the CIA guy in Scandal?

[Pseudonym]

Ah yes, of course! Spray, headbutt, try to find a window. Got it. 

[T.o.b.y]

Don't forget to say "moron"! 

[Pseudonym]

Of course, the most important part!

[Van Buren Supernova]

It would be a pretty good workout when you drag him until you find a window and throw him inside.

I'm trying to imagine the occupant's face when they are watching your effort to throw him inside again and again until you lost count.