Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Things people do that just baffle you

589 replies

Whatexcellentboiledpotatoes · Yesterday 11:49

What does either a specific person in your life, or just the general public do, you just don't understand why they do it, and you either can't ask them or you've tried to ask them and they can't tell you?

Write it here and maybe someone else that also does it can tell you why, or has an idea as to why.

Here are mine:

Why do my neighbours across the street bring their bins outside a full 24hrs early? They are retired, home most of the day, go in and out of their house five or six times during that 24hr period, but bring their bins out early Monday morning when they don't get picked up until Tuesday morning?

Why do people talk on their phones on speakerphone in public, what is the purpose?

OP posts:
LiviaDrusillaAugusta · Today 03:52

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · Yesterday 23:04

This is an extremely specific one, but I'm always utterly baffled by contestants on gameshows who say that their mum, husband, sister, friend, neighbour or whoever will kill them/never forgive them if they get this one wrong, because THEY (the mum, husband, sister, friend, neighbour or whoever) are massively interested in, and thus knowledgeable about, the topic of the question.

If you know people who so genuinely get angry at other people who don't share the same obsessions that they do, you should distance yourself from them pronto.

It’s not meant literally to mean the relative will be angry though. It’s just shit people say.

Princessconsuelabananahammock9 · Today 04:21

Carla786 · Today 02:42

I've only seen supportive posts. Are the unpleasant ones you've seen to do with just infertility or also surrogacy? Being unpleasant is always wrong but it's not horrible necessarily to disagree with surrogacy.

No. Sometimes there are unpleasant comments about how infertile people should all adopt even if the person says they don’t want to.

You likely don’t notice because it’s not about you.

CrocsNotDocs · Today 05:27

Why do slow drivers speed up as soon as they reach the overtaking lane?

jenzzi · Today 06:17

Yetone · Yesterday 21:38

How dare they shop then. They should be out of the way so you can shop more quietly.
Perhaps they look after their grandchildren in the week.
If you don’t like crowds then shop online.

The thing that I saw was that the working age customers were saying ‘you have got all week to shop’ when the elderly couples were dithering right by the milk deciding whether to buy an extra 2 pints of milk or not.

These customers have DGC but in their 20s-40s.

It’s the 1st generation of retired people I’m talking about. Those in their 80s and 90s who may have DC who are retired. My DF was 75 and retired for 11 years when his DM died aged 96

jenzzi · Today 06:26

Imdunfer · Yesterday 20:51

Ditto people who reach the point between inside a door and outside or just outside a door, and stop.

Oh god that one! Stand to rummage in their bag, to get shopping list, glasses so can read stuff.

Then on the way out, rummage their bag to get car keys, bus pass.

I remember one day, it was chucking it down and about 40 customers were standing around the doorway and area by it. This particular morning, the area’s manager’s boss was in. He asked one of the managers to make them leave as causing an obstruction.

it’s only water FFS!

IWasTangoed · Today 06:34

SnowFrogJelly · Yesterday 12:46

I put my bins out early too 😬

I want to do this as I am so forgetful, but when I go out with my pram, it is so annoying having to step in the road all the time to dodge the bins blocking the pavement, especially then having to go around parked cars too to do this. You end up just walking in the road. I imagine it must be really difficult for wheelchair users too.

Best to put bins out late and bring them in early.

FrangipaniBlue · Today 06:36

PistachioTiramisu · Yesterday 13:01

People who let their young child approach you and stare at you. Why do they do this - I am not interested in your child and have no wish to interact with it.

I had one yesterday in a shop kept coming and standing inches away from me (face to my midsection) looking uo and “barking” at me.

Happened 3 times in various places around the shop including repeatedly when stood in the queue to pay.

Mum just stood there.

WTF?

Get your child out of my personal space and teach her some manners!

My bafflement is people who have children but can’t be arsed with them. Why bother?

CrocsNotDocs · Today 06:38

Can I add people who are queuing to order at a cafe and only start reading the menu when it’s their turn to be served.

This is why I love QR code ordering.

springhyacinths · Today 06:46

The complete lack of spatial awareness and the stunned surprise and blank faced shock when they encounter another human in an ordinary place.

When the train doors open and passengers are trying to get off. They stand their like oxen, blocking the path of those attempting to exit the carriage.

Leaving or entering a lift. They are dumbfounded.

In the supermarket, when they are clogging up the entire aisle with their trolley and/or standing four feet back to "read" the products.

TulipsAndPancakes · Today 06:56

People who don't have their card/cash ready before they board a bus 🙄

jenzzi · Today 07:16

TulipsAndPancakes · Today 06:56

People who don't have their card/cash ready before they board a bus 🙄

Especially the twirlies - those retired who stand at the bus stop for 40 mins before they are allowed to travel for free. Around here it’s after 9:30am. Then when the post 9:30am bus comes, the twirlies go through their bag and get their passes out. Colleague’s OH is a bus driver and this happens on all the five routes he does across the county.

I had a hospital appt at 10am and got a bus at 8:50am. A few of the twirlies were already at bus stop. When bus turned up, I offered them to board first. “We are waiting for 9:30am”.

About twice a year, DF has to pay for the bus to hospital if his appt is before 10:30am. One of those could have an appointment then too.

The twirlies do this all year round. Even when it’s -3c and blowing a bitterly cold wind. Why?

If I heard my parents wait for a bus for 40 mins in freezing weather, I would not be happy.

Starlightexpresss · Today 07:42

All valid uses of an escalator. I would actually use one if I was in heels (incredibly rare 🤣). But I bet the vast majority just can't be arsed walking up actual steps

So what? if you're shopping in town and have walked a lot of steps whats the problem with taking the escalator for a moment's rest/convenience?

I have never in my entire life seen an escalator marked as only to be used for those with disabilities and in fact, in our local mall the stairs are miles away and tucked right around the back of the mall out of sight, when the escalator is right there to take you between shopping floors. The layout assumes that everyone will use the escalator.

The idea you have to have a "valid reason" to use an escalator is ridiculous 😂🤣

Edit- ALSO escalators are not really disability friendly at all, thats why our mall has lifts which can accommodate wheelchairs and prams

AwesomeChampagne · Today 07:42

Mercedes45 · Yesterday 20:50

The cinema one is hilarious. I actually need to know what happened when they sat down. What a comedic genius

They just awkwardly looked at me. They were rather confused why I moved. I'm female and he was male. I didn't feel comfortable sitting next to someone when there were hundreds of empty seats. I waited until the film started to see if someone was going to sit in the seat in front

On the subject of cinemas - there's about 20-30 minutes of adverts. Yet people still come in 30 minutes after the film has started?

OneCleverEagle · Today 07:56

AntiqueBabyLoanSmurf · Yesterday 22:58

Billionaires who spend all of their waking hours worrying about how to spend it, how not to lose it and how to keep making more, more, more. If having what is, effectively, unlimited money at your disposal doesn't mean that you never have to have any concerns about money for as long as you, your DC, your DGC, your DGGC and on live, what on earth is the attraction of it?

This is assuming that you aren't interested in giving 95% of it away to people in the world who have nothing and transforming their lives immeasurably, and still not even noticing it gone, of course...

How many billionaires do you know, and do you actually know how they spend 'all of their waking hours'?
I suspect the answers are zero and no.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page