Does anyone feel just a bit awkward about doing some every day things?

[Pyri]

I am a successful, confident woman in every day life. So why do I feel like such a prize idiot doing normal things like:

• taking stuff back to the tiny post office counter that’s in the corner shop, I feel weirdly guilty about doing ASOS returns there without buying anything
• taking my car to a car wash, feeling like I’m going to prang it going around corners then feeling a bit awkward not knowing when to tell them I only want the outside doing / not sure where to look when they’re buffing the windscreen / wondering if I’ll run over their toes when pulling forward
• literally anything to do with conversing with workmen

WHY?!! Does anyone else manage perfectly in real life but feel just a bit awkward with these minor interactions?

Totally agree with window cleaner feel guilty whatever I’m doing and like I’m being judged!. I do move around rooms but he seems to start off with a stealth window before I’ve realised he’s started!
I just go out when cleaner comes!

@PinkSyCo

I hate it when drivers ‘kindly’ stop to let me cross the road. “No thank you, it’s very nice of you and all but I’d much rather wait here until the road is clear than have you sit and watch me giving you an awkward wave whilst I pretend hurry across.” Also hate when the hairdresser shows me the back of my hair and you have to comment on how good it looks. Awkward.

I often pretend not to see them...

I hate it when drivers ‘kindly’ stop to let me cross the road. “No thank you, it’s very nice of you and all but I’d much rather wait here until the road is clear than have you sit and watch me giving you an awkward wave whilst I pretend hurry across.”

I hate this when I'm running because I see a road as a convenient place to give myself a break...and they making me keep running!🤣

Love this thread!
I hate taking the bins out in case anyone sees me ( like no one else has rubbish). Also getting something out the car. If it's still light I'll wait till it's dark then take a quick peek before I do.
I've never said those things out loud!

@Nohypocrate

Do we think this is just a female thing or do men feel the same I wonder? I think if I sent my husband to the shop for Tampax he might feel a bit awkward.

Yes men definitely get this too! My DP once went to get some beer on a Friday eve and I asked him to get me a cucumber. He said there was no way he was queuing up with 4 cans of lager and a cucumber on a Friday night in case people wondered what he was going to do with it . He also won't buy 1 carrot, which I sometimes want for spaghetti bolognaise, even he has a full trolley 🤷‍♀️

😂😂😂 this has made my morning!! Thank you

@Catastrophejane

😂😂😂 this has made my morning!! Thank you

@Idkillforadoughnut

Meant to add you to this!

I was browsing in All Saints yesterday when an over enthusiastic sales person recommended some jeans and I felt obliged to try them on because she was so nice.
I had my big boots on that I couldn’t be arsed to take off so I just stood in the changing room for 5 mins randomly rattling the hanger every minute or so while I checked my emails.
Then I had to take them back out and say I didn’t want them.
Why oh why didn’t I just say no in the first place!
Mortified.

I arranged for a tree surgeon to visit to assess some work in the garden. He said he couldn't come except at 10.30 on a Saturday, which was mildly irritating (had to cancel meeting friends for lunch) but fine.

At 8.30 he was banging on the door. I threw on my dressing gown to answer, but had clearly been in bed (and asleep) when he arrived - as he commented. Embarrassing, but I slung on jeans and a hoodie and joined him in the garden.

He wasn't able to do the work in the next month, but would ring to arrange a date.

A fortnight later, and I have a work from home day. First Zoom meeting not until 9.30, so I answer my overnight emails in bed from 8am.

8.30, loud banging on the door. I assume it is the postman so answer the door in my dressing gown. Tree surgeon and mate. Come to do the work. 'Sorry to get you out of bed again, love'.

This time I styled it out. Put on my pink gardening crocs and roamed the garden in my dressing gown in the drizzling rain, checking they knew what to do.

It's hard, but life is too short to be embarrassed all the time.

I've just remembered my dad asked why I don't just use the drive in car wash where they do it for you. He goes all the time. Me "nope, nope, nope"
I don't know what to do, they just make random gestures and I'm like "do I switch the engine off now? Move forward? How much is it?"
Rather go to the garage and use the self service wash ones

I don't know if anyone else does this but if I'm going somewhere new, I look it up on Google maps so I know what it looks like and where parking is

I'd like to just join this thread and talk about "wiper shame"

That feeling you get when it's not raining anymore and then you realise your wipers are still going hell for leather.

"Everyone is judging me. I'm an idiot. Oh god."

Funny because I have never once judged (or for that matter even noticed) a person with the incorrect wiper speed for the amount of rainfall. But still. I get the wiper shame.

@ihaveonecat

I've just remembered my dad asked why I don't just use the drive in car wash where they do it for you. He goes all the time. Me "nope, nope, nope" I don't know what to do, they just make random gestures and I'm like "do I switch the engine off now? Move forward? How much is it?" Rather go to the garage and use the self service wash ones

I don't know if anyone else does this but if I'm going somewhere new, I look it up on Google maps so I know what it looks like and where parking is

Random gestures is a real thing! I can’t stand it when men try to “help” you manoeuvre your car and all the do is wave aimlessly and give nonspecific instructions like “pull round”. Pisses me right off because 1) I never asked for help and 2) I could have done it a lot more quickly if you hadn’t confused me with your aimless waving about

@Wanttosleepproperlyplease "you've got loads of room!"
Have I? Where? An inch, a metre? I mean you think 4 inches is 8 so.. sorry, I'll do it myself

At 44years old I still can't walk into a shop and just buy condoms.

I have to buy an entire massive shop, even if I don't need it, and then die when the cashier puts them through and then make sure that no one can see the jonnies facing out of the carrier bag. When I get home I will leave the frozen stuff melting whilst I get said Willy bags and put them safely in the bedside drawer. This is just in case an unexpected visitor comes round and sees them in the bag. God forbid.

I have tried putting them In an online shop but they were flapping about in their own tray with just some Colgate for company. My fanny shrivelled up with embarrassment.

Thankfully we don't have sex much so this is a once a year situation to overcome. 😁

@Bedsheets4knickers

When the window cleaner comes 🤣 I spend the time hiding in other rooms . It's like playing musical rooms .

Yes this! At least my current window cleaner texts me the day before to say he's coming; the last one used to just turn up and I hated it.

At 44years old I still can't walk into a shop and just buy condoms

are they age restricted? I'd buy them at the self-checkout if not!

Businesses shouldn't expect their customers to be mind readers

Indeed. The usual one is not saying whether somewhere is self-service or waitress/waiter service. Sometimes it's obvious, mostly it isn't.

And on Thursday I was meeting a work contact in Reading. We'd agreed to meet in a cafe in a hotel near the station. It's no longer open. For all I know it might have closed at the start of covid, but a sign to say so would be useful. You have to go into the hotel to look and the receptionist chases you out.

are they age restricted? I'd buy them at the self-checkout if not!

No idea. I couldn't risk having to call the self checkout person over to help if the bloody thing was having a moment!

This is a great thread! I relate to so many of these, I thought it was only me! I especially relate to the cleaner one, it was especially awkward when I was on maternity leave.

When you'd get on a double decker packed bus, walk up stairs, do the little awkward glance around, no seats and making the walk back down. I don't know why, but I always felt like a complete knob end. Probably because there's just a sea of people looking at you

Making appointments on the phone. I rehearse what I want to say beforehand, but always comes out a jumbled mess

When a car lets you go when crossing the road

Small talk in general with strangers

Buying a pregnancy test. I always need to add to my purchase as if that makes it more normal. Throw in some hand cream and a chocolate bar. I’m TTC!

@Bedsheets4knickers

When the window cleaner comes 🤣 I spend the time hiding in other rooms . It's like playing musical rooms .

Draw the curtains in one room and stay in there. Job done!

Going through an automated car wash - awkwardly sitting with a rictus grin while they do the pre wash, then pulling forward and trying to get your wheel in the right place. I had a complete brain fart once and tried and failed 3 times to get it right, and the assistant stropped off because he was so annoyed, I think it's scarred me! I also get really awkward if workmen are doing something, I don't want to stand over them like I don't trust them but I feel bad watching tv or whatever.

@BeneficiaryMadness

I was browsing in All Saints yesterday when an over enthusiastic sales person recommended some jeans and I felt obliged to try them on because she was so nice. I had my big boots on that I couldn’t be arsed to take off so I just stood in the changing room for 5 mins randomly rattling the hanger every minute or so while I checked my emails. Then I had to take them back out and say I didn’t want them. Why oh why didn’t I just say no in the first place! Mortified.

This is so funny

Walking out of a shop without buying anything.

I swear I start swaggering and acting shifty even though I haven’t stolen anything!