Even crossing a threshold in the city is a staged three-phase performance for invisibility.

Evidence

Let us begin by watching city dwellers in what would appear to be a relatively simple set of actions. The task is to move from one kind of public space (for example, a sidewalk) to another kind of public space (for example, an enclosed setting). But the trick is to do it without making an ass of oneself-to do it and remain inconspicuous, to do it and to give no one a reason to have anything at all to say about the matter. This particular action sequence may be broken down into three phases. The first involves checking for readiness, the second, taking a reading, and the third, reaching a position. — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 834