Travel day I: Bedlam to Boston

The airport. I was at my gate ungodly early this morning when a strange woman appeared at my side, mumbling to herself about how she needed a pen.

Strange Woman: Ugh, I don't have a pen...
Sabitathica: (ignores her)
Strange Woman: Ah, I really need to write this down. I'm not gonna remember.
Sabitathica: (ignores her)
Strange Woman: Shit.
Sabitathica: (Sighs. Wordlessly produces pen from an inside pocket of his sportsjacket. Hands it to the strange woman.)
Strange Woman: (looks directly at Sabitathica) You're good.
Sabitathica: (looking away) uh huh.
Strange Woman: (long pause) I've been following you.
Sabitathica: I beg your pardon?
Strange Woman: Since the check-in line. I was standing behind you. I followed you here.
Sabitathica: (begins mentally evaluating exit strategies.)
Strange Woman: I was behind you the whole way...
Sabitathica: I see.
Strange Woman: from the check-in.
Sabitathica: Mmm.
Strange Woman: so, where are you going?
Sabitathica: I'm going over there to sit down... alone.

We all make mistakes. This strange woman was probably a gentle and virtuous creature, just a little bit spazzy. But I note that if roles were reversed and I somehow came to tell a woman I didn't know that I had followed her to her gate, I would have been branded a creep, and justly so. But, we all make mistakes.