Bell Ringers

We've all seen them standing in front of the department stores. The incessant ringing and the sometimes shady characters. It's a staple of christmas though. You know the day is getting closer the moment you hear the bells. Have you ever watched the people's reaction to the bell ringers though? You should try it sometime, highly amusing. Especially if you have just dropped someone off and are circling the parking lot or calmly waiting outside for them to come back. This provides a GREAT opportunity for people watching. Anyway, you get the people who:

• Smile and nod
• Say "I'll catch ya on the way out!"
• Wave
• Completely avoid ALL eye contact
• Pretend to be completely distracted by something in the store or someone you are -supposedly- looking for
• Start wildly ruffling through your purse to give your child (who is hopping up and down) a dollar or at least some loose change so they can excidetly and proudly drop it in the bucket
• Say "Merry Christmas"
• Actually wait for random people to walk out and act like you are walking with them so that you don't feel so guilty

It's as if this total stranger has their -eye- on you. Like they remember you walking in to the store and when you are walking out they watch you and THEY KNOW!!! Do they shake their head in disappointment? Is that why we hurriedly walk by them? Do we even care?