The Morning Man

Every Monday morning for about two years now I have encountered the same man at the bus stop. In all that time he has never glanced at me or shown any visible sign that he is aware someone else is near. There is also an older gentleman who often joins us and he and I exchange pleasantries and polite conversation. Morning Man remains stoic amid this conversation. Hoodie pulled over his head regardless of the season; he just sits and stares up the hill in the direction the bus approaches from. I thought this behaviour a little antisocial so I enlisted the opinions of friends. They suggested the behaviour was not so much antisocial as outright weird.

Perhaps long bus rides to work give me way too much time to think, but I wonder if this man were ever to be mugged at the early morning bus stop, would he be able to give an accurate description of his assailant to the police? Is he as unaware as he seems? Does he suffer anterograde amnesia and so every Monday morning is a new experience for him?

I’m tempted to show up one Monday in a gorilla costume to see if he notices.