Funny prank or cruel?

[SoniaFouler]

These types of pranks are becoming more commonplace in town centres in the UK, and around the world. I got caught out by one a week ago.

YABU - Funny
YANBU - Cruel

Tell us what the prank is, I don’t want to have to sit through the adverts to see it.

@MoonbeamSprinkles

Tell us what the prank is, I don’t want to have to sit through the adverts to see it.

Person dressed as a bush moves when people approach

I think it's funny, as do the people in the video. Although we do like to give each other frights in their house.

I think it’s funny if played on a friend or family member. I think it’s potentially risky to do to a stranger, though “cruel” is probably a step too far and I expect the majority of people would laugh, as would as if it happened to me.

Cruel?

Sorry? It's "cruel" for someone to dress up as a hedge??

No. It is not cruel. It's a prank. Below averagely funny.

Neither really! Not the cleverest thing I've ever seen.

But not cruel per se... I don't like pranks generally, but this one I can imagine laughing at if it happened to me (albeit nervous laughter)

Funny.
I don't like pranks usually.

IMO not remotely funny plus it could be bloody dangerous - the "bush" knows nothing of the mental or physical health of the person approaching .

You shouldn't attempt to scare someone you don't know. You have no idea if they have an illness or disability, trauma or just aren't a 2 yo. The people in the video are laughing because that's a stress reaction. It's not because they're so happy.

Laughing at someone else's discomfort is not very nice if you really think about it. Best left in childhood.

Stupid prank and possible it will trigger a violent reaction.

@Chamomileteaplease

IMO not remotely funny plus it could be bloody dangerous - the "bush" knows nothing of the mental or physical health of the person approaching .

This. Yesterday this would've made me cry as we are going through a really shitty time at the moment and even the dog barking made me well up yesterday. I understand that the person doing it probably isn't thinking of that side of things though.

I think it depends who you do it to. Obviously you can never tell for sure who is vulnerable, but for e.g. a very elderly woman on her own could be quite frightened. That would be cruel.

I generally find pranks funny but some people really don't. Broadly speaking I think they work best amongst people you know, so that you can choose to prank people who also enjoys it. Some arseholes get special pleasure from pranking people who find it stressful - they are bad people. Hard to know if this person is one of them, they could be.

That show that used to be on channel 4 years ago and had different pranksters competing against each other had some seriously cruel (imo) pranks sometimes. This is nothing in comparison!

Practical jokes are only ever done to be cruel on one level or another.

I did laugh along but only as the peoples reactions were laughing but I think it’s risky if someone did that to my DH who has ptsd from his tours of duty they would probably of got a punch! My personal concern would be if I dropped my phone and it broke
I think it’s best on people you know

It's not really funny. For most people it's probably harmless but for the wrong person they might punch them in the face.

I find these quite funny, also like the mannequin ones

That bush might have been a sad and sorry man if he'd done that to me, as if someone jumps out at me like that in a public/non-family-and-friends environment, my automatic response is to lash out hard.

Some fool once grabbed my arse from one of those cycle rickshaws as I was walking along minding my own business on a pedestrian street, and ended up with a black eye.

I think it was rather silly and tbh if it were done in certain areas the guy would end up in hospital.

If I get a scare I will collapse as I have a dodgy heart and low blood pressure. So never scare someone you don't know, unless your happy to help them with medical aftercare.

I hate pranks and if I’m walking along the street I don’t want any surprises to be honest, I just want to feel safe.

Funny, not really
Cruel? No
Silly, absolutely.

I think it’s funny yes, but they shouldn’t be surprised if theu received a punch in the nose

Neither cruel nor funny - bit lame

'Funny' and 'Prank' used together are a complete misnomer, and like many people, the culprit would find themselves needing medical attention if they did it to me, as having been on the receiving end of violence before, my brain would interpret it as another attack and I'd be fighting for my life before the verbal side of my brain had caught up.

Try it with somebody who has combat related PTSD/experienced trauma relating to being an innocent civilian in a warzone and they could very, very easily find themselves in need of more medical attention than a simple reconstruction of their nose.

@SlugRose

It's not really funny. For most people it's probably harmless but for the wrong person they might punch them in the face.