Actually, I have read maths (and science, and computer-related, and linguistics, and other technical-looking) books in pubs (and trains, and while walking along the street). I can't remember anyone ever even commenting on it, let alone negatively. I usually get hassled by strangers for some aspect of my appearance, if anything. But I believe you if you say it happens to you a lot - I wonder why the difference occurs?
This reminds me suddenly of an account posted recently by an OU astronomy tutor of his experiences watching a lunar eclipse:
Last year a group of my neighbours came out to look at the eclipse of the Moon. They enjoyed it and asked questions ranging from basic to quite complex.
Passers by were different. One said that he had never seen anything like that before (the Moon was about 2/3 eclipsed). I pointed out that eclipses are not rare. He repeated his assertion more assertively. I pointed out that he would not have seen this one, but for turning to see what we were looking at, but he just repeated his assertion a third time.
Another asked me if the Moon would be alright soon?
Another passed by and loudly denounced us as a expletive deleted idiots.
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This reminds me suddenly of an account posted recently by an OU astronomy tutor of his experiences watching a lunar eclipse:
Last year a group of my neighbours came out to look at the eclipse of the Moon. They enjoyed it and asked questions ranging from basic to quite complex.
Passers by were different.
One said that he had never seen anything like that before (the Moon was about 2/3 eclipsed). I pointed out that eclipses are not rare. He repeated his assertion more assertively. I pointed out that he would not have seen this one, but for turning to see what we were looking at, but he just repeated his assertion a third time.
Another asked me if the Moon would be alright soon?
Another passed by and loudly denounced us as a expletive deleted idiots.