AIBU to think this lady was nuts? Share your WTF interactions with strangers here

[BarbaraVineFan]

In the park with 4 year old DD today and she became fascinated with a ladybird which she found near the path. We were standing by the side of the path as DD let the ladybird crawl over her arms and hands. A lady went past with a little kid of a similar age and was looking over, so I said 'we've got a ladybird!' (Not sure why really but I felt the need to explain.) Upon which this woman sort of sniggered and went 'ah..,Chlamydia!' And then just...went on her way.

Having googled, I see that apparently ladybirds carry all sorts of STIs, which they transmit to other ladybirds and not humans. So I guess that's what she meant. But at the time I was like 'What the actual fuck?' 😂 Who even says that to a stranger?!

Does anyone have any similar stories of batshit interactions with strangers to share?

@WiddlinDiddlin i said i did not believe that particular post. If your butch lesbian sister is stopped at the entry of women's toilets, I know who i would blame. Thick people, and other thick people who think biological males should be allowed in women’s spaces.

What’s depressing is women who are misogynists. Assuming you’re a woman?

Went to McDonald’s when my 2nd ds was a few weeks olds with my OH and my (then) 14yr ds. Some old lady came over and was cooing over ds in his buggy then looked up, looked at ds14yr then looked at OH, turned to me and asked so… who’s the daddy 🤦🏽‍♀️🤣

I work in a public library.
I have batshit interactions with strangers weekly if not daily.

Fucking hell, get over it will you?! Dog with a bone - let it go.

You found it offensive. Plenty of people get offended. Well done.

The guy mistook what you were doing - and simply said it. Worse crime is he has a case of verbal diarrhoea. Which plenty of people unfortunately do.

Plenty worse has been said, and will be. I've had a man I was serving look me in the eye, make a comment about my hair, then proceed to ask me if the curtains matched the drapes. In front of other customers. And my colleagues. I've also had plenty worse said (and done).

There may well be people reading this who will think its funny (though I doubt it), but I didn't. So what? It doesn't matter...

Get some bubble wrap when you go outside. People are often strange out there.. best to avoid talking to them.

I was once the person doing the random WTF thing. Sitting in a nice bar in a suitably nice part of London. Sunny summer day with lots of tables close together in the sort of window/patio area. Random two men sitting next to us, but not with us. He starts biting his nails and I sort of smacked his HAND away from his face!!!! I was absolutely MORTIFIED. Apologised profusely and begged his forgiveness - it was instinct as my sister was trying to stop biting her nails and we'd agreed I could tell her/push her hands away everyt ime.

He was very nice about it but we had to buy him a drink and leave as fast as humanely possible - I couldn't stay another minute.

Wasn’t a complete stranger as it was someone I met at an event and he came out with ‘There is nothing more beautiful than a woman crowning’ having asked me if I had children. I was 23 and had just said it wasn’t really something I was even thinking about

And one where I'm the recipient.... sitting in the cinema about to watch some latest blockbuster. absolutely packed theatre. From memory, it was something like a star wars or a marvel or something - a sort of franchise style movie that are often enjoyed by kids.

As the movie starts.... she gets out a nail file and starts filing her nails! I asked her to stop and she looked at me like I was completely and totally unreasonable and then rather grudgingly, put it away!

Should have added he was in his 60’s

Are you sure he didn’t have a lisp and was actually saying yes?

Long one but I feel like I want to share it. Had spent six years living in Singapore, came back in 2015 with my then two year old and we were living with my mother, trying to look for a house and acclimatise, very stressful. Severe reverse culture shock. We also were starting to realise something was up with our DD, she wasn’t talking or interacting as she should (turned out to be fairly severe autism) so suffice to say I was a bit of a walking raw nerve and the jet lag was strong. It was like I was shell shocked.
Sitting in a softplay, watching my daughter and wondering why she wasn’t like the other kids, feeding her Ella’s Spag Bol (when she would eat lots of different foods ☹️)and I feel someone’s presence, imposing on us, looming in our space, seemed to go on for ages and then some muttering, then more muttering. It was another mum, packing her daughter into a pram, she kept repeating something… so I end up saying pardon/sorry but not really knowing if it was directed towards me.
Her words - ‘you know they feed dead animals to children here’
Now remember, I’m in a state at this time with everything going on…so my instinct was to push the food away. Then more confusion as I tried to process what she was saying..so I asked her to repeat and she said the same thing again, sort of triumphantly.

The lady sat beside me twigged and confronted her saying that’s not on etc.. and I realised what she was doing was some kind of weird activist thing and promptly burst into tears. She walked away and this lovely woman hugged me and reassured me she was prob just some weird animal rights warrior or whatever. I still remember her smug face as she stood at the door talking to someone, but eyeing me directly. It was such a weird and sort of creepy way that she did it, and I was so upset by that, I don’t care what she thought of my choice to feed my DD meat, it was the way she went about it that really got to me, it wasn’t a hit and run, it was the slow knife.

What I would do to see her again and smear that Spag Bol all over her face, I mean I wouldn’t, but I’d have a few choice words for her. She must have smelt my vulnerability or something, I was already a wreck, judgement on my food choices for my child was something I didn’t need, especially that day.

A few of these have made me chuckle, but for some reason this one properly made me laugh so hard I started coughing 🤣 🤣🤣

Can anyone understand the geordie accent?

A geordie man lives next door to me, I often just nod at him cos I cannot understand him.

Well it wasn't until you walked in mate!

Yeah, I would've just laughed as well and not been that offended. Possibly have replied with yes needs must...

Maybe not in this theme but I do tend to attract people who seem to feel comfortable sharing their life stories, which I'm happy to be part of.

Lots of funny experiences while travelling but one amongst the most bizarre was a bloke who sat next to me on a 2 hour journey. Just chatting away, he told me about his prison years and how he escaped by putting dynamite up his arse and it's something he's done ever since. He winked at me and said don't worry love, I won't be setting it off as you've been a nice girl.

I was 19 at the time, just laughed and was so relieved to get off that train!

Popped into Tesco with DM, my DD was a only a few weeks old and a bit colicky, so I carried her in my arms whilst DM shopped. The pharmacist came out from the counter and really tore into me for carrying her in my arms. She even wagged her finger at me angrily.

That is absolutely brilliant. That's proper made me laugh 😂 😂

I was working on a new site chatting with a manager and he noticed my tattoo behind my ear and asked about it. I've got hearing issues and it's a mute symbol. He then asked if they made me get it or if I decided. I asked what he meant. And he said you know when they said you've got hearing problems did they do it. I couldn't stop laughing 'no I wasn't branded' I chose it for myself. I'm still not sure what he was actually trying to say 🤣

Always used to get awkward encounters working in retail too. Near mother's day the tills would automatically generate a discount code for flowers aimed at mother's day. I served a bloke and handed him the coupon. He looked at it and handed it back and said his mum was dead, it was a horrible slow end. I get people struggle with things but in a 30 second interaction it's hard to know how to react. Think I said 'oh sorry, I'll bin it' and took it back.

@Toenailz what a weird overreaction on your part.

Haha, no idea. I'd take that as a compliment any day! I just have bog standard, generically caucasian blue eyes!

Amazing. Some people somehow manage to be too offensive to cause offence, don't they!

Heh. In Wetherspoons back in the day - I know...
I was reading a book. On my own. This bloke comes up. Totally plastered.
Shhh be in kishen. I said
What? I can't understand you.
He repeated it three times
No sorry, can't work out what you're saying mate
He stumbled off
Only after he'd left, i worked out that I should be at home in the kitchen and not in the pub like real men.
Pffft
Bwahahahah

I can, but then I'm from Northumberland. Most of us can understand each other.

Transphobic comments on Mumsnet?
Surely not?!

Change the record 🥱

They’re not cutting off their dicks though.