For any number of reasons, direct in-person communication in public space may be the only option while making it seem like you’re not actually speaking to that person and or as if you’re complete strangers.
The purpose of this is to relay a short message or have an entire conversation with someone while assuming there are forces that have you or the other party under surveillance without raising suspicion.
For example: The man in the grey shirt is hunched behind the man who is fishing with headphones on – the fisherman is unaware of this man behind him or who he is. To anyone who may be watching, it seems like they are friends. The man in grey needs to have a short but full conversation with the woman in the striped coat. But it can not seem like they know each other. The woman in the striped coat came with an associate, both appearing as shoppers from the nearby market. The 2 women stop near the men and have a smoke break and chat amongst themselves. But in fact the woman in the striped coat is conversing with the man in grey, while the other woman is just moving her mouth and nodding randomly.
There are countless other methods of covert public conversing suited for each situation and scenario.
– Sitting close to each other but not facing each other (back to back) at a restaurant or public waiting station (bus, train)
– Standing right next to each other but each pretending to talk on their mobile phones
– Bringing a third but unknown subject to relay messages directly to each other
– Acting like a tourist and directly conversing with someone but with mannerisms as if asking for directions
[The featured photo was taken across the Galata Bridge on the north side of Istanbul, Turkey.]
