
The world can be a lonely, scary place. We have to be wary and on guard nearly every second. Things do go bump in the night or behind a door, and we have to learn to be sufficient in ducking. Many things await us in the dead of night, or the broad of day. Be vigilante people, there is a reason to be on edge.
Redditor u/DoitAnyway54321 was curious to see who was willing to share some intense stories about leaving home by asking.... Travelers of lonely roads, explorers of the great outdoors, workers of creepy jobs and late-night shifts... What's your scary story?I keep driving west.
Not exactly a lonely road, but I was speeding west on I-70 through Colorado near Glenwood Canyon when I decided to slow down and enjoy the view. I notice a State Patrol car in front of me a minute later when he turns on his sirens, and I think he's got me busted for speeding. Instead, he's pulling to the shoulder up ahead to help a broken down motorist.
I slow down and remember looking at the motorist who is sitting in the drivers seat with their head down, thinking "man that guy is lucky to get help out here, no cell coverage, etc". I keep driving west.
A few minutes later I start to notice police cars flying past me headed back east, sirens blaring, going extremely fast through a curvy canyon. One after another for like 15 minutes, ambulances, fire trucks, seems like all emergency response in the country is headed back the direction I came from.
The next day I'm at a hotel in Utah and discover what happened. Turns out the broken down motorist had skipped bail, and after being confronted by the state trooper who was there to offer assistance, exited his car and began shooting the officer in his back multiple times. On a normal day, the officer would've died as they typically drive alone, but on that day he was headed to training and had a partner in the car who empties his clip and killed the motorist. Officer almost bled out on the road but survived. bliceroquququq
"Road to Hana"
When I was 18, my family and I took a vacation to Hawaii. My mother wanted to do the touristy thing and do the "Road to Hana." Normally you can take a tour bus up it, but that wasn't good enough for her. So we rented a car. The rental companies typically forbid driving that road because of the liability issues. That didn't stop my mother.
We had a normal drive up there, plenty to see. We spent all day exploring. So by the time everyone was exhausted, it was night. Now, we were a good ways away from the road down, think back dirt roads of Maui. So what do we do? Go down some of the closed off local roads. This one road, in particular, was a very narrow winding road over the edge of the island. You couldn't even stop on the road to get out and pee. If you looked over the edge, it was a straight drop into the ocean.
Anyhow, so we were driving in the dead of the night, slowly, and we approach this weird bend that backs up to a heavily forested area, a small waterfall, and a cliff overhand just above us. My mother wanted to take some pictures of the moon, stars, ocean because it was breathtaking with no city lights. So we pull off to the side of this road, with just enough space to let another car pass you. I, of course, get out too. It was dead silent.
Then all of a sudden I hear what sounds like a crying baby. Which was... weird. We were in the middle of no where and hadn't seen anyone for HOURS. So, I'm just standing there, confused, and it stops. I motion for my mother to come over and ask if she heard anything. She didn't. So we stand there for a little longer and it starts up again.
Neither of us could pinpoint where it was coming from. Both of us were panicked because that's what baby crying does to most humans. We spent a good hour calling out and trying to figure out what to do. Eventually it stopped.
We returned back to the hotel and never heard anything about it.
The end. :) thot-trot
Mary.
Graveyard shift worker at the time. Won't go into details, but I stopped a guy from holding me at gunpoint and taking my vehicle while I was pumping gas. Station was closed, it was 2 am. Streets were pitch black. Guy comes walking up out of nowhere. Asks where I'm headed what time it was etc, just getting me to talk. Nothing alarming. Except he's fidgety and has had his 1 hand in his front leather jacket pocket the whole time.
I say forget it, was almost done pumping, decided if this was it I'll make the best of it, guy needs whatever it is more than I do, so I say "need a ride somewhere? Was omw home from work but I've got a few dollars we can stop for food because I'm hungry and don't mind having company. What's your name? Mine is Mary" I know that if you start getting personal with an attacker it gets harder for them to hurt you.
I was thinking "take me hostage, hold me at gunpoint point, yell in my face, I can take this. But please don't take my life and don't leave me 2 hours stranded away from home in the middle of the night".
I got done pumping when I finished, giving him a short amount of time to think on his answer, and in his panic at me offering him the things he was going to take from me, he goes "nah I'm just gonna walk, thanks again." Leaves.
I carry a taser now. Entire-Speaker
HOLY DAMN CRAP!!!
Used to work late shift as classroom IT support for a college. We didn't get a lot of high priority calls from night classes so, among other duties, we'd get a lot of repairs and maintenance done that couldn't be done when the classrooms were in use during the day.
I don't mind the dark so I wasn't in the habit of turning lights in classrooms on if I was just going to do something real quick on the computer.
Well I had a ticket to install something on the instructor PC in a classroom I had never been to before. It's about 10PM when I get around to this ticket and I head into the room.
I get about halfway across the room and suddenly freeze. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up and I feel 100% that I'm being watched ... no I'm surrounded!
Then as my eyes start to adjust I see them. This entire classroom is encircled by hospital beds sticking out from the walls. And in every bed there's a person sitting up, looking right at me!
HOLY DAMN CRAP!!
"OH, I'M SORRY!", I blurt out ...
Before finally realizing that they're all just plastic dummies and I was in a Nursing classroom. Makeamemeoutofthevid
Near the Lake.....
About two years ago i was hiking at a local national forest by my hometown. My family had a get together, and been hiking there a few times so we were kind of familiar with the area. I have geocached once there so i was gonna try it again because it was a popular area for caching. I split off from my family and it was just me and my friend who i brought. we were both by this giant lake and off to the right we seen a faint unmarked path.
We decided to see if it led to anything cool, but about a couple hundred meters ahead we smelt a horrible smell. We looked around being curious what was causing that god awful smell, then my friend pointed up to a limb of a tree to a hanging deer carcass, a split right threw the stomach. The deer also looked a few days old. so it hadn't been there long. there was also a cloth doll nailed into the tree. it had been worn and made things worse.
I had a horrible gut feeling and looked over at my friend and said "bro lets get the hell out of here." we got out of there faster than we came. it was almost like a ritual. we agreed to not tell anyone there with us about what we found. i haven't been to the place since but i really hope no one else had stumbled upon what we found in the woods that day. iSSaF3rr3T
These Actors Seemed Miscast But Absolutely Nailed The Role | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
The Actors Who Seemed Miscast But Absolutely Nailed The RoleFew people bought into the idea of Bryan Cranston in the role of Walter White before Breaking Bad...Things That Are Normal Where You Live But Crazy Anywhere Else | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
People divulge the things that are normal where they live but crazy anywhere else.#Reddit #BestOfRedditFor more of the latest trending news, Reddit stories, ...Dismayed....
Years ago my work took me to cadaver labs.
There's nothing like the smell of drill friction and hot bone.
My first time in one, a sizeable chunk of tissue flew out of the body and splatted against the floor.
Raised to pick things up if they fell on the ground, I instinctively grabbed the thick red gunk before realizing I had no clue what to do with it. The looks of dismay were spectacular. mindfeces
Into the Woods....
Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park in the dark, about 4 am. No lights, just enjoying the terror of being alone in the mountains in the dark.
I smell something. Musky. An animal smell. A BIG animal smell, then I hear movement in the trees off the trail.
I put my hand on my anti bear Bowie knife, ready to stand my ground and stab whatever is large and moving near me.
Then the hiker coughs.
I walked past some hiker pooping in the woods.
No people or animals were harmed during this hike. MostGrownUp
Last summer....
Last summer there were 2 kids from BC Canada that were killing people across the country. They were shooting people on roadside turnouts and (after the fact it came out they were looking for a boat). I slept on a turnout the night before and passed (and reported) them the following day. I had my boat and 4 or 500L of gas with me. I got in the habit of sleeping with a loaded 12 for bears but I often wonder if they would have got me or if I would have been able to pop a couple rounds off and scare them away, pretty happy that it never came to that. Here4theNothingness
Creepiest crap ever.
The coffee ran out.
Seriously though, there is this hotel that I'm working, and we all know about the little girl who runs the hallways at night. Sometimes you'll hear doors open and close, or noises when the hotel should be empty.
One time, I noticed these little marks on the wall under a low shelf that we put coffee on, for the guests. Curious, I go to clean the spots up, which looked like little smudges. I kid you not, I came back an hour later, and they were back, in different spots, and looked like a little kid had run up the wall. We didn't have anyone in house that night, save for one worker on vacation by himself. Creepiest crap ever. A_little_rose
Too Sleep....
I work night shift in a hospital. One might I fell asleep at work and dreamt that a doctor came in and we had a whole conversation about a patient and then he walked out. It felt so real. When I told a co-worker about the dream and desx9bed the doctor I found out that doctor died the year before. I know the story is not that creepy, but I never fell asleep at work again. datgurltrue
The Stranger....
I came back into my camp from cooking/cleaning/taking a dump, and found an individual digging around in my tent and gear. I quietly watched the person from a bit away while they rummaged around, eventually leaving while taking nothing.
Packed up all my stuff and hiked through the in the dark. There's zero good things that could come from someone else looking through your gear in the middle of the woods as nighttime approaches. Don't know what they wanted, don't want to find out. 732
Short Stops.
So he was driving home and the car in front of him takes all the same turns as him and he's driving behind them for ages. Maybe 20-30mins. Then the car in front turns into his street and then they stop outside of his house (he lives in the last house on a dead end street) this car is completely blocking his drive so he stops behind them n the driver of the car in front gets out of his car and starts screaming at my dad threatening to call the police and telling my dad to stop following him.
My dad calmly points out that they are blocking his drive and asks them to move their car. Turns out they thought my dad was following them because he'd been behind them for so long so they took loads of random turns to try lose him, all of which led to my dad's house. TartanSkull
CD Strike.
I worked at a movie theatre and most often worked the closing shift.
One night me and another manager were sitting in the small office. She was working on the nightly deposit and I was finishing up inventory numbers, We had a CD player that we would listen to at night with a stack of CDs sitting next to it. I stood up and changed the CD and sat back down. About a minute after the entire stack of cds LAUNCHED itself across the room.
One of the CDs hit my co-worker in the back of the head. She looked around and saw me sitting there dumbfounded with the cds scattered all around me and the office. We quickly finished up and left.
A couple of days later one of the other dayshift managers calls me and asks me what we were doing the prior night. She seemed really annoyed which was out of character for her because we were friends. I asked her what she meant and she asked me why we had dumped all of the security tapes onto the floor and left them there.
I told her we hadn't touched the security tapes at all.
The tapes were stored on top of the CCTV monitor on a small VHS tape shelf. The shelf hadn't been moved and only the tapes were on the floor. She also said that all of the sleeves from the tapes had been removed and thrown all over the place too. dawrina
There was nothing there.
I was the navigation officer for a research ship in the south pacific. We had recently come to Papua New Guinea for some work along the coast. We had arrived in a small bay at around 10pm in the dark and dropped the anchor. I went over to mark our position on the chart and noticed an annotation that said "native village reported in the area." There were no fires or lights on the coast so I didn't think anything much more of it.
I turned on all the deck and underwater lights and went back in to the bridge to stand my night watch as everyone else went to bed. With all the lights on I couldn't see further than about 25 yards because of a light mist in the pitch black night. I sat in the bridge with the door open because I like the sound of the night and the feeling of the air in the tropics. I kept hearing light splashing in the water and went out to see because often we get hundreds of fish in our underwater lights. There was nothing there.
I went back inside but kept hearing faint splashing and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Since I couldn't see in to the distance I went in to the chart room and flicked on our infrared camera system and there they all were. About 50 native outrigger canoes just sitting outside our pool of light. About 3 people to a canoe and all just sitting and watching us. Occasionally paddling one way or the other to keep their station. I have never felt so suddenly and violently alone and small as I did on that ship in the dark.
I got a deck hand up and we both just walked around the decks to show that people were awake and moving. They sat there and watched us all night. Completely invisible except for on the infrared cameras. In the morning they came in and traded with us and were very friendly and just hadn't had a ship in their bay for decades. Squarerigjack
hit from behind.....
I don't really know if it qualifies as scary but I remember getting hit from behind by something while I was stopped in the middle of an intersection in the middle of the night last year.
To this day, I don't really know what it was. I even saw the traffic cam footage and saw nothing. All I saw was me being stopped completely in the middle of the road waiting for a car in front of me to pass by so I can cross when my car shook like something had hit it from behind and a minute or so later, it showed me parking to the side to check what had happened.
The "accident" didn't leave any dents nor scratches but it had enough impact to ruin my bumper.
I've actively tried to avoid that road since. Mist3rTryHard
The Screams...
On one night shift dispatch gave us a call about "screaming in (whichever) elevator." So we go to it, and can indeed hear screaming. We get a person posted at every floor of this elevator. You can hear the screaming when the elevator is moving, but when the doors open there's nothing. We decide to have maintenance take a look. Maintenance finds nothing wrong. TN_Yeti
The Puddles....
I was sleeping in a hammock on my mountain ranch, and woke up around 4am. After lying there awake watching stars for about 5 minutes, I heard the sound of something big urinating nearby. In the night silence, the sound was so clear as to distinctly change as the dirt went from dry to muddy to a small puddle. I didn't hear any movement afterward. There are deer, coyotes, bobcats, and rarely bears in this area. MentORPHEUS
The Electricity....
This isn't really that scary but around 2014 I witnessed what I can only assume could be ball lightning. The weather was clear though and it didn't seem to emit electricity so I can't really be sure. But anyway I was taking a walk around sunset and noticed this orange glowing orb roughly the size of a softball slowly drifting about 20 feet in the air. I stopped and watched it for a few minutes until it disappeared behind the trees. I'm still mad I didn't have a smart phone at the time because I totally would have recorded it. Francis-Hates-You
Don't Speak of the Night...
I was thirteen and would spend summers practically living at my best friend's house. Often we would sneak out at night and just roam around her area which was an exurb, kind of in the country, but still plenty of houses. We never felt afraid. Then one night we ambled down a road that cut through a field.
It ended at a cul-de-sac with a large iron gate blocking a dirt driveway behind it. Everything was fine one minute, but the next we both just looked at each other absolutely terrified and ran as fast as we could back down the road. We had both just felt at the same time an overwhelming sense of fear and dread.
If it had just been me, then I would chalk it up to just a kid freaking herself out, but both of us felt it at the exact same time. I still wonder if we avoided something terrible that night. LaeliaCatt
Louisiana roads.....
Louisiana is freaky as heck. Parts of it feel like you're in another world. That long stretch of I-10 that's on stilts across the endless swamp with "roads" of water through the trees made it very clear to me why Lovecraft had some of his Cthulhu cults practicing in those forests. Even from a major interstate it felt like was on another planet, I would not want to stray from the well-travelled roads into that wilderness. shadow1515
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk to him about it.
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One would think we're in a place in time where all conversations should be easy.
But that is not the case.
So much is still too "taboo" to be truthful about.
It is so frustrating.
There is so much to discuss.
Being shy is understandable, but it's something that we can all get over.
Redditor No_One_Special34 wanted to breakdown some barriers with a few simple conversations, so they asked:
"What is a taboo subject that should be talked about more?"
Speak Up
"Child/infant death. When my daughter died a bunch of people just... stopped talking to me altogether."
BaronMatfei
"I'm sorry to hear about your child."
"A 7-year-old was hit by a truck last week near my son's kg. I've never met the boy but I have had nightmares about it. I can't imagine what the parents are going thru right now. I can't imagine what you are going through."
ikalwewe
"This happened to my mom when my brother died. Nobody knew what to say so few people said anything, and then it was treated like it didn’t happen."
myspiritedconfusion
The Aging Process
"Nursing homes."
Limp_Distribution
"We are a disgustingly ageist society. No wonder people pay BILLIONS for plastic surgery, hair color, and fitness, etc to stay relevant and not be thought of as useless or 'other.' It’s so very hateful. I think our society fears old age and death. It’s a f**king pathos."
Playful-Reflection12
"THANK YOU! I'm a 20-year paramedic. One of the things that I really hoped COVID would shed a light on is the absolutely abhorrent treatment of our elderly and infirmed. The 'treatment' in far too many nursing homes is negligent to a criminal level."
MedicSBK
That's Easy...
"Household budgets and finance - how much your parents make, how much is the mortgage, car insurance, car payment, and so on."
davmoha
"That's easy. House, two cars, three kids, stay-at-home wife, pets, college tuition for everyone in the bank, a summer cottage home by the lake, and a hobby like golf should all do if you're a hardworking drug dealer nowadays."
aaar129
"Agreed! We have gone into detail about our finances with our kids. We have them pick jobs on LinkedIn and a home on Zillow and budget so expenses and have them watch as they realize they can't afford expensive stuff on a crap salary. It's been really great."
HoidWit
Look for the Signs...
"Familial abuse."
"Many people tend to assume that abusive people look creepy/scary and behave badly in general, but they don't seem to get that anyone can be abusive, regardless of appearance or demeanor. An abusive person can easily be charming, attractive, funny, witty, etc."
"Just because you think someone has a few positive qualities does not mean they're incapable of abuse."
"If someone's child 'seems' happy and well behaved, it does not mean that they are automatically OK or safe. There are many signs of abuse, and I wish that more people educated themselves on this issue. We can literally save lives by doing so."
ArtisanalMagi
The Girl Truth
"Girls need to know everything there is to know about menstruation before they experience it. At my school we were only given a quick 'every month you will bleed out your vagina, you can use pads or tampons to absorb it.' Nothing about any of the other mental or physical effects, nothing about how to deal with them, and nothing else reassuring."
IJustpeedyourpants
Why are girls not taught more sooner?
Like what year are we living in?
The End
"Death."
fallen-summer
"Number one for me, especially out-of-order deaths (young deaths). My husband died when I was 33 and he was 38. It's been almost 3 years and people still struggle with how to talk to me. We need to talk about death more as a society."
veganbettie
Only Legal One
"Alcoholism, especially in older generations."
Kaverim
"The biggest drug in the world, the most dangerous, only legal one. Alcohol has been disguised to make society believe it isn't even a drug. Now we're all hooked and can't go a week without a drink, funny because the cravings come back within a week."
Unlucky_Ducky23
"I quit drinking 18 months ago and it kinda sucks because if you want to go meet new ppl or go on a date it usually involves alcohol."
mspote
She's 75
"Comprehensive sex ed. My mother never had sex ed and was convinced that vaginal discharge wasn't normal and that your crotch didn't sweat."
Nay_nay267
"My mother had a condition that requires her to use a catheter. She was shocked to learn that she doesn't urinate from her vagina, and that the opening to her urethra is actually slightly above it. She's 75. I'm a dude, and I've known that since I was 14."
UniversalHammer71
"She was raised Catholic, and her mother taught her nothing. Not even what her period was. She was convinced she was dying."
Nay_nay267
Follow the Money
"Financial debt. In my line of work, I see people's bank accounts and credit reports every day and it is very rare that someone has zero debt. Excluding mortgages (which is a given) the vast majority have car finance, personal loans, and credit card balances. Mostly it's manageable, credit is mostly a convenience for which a person pays interest."
"But debt can also destroy a person. It can keep you up at night feeling like you're literally suffocating. It can lead to suicide. I know because I was close at one point. I don't know if I would have actually gone through with it but I had planned it to the point of measuring rope from the timbers in my attic to my neck and to ensure my feet wouldn't touch the ground."
"If you are in debt you are not alone, you're in the majority. If it's a struggle, notify the lenders/creditors; they're legally obligated to offer options to help you. It might reduce your credit score a bit but please don't ever reduce your life instead."
"Life is precious and money isn't. If you're struggling financially please speak to someone. There is no shame in it, pretty much everyone is struggling financially so someone will understand but please don't let a credit card balance be the reason your life ends."
kitjen
Holy Crap!
"Pooping and poop problems. Colon cancer is so common and relatively treatable, but like all cancers, it's so much better to catch it early - yet so many people are too embarrassed to talk about poop problems, and they don't bring it up with their doctor until it's too late."
"I have ulcerative colitis and make sure all my friends know I'm totally comfortable talking about poop if they ever have any questions about whether something happening to them is normal or concerning."
dorunrun
Speak more. Speak louder. We've all been quiet too long.
As much as we might try to take care of our things, there are going to be instances where we lose things that we love.
Ironically, those lost things might be some of the most meaningful things we have in our lives.
Redditor baba_yaga_777 asked:
"If someone offered you a box of everything you ever lost, what would you look for first?"
A Mother's Brooch
"The brooch I bought for my mom's birthday when I was five years old (60 years ago)."
"I took all my money out of my bank and walked to the local Hallmark store. The nice lady took my money (probably less than $2) and wrapped up the gift."
"When my mom opened her gift, we walked back to the store 'to thank the lady for wrapping it so nicely.' It was actually so my mom could offer to pay the rest of the cost of that beautiful brooch. The lady wouldn't accept any more money, though."
"And here we are, 60 years later, and I still remember the incredible kindness of that lady."
"I don't have the brooch or my mom, but I do have this memory."
- BakeCrochetGym
Childhood Photos
"When we left Yemen during the civil war in 1994, it was rushed and we lost a handbag that had all family photos from 15 to 20 years prior. It sucks not to have pictures of me when I was younger."
- gahgeer-is-back
The Perfect Fit
"My swim trunks for this summer. I just got them last year and they fit me perfectly, and now I can't find them for the life of me. It p**ses me off thinking about it."
- karmagod13000
All Progress Saved
"The 'Pokémon Crystal' game that I had leveled all of my favorite characters up to Level 80. The housecleaner swiped it and my parents wouldn’t believe me. F**k you, Julie."
- YourStolenCharizard
Lost Loved Ones
"My daughter. She was gone way too quick."
- WhatWouldTNGPicardDo
A Beloved Baby Blanket
"My childhood blankie. I have no idea what happened to it!"
- plasma_dan
"I somehow managed not to lose or destroy mine and gave it to my firstborn child. He still keeps it in his bed and turns seven soon. I think I’d ask for that too if it was lost."
- Lampyridae2A
Former Best Friends
"My best friend from my formative years."
- TrixonBanes
"Oof, same. She was like a sister to me. She lives on the other side of the country now and, even though we grew apart, I miss how I felt when I spent time with her."
- MaynardButterBean
Favorite Stuffies
"The stuffed platypus I had when I was in elementary. Every time my mom mentions finding stuff in my grandpa's house, I ask about it."
- JenniferMcKay
In Exchange for Toxic Relationships
"The self-esteem that I allowed others to destroy during a phase of illness."
- DeviantAvocado
Past Creations
"High school sketchbook full of emo edgy drawings."
- strangedigital
The Family Ring
"My mum's ring she'd been given by her Grandma that I pawned (my mum agreed at the time but always regretted it afterwards)."
"I got way, way less than its worth, since the guy took advantage of my age and desperation. The worst thing is, I can't even remember the design so can't ever have it replicated and can't ask my mum because she passed away earlier this year."
- -qqqwwweeerrrtttyyy-
Holiday Cheer
"Holiday cheer."
"Sure, I still love holidays but… as a kid, it was like, 'Holy mother of everliving f**k, Halloween is in THREE WEEKS? That is entirely too long. I will never be able to wait. Holy d**n.' And when it finally arrived, I'd have the night of my life."
"Now it’s like, 'Oh no. Halloween is in two days. Uh... Oh well...'"
- GregthePigeon
The Sea of Lost Picks
"As a guitarist, all of my f**king picks."
- ivaclue
Junk Drawers and Boxes
"The box I lost that had everything in it."
- Actuaryba
Quite the Conundrum
"The issue is that I can't recall what I've lost."
- ragnrokis
We've all lost things in our lives, some more important than others.
It's especially telling that at least most of us know exactly what we would seek first, before anything else that might possibly be in that box.
There are several things that are appealing to hikers.
Being out in nature and taking in some fresh air is a huge motivation for people to get out of the house.
Getting exercise is also a factor to maintain a healthy heart.
But there could be one unexpected element to a hike that can happen hypothetically, and it's sure to raise your heartbeat.
Specifically, seeing something shocking along the hiking trail, like, say, a naked person could make for an exciting–or disturbing–hiking outing. It certainly doesn't get any more au natural than that.
Curious to hear from strangers, Redditor spenf asked:
"What would be your reaction if you encountered a nude hiker?"
These Redditors assessed the situation and saw no harm.
Friendly Tip
"I have passed two nude hikers in my 35 years of hiking. One male, one female, years and thousands of miles apart. Both said 'hello'. I said 'hello.' One mentioned the trail was washed out ahead but a second trail has been cut. I thanked them for the heads-up. Some people like the wind and sun on their skin. Both had on hiking boots. To each their own."
– Zmirzlina
Sign Of Good Character
"I have. Three times! I'm an avid backpacker and you can usually find me in Yosemite, SeKi, Emigrant or Carson-Iceberg in California on any random summer weekend."
"My standard line: 'Afternoon, I didn't realize it was so cold out today!'"
"One of them didn't get the joke. The other two laughed their nude a**es off."
"Here's my reasoning. If you're naked and can laugh at a joke, you're probably not a threat."
– codefyre
Two Scenarios
"Depends. A hiker with hiking boots/shoes and a backpack, but otherwise nude, or a completely nude person on a hiking trail?"
"Scenario 1: I give a friendly wave and hike on."
"Scenario 2: I give a more tentative wave and hike on, maintaining a heightened awareness of my surroundings."
– Genshed
Casual Encounter
"I met one once. A middle aged man in ok shape. Had nice hiking boots, thick wool socks, fancy framed backpack, two walking poles, hat, sunglasses, and nothing else on."
"I said hi in a neutral voice, he replied hi in an equally neutral voice. We passed, I did not look back."
– SillyFlyGuy
Some hikers are suspect.
High Alert
"While backpacking out of Rocky Mountain National Park we encountered a dude wearing nothing but shoes and some very small shorts. He was off trail about 100' at the edge of a meadow, walking and swinging a machete. I...did not approach. He was probably a mile in from the trail head. I'm guessing drugs."
– DoctFaustus
Beware Of Black Magic
"Ha! There are a lot of superstitious rumors/stories circulating around scenario 2 in India. Apparently, people who practice black magic with the sole intent of harming someone are often seen walking naked in places you don't expect people, carrying weird items."
"Either you interrupt them by disturbing them (no clue what happens next) or you run in the opposite direction."
– longlegs25
You may want to take note.
"I live in the Bay Area and naked hikers are not uncommon."
"Good naked hiker: has appropriate shoes, a backpack or fanny pack, is hiking with intention and looks tanned and fit and like he does this regularly. Good naked hikers will give you room so you don't have to interact unless you really want to."
"Bad naked hiker: shoeless, visible sores, scrapes, or burns, moving erratically (i.e. really slow or in a zig-zag). Might be a drugged out person. Out-of-shape or pale are indications this is not normal for them and they may not have intended for this to happen."
"Exhibitionist: makes a point to make eye contact, smile at you, wave, try to involve you. Good naked hikers are usually on long, deep trails where they're less likely to encounter others, and they tend to give clothed hikers a wide breath out of a sense of respect and consent. Exhibitionists get chummy; it excites them to be seen naked."
– IAlbatross
"Also depends on the area. A deep woods area with long trails is ideal for naked hiking. Shorter and more accessible trails are less okay because there's a higher likelihood of encountering families with children."
"Also depends on if they're with friends or not. A group of naked hikers is less concerning than an individual."
"All this boils down to:"
"If you see a naked hiker, mind your own business. A good naked hiker isn't trying to bother you. A bad naked hiker is potentially dangerous. An exhibitionist wants attention so any attention paid to them will fuel them. Best thing to do is nod as you pass and carry on like you haven't even noticed."
"Edit: There are actually areas in the Bay Area where it's permitted to hike naked. Regionally, some places allow nudity. Also some places allow women to be topless so a topless female hiker might just be evening out her tan. It's best not to assume and to know the local laws before passing judgement on a person getting their nature on."
– IAlbatross
Guilty as charged.
The Name Is A Dead Giveaway
"No reaction at all, since I would be nude myself."
– NudistGeek
"Stare in disbelief. That's just very strange and coincidental for two nude hikers to run into each other."
"I guess make sure they have sunscreen also."
– miketdavis
To each their own, but if hiking in the nude is your thing, you do you.
And just a heads up: If you're walking around in the buff and happen to be wielding a machete, you're going to make people very jittery. So maybe drop the prop.
Also, wear plenty of sunscreen.
30 is the new 20.
At least, that's what a lot of people tell themselves after they pass that milestone birthday.
Even so, while age is merely a number, people still find certain things grow increasingly more challenging with each passing year.
Including, or even particularly, dating.
Those still on the hunt for love after turning 30 might grow increasingly insecure, worry that their moment has passed, or be unable to ignore the ticking of their biological clock reminding them that time might be running out to start a family.
Not to mention, playing a losing game over and over can become completely and utterly exhausting after a while.
"What is the hardest part of dating after 30?"
Not Everyone Wants A Package Deal
"Realizing that the number of single parents is larger than you’d expect."- dhabo1030
"Some people have kids or want them soon."
"And emotional baggage."- Psyblade0_0
"Kids, whether you have them or not, is something to talk and consider immediately before starting anything."- Crisb89
"For me, it was finding someone who didn't have kids, and didn't want them."
"At that point in my life, I was (and still am) 100% sure I don't want kids."
"Finding a long-term partner who wants the same was pretty tough."- Toiletpaperplane
Everyone's In A Hurry
"'Dating after 30 is like catching a city bus after midnight'."
"'There aren't as many, but they're faster'."- civex
How Long Have You Got?
"Online dating sucks and all my friends are married or dead or single fathers."
"So I am on my own for the most part."- somedude-83
"It's not all fun and games anymore."
"People feel late or behind."
"First dates often: are we compatible, do you want kids, are you OK with my kids, are you ready for a serious relationship, do you make enough money, do you own a home, politics?"
"Religion."
"I don't have time to mess with you if we aren't a match because I'm in my 30s and supposed to be married and having kids."
"The days of just light fun dating are less common."- ZLVe96
Emotional And/Or Excess Baggage
"Geez."
"You sometimes pay for what their ex did to them."- JJJAAABBB123
Rising Standards And Expectations
"You have your preferences narrowed down a LOT more than you did in your 20s, thus finding a compatible partner is more difficult."
"Especially if you dislike kids."- Clintman
"Many people want 'high value' partners while having no value."- Zetterburger40
Solo routines Can Be Hard To Shake...
"I've learned I prefer my own company."- PrinceEnternalStench
Alternative Methods...
"The summoning rituals you have to go through."- AdCareful5654
Wait Till Your 40s...
"Wait until they’re over 45."
"Most are divorced and have been alone for a while."
"It‘s a reset of dating and they’re open to try something new."
"That person who was out of your league is now squarely in your court."
"Go for it!"- macgiv
Good Luck Getting A Good Night's Sleep...
"CPAP Machines."- Reddit
As long as you are single, finding love is one of the many things you think you might never achieve with each passing year.
However, when you do finally find that one true love, no matter when or how old you are, you will realize in no time at all it was definitely worth the wait.