Cool Runnings

Well, the temperature in London is finally making its upward march into April and with this change in the weather, comes the welcome skin-parade that is spring at U.W.O. and London in general. Patios bloom with girls wearing nothing but their finest napkins. Out of the winter woodwork crawl scantily clad hordes of what Sarah aptly calls “hot and dumb undergrads to ogle.”

However welcome this change in the weather may be, it is not all that set to endure yet. Nights here are still freezing cold. And so it really cooks my noodle to see how many people go out to the bars at night without any jacket to keep warm.

Typically, I see people like this shivering in the lineups for bars, but last week at Barney’s I saw some half-naked people actually sitting outside on the patio having cold drinks.

I realize that as winter wanes (it’s actually been officially spring for 2 weeks now), people are eager to show off their wares by wearing much less clothing than is healthy or comfortable for them. Undoubtedly, this is all part of the evening’s pick-up-plan for these people. I wonder, however, if hanging-out half-naked in the cold might actually be counter-productive to such an objective.

First of all, I’d like to say that this question applies only to the guys. Without a doubt, girls who do this* will have no problem finding someone to keep them warm for the night. I’m not so sure about the guys though.

It’s often argued that when a man who is attempting to pick up a woman appears too eager in his efforts, he will usually crash and burn. Simply said: Eagerness is the anti-aphrodisiac. Similarly, it is said that if a man appears to lack self-confidence, his efforts will also be in vain. If this is true, then perhaps wearing less will not bode well at the bars for men if it is cold.

If you are willing to stand outside in the cold (either in-line or on the patio) without a jacket to keep you warm because you think that is what it will take for you to get some action, then you will probably appear very eager to please to the average female bar-goer. Just think how “cool” you’ll look when a pretty woman walks past, and your attempt to crack a coy smile results in a grinning mouthful of chattering teeth. People rarely end up outside without a jacket on a cold night by accident. Not only will you probably look like an overly-eager idiot for your efforts, but your willingness to subject yourself to such torture will speak the following about your self-confidence: If you thought that you had what it takes to pick-up without freezing your ass off, then you’d be wearing a jacket or a sweater right now!

Hot? I think not.

If this is you, then when you meet the object of your affections for that evening, you won’t need her to put you on ice because you’ll already be there.



*(while looking good)