How Observant are People

[LaurenD]

Last weekend my wife and I decided to conduct a highly informal survey at the local airport just for fun. The basis for this was how many people would overtly react to seeing me in female dress.

The original plan was for me to wear a skirt and short jacket with a white blouse, heels, hose, wig, jewelry, and makeup. Alas, I ate myself out of the skirt and jacket so we had to go to Plan B.

We walked into the terminal building with me in a medium dark blue pant suit with the white blouse etc. Sami wore one of her saris which, by itself, was certain to get attention. So there we were deliberately trying to get noticed.

We walked around the terminal a bit all the while trying to observe the people around us to see if they were reacting to us in any way. There were reactions alright but how could we be certain which of us they were reacting to. This wasn't working!

In the end Sami and I split up and she became the observer while I sat reading or strolling slowly in the concourse. This was better as she was able to watch me and the people around me for their reactions.

Our results were enlightening. Women were more observant and more open in their reactions. We noticed several people stared for a few moments and then went about their business without further reaction. A few men seemed fixated by my appearance (I can't pass and don't try) and we wondered if any of them would have talked with us if we had tried to start a conversation.

There were perhaps a dozen reactions that we felt were definitely negative; several of the women seemed clearly put out by my appearance. There was one older woman that Sami thought would surely approach me to complain about how I was dressed.

Throughout all this time (about 4 hours) I felt totally at ease. I can't say how I would have felt had any of the people around us tried to strike up a conversation, but since we were there for a purpose, I suppose any interaction could have been very enlightening.

Mind you, there was nothing whatsoever scientific about what we did so we haven't calculated numerical results or percentages for any of this. It was an interesting and fun exercise for us. If anybody cares to do the same thing under other circumstances we'd both be interested in what you observe.

Lauren

[Jabbela]

Interesting and Fun - I can understand the desires to do what you did. I guess - you already do not claim to do it in a scientific way - there has to be something to look at: what kind of people can generally be found at an airport. Well in the states travelling by plane is standard, but in Germany it is less standard.People prefer to travel by car, as the most distances can be travelled by car in a reasonable time.
What I want to point out is - what kind of people do you meet there. For example: you will surely see different results, when you go to a sports event or to church when dressed. The ratio of open minded people might be very different and so you will see different reactions. I guess in my village (in Bavaria, close to Munich - remember the new pope is from the same region) - if I would go to a catholic church (I am not catholic, so I might not try), I would not be surprised, when I would be asked to leave the church. Well Vatikan and the Pope does not accept anything beside the standard rules of lifestyle and - as they might suspect me of being gay (even I am not), which is a sin in conservative catholic church - they would think, I am in the wrong place.

Well I guess, in order to be open minded, there is a necessary level of intelligence. Whithout that intelligence, noone can reconsider the rules they are used to.

BTW: my wife already suggested to do something similar. Well I would try to pass then (hard work!). We would make a weekend trip to a bigger city (she suggested Nürnberg) and I would be en-femme the whole day. We would just do some shopping and chill-out in a coffee-bar, etc.. Partly we would walk together, partly we would walk seperated, so she can watch me (if I am lady-like enough) and the people passing by (reactions). In that case - as the goal is also to pass - we would not dress or behave to attrack attention.
As you can imagine, I would love to do that, but as family life is really time consuming, we have no plans, when we could do that. But it was HER suggestion, which makes me lucky, as it reveals her support. Someday we will do so, and then I will report here.

[Beauty]

Hi Lauren,

That is very interesting. What made you decide to do this? Had you been thinking about it for quite a while?

I'm glad you found it fulfilling. It was a great read.

Good luck Jabbela on your day trip when you decide to go. I hope you post about it here too, like Lauren.

Beauty

[Virginia]

Lauren,
Thanks for the post, I know it took some interstinal fortitude to do that. I don't know if it is that important, but you did not say which terminal you were in. I can only assume it was in a larger city, because to spend four hours there would not work for me here in Roanoke. I can cover the entire airport in five minutes.
You probably notice in cars that no one looks at what is going on around them. They either have a cell phone stuck to their head or they appear to be in some kind of coma. staring straight ahead totally oblivious to anything going on around them.
Back to your choice of a "labratory" I think the airport is an excellent choice. People from various places can see you and fortunately or unfortunately people are generally in a hurry and can only glance at you as they scurry toward their next gate. You did serve as an ambassador for us and made people aware that there are those of us out there and at least perhaps gave them something to share with others.
Thanks for doing this and for sharing it with us.
Virginia

[DonnaT]

Hi Lauren,

I think you picked a pretty good venue for your experiment. Folks at airports tend to do a bit of people watching when they have time on their hands waiting for flights to come or go.

And most are adults, so there should be fewer teenagers about to call attention to you than you'd find at a mall, for example.

I've only "experimented" with nail polish. Noone ever says anything, but they do hesitate. Had one guy keep moving in a checkout line trying to get a better look, maybe he would have liked to have done the same.

[Jennifer]

That was great Lauren. While I have never tried to deliberately guage people's reactions I have noticed that the majority of people tend to mind their own business. My most daring outing to date was when my wife and I went to downtown Vancouver's biggest shopping mall Pacific Center and along the city's trendy Robson St. I got a few stares and heard from behind "That's a guy" and except for a few giggles from teenage girls that was it. Most people haven't seen a crossdresser and what appears to be a woman must be a woman and rather than wrongfully insult someone they just look the other way. At least that's the way I felt.

[LaurenD]

Hi Beauty and everyone -- Why did we do this? I had once commented to Sami that I wondered how many people really look at others around them. The day we did this was one of those really hot and muggy days we've been "enjoying" here in Florida lately and we were in a giddy, giggley mood anyway so we decided to do something way outside our usual routine.

I confess to some initial trepidation but in hindsight we would do it again perhaps with me dressed more overtly "enfemme". The pants suit idea was OK but it was a bit inappropriate for the weather and really sort of blah; were it not for my wig and makeup I'd judge that we'd have had fewer reactions. I still like the skirt and blouse idea but there's either a diet or a shopping trip in the future for that to happen (shopping sounds like the "funner" thing although the diet is sorely needed at this juncture. It's hard to look feminine at 6'3'' in heels and 215#)

Lauren
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Hi Lauren,

That is very interesting. What made you decide to do this? Had you been thinking about it for quite a while?...

Beauty

[Beauty]

Hi Lauren,

Thanks for the explanation. That was very adventurous of you and your wife. Of course I have another question now though. You said you'd go out more overtly dressed because you don't think you got enough reactions? I was just trying to get clarification there.

btw, 6'3" 215 looks skinny to most people. That's not a lot of weight at all for someone that height. At 225 you may look a tiny bit bigger, but if you dress right I don't think anyone would think you're big, just tall.

Beauty

[LaurenD]

Beauty -- I'd judge that if I presented in a dress, or skirt and blouse, more people would look closer than just a glance. Consider that if you saw a tall figure dressed in what at a glance was a suit with a white shirt, you might not give that person a second, more discerning look. However, that same tall person in decidedly feminine garb would probably merit a closer, longer look at which time the oddity of a male in female dress might invite a stare and possibly some type of overt reaction.

Sami and I had no preconceived notions about what to expect from this exercise; I just wonder what, if any, differences it would have made if we had been able to replicate our outing at that time with me in more feminine clothing.

Of course I have another question now though. You said you'd go out more overtly dressed because you don't think you got enough reactions? I was just trying to get clarification there.

btw, 6'3" 215 looks skinny to most people. That's not a lot of weight at all for someone that height. At 225 you may look a tiny bit bigger, but if you dress right I don't think anyone would think you're big, just tall.

Beauty

[Beauty]

Hi Lauren,

I totally agree. A tall woman will be looked at far more than a woman of normal size. I was only trying to say that you aren't as big as you are tall.

I'll be looking forward to any other updates.

Beauty