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.

what did you say to that-the chinese menu woman i mean

@PissyMum

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.

That sounds like the start of a spy novel. You obviously weren't the informant he was looking for. 🤣

A lady was cooing over my toddler DS1 in the pram, realised I had my newborn in the other side of the double pram.

Her 'ahhh, so sweet, what's her name?'

Me 'oh his name is x'

Her 'oh no, another boy? I bet you really wish he was a girl. What a shame'

I just went 😮 and walked away. Wish I'd told her to fuck off.

I've heard ruder, but the strangest was probably when I was at a holiday resort and someone asked where I was from. I said England. 'No you're not, you can't be, where are you from really?' Wouldn't believe I was English.

I know this is a fairly common annoyance for English people of other ethnicities, but I'm pasty white with an obvious London accent.

The Russian and hat one 😆

In New York a guy asked me if I was Welsh.
Me: no I'm from N.Ireland (I have an English accent just to confuse things)
Him laughing hysterically: no you're not you're Welsh
Me: I'm not Welsh
Him sarcastically : ok you're not Welsh 🙄
He then asks my name. Which happens to be the same name as a place in Wales🤦
Him: AHA! See? Welsh.

Oh snap with GreenWhiteViolet

I was the crazy stranger once, waiting for the loo on a plane and chatting to the poor guy who happened to be sat near it.

I said - Oh where are you going?

Its a plane not a bus, just the one destination usually.

Gosh it sounds like there are an awful lot of people who possess the amazing skill in knowing better about where strangers were born or lived.

A few weeks before giving birth, I was on my way to meet a friend at a cafe. From the car park to the high street were some steps. As I climbed them, I could see an older gentleman grinning at me from the top and I just knew he had a comment to make. "Young girl like you, you should be running up those steps". I was out of puff and not in the mood to engage so I said "I can't". He said "Oh, not pregnant are you?" to which I said "Yes, I am actually. Heavily so" to which he said "Well it's your own fault. You should be in the house then" and shrugged and sauntered off. I'd never let that slide now. What kind of response was he hoping for? What if I was disabled or struggling with weight? Was I just supposed to say "Yes, you're absolutely right. You know nothing about me or my health and mobility but you're absolutely right that I SHOULD be running up steps". Wharra knob. I've never forgotten it.

I just ignored Chinese menu woman, not that I could have got a word in edgeways, and hid anytime I saw her after that.

@AndTime

I was the crazy stranger once, waiting for the loo on a plane and chatting to the poor guy who happened to be sat near it.

I said - Oh where are you going?

Its a plane not a bus, just the one destination usually.

😂😂

@Hen2018

On a plane back from Austria, the Austrian (presumably) man sitting next to me said, “Are you English? You’ll want my cake then”, and slid his plate of cake over to me!

(I ate it)

I can't argue with that one. He clearly knows the score

8 months pregnant with my DD and a woman stops me to chat with me explains she used to be a midwife.
Her: "Ahh so you're having triplets?"
Me: "No just the one!"
Her: "Oh twins then!"
Me (in full blown panic) "NO! Just one baby!"
Her (obviously thinking I'm full of shit and looking very confused) "Oh..... Ok...."
I was terrified right up until I gave birth that they'd missed a baby on the scan! DD was 10lb 4 and I was massive to be fair.

A man came up to me in the street and said into my ear - "I'm going to kill you."

At DS(15) football clubs awards night a couple of years back, where all the teams up to age 17 were presented with awards. For context some of the older boys were as tall as, and built like grown men.

Me - It’s a good night isn’t it? They’ve all done really well.
Other Mum - You now, some of these lads are fit as f*ck, if they were my sons I’d still be bathing them!
Me - Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr and scurried off to the bar!

That's shocking op! Mine is more weird than horrible.

I was breastfeeding baby ds in town and a sweet looking little old lady came up to me. She said out of nowhere "after the baby is done can I have a go?!" then walked off laughing 😳🤢

@Cocolapew

The Russian and hat one 😆

In New York a guy asked me if I was Welsh.
Me: no I'm from N.Ireland (I have an English accent just to confuse things)
Him laughing hysterically: no you're not you're Welsh
Me: I'm not Welsh
Him sarcastically : ok you're not Welsh 🙄
He then asks my name. Which happens to be the same name as a place in Wales🤦
Him: AHA! See? Welsh.

(Generalising wildly, but) Americans seem to think they're the ultimate authority in accents, especially 'old world' ones. Years ago I was having a chat with a woman on an Amtrak train in the US and we got on to heritage. I said I'm English (I have an English accent) but had Irish great-grandparents. 'Ah, see, I can hear the Irish in your accent,' she said proudly. 'Not everyone would, but I can.'

Our town has a well known drunk lady who likes to scream obscenities in the street, she once told me I looked like a common slut and would have been burned at the stake in her day. That was nice!

I grew up in a really tiny village, I was about 17 still living at home, I was very poorly with compalabacta at the time, and my mum was at work. I was in bed sleeping/turning my insides out, when someone started hammering on the door. I ignored it as I felt awful, but they wouldn't let up so I answered, in my pyjamas which were shorts and a strappy top as it was summer. It was a group of Jehovah's witnesses, who told me I was going to hell for wearing something like that and especially answering the door to men in that get up. 💯 true and I still can't quite believe it happened!

Several more, but those two stand out the most. Possibly due to being "slut shamed" as a young woman, and how at the time I was embarrassed but now at 30, I'm furious that these things actually happen to women.

In the supermarket......this guy comes up to me and says, "Is that your natural hair colour".
My hair is bright pink so unless I'm a flamingo no it isn't.

@romdowa

Two Xmases ago my self and dp were shopping and the aisles were totally packed so I decided to wait at the end of one with the trolly while dp went to get what we needed. As I was waiting this woman approached me and asked me was I alright, I replied yes that I was just waiting for my dp. She turned to her husband and said to him "oh she is irish , that explains it" and then walked away 🤣🤣 I stood there utterly confused as to what kind of reputation the Irish have for standing around busy shops with a trolly.

Omg that reminds me of a time I was in a pub with my Dad, it was fairly busy, the only pub in the Village, very British middle class area, as we were finding seats he bumped into some people he knew and chatted for a minute before we carried on looking for seats. As we were walking away the woman said how lovely my dad was, but we’ll you know, he’s Irish…. It wasn’t meant in a well you know he’s Irish so he must be a good bloke kind of way, more it’s such a shame he’s Irish as otherwise he’s a nice bloke. I was about 19 and wanted to turn round and give her a mouthful but my dad just ushered me on because he was so use to it.

@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.

That’s just awful. I had the same in a small shop the day after my mum died (late the previous evening - very unexpectedly and at the other end of the county).

The assistant started screeching at DS (he was holding an apple) that he wasn’t allowed to eat on the shop. I told him to keep his hair on and that ds was half dosing, holding the Apple on his lap (whilst strapped into the pram).

So the assistant decided to throw in a few rude comments about how I looked a mess (fuck me how didn’t lamp him...).

I’d been holding it in pretty well until them and it all came out. Bet he won’t ever make a stupid or personal comment like that again.

@Cocolapew

The Russian and hat one 😆

In New York a guy asked me if I was Welsh.
Me: no I'm from N.Ireland (I have an English accent just to confuse things)
Him laughing hysterically: no you're not you're Welsh
Me: I'm not Welsh
Him sarcastically : ok you're not Welsh 🙄
He then asks my name. Which happens to be the same name as a place in Wales🤦
Him: AHA! See? Welsh.

Rhyl? Bangor? Are you St David?

I was 39 when I had my very much long awaited for DS and I was walking him along our local canal in his pram when a very glamorous older lady stopped me.

Her : what lovely blue eyes your baby has
Me : thank you very much
Her : he's very handsome. Obviously he's your grandson?
Me : errm no, he's my son
Her : oh!

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

In the supermarket......this guy comes up to me and says, "Is that your natural hair colour". My hair is bright pink so unless I'm a flamingo no it isn't.

I hope you said yes, with a straight face.

@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.

Why don't people think?

Someone said "cheer up love, it might never happen" to me when I was leaving work to go home after just having received a phone call telling me my relative had died. I snarled "IT JUST DID HAPPEN" at him, and he backed away looking very sheepish. Just as well, because I could easily have lamped him one if he'd been within range.