I suspect some of you may be aware of these two extremely fun and borderline sociopathic games, but I feel compelled to start a thread about it so that we can formalize the rules and share our stories.
The set-up: you and at least one other friend with similar ... tendencies are in a public place where speaking in your "private" voice can be overheard by the strangers around you.
(1) Shock Baseball: you say shit that is odd, offensive, factually incorrect or disturbing and gauge the reaction of the people sitting around you who are trying to appear as if they cannot hear what you are saying in compliance with the social compact that most normal people follow.
-- Stranger reacts with a facial expression: A single.
-- Stranger makes an oral non-verbal utterance: A double.
-- Stranger gets up and leaves in a manner that suggests you were responsible for their departure: A triple.
-- Stranger breaks into your conversation and engages you on the subject you were discussing: In-field home run.
-- Stranger breaks into your conversation and vehemently corrects you or demands that you desist: Grand slam.
It's important to note that speaking loudly or intentionally annoyingly is cheating. The fun is in seeing how you can play with social conventions through the content of your conversation, and there can be a bit of one-upmanship as you and a friend play a game of "Chicken" seeing you can get a reaction first without totally passing the boundaries of decency.
(2) Table fishing: same set-up, but a much more civilized game. Once again you are having a conversation. The point is to make it so interesting, so insightful, so sparkling and witty that the stranger who is pretending not to hear feels compelled to join in. Extroverts tend to like this, introverts tend to hate it and will often leave. Again, normal speaking voice, not loud or anything, the game is in the content.
So? Are you going to play?