Weird Habits of Seemingly Normal People

Is it a Hong Kong thing?

I've come across some single-eyebrow-raising marvels in Toronto too, but sure enough, they were manifested by Hong Kongers.

Attacking already-lit elevator buttons. They must know that the elevator doesn't arrive any sooner even when the button is pressed seven times as opposed to one. Yet they still go at it like it'd jumpstart the elevator's turbo mode again and again. But what can I say; sluggish elevators seem to keep people employed. Half the rent my company pays at our office building goes to the salary of the concierge staff hired to do just that. Each morning, upon seeing more than a dozen people lining up at the lobby for an elevator, a concierge staff would come up, appearing more anxious than any of the 12 people in queue, and vigorously push and re-push the poor elevator button until an elevator arrives. And when one does, the concierge staff would have this "look what I did" smirk.

Keeping remote controls in their original translucent plastic packings, or better yet, putting them in saran wrap. Because freshness is essential in a properly functioning home theater system. I understand the practice at karaoke lounges where customers cannot care less for remote controls soaking in beer, ice buckets or puke, but how big a risk does your Sony remote run in the comfort of your living room?

Letting pinky nails grow. In my opinion, no straight man should let his fingernails grow to the point that they can collect zest upon scraping a lime. (In my opinion, getting your hands on a lime says that much about how straight you are.) One of the grossest things a guy can do is to let only his pinky nails grow. These nails, often decently manicured and sometimes even polished, are no serious eyesores. But the thought of what could be the only function of that nail—to collect a different kind of zest from the interior of two gold mines—gives me goose bumps. It might not just be a Hong Kong thing, but I'm sure we were the ones who coined the proper name for this phenomenon—Feng Shui nail.

(to be continued)