CINCINNATI—Saying they could not stop staring despite the highly private nature of the scene that was unfolding, numerous passersby reportedly paused dead in their tracks Wednesday night upon catching sight of a man leading an incredibly sad life who was clearly visible through his unobstructed apartment window.
Witnesses said they started gathering on the sidewalk outside his apartment building at approximately 6:30 p.m. after noticing that the lethargic, disheveled man, who appeared to be in his mid-30s and was clad only in a ripped T-shirt and unwashed shorts, had left his curtains open and his lights on, putting his pathetic existence inside his dingy one-room studio in plain view for all to see.
“Boy, you can see absolutely everything,” said 38-year-old Andrea Arnold, who was walking to meet a friend for dinner when she glimpsed the man playing video games alone in his barely furnished, bare-walled apartment and found herself gawking through the window at the tragic life that was taking place in front of her. “I know I should look away, but I just can’t help watching him—even after seeing him doze off on the couch for a while with his laptop open on his stomach.”
“If you’re going to do that, you’ve got to make sure you’re alone where no one can see you—but I guess it just slipped this guy’s mind,” she added. “Because, wow, he’s giving us all a real eyeful.”
Over the course of several minutes, witnesses said they observed the man completely expose his tragic and pathetic existence to them. The unkempt individual was clearly unaware that strangers could see his miserable life, sources reported, noting how he continuously checked his phone for nonexistent emails and texts and consumed handfuls of shredded cheese straight from the bag, eventually tipping the bag directly into his mouth and patting it with his hand to dislodge the remaining pieces.
A number of passersby also confirmed that, at one point, the man could be seen requiring several attempts to stand up from his couch, the exertion of which prompted him to massage his sore lower back for roughly a minute as he shuffled back and forth in front of the window wincing, which reportedly left onlookers staring intently with their mouths agape.
“Someone should say something—this just isn’t right,” said Thomas Werner, 49, who was out walking his dog when he caught sight of the tremendously sad life. “God, I hope he doesn’t leave his blinds open like this every day. Maybe I should go up there and let him know that we can all see him.”
“Then again, that might be really embarrassing and just make this worse for him than it already is,” he added.
Onlookers said they were ultimately left unsatisfied, however, when the man closed his curtains right before turning on his TV, leaving them unable to catch sight of what devastatingly sad show he would spend his entire night watching.
