My Dad always People Watching

[wavesshore]

I like my Dad but he is such a people watcher always been like it, when I've been on holiday with him and DM he's always commenting on other people such as "Look at him he's wearing the same thing as last night", "Look at him dinking alcohol he doesn't look 18". I feel like telling him that I don't care and stop being nosy. Would this drive you mad or is just normal conversations?

Drinking

Isn't that part of the fun on holiday? The annoying couple that sit near you on the plane always end up at your hotel and you can't help but notice them.

You need to start a riveting conversation with him to distract him.

We tend to do this on holiday : maybe it's just the thing that you know you will never see them again ? Or just observing how people behave out of their ' comfort zone' ?
It's hard not to be interested if you see a big group of people or if someone is causing a scene or is wearing the same top as last night or something!
(I don't tend to do this type of thing at home though !)

I think it's the fact my Dad notices things that I necessarily would like what some random person was wearing the night before. Another thing he has mentioned before was about how there was a man in the buffet getting food from the kid's section and my Dad was commenting how he paid all that money to eat here and he's getting food from the kid's section.

Oh blimey, I've always reassured myself that no one except me notices what I wear from one day to the next...

I think this is normal behaviour. I love watching people when I am on holiday. You can learn so much about other cultures and ways of life from seeing how people dress and behave.

I guess you could ask him not to give you a running commentary on it if it annoys you?

I love people watching

As long as the people he’s watching can’t hear what he’s saying! I once heard a man describing the other patrons in a restaurant to his blind wife - apparently I was very pretty, but very full of myself! I suppose it’s better than ‘She looks like a sack of shit, but doesn’t seem to care’!

This would drive me mad! I feel so uncomfortable around people that do this. I’d be mortified if someone overheard. My DP’s family do this and they’re not very discreet, DP hates it too and always worries people will hear.

This is my in laws except not on holiday 😂🙄 they do not have any kind of life at all.

Bless him, he's elderly and bored. He probably does that at home too! It would annoy me a bit, but I'd just try to ignore it and see the funny side.

I think it sounds hyper critical of other people. My step father probably would say similar. Fortunately my DH would say, "oh the chap on the beach/next table was reading x. I'd like to know what he thinks".

"Isn't the light marvellous today, it really makes you appreciate why artist's lived here". "I thought our favourite restaurant owner was looking tired, can you winkle out if the family are all OK". Then of course he does sometimes say "take cover, the braying woman from gite 3 is on her way".

He's not elderly he's in his early 60's.

Is he still able to engage with you and the rest of the family - or does he do this to avoid family closeness - as he is actually out of his comfort zone?

I would blame the I-spy books he probably had as a child.

We are 60s op. We don't do it.

He still engages with the rest of the family, I think's it just part of his personality he likes to observe and comment on others.

I also enjoy people watching. You learn such a lot. But I don’t create a commentary.

My parents do this all the time. Drives my brother nuts. They're in their late 80s, so unlikely to change.

Is it always slightly negative / judgmental stuff - or is it ever positive?

If it’s the former that can be tedious and can throw a shadow over things.

I feel like telling him that I don't care and stop being nosy.

What would happen if you did say the above?

Well I’m 60s and don’t do that. I’ve been in the company of people who do though and really find it unpleasant especially when it’s pointing out someone’s weight , criticising what they’re wearing or hair colour. It has a condescending and mean vibe to it very often which I find cruel. I might look at someone and notice something I’m not a fan of but I don’t discuss it with whoever I’m with at the time.

I feel like telling him that I don't care and stop being nosy.

Is not really being nosy, is it? He's just observing things that are right in front of his face. I'd get along great with your dad.

I love people watching, especially in the summer when I can wear my oversized sunglasses and sit at an outside bar or cafe.
My dad actually sits by the lounge window so he can have a good gawp.
To be fair, he is in his eighties.

DH and I sat outside at a bar on holiday the other week and played 'guess what the people do for a living' as they walked towards us. And 'which dress do you like the best' (I was after a new dress TBF).

We people watch and give some of them names too. All part and parcel of a holiday IMHO.