most probably as he knew so many people around town.
My mum used to go into town and when he met someone on broadway she'd leave him there talking to them whilst she went and did the shopping. she'd come back when finished to find him in the same spot talking to someone completely different. He might have gone trhough 5 or 6 different conversations from leaving to returning without so much as moving a couple of feet
Mind you that was back in the day when people weren't in such a rush and would spend time in converstaion. Look around broadway now and its all people rushing around like blue backsided flies. I think the world's a worse place for it too