Why do people feel the need to shout at me in the street? It's not as if they have some sort of deep insight into the nature of humanity or a new discovery about the origins of the universe.
What they shout is 'You've got pink hair!'
Oh Good God! Do I really? When did that happen? How could I not have noticed?
They all seem to think that they're the greatest wit ever to have walked the earth, that no-one could possibly have said that before.
No. Lots of people have got there before you, you're not big and you're not clever.
I tend to just ignore them - they want a reaction and they're not going to get one. Last summer I was waiting for a bus when I saw two teenage boys walking towards me. They were pointing, whispering and giggling so I thought they'd say something. After a minute one of them came over to me and said 'excuse me, have you always had pink hair?', I lied and said yes. I assume that they must have had some oh-so-cunning joke planned for when I said no, because they just said 'oh, thanks' and skulked away, looking soooo disappointed. I almost felt sorry for them.
I love watching children's reactions, though. They're so honest and just say what they think, and that can be interesting. Often when I'm in a supermarket I'll hear a small child whispering (as loudly as only a child can)
'Mummy, look! That lady's got pink hair!' This is usually followed by frantic shushing by the mother and copious apologies, at which point I have to reassure them that 1) I really don't mind, and 2) I work with children so I'm used to it.
The best one I overheard was on a bus last autumn, when I had blue hair.
Child: Mummy?
Mother: Yes?
C: Look, that lady's got blue hair!
M: Yes. It's nice, isn't it?
C: But people don't
have blue hair.
M: Well, that lady does.
*Child sits deep in thought for a minute*
C: Mummy?
M: Yes?
C: I think it's ridiclius!
M: SHHHHHHH!
Me: laughing as quietly as I could so that the mother wouldn't be any more embarrassed than she already was...
