Maybe I'm dwelling on this too much, but after Sayid "makes contact" at the cafe with Elsa, he calls whom I presume to be Ben to let him know. Then he drops the phone in the trash and grabs a handful of snow and walks across the street, slowly letting it slip from his hand. The same hand he had the phone in, for what it's worth.

Is he trying to "wash his hands" of his involvement with Ben?

Or is he getting cold hands (opposed to cold feet) when it comes to his mission with Elsa?

Man, I am reaching here. Is there any symbolism at all? I've watched the episode twice now and it just strikes me as a weird thing to do every time.

I noticed that too and thought it was a little strange. The only time I grab snow with bare hands is to wash them off, so maybe you're on to something because I can't think of any other reason why he would do that.

I just thought it was something he did to protect himself. Like he throws away the phone which didn't in any way shield his bare hands from. So say if someone who was on to Sayid and looking for evidence found the phone they could get his fingerprints. I'm thinking he grabbed the ice only in that hand to somehow cover up that he had touched the phone. I know you can't change your own fingerprint but maybe grabbing the ice somehow freezes his fingerprints for a time or something. That's what I thought it was though...just some way to cover his tracks. It all seemed to flow......the conversation was very fast, he threw away the phone immediately and grabbed the ice and crumbled it in his hands to cover his track with the phone. I couldn't really make sense of anything else.

It did seem odd.

The only thing that I can come up with is that he wanted to appear to any possible observers as though he was scooping up snow and not ditching a cellphone?

I, too, thought this was strange. For some reason it reminded me of an old spy story. The spy knows he is being watched and does something to signal the watcher, like grabbing the snow. This was just my take on it and I hadn't considered anything else.

is there a substance that could cover his fingerprints and then he washed it off with the snow?

is there a substance that could cover his fingerprints and then he washed it off with the snow?

Yeah I mentioned something similar to that earlier. A substance actually makes more sense though. But really I just thought it had something to do with covering his tracks as far as his fingerprints are concerned.

Cause he's a badass.

Same reason why the sprinklers went on after he popped a cap.

It struck me as odd too (as well as his fancy straightened hair :p)

He did just throw something in the trash - maybe he was washing his hands.

Why did he toss the phone? Why did he pick up the snow?
Because Lost just went Matrix on us. :cool:

He ditches the phone because it isn't real or something. And he picks up the snow to see what it feels like.

That's my Theory and I'm sticking to it. Well, until the next Ep at least anyway. ;)

i think that he had fake fingerprints on his finger tips so if someone did find the phone and traced the fingerprints...it wouldn't come back to him.. so he used the snow to wash off the fake prints.

I believe that terrorists and criminals who don't want to be traced habitually buy cheap prepaid cellphones and use them just once. As long as a cellphone is on it has a tracking mechanism, and once a suspicious call is made from a phone, other calls will be tracked as well.

The thing we have to remember is that there's no way they're ever going to revisit that moment. We're never going to see a scene in which Sayid is talking to Ben and remembering the time he used some snow to do such and such.

And yet, it was a very strange and deliberate thing to do.

So there has to be a meaning to it, but not one that involves further explanation. It has to just be a clue to something bigger.

I was thinking of it more as Sayid seems to be someone who isn't around snow much, and so he grabbed it more as a curiousity. Here we get over 100 inches of snow a year so no big whip, but I have a friend from Texas who is fascinated by the stuff.

He touches it as a physical reminder of the place he once lived...the North Pole.

My thought was that this was yet another reference to snow globe theory again.

Just like the whole "the island is at the North Pole" theory, this can be yet another reference to that... like Hurley's igloo, the snow globe reference, the snowman joke, you want to throw snowballs line, the Ho Ho Ho in the first epi of the season ETC...

I think it shows his feelings about what he is doing for Ben and Ben in general. Anything Ben had touched makes Sayid feel dirty. Like Ben gave him the phone and just touching it made him feel contaminated.

Why did he toss the phone? Why did he pick up the snow?
Because Lost just went Matrix on us. :cool:

He ditches the phone because it isn't real or something. And he picks up the snow to see what it feels like.

That's my Theory and I'm sticking to it. Well, until the next Ep at least anyway. ;)


He tossed the phone obviously because he was talking to someone, presumably Ben, and didn't want it traced back to him. He picked up the ice to somehow dispose of fake fingerprints or something like that. I don't think he would just pick up snow to see what it feels like, that makes no sense, even for LOST. But usually people who are involved with things like killing as a job, will use disposable cell phones to avoid getting caught. I don't think this was meant to be that big of a mystery, and the explanation seems pretty obvious.

I think it shows his feelings about what he is doing for Ben and Ben in general. Anything Ben had touched makes Sayid feel dirty. Like Ben gave him the phone and just touching it made him feel contaminated.

That's what I got from it, too, though I guess there could be a more specific reason.

Dont you think you're reading abit too much into this?

I pick up snow if i see it just to throw a snowball, and im not an assassin working for Ben

Wow, I am really surprised by the responses in here. I thought the reason was clear.


The only thing that I can come up with is that he wanted to appear to any possible observers as though he was scooping up snow and not ditching a cellphone?

Exactly. To me, that is the obvious answer. I didn't think twice about it during the ep.

I was thinking that perhaps he had fake fingerprints on and the snow got rid of them. That way when "they" found the phone and ran fingerprints, his wouldn't turn up. Make sense?
100%
i think that he had fake fingerprints on his finger tips so if someone did find the phone and traced the fingerprints...it wouldn't come back to him.. so he used the snow to wash off the fake prints.

I just said the same thing without seeing your post first. :)

Maybe the snow was lifted off the bin as a mark that a package had been dropped in the bin?

I know it's not the most efficient way of doing this but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. It really stuck out too.

When I was watching, it looked like a very Cloak and Dagger type move the way he scooped up the snow and then let it fall little bit by little bit, all the while looking down the street.

My guess is he was trying to look less suspicious in case somebody was watching him. I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw him do that with the snow and go "Hmm..".

My sister was wondering why he did this too, though I have to admit, I noticed him doing it but didn't think much of it.

He did just throw something in the trash - maybe he was washing his hands.

But he didn't actually touch any trash? Did he? I think it is more symbolism than anything.

Maybe he developed OCD after leaving the island. Constant grooming. He did look quite spiffy in this episode.

Fake fingerprints is a reach. I'm in the camp of "hiding the fact he threw the phone away".

But... why isn't the phone destroyed instead of merely cast away? Seems too careless a move.

I thought it was because he felt dirty as well. When you think of the first hit we saw and him walking through the sprinklers after he shot Aveneux (was that the guy's name?? and then when he had to talk to Ben, the snow. I think it's a subconscious washing away his sins mentality.
I didn't think of fake fingerprints but that could also be an explanation as well.

Maybe he developed OCD after leaving the island. Constant grooming. He did look quite spiffy in this episode.

I thought of this this morning when I rewatched the episode, EA and I guess it could make sense for him because, on the Island, he's as fastidious as he can be given there's no running water, etc. and he probably feels dirty all the time no matter what he does. But, I didn't notice him exhibiting an other OCD behaviors which wouold point to disorder.

I have to say, I think it was to distract from the fact that he just threw away a cell phone. And also to look normal/less suspicious. I actually thought it also might just have been a move that Naveen threw in on his own, and Jack Bender was just like "huh, I like that. It could mean so many different things." and kept it.

Two thoughts, the first being my preferred option

1) Entirely symbolic. He was washing his hand of the 'dirty' conversation with Ben

2) He was trying to avoid suspicion. He'd walked one way down the pavement, put something in the bin, and then returned in the direction he had come from. This doesn't really work though, because nobody was around him when he ditched the phone and he could easily have concealed the phone inside another piece of litter - a newspaper or something.

Symbolic

It did seem odd.

The only thing that I can come up with is that he wanted to appear to any possible observers as though he was scooping up snow and not ditching a cellphone?

This is exactly what I thought. I didn't find anything strange about it as I watched, because I thought he was just trying to appear as if he was doing something other than ditching a phone.

Isn't he trying to seem like someone who has been wandering the city looking around who just happened to stop into this pub or whatever? You wouldn't look like you came directly to a place if you hands were a bit cold. It might just be enough of a tell that he was trying to set up his hand to feel like he had been walking around town for a while.

OK, here is my theory. It is a clue from the writers. Just like when Hurley was painting an igloo and an Eskimo in confirmed dead, Sayid is thinking about the about the Arctic. My theory is that the island is located in the Arctic. Hurley and Sayid are worried about their friends on the island. The painting and snow are story telling devices to show us that they are thinking about their friends on the island (in the artic). Think back to season 1. In the comic book that Walt was reading on the plane there was a picture of a dome structure in the an ice field.
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage-172-187.html

I like the washing his symbolically soiled hands angle, it makes sense once you're aware of the nature of his mission and his employer.

But at the time it struck me as more like a nervous tic. He'd just performed a sensitive action with that hand and felt like flexing it.

Interesting to note, in addition to earlier threads on the topic, that Sayid plays golf with his left hand, shoots with his right, and holds the phone in his left!

I'd have to agree with the people saying it's him washing the impurity away. Also, he doesn't have OCD, he's a Muslim. Look up info on personal hygiene in Islam.

I thought it was strange. I could see him grabbing some snow before he threw the phone & then clean the PHONE off to wipe off his fingerprints, but he didn't wipe the phone off. He threw the phone & wiped his Hand off after, not the phone. Right? OMG

Did Jimmy Stewart wipe snow off his hand in "It's a Wonderful Life"? Heck I know he didn't have a cell phone, but wasn't there snow & him wiping his hand off & walking down the street? Maybe I'm dreaming.

He obviously has a light substance on his hands to obscure his fingerprints, and when he dumps the phone he cleans his fingerTIPS. Most likely thinned down white glue on his fingertips, thats all he would need, and easily removed with some water (ice) after dumping the phone...(<>..<>)

He obviously has a light substance on his hands to obscure his fingerprints, and when he dumps the phone he cleans his fingerTIPS. Most likely thinned down white glue on his fingertips, thats all he would need, and easily removed with some water (ice) after dumping the phone...(<>..<>)

Why would it matter if his fingertips were on the phone?

All he'd done by that point was talk to the woman, it's not like he was throwing away a murder weapon.

If he was under surveillance then whomever it is that's watching him already knows who he is and doesn't need his fingerprints.

He obviously has a light substance on his hands to obscure his fingerprints, and when he dumps the phone he cleans his fingerTIPS. Most likely thinned down white glue on his fingertips, thats all he would need, and easily removed with some water (ice) after dumping the phone...(<>..<>)

You're starting to sound like Dr. Suds.

There's been speculation that the island is in some kind of pocket within the arctic. Maybe the snow reminded him of the island, or of leaving it?

Spray on latex can be used to obscure fingerprints and the snow could be used to wash it off. Just one possible explanation, but I don't know if that's it. Afterall, it was only a phone that is probably untraceable anyway since I'm sure the person he was talking too (maybe Ben? voice was disguised though) would also have a disposable cell phone and therefore be untraceable as well.

Sayid is supposed to be acting like a Professional Hit Man, but his actions with Elsa don't reflect that. His fingerpints are all over that Hotel room and spray on latex won't stay on your fingers for long. Now if Ben is as rich as we are led to believe or is backed by someone rich, this won't be a problem since they can cover things up. But if someone is behind him and Ben and is rich enough to cover thigns up, why worry about an untraceable phone?

I thought it was because he felt dirty as well. When you think of the first hit we saw and him walking through the sprinklers after he shot Aveneux (was that the guy's name?? and then when he had to talk to Ben, the snow. I think it's a subconscious washing away his sins mentality.
I didn't think of fake fingerprints but that could also be an explanation as well.

So I agree it was probably just psychological. Really liked the comparison with walking through the sprinklers!

OK, here is my theory. It is a clue from the writers. Just like when Hurley was painting an igloo and an Eskimo in confirmed dead, Sayid is thinking about the about the Arctic. My theory is that the island is located in the Arctic. Hurley and Sayid are worried about their friends on the island. The painting and snow are story telling devices to show us that they are thinking about their friends on the island (in the artic). Think back to season 1. In the comic book that Walt was reading on the plane there was a picture of a dome structure in the an ice field.
http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage-172-187.html

Other "snowy"things
Bernard falls flat on his face in the snow
Desmond's snow globe theory "We are stuck in a bloody snowglobe'. There's no outside world."
"What did one snowman say to the other snowman?"

Well that would explain the Polar Bear I guess. Shackleton's Antarctica?
OK here's a map. It's about 2500 miles or so from Australia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Shackleton_Endurance_Aurora_map2.PNG
Elephant Island? But it's flippin freezin there? I recall men/snow? Two scientists in a listening station|snow hut? Am I loosing it?
How could there NOT be snow in Antarctica & how could the Frank et al not say hum isn't it supposed to be really cold here considering I have my summer shirt on? But then again who knows?

Cause he's a badass.

Same reason why the sprinklers went on after he popped a cap.

Probably the best explanation I've read so far.

:d

If he were removing a substance from his fingers, meant to obscure or alter his fingertips, wouldn't they have made it MORE obvious that was what he was doing? Wouldn't they have shown him scrubbing his hands?

If he were removing a substance from his fingers, meant to obscure or alter his fingertips, wouldn't they have made it MORE obvious that was what he was doing? Wouldn't they have shown him scrubbing his hands?

Snow can be pretty coarse,(especially if it started to thaw and then refroze) and spray on latex isn't a glue like substance, it would be fairly easy to get it off just by rubbing the snow between his fingers. It's not like it's a fake fingertip he has on there to give him fake fingerprints which would be much more difficult to take off. But I'm far from an expert on this, and like I said, I think it was just psychological.

My wife had the same question, but I just figured it was him wanting to pick up snow. I'm no stranger to snow, get it almost every year, but if I'm walking around and find some at hand level, I'm picking it up. I couldn't tell you why, I just do. I'm betting it was an unscripted little thing. Goes to show what a superb cast we have when we analyze in this detail.

I've done it in real life many times. Sometimes even scour surfaces when there's nothing to pick up, but given that the show is what it is, I'd say there's a purpose to the action. That was my first thought when I saw him do it.

I think its a red herring. TPTB know we like to analyze EVERYTHING so they just tossed that one in to get us riled up.
100%

I'd have to agree with the people saying it's him washing the impurity away. Also, he doesn't have OCD, he's a Muslim. Look up info on personal hygiene in Islam.

This was my first thought too. I've spent a lot of time working in mainly Muslim areas of Birmingham in the UK and was aware that cleanliness is very important to Muslims. I looked up personal hygiene on islamic-world.net and this bit kins of made me go hmmm...

"Cleanliness In Islam Is Of Three Kinds:

Purification from impurity (i.e. to attain purity or cleanliness, by taking a bath (ghusl) or performing ablution (wudoo) in states in which a bath or ablution is necessary or desirable according to Islamic Law).
To cleanse one's body, dress or place from an impurity of filth.
To remove the dirt or grime that collects in various parts of the body, such as cleaning the teeth and nostrils, the trimming of nails and the removing of armpit and pubic hair. "Also this bit...

"TAYAMMUM (PURIFICATION WITHOUT WATER)

This method of purifcation, which does not require water, is used instead of ablution (Wudoo) and Ghusl in certain circumstances (i.e. such as no water is available, etc.). Allah (the Most High) says in the Quran (what is translated to mean):

But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favor on you that you may be thankful.; (Al-Ma'idah 5:6)"

Okay so Sayid wasn't using 'clean earth' but there was no water available to cleanse him of the impurity of filth so maybe he used the next best thing!

Just a thought! :undecide:

Here's a thought. It wasn't Sayid that grabbed the snow, but rather it was Naveen. I say that because the scene was filmed in Honolulu, and having snow on the ground and on the trash can was pretty freaky! So I'm thinking that perhaps Naveen couldn't pass up the opportunity to just grab some of this fancy imported snow and make a snowball.

Other "snowy"things
Bernard falls flat on his face in the snow
Desmond's snow globe theory "We are stuck in a bloody snowglobe'. There's no outside world."
"What did one snowman say to the other snowman?"

Well that would explain the Polar Bear I guess. Shackleton's Antarctica?
OK here's a map. It's about 2500 miles or so from Australia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Shackleton_Endurance_Aurora_map2.PNG
Elephant Island? But it's flippin freezin there? I recall men/snow? Two scientists in a listening station|snow hut? Am I loosing it?
How could there NOT be snow in Antarctica & how could the Frank et al not say hum isn't it supposed to be really cold here considering I have my summer shirt on? But then again who knows?

Yeah, I agree. There are a large number of snow references. As someone pointed out in another post, they film the show is Hawaii (i.e. a hot place). This means that they intentionally made snow for the scene. I think this more evidence that the snow is an clue and not just part of the scenery. I mean Berlin is not snowy all the time.

I also agree that the idea that the island is in a cold place is in conflict with the light clothing the 4 boat people have on. Hmm, I'll have to think about that some more.

Here's a thought. It wasn't Sayid that grabbed the snow, but rather it was Naveen. I say that because the scene was filmed in Honolulu, and having snow on the ground and on the trash can was pretty freaky! So I'm thinking that perhaps Naveen couldn't pass up the opportunity to just grab some of this fancy imported snow and make a snowball.
I got exactly that thought as I read this thread. You may have heard the podcast in which was explained what they had to do to make the previous snow scene. However, I think he'd've waited until the shot was finished.

As to the sprinklers on the golf course, do you think it had anything to do with their making "V"s? We already had a big "W" of palms with Sun & Jack digging under it to allude to It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. So does "V" allude to Thomas Pynchon, the TV series, victory, or V for Vendetta?

Robert

Wow. I never gave it a thought until now. My initial thought was that it was a distraction.. but the more I think about it now.. I'm not sure he'd need a distraction after throwing something in the trash.. and more importantly that grabbing snow wouldn't really be much of a distraction since it's an opposite action - throwing something into the trash vs taking something off of the trash. So I'm not sure if that would even be a distraction or cover up for having thrown something away. I'd like to think it was just a random action.. but I tend to doubt that on this show.

Yeah, I agree. There are a large number of snow references. As someone pointed out in another post, they film the show is Hawaii (i.e. a hot place). This means that they intentionally made snow for the scene. I think this more evidence that the snow is an clue and not just part of the scenery. I mean Berlin is not snowy all the time.

I also agree that the idea that the island is in a cold place is in conflict with the light clothing the 4 boat people have on. Hmm, I'll have to think about that some more.

Oh, I forgot that the boat is at the Java trench off of Bali (according to find815.com). I have a complimentary theory that there are portals around the world that transport people to the island (in the Artic). One of these could be above the Java trench (where it is warm). I think another is in Tunisia. That is why we see the German WWII weapons and why the polar bear ended up in the desert. That theory is for another thread though.

lupus - Further to your excellent post, it should be pointed out that in Islam, in practical terms, the left hand is supposed to be used for the 'unclean' necessities such as cleaning oneself after going to the toilet/bathroom. The right hand is meant for the exact opposite - eating and so on. One is not supposed to touch the Qur'an with the left hand.

My wife had the same question, but I just figured it was him wanting to pick up snow. I'm no stranger to snow, get it almost every year, but if I'm walking around and find some at hand level, I'm picking it up. I couldn't tell you why, I just do. I'm betting it was an unscripted little thing. Goes to show what a superb cast we have when we analyze in this detail.

my thoughts exactly. i'm pretty sure it was unscripted. was one of my favourite moments of the show

I believed it was symbolic of having washed his hands of the dirty conversation. Props to lupus for his post on Islam. It think that illuminates Sayid's actions perfectly.

Concerning the Muslim theory.

I'm a Muslim and I know that in Islam when someone's feeling down or feeling guilty, they wash themselves accordingly.

However, Lost producers tend to show Sayid making errors when he's praying and stuff like that.
Like I think it was in either The Economist or Confirmed Dead when they were showing him kneeling, he had one hand and the other on across his chest. You're not supposed to do that in Islamic prayer, you're supposed to have both hand on knees.
Also, in Live Together, Die Alone, on the boat with Sun and Jin, he suddenly broke his prayer without doing the ''tasleema'' ( facing right, then left, while wishing peace to god and his angels) which is not allowed.

So either Sayid is not a very good Muslim, or the writers aren't completely efficient in the Muslim knowledge.

Sayid grabs the snow for the same reason he deliberately walks through the sprinklers in the golf course scene.

There is a saying in Literary Criticism 101: "Whenever your central character gets wet, s/he is symbolically being baptized."

Doesn't hold 100%, but it is true often enough to be a good rule of thumb. The fact that Sayid is not Christian is of no significance (nor is it significant that the episode's writers are both Jewish). The basic toolkit for American writers is, for better or for worse, drawn from the mostly Western canon of English literature.

Sayid ritually cleanses himself after doing something he views as evil. Combined with his visible remorse in the final scene, this is our sign that Sayid still has a conscience. He's not a killer at heart, but he has to kill to serve some greater purpose within himself. He kills to save his friends.

I dont know if it quite has to be 'baptism' this time, as Sayid's too Muslim for that. ;) Nonetheless, I love the imagery of a cleansing, a rebirth. I'm really liking Sayid this season.

Overanalyzing such petty minutia.
A little improv by Naveen. Nothing more.

I dunno. I mean I live in Minnesota, and theres snow here alot.

And all the time, I'll grab snow off a branch or pole and run it through my fingers.

Its a compulsive thing and nothing more for me.

Thats probably the case in the show

This was my first thought too. I've spent a lot of time working in mainly Muslim areas of Birmingham in the UK and was aware that cleanliness is very important to Muslims. I looked up personal hygiene on islamic-world.net and this bit kins of made me go hmmm...

"Cleanliness In Islam Is Of Three Kinds:

Purification from impurity (i.e. to attain purity or cleanliness, by taking a bath (ghusl) or performing ablution (wudoo) in states in which a bath or ablution is necessary or desirable according to Islamic Law).
To cleanse one's body, dress or place from an impurity of filth.
To remove the dirt or grime that collects in various parts of the body, such as cleaning the teeth and nostrils, the trimming of nails and the removing of armpit and pubic hair. "Also this bit...

"TAYAMMUM (PURIFICATION WITHOUT WATER)

This method of purifcation, which does not require water, is used instead of ablution (Wudoo) and Ghusl in certain circumstances (i.e. such as no water is available, etc.). Allah (the Most High) says in the Quran (what is translated to mean):

But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favor on you that you may be thankful.; (Al-Ma'idah 5:6)"

Okay so Sayid wasn't using 'clean earth' but there was no water available to cleanse him of the impurity of filth so maybe he used the next best thing!

Just a thought! :undecide:

Concerning the Muslim theory.

I'm a Muslim and I know that in Islam when someone's feeling down or feeling guilty, they wash themselves accordingly.

However, Lost producers tend to show Sayid making errors when he's praying and stuff like that.
Like I think it was in either The Economist or Confirmed Dead when they were showing him kneeling, he had one hand and the other on across his chest. You're not supposed to do that in Islamic prayer, you're supposed to have both hand on knees.
Also, in Live Together, Die Alone, on the boat with Sun and Jin, he suddenly broke his prayer without doing the ''tasleema'' ( facing right, then left, while wishing peace to god and his angels) which is not allowed.

So either Sayid is not a very good Muslim, or the writers aren't completely efficient in the Muslim knowledge.

Thank you both for the great posts. If this was the intention of the writers and/or Naveen Andrews then I give them props. Even though they have made errors in the past regarding Sayid's religious practices, it is cool to have this scene in there even if most of us didn't know what it meant. Thanks again for the enlightenment! ;)

Sayid grabs the snow for the same reason he deliberately walks through the sprinklers in the golf course scene.

There is a saying in Literary Criticism 101: "Whenever your central character gets wet, s/he is symbolically being baptized."

Doesn't hold 100%, but it is true often enough to be a good rule of thumb. The fact that Sayid is not Christian is of no significance (nor is it significant that the episode's writers are both Jewish). The basic toolkit for American writers is, for better or for worse, drawn from the mostly Western canon of English literature.

Sayid ritually cleanses himself after doing something he views as evil. Combined with his visible remorse in the final scene, this is our sign that Sayid still has a conscience. He's not a killer at heart, but he has to kill to serve some greater purpose within himself. He kills to save his friends.
But a baptism is also a kind of initiation. So maybe that means it was his first assassination in a future career of them.

It did seem odd.

The only thing that I can come up with is that he wanted to appear to any possible observers as though he was scooping up snow and not ditching a cellphone?

This is a good point and makes more sense.

He just felt like grabbing some snow and cleaning his hand, after talking with Ben.

People always get these kinds of scenes into 62 page theories about something extravagant.. ;)