Hacker News Reader

Comment by peer2pay | Hacker News Reader

This is obviously completely anecdotal but I've been noticing the same whenever I’m on holiday here in Europe or abroad.

My girlfriend and I like to guess where other tourists we see on the streets are from and one of the most obvious indicators for Americans is that as soon as they hit 40-50 there’s a high chance they're either limping or using a cane or similar.

My theory used to be that a lot of them played high-impact sports such as (American) football or basketball in their youths and consequently ruined their knees. But honestly not being used to walking might also contribute

View on HN

When people start hitting their late 20s/early 30s they become very sedentary and their body just starts falling apart which creates muscle imbalances and now you got a domino effect of weakness throughout their body. I work as a SysAdmin but I have a standing desk and I use it that way. I only sit to eat. On top of walks and going to the gym.

I'm an endurance athlete and went to Rome last year for a vacation, lots of site seeing. I was racking up 35-45k steps per day and it even tested my fitness. There's something about the heat coupled with old streets that mess your legs up. I can imagine it being very difficult for someone out of shape, or in bad health.

My theory for this is that boomers have a weird conception around strength training. They don't do it, and they have weird notions about it. Many women from that generation seem opposed to lifting weights.

The stronger you are, the longer you will be able to move.

No this is likely due to their becoming sedentary and having a lot of unhealthy diet going on

it's dietary as hell. my father was in great shape at 40, got rich and fat, and just lost a foot to type two diabetes he swears he doesn't have. idk

"My girlfriend and I like to guess where other tourists we see on the streets are from..."

This is part of why some people don't get out more... the creepy people watchers.

Maybe someone in the near future will create an analog to the first person shooter, a first person labeler, that will keep some of these folks on the couch.

Casually observing the people around you in a public setting is not creepy.

"There's a chubby one with a cane... American! tee hee. There's another one!"

do you think people say mean things about you when you're not there?

do you think that people are rude and insulting to others by default?

this is a common occurrence for people who act this way towards others. if you engage in the above behaviors, then you likely assume everyone else does too, and therefore are reasonably upset at the mean things and sneering you anticipate others engaging in. it's really important in these scenarios to recognize that your actions and others are most likely not the same, most people don't just shit on strangers for 'fun'.

Hm, interesting. I do not find "noticing people around you and thinking about them" to be creepy at all.

Could you elaborate further as to why you do?

"noticing people around you and thinking about them"

Your description of people watching sounds innocent, considerate even, but I think you're leaving out the display of open contempt that is so common these days.

People watching has been a popular pastime since the beginning on time.

It's relaxing, doesn't cost anything, can be done in many places.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com