Celebrities You've Exchanged Fleeting Glances With

[eljezel]

Living in New York City gives you lots of these opportunities, though lately I've been obsessed with seeing two rock legends specifically in Astoria, Queens which is where I live:

1. Mark Ibold of Pavement- I see this guy every 3 months and try not to bug out.  Once on his bike and twice on the train where he boards in Astoria.  Very cool.

2. Billy Ficca of Television (and a million other pickup bands)- I've seen him play in bands in small places in the city and I saw Television last year in Central Park, but there's nothing like sitting across fromn the dude who tore it up on "Little Johnny Jewel" not once, but twice on the N train.  I have to assume he also resides in the great borough that is Astoria.

I tend to stare at them both in a way that says "yeah...you the man".  I hope they get that vibe I'm radiating.

[mokin]

Oh they definitely get a vibe from you.

[Pat K]

I shared an amazing subway ride with Dylan Baker once, AKA the pedophile from "Happiness"/the evil computer hacker in "Changing Lanes". It was electric.

[Trotskie]

This was maybe 15 years ago:

I was walking back to the train through Union Square Park carrying a big black baseball bat I had just purchased.  (This was before the re-emergence of kickball and I don't like the stingers you get from aluminum bats.)

Like others have described, I saw someone ahead that looked familiar.  But I just couldn't place her.  Then, just as we were about to pass by each other it clicked.  "Oh yeah", I thought to myself, it's Chynna Phillips from Wilson Phillips. 

Having filed it into the "who cares" section of my brain, I closed the encounter with a terse nod of recognition and a slight wave of my hand.  It was reflexive; how you react when you pass an acquaintance in the hall.  Unfortunately (for everyone) the hand I raised to wave was also carrying the bat.

She started screaming and covering her head with her hands.  At first I was stunned by the reaction and could not figure out what was going on.  Then it all made sense.  My apologies and assurances only made it worse, so I simply turned away and walked down to the train.

An honest mistake about which I felt awful for a good long time.

[TL]

This was maybe 15 years ago:

I was walking back to the train through Union Square Park carrying a big black baseball bat I had just purchased.  (This was before the re-emergence of kickball and I don't like the stingers you get from aluminum bats.)

Like others have described, I saw someone ahead that looked familiar.  But I just couldn't place her.  Then, just as we were about to pass by each other it clicked.  "Oh yeah", I thought to myself, it's Chynna Phillips from Wilson Phillips. 

Having filed it into the "who cares" section of my brain, I closed the encounter with a terse nod of recognition and a slight wave of my hand.  It was reflexive; how you react when you pass an acquaintance in the hall.  Unfortunately (for everyone) the hand I raised to wave was also carrying the bat.

She started screaming and covering her head with her hands.  At first I was stunned by the reaction and could not figure out what was going on.  Then it all made sense.  My apologies and assurances only made it worse, so I simply turned away and walked down to the train.

An honest mistake about which I felt awful for a good long time.

LULZ!!

[Emily]

I met Lou Ferrigno in the Rome airport when I was a kid. He & my dad talked about how they couldn't stand all the smoke/smokers everywhere in Italy.

I also met Pavarotti on a plane to Italy when I was like 7.

I once saw Hillary Swank in a bakery in the city but I couldn't remember her name, so I just sort of stood there, with my mouth open, waiting to recall her name, but I couldn't think of it. She successfully ignored me and did not make eye contact.

[Omar]

Can't believe I didn't think of this one earlier.  Upon returning home from college for Christmas break, the first person I saw after emerging from the airplane bridge was Tupac Shakur.  He looked tired and distraught, probably because within the past two months he was arrested for shooting two off-duty police officers and sexual abuse.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

This was maybe 15 years ago:

I was walking back to the train through Union Square Park carrying a big black baseball bat I had just purchased.  (This was before the re-emergence of kickball and I don't like the stingers you get from aluminum bats.)

Like others have described, I saw someone ahead that looked familiar.  But I just couldn't place her.  Then, just as we were about to pass by each other it clicked.  "Oh yeah", I thought to myself, it's Chynna Phillips from Wilson Phillips. 

Having filed it into the "who cares" section of my brain, I closed the encounter with a terse nod of recognition and a slight wave of my hand.  It was reflexive; how you react when you pass an acquaintance in the hall.  Unfortunately (for everyone) the hand I raised to wave was also carrying the bat.

She started screaming and covering her head with her hands.  At first I was stunned by the reaction and could not figure out what was going on.  Then it all made sense.  My apologies and assurances only made it worse, so I simply turned away and walked down to the train.

An honest mistake about which I felt awful for a good long time.

you always have the BEST stories

[buffcoat]

Can't believe I didn't think of this one earlier.  Upon returning home from college for Christmas break, the first person I saw after emerging from the airplane bridge was Tupac Shakur.  He looked tired and distraught, probably because within the past two months he was arrested for shooting two off-duty police officers and sexual abuse.

I knew he was still alive!

[eljezel]

This was maybe 15 years ago:

I was walking back to the train through Union Square Park carrying a big black baseball bat I had just purchased.  (This was before the re-emergence of kickball and I don't like the stingers you get from aluminum bats.)

Like others have described, I saw someone ahead that looked familiar.  But I just couldn't place her.  Then, just as we were about to pass by each other it clicked.  "Oh yeah", I thought to myself, it's Chynna Phillips from Wilson Phillips. 

Having filed it into the "who cares" section of my brain, I closed the encounter with a terse nod of recognition and a slight wave of my hand.  It was reflexive; how you react when you pass an acquaintance in the hall.  Unfortunately (for everyone) the hand I raised to wave was also carrying the bat.

She started screaming and covering her head with her hands.  At first I was stunned by the reaction and could not figure out what was going on.  Then it all made sense.  My apologies and assurances only made it worse, so I simply turned away and walked down to the train.

An honest mistake about which I felt awful for a good long time.

Am I the only one who thinks it was presumptous of Chynna to assume you were going to beat her senseless with a baseball bat in the middle of Union Square? 

[Martin]

Thought of two more, in London. Diane Wiest in Kensington. Paul Thomas Anderson on the tube. (I'm 90% certain it was him.)

And I bonded with Jens Lekman thanks to Todd Barry.

[Bryan]

Am I the only one who thinks it was presumptous of Chynna to assume you were going to beat her senseless with a baseball bat in the middle of Union Square? 

I dunno. I think I'd be pretty jumpy if I had been in Wilson Phillips.

I also remember another one. Probably no big deal to you New Yorkers, but in London I saw Chloe Sevigny walking down the street wearing gigantic sunglasses and a ridiculous fur coat. She was soaking in the attention of the civilians, including me. I instinctively sneered at her, even before realizing who it was, just because she looked so obnoxious.

[Turf Out]

That rap guy Lil Jon just showed up where i work for a meeting.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

That rap guy Lil Jon just showed up where i work for a meeting.

and where do you work

[Turf Out]

That rap guy Lil Jon just showed up where i work for a meeting.

and where do you work

zazzle.com