What is the strangest thing a stranger has ever said to you?

[PinkWaferBiscuit]

Took my almost 2 year old to the park this morning in between heavy rain showers so he could jump in puddles. When we arrived the park was empty, after about 10 minutes a women arrived with 3 children who began playing with my DS, all good and so she started to make small talk.

This is exactly how the conversation went.

Women - Awww he's a sweetheart what's his name.
Me - Thanks, his name is X. Your 3 are being so kind to include him in their game.
Her - Yeah they are great, it's good they have each other to play with. Is he an only?
Me - Yes.
Her - Oh that's sad... What happens if he dies?
Me - Errrrrrrrr (I was literally speechless)

Who the fuck thinks that's an acceptable thing to say to anyone let alone a random stranger in the park mere feet away from our kids.

Anyway you may not be shocked to learn we then made a hasty retreat and that comment well and truly killed the conversation.

But it got me wondering has a stranger ever said anything even more batshit to you? Or did I meet the strangest stranger ever in our local park and should I perhaps consider moving.

I was waiting for dp at the airport for a flight that had to take a detour and got talking to a man waiting for his mum off the same flight. He said I look like Dervla Kirwan.... other than dark hair that's the only similarity! I was a bit like ???? My dad who'd driven me there was silently pissing himself with laughter!

On the bus with 5 x dc and a newborn. Who was crying..
Shut have kept my fucking legs shut apparently..
Did spur me on to pass my driving test though!!

When I was pregnant with DS a woman approached me at an outdoor gig/party kind of event and we had the following conversation:

Her: Aw, how many weeks are you?
Me: 26
Her: I thought you were about that, I'm a Midwife
Me: Oh really, that must be an interesting job
Her: Do you know if it's a boy or girl?
Me: Yes, it's a boy
Her: You know if he's born now he's quite likely to die
Me: Gawped silently (swift exit)

I will never forget being out running and this older man in his 60's. I was 30 saying ' I would love to have washed you as a baby'. I mean what the absolute fuck! Made me feel physically sick and I went a different route home so as not to pass him again.

@polkadotpixie

When I was pregnant with DS a woman approached me at an outdoor gig/party kind of event and we had the following conversation:

Her: Aw, how many weeks are you?
Me: 26
Her: I thought you were about that, I'm a Midwife
Me: Oh really, that must be an interesting job
Her: Do you know if it's a boy or girl?
Me: Yes, it's a boy
Her: You know if he's born now he's quite likely to die
Me: Gawped silently (swift exit)

I hope her bedside manner was better when she was at work.

When I had ds2 and posted on Facebook someone commented "can't decide if he'd ugly or cute" I mean wtf??

friend and I chatted & giggled amongst ourselves on the metro.
dude halfway between us and door was positioning himself to get off when doors opened.

he stepped out, turned around, looked us straight in the eye and as the doors were closing he screamed at us, totally unprovoked, at full volume "And you two, you go back into your fucking whore mothers"
😳🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

It was so surreal, we just bursted into laughter.
then we sort of glanced around and realised a lot of the other passengers were also giggling & shaking their heads in disbelief.

I’m 5ft tall and blonde. This makes me extra-approachable when it comes to unsolicited opinions. When I lived in the Netherlands, which is a country that prides itself on A) being the tallest nation in the world and B) being a nation of “Direct” speakers. (Code for rude, quite often…) I had people literally crossing the street to tell me that I was “So short!” (Also lots of we’re not racist, we’re “tolerant.” - Why don’t you go back to Australia?”)
Meanwhile, I used to also be a flight attendant, so very few things surprise me. “My teeth went down the toilet and I flushed them accidentally. Can you go downstairs and get them?” (Wtf? No!) “I have been ringing the call bell for ten minutes (one minute) and I know you can see me. Can you get me a fucking coffee?” - “No actually, I’m going to keep doing CPR on this guy lying on the floor next to you.”

@Travelledtheworld

A complete stranger walked up to me and said "cheer up love it might never happen".... this was five days after my baby son died...... WTAF? i just started blankly at him.

What a thoughtless moron. This is one of my most hated phrases constantly bandied about by random men to women - never to other men. We don't owe you sunshine and smiles, random idiots!

I'm so sorry this happened to you

I said that a venue was real busy with children during a school holiday, and they asked if I had considered therapy for my anxiety. What anxiety? The place was heaving with children and their parents

@specialsauce

People with autism/aspergers are often take things very literally and also ask questions that pop into their head without always understanding the social nuances of acceptability. These stories very much sound like this. They in no way mean to cause upset.

I've asd and there is no way in this earth that I would approach a stranger and say any of the bizzare things on here. Can we please stop bring asd into every thread. People can be rude assholes with out having a diagnosis 🙄

@BaronessBomburst

I'm sorry, I actually laughed at that. It's so batshit. Especially considering his age; potential siblings are still a work in progress.

Same here 🤣

Sorry for laughing OP, but the way you told it was brilliant. I can just imagine you there, mouth moving but nothing coming out, while she was oblivious to how batshit her comment was.

I'm sorry to say I can't compete with that level of batshit.

Me, in the post office: just a stamp, thanks (broad Yorkshire)
Cashier: are you Russian?
Me: ...
Cashier: you look Russian
Me: do I sound Russian too?
Cashier: ...maybe you lost your accent..

I don't know why I 'look Russian' but this isn't the only occasion someone's said that.

Sorry for laughing OP, but the way you told it was brilliant.

Dont feel guilty for laughing I'm sure if I had read it I would have laughed too. I cannot take credit for telling it well though, a good batshit story pretty much tells itself.

An old woman in the local supermarket commenting on my daughter (then 2) "Oh she's so cute, she looks like a golliwog!"

In the eight years since I've come up with a hundred things I should have said, at the time I just gawped silently.

On the bus in Sheffield, mid 1970s. On holiday from Australia. Ask for fare from conductor. “You’re not from round here?” “No, Australia” so he starts speaking to me in French.

@KurtWildeWitchOfTheWoods

Me, in the post office: just a stamp, thanks (broad Yorkshire) Cashier: are you Russian? Me: ... Cashier: you look Russian Me: do I sound Russian too? Cashier: ...maybe you lost your accent..

I don't know why I 'look Russian' but this isn't the only occasion someone's said that.

I used to look Russian!

I don't think I do any more because no-one's said it for ages but as a teen/young adult it happened several times.

What does it mean?!

Oh god

I was on a bus when I was about 23 and a man said that I looked like I worked hard. I was wearing a knee length leather coat, in fashion at time, in case relevant, he had certainly looked me up and down. I said I was, I was teaching and he said 'Oh I thought you worked harder than that' Never quite worked out what that meant! Any ideas?

Years ago a woman started talking to me on a night out, I realised after a few minutes she was chatting me up.
Me: oh I'm not gay, sorry.
Her: yes you are.
Me: no I'm really not.
Her: you are, you just don't know it yet.
I'm now 53 and still not gay.

Walking to pick the DDs up from school and a woman joined me and told me every item, in order and with the number, of the new Chinese's menu.

1. I have 5 children. Am sick of being told by both strangers and people I know even right down to staff at the school, that I am mad and crazy. And it just irritates me. I am not mad. I am happy.

1. Walking past the lollipop lady and she said be careful you dont drop the baby. I was carrying my 4 month old in my arms as my eldest 14 year old boy pushed the pram next to me. I wouldn't drop a baby.

1. Wow, you look like you're due. what are you going to call the new baby, said woman at the checkout.

I told her the baby name. She said I really dont like that it reminds me of a grandma. Excuse me.

1. Are you a muslim? Because I've heard you like pork in you. Said random drunk man on the bus.

5 Did your husband force you to wear that, and are you a member if the Taliban, said some random women at the barbers pointing to my hijab, when I was getting my eldest kid hair cut.

1. My old boss, totally new to my job, at a small newsagents when was 16 or 17, are you late because you were having sex. I mean, what the hell.

Me: do I sound Russian too?
Cashier: ...maybe you lost your accent...

This is brilliant 😂

My strangest one remains "so how's your downstairs feeling?" from an elderly lady in a newsagent who'd just been coo-ing over newborn DS in his pram.

I was so stunned I'm afraid I just said "err, not bad thanks" rather than any variation on "wtf would you ask a complete stranger that?!"

When my son was a baby he had a lot of hair which curled up in a sort of quiff. A woman in the supermarket very crossly told me that I shouldn't blow dry his hair as he was only a baby.

My son had blonde hair and blue eyes. I have dark hair and brown eyes. Whilst in a shop a woman asked me how on earth I had managed to have a baby with such different colouring to me and I replied that it might have something to do with my DH having same colouring as baby. She said that she thought the baby was adopted or that I had stolen him and was just checking....

I was once walking through Waterloo station on a cold day. I was wearing a coat, woolly hat and gloves. A man passed me, doubled back and said “excuse me, do you have the time?” I just pointed up at the massive clock above me and he sort of whispered to me really urgently “take your hat off”. I must have looked really confused and he looked really panicky and sort of half whispered again “please, just take your hat off”. So I took it off. He immediately relaxed, laughed and said “ha! I can’t believe I didn’t see the clock directly above me. Sorry to bother you”.

It was so odd. I don’t think he was trying to confuse me and he didn’t seem like he was on drugs or anything. It just seemed really important to him that I take me hat off but for some reason reason he didn’t want anyone to overhear him. My hat was just a completely normal, grey woolly hat. It’s a mystery.

'It is a court martial offence to strike a clergyman'.

Passing guy in the street. He shouted it after me as I walked on as well.

My old boss, totally new to my job, at a small newsagents when was 16 or 17, are you late because you were having sex. I mean, what the hell.

Sorry but that tickled me. I mean how do you answer that. If you say no, he obviously wouldn't believe you as he was already thinking you were. Also what kind of a mind do you need to have for that to be your first thought as to why someone is late.