Unsolicited comments from strangers - what’s your rudest/funniest one?

[maria199]

Bit of a funny one really but yesterday I was about to go for a walk near a nature area and I was putting my 4 month old in her pram. She had just been in the car for a little while so when I put her into the pram she started crying (don’t worry - she loves the pram and was fine as soon as we started walking!)

As I was putting her in a woman in her late 60’s/70’s walked past with an elderly man and she says to the man “oh a little crying baby! must be hungry!” She then asked me how old my baby was so I told her 4 months old and she says to me “she sounds hungry!” I said “no she’s just been fed (she had), she just doesn’t like being put down” (in a friendly way) and she says to me “oh you’ve spoilt her then!” and laughed. I was a bit taken aback because how can you spoil a 4 month old baby?? 😂

Anyway, she walked on and it wasn’t exactly a malicious comment but it did make me think why on earth do people always love to comment, especially to people they don’t know!!!

It just made me curious - what are the funniest/rudest/weirdest interactions people have had from strangers when out with their baby?

When some one comes screaming at you about how on earth I'm allowing a defenseless baby to walk, and what kind of mother I must be to make her walk, you get the right to call them old bats!

They made me feel absolutely crap at the time, now I can chuckle about it but at that moment in time, they thought because I was a young mum they knew better! So yes .. old bats.

Not a comment but I was walking around M&S hugely pregnant with monster twins, so big i was on bed rest at the local hospital but allowed out for exercise(and to buy the nurses cakes) and this man just gawped, like cartoon mouth open, eyes wide gawped. He even followed me round a bit just staring. I went back to the ward and cried.
Years later I had dd and took her out for my first walk by myself. Woman(not old, bit older than me) says oh lovely little boy, is granny taking you out for a walk? No, mummy is taking her out. TBF she looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock

Do you also get the right to call them “black bats”?

Did she apologise?

A man on the train asked me if I was reading the Financial Times because it was pink.

Sadly, it does appear that some people seem to lose their filter as they get older - or don’t realise how loud their voices are.
Both my mother and MIL made - to my generation - horrifically racist comments about passersby and their colour. When I drew their attention to how inappropriate these were, they said they were observations not criticisms, as though that made it ok!

My MIL was particularly blunt with both family and strangers. She felt that others needed to benefit from her age and experiences and wouldn’t think twice about putting in her two penny worth, asked for or not. I remember breast feeding discreetly in public and she commented loudly about my small breasts and therefore how pathetic my milk production would be despite my baby thriving to anyone within earshot.

I dare say that this horrible woman's age had something to do with her puritanical attitudes towards "young mums" and her apparent belief that corporal punishment was acceptable.

She should have been arrested for assault.

Why do people go into detail considering what its about ?

I know people feel very clever trotting this out, but it’s a poor analogy. Skin colour, unlike age, doesn’t apply to all human beings eventually, nor is it associated with generational attitudes and prejudices. Older people do, as a class, share attitudes and prejudices that are associated with the place and time in which they were brought up. This is why you are more likely to be told to smack your autistic child by someone over the age of 70 than under 30, for example. It’s facile to pretend otherwise.

There is good reason for racism being different from other forms of prejudice, and it’s offensive to keep holding it up to try to reinforce an unrelated argument.

A woman I was introduced to at an event said "Oh, you're Welsh! Such a distinctive accent and so difficult to get rid of". Then she turned and walked away.

I remember being about 13/14 and was stood on a crossing island close to my house. An old lady, who I knew the name of, but didn’t really know was stood next to me. She said ‘eee love, you’re not Bonny like your sister are you’!

Sound, thanks! 🤣

Further to my above post, my DD has just reminded me of a comment my MIL made to someone who had been telling her how difficult it had been for her daughter to conceive, due to endometriosis. There had coincidentally been a lot of coverage in the media at the time about chlamydia too and its potential to affect future fertility.

Without putting brain into gear, and clearly confusing the two conditions, she actually said to this woman, “Oh, did your daughter sleep around a lot then?”

I remember feeling mortified on this woman’s behalf that a) MIL made the assumption/mistake and b) that she then felt it was appropriate to even make a remark like that!

yes, !

She assaulted a child. That's far worse than anyone calling her an old bat. (Although I think it's an insult to bats, bats are lovely intelligent little creatures. Can I say that's battist?)

Anger about ageism only seems to work one way, being horrible about young people is fine, but dare say anything negative about an older person which references their age, and it's beyond the pale. Even describing anyone as older or elderly gets people upset sometimes!

@sprigatitoI don’t think I’m clever. I just know I’m right. Ageism is the only “ism” that’s considered acceptable. And boy do people make the most of it!

“I don’t think I’m clever. I know I’m right”

Peak MN 😂

Of course assaulting a child is worse than calling her an old bat!

But unnecessary generalizations should not be acceptable. And that includes generalizations about young people.

Ruuuuuude.

Nothing Specific, but have often bee assailed by flat earthers who are convinced that the moon landings were a hoax. Also the ones who subscribe to every conspiracy theory known.
A particular favourite is those who tell you that the medical profession know how to cure cancer but are keeping it secret to make more money. It doesn't seem to occur to them that such a cure would make more money than anyone could dream of!

I got asked if I was Susan Boyle by some pre teen boys in the local park, which was nice 😒

I was out shopping with my elderly Dad and as I passed a lady in the supermarket, her perfume smelt absolutely gorgeous.
We ended up passing her in three consecutive aisles and I said to her "I'm so sorry to intrude, but I just wanted to tell you that your perfume is absolutely lovely!" and she looked really flattered and was trying to remember which perfume it was, when my Dad bellowed "I know what it is! It's Impulse!" and bless him, he was so proud of himself as he didn't realise that Impulse is really cheap (he only knew the name because my sister wears it).

As a woman who loves perfume, I knew that it was some expensive scent she was wearing but her flattered look instantly turned into an icy glare at my Dad as she turned on her heel and waltzed off.

He is afflicted with Gob Before Brain made worse by his booming voice because he refuses to accept he's going deaf - he's done similar to me - I once met him and I was wearing a blouse that HE had bought me for Christmas and he boomed "You look like one of those doctors receptionists in that shirt!" meaning the patterned uniform they used to wear in my surgery.

One that did make me laugh, is I'd taken him for lunch and I'd just got a new pair of glasses and he was sat there staring at me and then boomed "You know you look so different in those glasses. You actually look intelligent" As soon as he said it, he began blustering about trying to explain what he meant, which made it even funnier for me (because I know him and I know what he meant)

Believe or not, he has the kindest heart but he's always been socially awkward and he just doesn't manage to get things out in the way that he means them - I do love him and his "boomer bloopers" as we call them.

A stranger on a train told me I was selfless for adopting a Chinese baby, but I'd have problems later on.

My daughter isn't Chinese, nor are either of her parents. And she's not adopted.

That one made me laugh- make sure you have a specialist subject to discuss next time!

Not a complete stranger, but my mom’s friend she is not even close to, they talk on phone once every couple months.

Pretty much stranger to me

Knew her 15 years, she was polite and nice when she would see me.

i said hello, how are you, mum will be back in 30 minutes. she was on video call while my mom had to run out.

She out of nowhere starts shaming me and judging me for my private medical decisions, private family matters and financial decisions!!! And relationship troubles!!!!

and telling me what to do. What medical decision I should make, what I should do with my money.

e.g me choosing to go private as nhs waiting list was too long

there was also comment about how I am stupid and saving money (for house deposit” when my clothes YOU WILL STOP SAVING AND START SPENDING MONEY GOT IT! YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO BUY A HOME AND YOU DO NOT LOOK GOOD WITH ALL THAT OLD CLOTHING YOU WEAR

YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!!!!! GOT IT!!!!

saying “have you no shame”, “you like living like this don’t you“,

“you refuse to listen to me“ “don’t get offended I’m very blunt and honest and you need to hear the truth”

it was so bizarre. I sat there listening to this for quite a while too I guess I just froze because it was so absurd. Then I politely said I had to go and bye. I am angry I didnt hang up or tell her lady who tf are you????? mind your business

My mom was shocked and confused too. She blocked her after. I did tell my mom to stop telling people my/our family personal business.

But still fact she felt comfortable saying this stuff to me is still crazy, especially when her son and grandson are both drug dealers and doing time in jail, so she is the last person who should be lecturing someone

Oh couple more moms friends. New friends she just met, so pretty much strangers.

First friend

i do translating work on the side and she heard this and hired me. When I meet her she goes “your mom does not look pretty, don’t tell her I said this tho lol ok hehe”

im shocked she thought this was appropriate to say to me

second friend

basically invited herself over saying she needs to use bathroom. Then sat in living room, made herself at home and sat there chatting and playing music FOR 8 HOURS! From 1pm to 9pm!!! and Only left because her grandson called and needed something.

anyway later she goes “your guys don’t have nice furniture, no nice home decor. Everything looks cheap, old and unattractive. tbh I don’t understand it. how you live like that. Tbh I don’t get it”

I don’t understand where my mom meets these people!!