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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask for things that happen on MN that you’ve never seen happen IRL

433 replies

JandamiHash · 08/05/2025 23:35

I’ve never seen or heard a parent refer to their child as “sexy”

I’ve never seen anyone having a nap on a public bench.

I’ve never seen someone cajole their daughter into the aisle at a wedding so they can be a stealth bridesmaid

All the above is what I’ve read about on MN recently that people do and have seen before done, regularly.

OP posts:
Butchyrestingface · 09/05/2025 05:54

I've never seen any dog leap up at random strangers in a park and slobber over them.

It’s happened to me a few times, not necessarily in a park, mind.

The thing is, I’m dogless with dogs on the brain so it’s possible I give off doggy-loving pheromones or they sense something in my body language that says, come at me, doggos! 😍

spoonbillstretford · 09/05/2025 05:55

Never heard anyone express concern about someone wearing black or white to a wedding nor have seen it be an issue at any of the many weddings I have been to, including my own. Never experienced anyone being a bridezilla or having a ridiculously expensive hen do.

Mothership4two · 09/05/2025 05:56

@Twiglets1

On Mumsnet it seems to be considered awful if you let your off lead dog go up to another off lead dog.

We always check with the owners of unknown dogs though just in case (if they are heading for each other). I would assume a dog with any aggressive tendencies would be on a lead, but you never know.

Jollyjoy · 09/05/2025 05:56

TyneTeas · 09/05/2025 00:45

Things I have seen in real life: people having experiences different to my own

Things I have seen on Mumsnet: people sometimes questioning whether people having experiences different to my own are genuine

This. We are on an anonymous forum where speak more candidly about what they really think and do in the privacy of their own homes and lives, and theres enormous, fascinating beauty and learning in sharing that with one another! It’s absolutely what I love about MN. Yes you get posters who are not genuine but that’s a minority and even that’s a fascinating reflection of what goes on for people.

gannett · 09/05/2025 06:00

Butchyrestingface · 09/05/2025 05:54

I've never seen any dog leap up at random strangers in a park and slobber over them.

It’s happened to me a few times, not necessarily in a park, mind.

The thing is, I’m dogless with dogs on the brain so it’s possible I give off doggy-loving pheromones or they sense something in my body language that says, come at me, doggos! 😍

Also a dogless dog-lover and I try to give off this body language every time! It rarely works - the dogs care more about squirrels, sadly.

Mothership4two · 09/05/2025 06:03

@gannett

I've never seen any dog leap up at random strangers in a park and slobber over them. From the dog-hating threads you'd think this was an everyday occurrence. I've regularly run and walked in parks up and down the UK, I love dogs so I notice every time I see one, and 95% of them are way too fixated on their own business and all the exciting smells around to pay humans who aren't their owner any heed. Sometimes you get an extra friendly one, which is lovely, but they're the minority.

Me neither on our daily dog walks. Dogs are usually more interested in other dogs or sniffing around, strange humans are just not interesting to them. Never been in dirty dog friendly pubs/cafes covered in dog hair and/or smelling of dog (or in dog friendly accommodation).

Pinkishcherryblossoms · 09/05/2025 06:03

The belief that benefits are a lot of money and easy to get is what astounds me.

I am very unwell. DH is my registered carer. He has had a lot of time off over my frequent life threatening events and ambulance trips to hospital. Now, his employer is making noises about getting rid of him. I can't work. I can't even stand up without falling over. My heart is clapped out. I can barely eat. Do little but sleep. I've been looking into universal credit just in case the inevitable happens because we couldn't survive on my pip of £150ish a week. It's terrifying. The hoops to jump through. The bad actors who work for the system, who you could randomly run into along the way. The rules you can't comply with because of lack 9f funds, ability or being housebound. I'm pressuring myself so bad to sit there and shut up while he gets in work that it's making my heart conditions worse through stress. Whenever you try to access the assistance which is claimed to be there waiting from council, dwp, advice organisations or the NHS, what you find is that nobody is available to pick up the phone and if they finally do, they just say, "I'm too busy to help". I only got PIP because a care worker from the council who the GP referred me to pushed me to try and helped fill in the forms. I feel like I must be the only person in this country who just can't grasp any of these benefit rules and the systems in place.

I've always been told I was quite intelligent but I must be totally intellectually inept because I just don't understand it all. If DH loses his work, I'm going to very quickly end up dead.

BlondiePortz · 09/05/2025 06:05

gannett · 09/05/2025 05:48

I've never seen any dog leap up at random strangers in a park and slobber over them. From the dog-hating threads you'd think this was an everyday occurrence. I've regularly run and walked in parks up and down the UK, I love dogs so I notice every time I see one, and 95% of them are way too fixated on their own business and all the exciting smells around to pay humans who aren't their owner any heed. Sometimes you get an extra friendly one, which is lovely, but they're the minority.

I have lived with 18 different men in my life across family, houseshares and my partner, and none of them ever left piss around the toilet. (Apart from one in the student houseshare as a one-off drunken accident - the piss was the least of it - and he was mortified.)

No male i know wees anywhere other than in tje toilet but when my child was little i can count atleast 5 times a random dog jumped on my child, twice in the push chair

And a dog on alead walked past my husband and bit him we were chatting to each other, no damage thankfully

None of us was interacting with any of the dogs at the times but my child is now scared of them, some times we didn't ever realise there was one around till it happened

And no 'they are being friendly' doest male a difference

CurlewKate · 09/05/2025 06:07

All the extreme reactions to things-the gagging, the crying, the “losing it”. And the rudeness. And the petty point scoring and the refusal to put yourself out even slightly to help someone else.

MayMadness2025 · 09/05/2025 06:08

Stichintime · 08/05/2025 23:37

I've seen the first 2 examples in real life, not the 3rd. Surprised you've never seen someone asleep on a park bench!

Me too.

OP needs to get out more

NetZeroZealot · 09/05/2025 06:09

Mothership4two · 09/05/2025 06:03

@gannett

I've never seen any dog leap up at random strangers in a park and slobber over them. From the dog-hating threads you'd think this was an everyday occurrence. I've regularly run and walked in parks up and down the UK, I love dogs so I notice every time I see one, and 95% of them are way too fixated on their own business and all the exciting smells around to pay humans who aren't their owner any heed. Sometimes you get an extra friendly one, which is lovely, but they're the minority.

Me neither on our daily dog walks. Dogs are usually more interested in other dogs or sniffing around, strange humans are just not interesting to them. Never been in dirty dog friendly pubs/cafes covered in dog hair and/or smelling of dog (or in dog friendly accommodation).

Many years ago I was walking our family dog on Christmas Day down a country lane . We met a young woman coming the other way wearing immaculate white jeans.
Yup, the dog jumped up and put his muddy paws all over her.

Mothership4two · 09/05/2025 06:10

That's Sod's Law @NetZeroZealot 😆

ChampagneLassie · 09/05/2025 06:10

brettsalanger · 09/05/2025 00:57

I have never heard of anyone getting 30 mins free legal advice which most of MN suggests every firm offers.

A solicitor from a large firm told me most firms offer it but won’t advertise it. They’ll only offer it if they think you’re going to become a paying client and want to engage you, they’re not going to offer it if they think that’s all you want!

LegalAlienated · 09/05/2025 06:11

XelaM · 09/05/2025 00:49

I must say I don't know anyone in real life who charges their young adult kids rent for living at home. This seems very common on MN, but I have never come across it in real life.

I have also never come across people who wouldn't invite their nieces/nephews to their weddings and insist on keeping them child-free at any cost. Again, a common occurrence on MN.

Edited

I’d be surprised if it wasn’t true. My mother asked for quarter of my wages, same from my middle sister.
The youngest lived there for free until about 25.

NormasArse · 09/05/2025 06:12

JessaWoo · 09/05/2025 01:55

Transwomen in the ladies’ toilets. So, so many of them!

All offering sanitary products to women who have been caught out…

Wallywobbles · 09/05/2025 06:12

Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould · 09/05/2025 00:57

I’ve never seen anyone butter a radish……

in France they are eaten with salted butter.

Wanderdust · 09/05/2025 06:12

What a ridiculous thing to say RE sepsis! It's not a mythical disease but very serious. My sister nearly died after contracting it after childbirth, it was very traumatic. I also went to a first aid class where it was covered in detail as it can easily be missed.

I'm the bride who didn't invite kids because I wanted the adults to have fun 😊 I have kids now myself and still stand by it - it's the bride and groom's choice. What I have changed my mind about is having them at receptions. Another reason why I didn't want them is that I've been to a few ceremonies where I couldn't hear the vows for babies crying and kids being noisy. But no reason why they shouldn't be at the party and have fun! But again, bride and groom's choice.

MayMadness2025 · 09/05/2025 06:18

AffIt · 09/05/2025 00:23

I've never met anybody who's had sepsis (and I have a fairly broad and varied social circle), yet if half of the A&E threads on Mumsnet are to be believed, most people have had it at least four times.

I have, it can kill.

Hopefully people will remember it kills and ignore people like you that imply it's exaggerated. Very ignorant post, just because you in your social circle haven't seen it. Why do.you think campaigns are run to increase awareness 🤔

BlondiePortz · 09/05/2025 06:21

Wanderdust · 09/05/2025 06:12

What a ridiculous thing to say RE sepsis! It's not a mythical disease but very serious. My sister nearly died after contracting it after childbirth, it was very traumatic. I also went to a first aid class where it was covered in detail as it can easily be missed.

I'm the bride who didn't invite kids because I wanted the adults to have fun 😊 I have kids now myself and still stand by it - it's the bride and groom's choice. What I have changed my mind about is having them at receptions. Another reason why I didn't want them is that I've been to a few ceremonies where I couldn't hear the vows for babies crying and kids being noisy. But no reason why they shouldn't be at the party and have fun! But again, bride and groom's choice.

I will happily go to a child free wedding and I am happy for a bride and groom to have any wedding they want, people should either go or not but I am not happy with brides having a tantrum because they chose a difficult wedding then have a tantrum as some people do not show up

This has not happened to me but I have heard it does, there are 3 events on the day and I get invited to 1 & 3 but not 2 I will no go to any again happy with any wedding set up but I dont get the part invite thing or destination weddings, seperate to people who marry where they live
with the word bride above I have known men to be involved in wedding planning but not known a groom have a tantrum over one, totally willing to stand corrected if they have done

ThatWildMintSloth · 09/05/2025 06:22

Is it a case of it depends on where you live? As I live in Birmingham and have either done, seen for myself or heard people talking about of most if these things and theyre not uncommon🤔

Endofdaya · 09/05/2025 06:44

Twiglets1 · 09/05/2025 05:46

On Mumsnet it seems to be considered awful if you let your off lead dog go up to another off lead dog.

In my local park everyone does this and it’s all fine. Dogs that don’t like other dogs just growl at them or tell them off & we all get on with our day.

It’s off lead dogs that run up to dogs on a lead that’s the problem. My dog is on a lead for a reason

Burpcloth · 09/05/2025 06:50

Re. Sepsis: talk to enough women about their births (ie at a typical mum & baby group) and you'll easily hear a handful of cases.

Re. Dogs jumping up - I only experienced this a few times as a twice daily seasoned dog walker in the past. No dog anymore, and don't frequent dog heavy places as often but it's happened more times in the last 6 months alone towards my 3 year old!

cannaecookrisotto · 09/05/2025 06:51

JackGrealishsCalves · 08/05/2025 23:38

I've never heard anyone say That doesn't work for me

Funnily enough I said this yesterday however in a business setting so may well not count 😂.

gannett · 09/05/2025 06:52

Re: "no is a complete sentence" - I always thought that was a bit of an exaggerated phrase but the essence of it is that you don't have to explain yourself in some situations. I've never heard anyone just flat-out say "No" but very very often "No, that doesn't work for me" or "Sorry, no, can't do that" with no further reason given and the conversation ended.

anotherside · 09/05/2025 06:53

It seems that “vile” is among the most frequently used adjectives in English:

Good, bad, big, small, hot, cold, vile, easy, hard