Because of my shyness I came out of a chip shop with a portion of fish...

[MysticTed]

Instead of a cone of chips.

Which is what I asked for but was too embarrassed to correct the woman serving me.

So I ended up eating a massive battered cod on its own for lunch.

Can you please share any silly scenarios you've been in because if your lack of assertiveness to make me feel I'm not alone!

Booked a villa in the South of France and in the guide to the villa there was a restaurant and it had two ** next to it. Booked it and turned up in downtown Grass to the La Bastide St Antoine. Very smart

Ushered to our table and the menus had no prices only for the host

The tasting menu was 250 euros each and for the four of us realized it was going to be £1,000 plus drinks. Pride stopped me from walking out so went for it.

It was outstanding as was the service and of course the 2** was of course a 2 star Michelin Restuarant

In the end paid 1300 euros.....it was good...only live once (thank god)

I keep thinking of more stories like this as I'm reading, here goes....I ordered a white iced wedding cake with lilac flowers and when I went to collect it, the lady opened the box to show me and the whole cake was actually lilac. I didn't say anything as I was a bit shocked actually and then the window of opportunity to say something seemed pass and I didn't feel I could then mention it. So I accepted it, it was fine really, but just not what I'd ordered. At the back of my mind, I knew she was going away for a few days with her kids for half term the next day and if I had said something she probably would have cancelled it to stay home and re- do the cake!

When I was 18 my then boyfriend and I went to stay with his brother. The milk had just ran out and I needed some for my weetabix, so instead of asking if there was a new bottle, I poured orange juice on it and pretended it was how I liked it! Boyfriend's brother shook his head at me as he got a new bottle of milk out of the fridge.

At primary school I went on a Welsh language residential course where you were expected to speak in Welsh as soon as getting on the coach. Shortly I began to feel travel sick, so made my way to the front of the coach and asked a teacher (in Welsh) if I could sit there as I felt sick. After a while I felt better and tried to tell them I felt ok so could I go back to my friends, but the teacher thought I'd said 'stop the coach, I'm going to be sick'. They stoped the coach for me! So I got off and stood there for five minutes taking deep breaths pretending I actually felt ill.

I did put up with terrible cleaners because I didn't want to sack them off. They were really awful though. Got rid of them after several months but had to come up with an excuse.

OH sat politely after the hairdresser actually cut a small chunk of his ear off! He didn't want to make a fuss. When she realised she was mortified and at least he didn't pay for the haircut.

I had a very odd experience at the hospital when I didn't want to speak up but it's far too embarrassing for this thread.

oh yeah that reminds me, I ordered a cake for DH's birthday some years ago, the first time we'd ever ordered a professional cake apart from the wedding cake. Spent ages talking about it with the cake lady, sounded amazing, except when I came to pick it up it was in milk chocolate rather than the white chocolate I'd definitely and specifically asked for. But obviously didn't say anything!

When I was a student a dog leapt up at me as I walked into a newsagent. The dog's owner apologised and pulled the dog away. I saw a bit of my suede jacket on the floor - the dog had bitten out a lump so I discretely picked it up, put in my pocket and hid the hole with my arm while I bought the milk I'd come in for. The dog owner was in the shop (quite friendly) but I didn't say a word. I went home and did a DIY job of sticking the bit of suede back on. The memory of it still makes me shudder..

I'd like to say I'm more assertive now BUT years later (ie last week) I was queuing up to buy a baguette. Behind me was a woman with a dog and I saw the dog reach up and lick the end of the baguette. I think the woman saw it happen too but she said nothing. I bought the baguette, went home and threw it away... argh.

Believe it or not I'm very assertive when standing up for other people but with myself - if not forearmed - I shrink!

This thread makes me feel so much better about myself! I thought I was the only person who did these sorts of things!

If someone mishears me during a conversation and replies to something I didn't actually ask I rarely correct them and just carry on as if that's what I had asked.

A few years ago I ordered a special birthday cake for DH's 40th. When I went to collect it, it was terrible and nothing like what I'd wanted. In my head I was but I just smiled and said it was fantastic and paid for the bloody thing. Seriously it was laughable it was so awful.

A few hours after giving birth someone came round to say breakfast was outside, starving I went to find it but it wasn't in an obvious place, and I was too embarrassed to ask (why??), so I quietly returned to my bed and pretended I didn't want any.

I blow my own mind sometimes.

Showing your age there CaptainHammer ☺!

Sonsmum, we had a geography field trip like this too - prob 1990-1991 in a place called Daglingworth (school was in Bristol, my home town). Roughly 10 of us checking population, etc. School staff took us on coach to diff little village places & we were left there (round age 13/14) for the day. Ours had church, a field & a phone box, so we had to knock on someones door to use the loo! How this wasn't dodgy, even then, i'll never know. We theorised that nothing must ever happen in Daglingworth.

They re-tarmaced the roads while we there.

Re-tarmacked????

CaptainHammer its also possible you are either my sister Gem or my cousin Samantha (older than us by approx 15 years - our mum was 8 when she became an aunt for first time, now nearly 66 she is grandma to 5 under 3 and became a great, great aunt round July / Aug this year - yes...great, great aunt)??? As these are the only other people i know who have seen the money pit!!! 😃😃

Before I could drive If I rang the bell at the wrong stop on the bus I would get off anyway. Either walk the rest of the way or pretend to walk until the bus leaves and get on the next one.
I once suddenly jumped up on the train as I thought I was on going the wrong way and panicked. I realised I WAS on the right train as I did it... but was too embarrassed to stay so got off anyway!

Haha Houghtonk76 I’m 28 and neither a Gem or Samantha! There aren’t a lot of people that know about Money Pit from my experience ether.
My DH introduced me to it after I said I loved Tom Hanks but hadn’t seen that one. He felt the need to educate me and I loved it! It’s a film his mum loves too so he had watched it a lot when living at home.
In turn I got him in to Labyrinth

I'm reading this thread in disbelief ! You have all really done these things instead of speaking up?
You do realise that people in shops really don't care if you buy something or not, and people doing tastings don't care if you eat or drink it and walk off.
I'm not perfect by a long shot but I suppose being fairly gobby does have its advantages!

I ordered a caramel espresso frappe but was given a caramel espresso. I don't like coffee as it is (the sugar in a frappe tones down the taste I think) and the caramel espresso was just a shot with caramel included. DH said to just go back and tell them, but I was far too embarrassed. He ended up having it as it was way too strong for me!

Sadly yes Raspberry. I know nobody cares, it actually makes me feel worse as I get the added stress of knowing nobody cares and beating myself up about it even more. It’s frustrating when you know it’s stupid but shyness/anxiety etc takes over.

This thread is hilarious! I was once chatting to a lady as we picked up our suitcases at the airport I'm Scottish and she was from London and she asked me are you from the North or South I didn't know what she meant and so said North? She then said Oh so you will be flying back to Belfast then and I said Yes! I thought I'll never see her again, but yes she was at our hotel, and I had to affect an Irish accent when ever I met her my husband was v amused and confused why I didn't just correct her.

Went into space no fit some ( I think) Laura Mercia concealer, as it had a dark and light shade that you could blend to suit your skin. Useful as I tan very dark in the summer.
Some how, I was talked into a touche eclat style concealer, way out of my budget, and in a single shade that only suits me for a few months of the year.
I like to think I wouldn't do that now.

Looked at something ai thought would make a good novelty gift and at £3.80 was a good price. I paid with cash because I thought it was too cheap to use my debit card, and realised from change it was actually £8.80 and not a bargain at all. Didn't say anything though as I liked it but if I'd known From the off I would have put it back.
I think in our own way we are almost as culturally obsessed with face saving as the Japanese.
Very affirming to know others are the same, though. I also do the watch checking trick if I set off in the wrong direction, or walk past my parked car! Who knew we were so similar in our strategies until this thread?

It's good to know you're not the only one. I did a similar thing at a chip shop, I came out with just a bag of chips and no fish - now that was annoying and I felt too embarrassed to go back and ask. I've become braver in my middle age.

A friend of mine who I thought was very assertive was on the train the other week and despite there being lots of empty seats a lady sat right opposite her. My friend is quite tall with long legs. She has restless leg syndrome and a bad back too and needed desperately to straighten her legs out but was too polite to move in case she upset this complete stranger so sat there in agony for the whole journey!

Oh thank goodness Captain Hammer, thought i'd outed a rellie!! The cousin Samantha in question is approx. 56, so that's defo not you - name or no. I'm 41, so saw Money pit with her & sis (40) in cinema too. Brill film - love Shelley Long! Look out for Troop Beverley Hills too.

Glad u got the man into Labyrinth! Actually not a bad film, once you're an adult without a fear of puppets. And David Bowie's was a legend!!

☆Um David Bowie

Any excuse to post this frankly.

Must admit i can be confident (gobby) about some things, but shy about others (lunch break times or asking for loo at new job for example - spend first week or two going to lunch at 2 or 3pm, refusing to send back bad food / complain in restaurants - too nervous, feel like waitress is thinking "why do i get the shit customers?", etc...)

Love it Enid!!!