I’ve recently learned that a text shared with a friend isn’t always as private as you think. That lesson came at 8:45 a.m., while I was racing to make a 9:00 meeting. Waze was telling me to stay on the freeway, but I ignored it—confident in my usual “shortcut” that never fails. This time, it failed spectacularly.
Traffic came to a crawl for no obvious reason. Then I saw it—or rather, him. A very tall, completely naked man briskly walking down the cross street. Naturally, every driver slowed down, because no one wants to miss that on a Wednesday morning commute. So there I sat, late and stuck, thanks to an unexpected—and unforgettable—traffic influencer.
I texted a coworker: “Running late. There’s a man completely naked walking along the street.” The reply came quickly: “No way. Take a photo or it didn’t happen.” By then, the man had moved out of frame, sparing both my camera roll and my dignity. As traffic crept forward, my mind filled in the blanks. Bad breakup? Dramatic escape? Mugging gone sideways? It was like writing a mystery novel in real time.
I arrived at the meeting fifteen minutes late. As I sat down, my boss asked, “So… was he naked?” I glanced at my coworker, suddenly aware my “private” text had gone public. “Yes,” I said. “He was naked. And no, I didn’t get photos.” The room collectively sighed in disappointment.
Afterward, I told my coworker, “That message was meant for you only.” She shrugged and said, “I didn’t know that.”
Lesson learned: next time, I trust Waze—and maybe keep the play-by-play to myself.
