Years ago when I lived and worked in Chicago (around there you don't usually work and live in the same place) I would stop somewhere on Michigan Avenue on my way up to my apartment on the North Side. Occasionally I would stop at Water Tower Shopping Plaza and peek inside Lord & Taylor to see if they had new watches I might like.
One Friday night I worked late and took the El Train to Chicago Ave. and jumped off and walked up to Mich. Ave. to L&T. When I made my way to men's jewelry I noticed there were three tall and rather large, well dressed black men milling about with no one else around. No one stopped me so I continued to shop at my leisure.
Suddenly I saw something very strange indeed. A figure shorter than myself, standing around 5ft 9in, covered in a black veiled body-length shroud, and wearing a crown or tiara of some kind, was also browsing amongst the ties and wallets. I then figured the large men were protecting some royal Arabian princess from the house of I-was-born-into-this-luxury-and-you-weren't. So I boldly walked up to the mysterious figure and stood there until she turned around and saw me. This got the attention of the body-guards, but no action was taken. The shrouded figure turned toward me and softly gasped in surprise,...and then let out a simple high pitched "harrumph" which got me to do the same in return. Then all of them, including her, moved like a wave to another section of the store.
About 6 years later I read somewhere that weirdo celebrity Michael Jackson would reserve parts of stores to do his own shopping dressed in a black shroud and tiara to avoid being mobbed by fans. Who else indeed?
True story.
