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?

I don't think that's weird - it's just gross entitlement. Like the lord of the manor demanding personal info from serfs, he thinks his position in the company entitles him to be invasive and patronising.

Not said to me, but sitting on a bench in the park, I see a man walking a dog and a woman with her teenage daughter approach him and say 'what is the breed'. He says 'I don't know, it is a rescue cross'. And the woman who is holding a piece of paper, says to him 'well, you have to take a guess then, my daughter and I are running a bet what breeds we are definitely going to see in this park and I said ..... and she said..... so it is a tie, so you have to decide'. The poor man took a stab and said it probably was a cross, an Alsatian and something else. The woman whooped with joy, ticked her list and off they went, having thanked him. Weirdos.

I was once scuttling across a vacant car parking space to get to my car. In the two seconds it was taking me a woman drove into the space behind the empty one and clearly wanted to park in that one, presumably so she could drive out. Fine; I often do the same. However, instead of slowing down to let me finish the three steps to my car (which I’d started before she appeared) she rolled down the window and started shouting all sorts of obscenities. I was a c, a t, a stupid b, had ruined her day, I was an absolute disgrace. Even my hair was subject to verbal abuse. She was still screaming at me when I pulled off. She spent longer screaming at me that it would have taken me to walk the three steps.

As a student working in a major supermarket I was well used to people thinking they were completely above me. I was actually a postgraduate student at the time which usually stopped the “You must be thick to work here” which was weekly. One day a man came to the till with an aubergine.

”That’s an aubergine. Au-ber-gine. That’s au-ber-gine. I’ve said it clearly for you because you’re clearly stupid. You’ll find it under “O” on your till. Got that?”

When I met dh's great aunt for the first time, I'd come on the train. She told me "nice girls don't travel on trains dear, get the coach next time". I've no idea why "nice girls" don't travel on trains though!

I don't think he was being "funny" he sort of broadcast it in a judgey way presumably so anyone fat in earshot would jump to attention and take notes. Like an 18 year old me wanted to be publicly acknowledged by a pensioner, blergh. Mortifying.

Not even slightly rude. Wrong I agree but not rude

My Dad used to sing that when the programme was on at lunch time. I would be in from school for my lunch and he would be getting ready to go back to work. I don't think he would sing it loud in the street, and he was a plumber so wouldn't have been dressed like a city gent.

Whilst you’re probably right, the way he spoke to me was so gentle and sympathetic (hence why my coworkers thought I knew him!) that it really confused me for a while. I really thought that maybe I knew him and he’d seen me at work without the stick or something and so assumed I’d had an injury.. or that he wanted to ensure I was getting reasonable adjustments maybe, idk! Just really caught me off guard as I found out after there is no way I could have met him previously! 😂

Was with my mum approaching a cashmachine when a woman barged in front. When my mum objected the woman just turned to us and said well I'm in a hurry you've got all day. I was like wtaf was that and what makes her think her time is any more valuable than ours.

@Vroomfondleswaistcoat

This and some of the other comments by men, like the 'squat to piss' one, remind me of the sort of things my elderly friend comes out with. He thinks he is HILARIOUS. I've pointed out until I'm blue in the face that it's not even slightly amusing and may well upset people, but he just stomps saying that it's people's fault for being too sensitive.
He's a complete dick sometimes, but he doesn't want to be educated.

He sounds repugnant. 😖 I wonder if it's the same man?!!! Except the one I encountered was mid 60s. Depends how you define elderly. Some would say mid 60s, I would define it as 75+.

@KreedKafer

I also worry about the social skills of people who think it’s normal/OK to just blurt out their every thought to random strangers. Comments about pissing aside, surely it’s generally just basic manners not to make personal comments about people to them as they walk past.

Maybe these are the sorts of people who also boast about ‘telling like it is’ and ‘calling a spade a spade’ and ‘having no filter’ as if that’s something to be proud of, when they are, in fact, just really fucking rude.

Yeah exactly... The minimising of my experience by several posters on here is quite disturbing as well tbh. As I said, I doubt any WOMAN would minimise it and say it was OK, and I 'overreacted.' 🙄

Not worth even responding to to be honest. They're looking for a reaction. They're not getting any more from me.

😆

Mines not what was said but what was done.

Me and my friend had gone to a premier of a Sean bean movie (we got invited as we were extras in "when Saturday comes" lol).

We left the cinema and got on a bus to go home,, being young we sat at the back of the bus just talking and giggling as young friends would.

During the journey at the opposite end of the seats of the back of the bus another young female was sat there who then proceeded to pull out a large knife and start making (sharpening a knife movements) on the metal neck part of the seat.

Omg me and my friend froze for a few mins but then quickly moved down to the front of the bus near the driver and then pressed the bell for the next stop, which wasn't even our stop.

I never sat at the back seat of a bus again after that. She was so calm when she did it too, it was very eery.

For many years I was an aide to a senator in the US.
My job was to help people who had problems they couldn’t solve any other way.
This young (late teens) married couple comes in, they’re desperate, have no home, no food, no medical.
I set them up with appointments with housing, food stamps, medical, etc, etc.
The very next day, the guy comes back by himself and threatens to kill me because I “didn’t get them any free money.”
He finally leaves and I call the state police. He’s arrested an hour later at social services dept, in the process of threatening to kill someone there.

The mental image that has just given me 😂🤣🤣
I'm laid in bed and can't stop laughing 🤣

That's fucking disgusting.

Dodged the question, told her I didn't think I could fit a salmon up there.

Not a massively hilariously story, but this reminded me of something that happened this evening. Me and the children were buying school supplies in the range, when we got to the till there were barcodes missing off 3 of the items 🙄 so eldest ds was sent around the entire shop trying to find the barcodes (should have been the staffs job imo). Anyway while I was stood between the tills with the younger dc’s, one till worker loudly came out to the others with ‘I wonder what they do with severed limbs? Like so they just incinerate them? Or keep them somewhere to bury with them when they die’. And they all started discussing it. We were all stood there a bit bemused thinking what a weird convo to start across the tills at work. It might have been triggered by all the Halloween decs that were just put up in there 🤷🏼‍♀️

I think you win!

I read this as roof at first. I wish I hadn't re read it.

There we go.

'I'm a rather fat feathery owl called...Sage'
Yes, I too am THAT old 😂

I was told ‘Go back to your own country’
(When i was in a ‘nice’ pub that had sofa’s and cushions) in an area where i was born and grew up.
I laughed at her, (We were both white) and asked where she thought i was from.
She didnt answer the question but she threw a cushion at me 😂

I was enroute to the park with my 18 month old in the stroller when a woman maybe in her 70’s was about to pass us in the opposite direction and she stopped and naturally I just presumed maybe she was going to say hi to my daughter or usual kind of pleasantries or something. She then just looks at me dead in the face and asks “have you been doing your pelvic floor?” And I felt a bit confused and awkwardly laughed and said “err yes” and she replied “oh please do!” and just walked straight off.
To this day I’ve found this interaction to be so odd to have with a complete stranger and wasn’t sure if she was just trying to give (unsolicited) advice or whether because my child is high percentile and I’m quite petite or maybe this is actually normal and I’m odd haha!

During lockdown I was regularly visiting my terminally ill mother at her flat on the centre of town. I'm a vintage Goth and generally wear all black, so along with my signature wide brimmed hat, long swishy coat etc, I had a black face mask, and as it was early days regarding how the virus was spread, and it was thought all mucous membranes were vulnerable I was also wearing cat eye shades - Muvva was shielding and I figured I couldn't be too careful.

Anyway I was walking down the hill to the chemist for yet another prescription and a lady slightly older than myself wearing a smart beige ensemble was coming up towards me. As we passed she hissed at me with absolute venom "Witch!!!!". I was so taken aback I turned round - she had done the same and followed up this pronouncement with "For God's sake" and a disgusted shake of the head. I threw out a cheery blessed be, and went on my way, chuckling.

I mean, I'm used to cocky teenagers yelling "Emo" at me etc, but usually older people just do the studied ignore. I suppose she might have thought Covid was something I'd brewed in my cauldron....

Hahahaha your poor uncle must have been mortified. Haha either you looked older than 14 or she thought you were a mum at 11!!!