It's a Book!

 

Tuesday evening about 6:30 and I get a ping for a pickup on Berry Street behind AT & T Park, right in the heart of SF techtopia. Evan fits the mold of a developer, rumpled pants, droopy eyelids, thick rimmed glasses.  He slides into the backseat and makes no attempt at pleasantries. With word efficiency and no eye contact, he says, “Dogpatch. I put the destination in the app.”

 

“Thanks,” I say as I tap my cellphone to start the ride and navigate.   

 

Dogpatch is the new new in San Francisco - highest rents in the city - ground zero for disruptors - homebase for the tech intelligensia. Acutely aware that I might be transporting a member tech royalty, I take a quick glance back. Evan is totally absorbed.  I comply with the silence and automatically assume he’s fixated on his mobile screen.   But wait.  I do a double backwards take.  Omigod, I suddenly realized,  It’s a book he’s reading!   

 

A thousand rides and never have I seen this before – a pax was reading a book – in my car no less.  I feel awe and wonder.   After a few blocks of silence, I can no longer contain my curiosity.    Oblivious to DUC (Driver’s Unwritten Code), I barge uninvited into his concentration.  It’s risky, but I need to probe this amazing phenomenon more deeply. 

 

“Excuse me for interrupting.” 

 

No reaction. He’s ignoring me.  

 

But I’m determined.  There’s too much at stake here - in my research, if you will.   “Excuse me,” I say louder,  “What is that in your hands?”

 

“What?” Evan is annoyed. His right eyelid rises slowly from the book and he eyes me suspiciously.

 

“In you hands, you’re reading something, but it doesn’t appear to be a cellphone, tablet or even a  laptop.  I don’t think I seen this before.  Just wondering what it was?”

 

Evan slowly manages recognition as he scans my brain for a potential virus. He determines it’s safe to proceed.  He then efficiently couples his brain with with my brain. The result might be mistaken by what people in earlier times used to call conversation. It went roughly like this.

 

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