What’s the weirdest thing society accepts as normal?

[ForFunAquaTurtle]

Cheese on a stick

I’m not sure they would ban kettles, but might increase public education. I saw an article about how 20 mph zones had decreased accidents so although it’s a PITA as a driver, the benefit is worth it.
More than 30,000 children in England a year get long covid, yet kids are told to go in when contagious! We normalise environments which make people sick as though there’s nothing that can be done to reduce that level of illness. Some even say it’s good for them!

Gun culture in America, despite the tragic impacts.

Admin charges for things like car parking and ticket sales.

Sitting on hold for eternity and then being passed from pillar to post.

Lying from politicians.

Tipping, even for crap service (I do this, but it’s weird).

Firms that say ‘may be required to work additional hours on occasion’. Why not put 8-7 or whatever is generally expected. They all say between 35-40 hours, but in many places if you stuck to that, you’d never progress.

Lack of sanitary products as a given in toilets We accept things like toilet roll or soap should be provided. More women probably need access to sanitary products in a public toilet than men need access to toilet roll.

Teddy bears. Why bears?

When I had my first child (1984), I decided to go and get some eggs so I put my grizzling baby in the sling and set off. We lived in the middle of nowhere then and it involved a trek across fields and climbing several stiles on the way. The lady from the house that sold the eggs watched me climb the last one and walk across the field to her gate. "How old is the baby?" she said, peering into the sling where my baby was, for once, sleeping peacefully. "Five weeks," I said. "Oh my goodness!" she said, "You are a hardy one! When I had my children I wasn't allowed out of bed for 6 weeks. You are so lucky!" And I went off home, with eggs and baby, feeling like a super hero - hardy (hadn't known it until then), healthy (didn't feel it) and so, so lucky.

Not nowadays, but it used to be accepted that you smoked in the GP surgery and in the hospital wards.
Then it changed from your bed in the ward to the hospital day room!!!!!
Then banished altogether.

Thank goodness...

I meant cigarettes banished altogether, not the patients 🤣

I had a German friend who used to be the same. She thought Hallmark was the biggest con and so kitsch. I kind of agree with her, but it's so engrained here that I just comply so I don't seem to be a stinge!

I remember smoking on buses, in cinemas, at work, in restaurants... It's hard to imagine it now. It's a shame that many outdoor areas in pubs and cafes are now blighted by smoke but maybe that will change.

Pre covid most of us thought nothing about someone blowing out candles on a cake (breathing over it) then we all happily have a slice

its quite gross especially as it’s usually children and often they are snotty

My godbrother once SNEEZED over his birthday cake as a child.

Goes nice with pickled onion and chipolata at a buffet. As my jumper says normal people scare me

Well, re supervision it depends on their age and the kind of street/area they live in, obviously 5 is too young. I was playing outdoors with my friends from about 7 or 8, but that was the 70s (i.e. I know times have changed) and I suspect our parents were watching us through the window the whole time tbh. Also it was a cul-de-sac in a quiet suburb. I doubt we'd have been allowed to play out as freely if we'd lived in a big city.

My niece did the same. But nobody had any. Except her Mam.

@Tryonemoretime any fool knows that no contraception is 100% perfect. Doesn't matter that you are anti abortion. We have it and it is important that we do.

This

And this!

THIS - 100% batshit. It's horrifying the way humans justify these types of actions.

piercings. i have loads of them but i guess it’s a bit odd when you think about it!

Pretty normal in the states and considered 'dirty' to have a foreskin. They are weird.

Edited for clarification - americans, not foreskins

It's something to do with the high water line, the coast if apparently Crown land, you can stop people accessing the beach through your land but you cannot stop them accessing it from the water if the tide is out!

This pisses me off. I've lost count of the times I've heard the words 'Its because the computer says so' or ' I can't override the computer's decision'. Basically, computer says NO!. I do sometimes wonder if these people actually realise that these computers were originally programmed by a human being? God help us when AI starts taking over everything. We will all be totally screwed.

I've often wondered why a dog or a horse or a cat can drink water from a rain puddle,or a stream and probably have no ill effects,whereas if us humans did that,we'd most likely fall diabolically ill! Very strange.

I watch old episodes of Bake Off and wince every time a contestant blows excess icing sugar off a cake or flour off pastry.

For those insisting that adopted children suffer trauma, the following from The British Psychological Society is interesting.....
'The children were mostly secure and happy with a strong sense of identify and belonging to their family, irrespective of whether or not they were fostered long-term, adopted or returned home. Placement stability, rather than placement type, appeared to be the most critical factor in understanding the positive outcome profile, as it enabled the formation and maintenance of secure attachment relationships with parents/carers.'

I don't think there's any problem with the water as such (although you can have airborne pathogens).

It's more a question of the route it takes to get into your storage system. Do you really want to drink water that has trickled over countless bird droppings ? Or worse.

No real answer about drinking from puddles. However I only recently learned that - amazingly - humans are capable of smelling rainfall from a distance. And this might be my only ever useful contribution to MN, but I give you ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor

I don't have a mobile phone. I have never had a mobile phone.

I am disabled. They are difficult to hold and rather weighty, and texting would be impossible, so while I can still touch type on an - almost blank - keyboard, I shall continue to do so, thanks to the carpal tunnel op.

Everyone knows where I am anyway. I savour the thought that those who don't know, cannot.

Wow! Didn't even know that!

Thanks...