I was recently eating lunch ‘al desco’. While I was eating-working, a student walked in my office to ask me a question, saw I was eating lunch at my desk, and said “Oh, I’m so sorry for interrupting your lunch. I’ll come back later.”
I was stunned. This has never happened to me before.
I’ve taken to eating at my desk much more in recent times. (Defections of the old lunch crowd left us with less than critical mass, and I can web surf/blog on my lunch break if I’m at my desk) And I get similar treatment as FSP — the assumption that I’m in “may I help you” mode because I’m at my desk.