The Weirdest NY Times Social Q's: You Can't Make This Shit Up

Missed Connections

Whenever I see a cute boy — on the train or on the street — instead of boldly approaching him, I write a Craigslist ad: “Missed Connection.” For the last few months, this guy has been walking by the glass storefront of my workplace. He peers in, and we smile quite often, but neither of us has the nerve to speak, nor did he respond to my Craigslist posting. Is a simple “hello” good enough to get things started, or do I have to be more intriguing? - Anonymous, New York Response:

Craigslist is heaven on earth for unloading your granny’s chintz sofa — the favorite perch of her incontinent cat. It’s also handy for finding local hookers and for throwing the last-chance desperation pass: searching for that bewitching stranger who stared at you as the train chugged out of the station. But why, in the name of Steve Jobs, would you use a computer to find a man who walks by your office every week? Step away from your laptop, Walter Mitty! The next time this fellow passes by, simply head for the door and say, “Hello.” Trust me: His smiling in at you for several months is as close to a sure thing as you’re going to get in this world. Just keep the banalities flowing until you make a date — or exchange information. But so help me, young lady, if I hear that you’re exchanging flirty text messages with him, instead of sitting face-to-face, I’ll smoke you out and dumb down your smart phone.

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