Fed Up People With Food Allergies Reveal How People Snuck Food Into Their Meals to 'Test' Their Allergies
Fed Up People With Food Allergies Reveal How People Snuck Food Into Their Meals to 'Test' Their Allergies
[rebelmouse-image 18349298 is_animated_gif=If someone says they have a food allergy, just believe them. Don't test them. Don't try and prove you're smarter than their food allergy. You're not. As proven by when tcp-45 asked Reddit:
Here are those infuriating stories.
Almond Lies
[rebelmouse-image 18349299 is_animated_gif=My brother is allergic to tree nuts. My aunt thought he was lying because he'd eat things with peanuts in it.
Several times she brought foods with nuts in them to Christmas get togethers. Never bothered my brother much he just didn't eat them. This pissed her off, so once she make this big plate of chocolate chip cookies. My brother eats about 6 of them. About 20 minutes later he's hacking and coughing. Epipen benedryl and a trip to the hospital later my aunt finally tells us that she used almond flour because she knew he was making it up.
Cedar Closing!
[rebelmouse-image 18349300 is_animated_gif=My "best friend" at the time didn't believe anyone could be allergic to cedar. It makes my eyes itch and burn then swell shut. She thought I was probably just being dramatic because I didn't like the smell or something. I was spending the night at her place and she brought me some blankets... as soon as I wrapped up in them I realized something was wrong, they reeked of cedar. Her mother kept them in a cedar chest and she thought it would be no big deal. She quickly changed her tune and then apologized profusely once my eyes started to swell shut and I had to call my folks to come take me to the ER in the middle of the damn night.
Disguised By Malice
[rebelmouse-image 18349301 is_animated_gif=My mother in law, and not a food.
Fabuloso cleaner is the only thing IN MY LIFE i have been allergic to. My husband's b-tch mother finds out. I'm very pregnant and she brings me a TON of my husband's baby blankets, books, etc. All very well kept.
All cleaned in Fabuloso. Now, the issue is it's not cartoon-level insta-hives. It takes a while. Enough time that i have possibly eaten or touched my face.
To this day she isn't allowed to bring items into my house.
Lady Tremaine
[rebelmouse-image 18349302 is_animated_gif=My mom didn't believe my little brother when he told her that he's developed an allergy to bell peppers. That night, she made salad and diced green bell peppers into the salad so that he couldn't see the tiny green cubes. Within minutes, his throat swelled and he developed hives all over his face and neck. My mom told him to stop being dramatic as he was coughing and gasping for air. I grabbed my epipen from my bag and injected him as he began to faint while my mom screamed at us for being ungrateful brats who refuse to appreciate the food she cooked for us. We are both no contact now.
Suffer The Consequences
[rebelmouse-image 18349303 is_animated_gif=I'm lactose intolerant and my girlfriend's mum just assumed I'm a fussy eater (which I'm not - at all)
So she made a delicious leek and potato soup, with fresh cream.
I had 2 bowls it was so nice, 20 minutes later I'm bloated as hell. 20 minutes later I'm farting like a trooper.
She kept asking me to leave the living room, I politely refused.
She hasn't done it since.
Attempted Murder
[rebelmouse-image 18349304 is_animated_gif=I have a couple of different major allergies. Two of them are...odd. As a result most people think I'm just pulling their leg. I have an allergy to Cocoa (aka chocolate) and the tobacco plant.
My mom's side of the family was brutal people. They fed me chocolate laced breakfast foods and candies without my knowledge, but since I was so small when they discovered by allergy...I hadn't had enough chocolate to know what it tasted like besides pain. I just knew my mouth would tingle, my throat would feel tight, and that I would throw up not soon afterwards.
My mom figured out these 'throwing up fits' would happen ONLY around her family, she asked them to stop.
...they didn't.
So one day my Aunt gives me a full-sized hunk of pure dark chocolate. I go into a full reaction and I still remember her freaking out when I dropped/started changing colors and calling an ambulance. No I don't remember the ride and apparently my oxygen went down so much by the time the ambulance got there that any longer and I would have suffocated. I was stomach pumped and traced and left in ICU for a couple of days because my lungs couldn't handle it and breathing was a nightmare.
Just Believe Your Friends
[rebelmouse-image 18349305 is_animated_gif=Cilantro. I guess my reaction would classify as an intolerance and not an allergy (i.e. no anaphylactic reaction) however a friend thought I was lying and put some in a salsa she made to see if "I could tell". Oh, I could tell alright I could tell as soon as my stomach started to swell and I started to feel very nauseous. Showed her by throwing up all over her bathroom. Sucker.
How Now? No Cow?
[rebelmouse-image 18349307 is_animated_gif=My parents, to an extent.
When I was a small child, I stopped breathing when my parents moved me from breast milk to baby milk (cow milk). I stopped breathing, and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors told my parents that I was 'likely' lactose intolerance, and to just be careful to dairy.
My parents continued to feed my dairy.
When I was around 18 I was eating so much dairy daily. I was also constantly on the toilet, and constantly vomitting. I didn't see the link.
Went to the doctors. They did some simple tests.
I now avoid dairy, and I am perfectly healthy. My parents still think I exaggerate.
Whoops!
[rebelmouse-image 18349308 is_animated_gif=Not exactly tricked, but... I had a coworker with a severe dairy allergy (had to carry an epipen and everything). She was leaving the company, so on her last day I brought in a huge batch of vegan brownies. Typically when I make that recipe I use soy milk, but I had another coworker (B) who had a soy allergy, so I used almond milk instead. Coworker B took one of the brownies after confirming with me they were totally soy free, but came back about ten minutes later, asking if I was sure there was no soy in the brownies. She was clearly having a reaction, so I panicked and started listing off all the ingredients I used in the recipe. When I mentioned the almond milk she said, "Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm allergic to almonds, too." She ended up going home for the rest of the day, and I am still baffled that someone with allergies that severe wouldn't verify the food she was eating was free of all her allergens.
Rightful Punishment
[rebelmouse-image 18349309 is_animated_gif=My own Father. I'm allergic to mushrooms, he didn't think that was possible.
One weekend day when I was 14 it was my turn to cook dinner. I made bolognese sauce and left it to simmer on the hob while I went out to play with the dogs. Whilst I was out he secretly cooked a few mushrooms, liquidised them, mixed them into the sauce, then hid all the evidence. You couldn't see them, smell them, or taste them. I ate the dinner, and when two hours later my guts began to protest I was so confused, I made the sauce myself! There was nothing bad in it! Everyone else is fine! It wasn't until the next morning (after everyone had to listen to me emptying my entire digestive system all damn night) that he finally admitted what he had done. It felt good listening to my mum shouting at him for hours, and she made him scrub the entire bathroom with a toothbrush once I was finally out of there.
Mexican Come-Up
[rebelmouse-image 18349310 is_animated_gif=I'm allergic to avocado. A lot of people think I'm lying because I don't like it. Guacamole is delicious, but unfortunately makes me violently ill. My sister in law thought I would "change my mind" if I had avocado in the right context. She gave me a burrito with guac which I stupidly ate by the campfire so the green avocado color looked like queso. I vomited. A lot. For a long time.
"Vanilla"
[rebelmouse-image 18349311 is_animated_gif=I'm allergic to coconut. None of my friends believed me and thought I was just bullshitting them and that I just didn't like coconuts. They bought a chocolate cake and a "vanilla" cake for my friends birthday. We all got to chowing down and when I bit into the "vanilla cake" I immediately recognized it as having coconut. I spit out what I hadn't swallowed but it was too late. Throat started closing, mouth started burning and tingling and my saliva became extremely thick and stringy. My friends reactions were just "Oh. I guess you're not lying". I flipped them off then slowly sipped water for 2 hours while I waited for my face to stop itching.
At Least He Wasn't Tricked
[rebelmouse-image 18349312 is_animated_gif=My wife, who is an otherwise supportive and wonderful partner, refused to believe I have an allergy to pistachios. She said it's because I am too nonchalant about diving into a bowl of nuts then later asking if there are pistachios but at this point I kinda just know from glance if there are.
Anyhow, we were at a nice place for lunch with her family and ordered a meat and cheese board. I didn't even consider that a pate would have pistachios until my second bite and I saw them. My wife, slightly "justified", said "see, you aren't allergic!"
Thirty minutes later I was in the emergency center, my entire body broken out and trouble breathing and swallowing and she was crying. I was trying to calm her down while attempting to swallow and not die, feeling if I did pass I didn't want her thinking it was her fault. One giant shot in my buttcheek and a very calming nurse helped out.
She later got mad that I didn't carry an EpiPen with me but, she forgets, I am a dummy when it comes to that stuff.
Skin Contact
[rebelmouse-image 18349313 is_animated_gif=I have a strange allergy that most people don't believe. I'm allergic to mint/menthol. Anything that is supposed to give you that nice "cooling" sensation just feels like burning fire and makes me swell and itch (no anaphylaxis, but just really uncomfortable). Its in toothpaste, facewashes, deodorant, candy, hair products.
I had a friend, and as young teens do, she decided to wash my hair and give me a sleepover "spa day" sort of thing. We washed each others hair in the kitchen sink, cucumbers on the eyes, candles going. She has heard me many times say I was allergic, so I decided to trust her. But, without telling me, She decides to use her mom's fancy peppermint shampoo thinking it wouldn't be bad.
Suddenly, relaxing spa day turned into a Michael Jackson Pepsi commercial. Next thing I know I'm writhing around trying not to tear my scalp off while I'm screaming at her "what did you do?! What's in this?!"
She kept telling me that is was good stuff and her mom uses it all the time! Moms never had a problem.
The remainder of spa day was spent with my head running under cold water until the benadryl kicked in. I also get adverse reactions to benadryl so instead of sleepy I get HYPED. The rest of that sleepover was me sitting like a 16 year old on cocaine trying to watch a movie by pacing back and forth behind the couch patting my thighs to the beat of everything that was happening in the movie.
Not a fun sleepover
Take Us Seriously
[rebelmouse-image 18349314 is_animated_gif=I know it's popular to hate "gluten free" people right now, but I legitimately cant consume gluten because I have celiac disease. There's definitely a threshold for my allergy but I'm not totally sure where the line is. I'm usually fine eating, for example, fries from the same fryer as onion rings, but if I eat an actual piece of bread I'll get headaches, stomach aches, and probably throw it up.
Anyways, the summer after high school my friend got me a job at this Mexican restaurant she worked at. Everything came in bagged/frozen except the green chili which we made in house. Every time I start at a new restaurant I make it a habit to learn what allergens are in what dishes because I take that shit seriously, and I also want to know what I can eat safely. This restaurant had all ingredients and allergens for everything listed in a binder so I read through it and saw that the chili was actually gluten free.
Every day at work I would get a plate of rolled chicken enchiladas on corn tortillas smothered in green chili, but after a few days I started feeling sick. It started with headaches, then stomach cramps so bad I had trouble focusing at work. I messed up orders, had to constantly take breaks, and generally was miserable. In the middle of the night or in the mornings I would wake up throwing up, but this being the restaurant industry no one would let me call in sick. Eventually I threw up in the bathroom while at work and they sent me home. I was out for two days, but I couldn't figure out what had made me sick because I'm careful about my groceries and everything I had eaten at the restaurant was supposed to be gluten free.
When I got back I was talking to my friend (who by the way had not checked up on me at all) about how confused I was with the whole thing and she starts f-cking laughing. Turns out she didn't believe I had a real allergy and thought it would be funny to prove I was faking it, so she got the cooks to add flour to the chili. Obviously I was f-cking pissed, she had essentially poisoned me and who knows how many other people by adding the flour. What is wrong with people?
They Can Also Develop
[rebelmouse-image 18349315 is_animated_gif=With me I didn't develop any allergies until I hit 21. I can remember grabbing a bag of peanut m&ms and within a min I knew something was wrong. I had never had a reaction so it was really scary and unexpected. I was tested and did in fact develop peanut allergy on top of a few others. My family and bf didn't understand that it is possible to develop allergies later and life. So they would push peanuts on me as if I was lying. I loved peanuts wtf would I lie. Just a few months ago am idiot coworker made brownies. Said no peanuts. Yup there were peanuts. It's scary and people shouldn't take it lightly
Believe. Us.
[rebelmouse-image 18349316 is_animated_gif=I have some pretty wacky allergies when it comes to mold and fungus, so I can't eat mushrooms. Because of this I'd never been exposed to green bean casserole, which uses cream of mushroom. My roommate asked me one day if I liked mushrooms, to which I replied I was allergic. She asked me if I was just saying that because I didn't like mushrooms, and I told her I wasn't. People with food allergies get that question a lot, so I didn't think anything of it.
This b-tch proceeds to serve me green bean casserole, and long story short I wind up in the ER with my entire body feeling like it's being bitten by bloodthirsty mosquitoes. Needless to say, I moved out, and didn't pay her a dime for rent or utilities. I told her she was lucky I didn't sue her or call the police. Looking back, what she did was tantamount to attempted murder.
Exotic Doesn't Mean Unallergic
[rebelmouse-image 18349317 is_animated_gif=I am allergic to a couple of exotic fruits from my home country and to some cleaning products. There is a housemaid who has worked for many years for my family and I adore her she's pretty much like family now buuuut she never believed that I was allergic to these things.
She thought it was just me being complicated, so more than once she didn't bother to tell me the juice she made had the fruits I was allergic to. Luckily my allergy to those fruits it's rather mild and aside from a red face and a burning sensation on my face nothing happened but still.
What annoyed me the most is that more than once my mom gave her the money to buy specific products that we knew wouldn't give me allergies and she refused to buy them claiming that other products were cheaper and that she was just helping us to save money. At this point she was just being a stubborn! My allergy to cleaning products is heavier than the one to the fruits. I normally sneeze and cough a lot, get red, feel a burning sensation, get itchy and my eyes get extremely blurry but she still thought I was playing. Eventually my mom had to tell her off and she started buying what we told her to buy.
It's Not A Joke
[rebelmouse-image 18349318 is_animated_gif=I'm celiac, so I can't digest gluten. This causes hives, eczema, vomiting, bloating, acne, alternate sh-tting my brains out and painful constipation, and being in a mental fog for up to several weeks after exposure, because basically my small intestine is eating itself and all of my antibodies are attacking everything. Because it's currently trendy to eat a gluten-free diet but the majority of those people don't have a gluten allergy or intolerance, a lot of people don't take it seriously. People think they're doing a favor by lying to me about whether something has gluten in it or not, or saying "just a bite won't hurt!" but it really f-cking will. I can't even count the number of times people have glutened me because they think I'm on a trend diet. It's not a f-cking joke.
Raise Hell
[rebelmouse-image 18349319 is_animated_gif=I'm allergic to limes. Other citrus doesn't bother me- just limes. I'm a bartender and so things suck sometimes but I'm usually okay. My allergy developed after I had started bartending. At first it was just a mild skin allergy but I could still drink it. Then it started getting worse. I'm at a point now where even a small sip of a drink with lime will set off a reaction in my throat. It burns- very badly. And the hives. My god, the hives.
I usually have to remind friends and family when they're trying to make me drinks because it's not a common allergy and I'm almost always okay.
I can't have my favorite drinks anymore when I go out because most places don't have the ability to make me a margarita with lemon instead of lime. (Most pre mix their juices or whatever, maybe they're lazy and just don't want to do it) Fine, it's not a big deal, but I always ask anyways on the off chance that they can.
It's not really just that though- I can't trust people at other restaurants and bars anymore. This one told me she could make a margarita with only lemon- I super stressed I can't have sour mix or anything- it MUST only be lemon. She said it was no problem because they had fresh squeezed juices and it was easy to accommodate me. She f-cking used sweet and sour mix and when I started drinking it, I took a big sip and could tell immediately when it hit my tongue. She had a smug look on her face until I started reacting right there. My boyfriend raised f-cking hell while I was trying to get the reaction to stop.
I should have pressed charges but didn't because I was younger then and felt like her being fired was enough. I still wonder every so often whether or not she learned her f-cking lesson.
Things People Will Never Order At A Restaurant
Reddit user DGex asked: 'Reddit. What will you never order at a restaurant?'
Be it an old familiar, or a new establishment that has been the talk of the town, restaurant diners are always faced with a challenge once they are handed a menu.
Do they stick with what they know, and order the burger and fries or spaghetti and meatballs, which are both difficult to screw up?
Or do they get a little adventurous, and try the restaurant's specialité, even if it's something they've never tried before in their lives?
Generally speaking, it tends to be on a case-by-case basis based on the restaurant they are dining in.
Of course, some people have such an aversion to certain ingredients or dishes, that no matter the location, they will never order it.
"Reddit. What will you never order at a restaurant?"
Not What, But When...
"I'll never order 10 minutes before closing."- bearstrugglethunder
Speaking From Experience
"Ice in my drink."
"After decades in the industry, I've only ever seen one change the ice machine filters and clean the bin regularly."-Anna_Namoose
"I have almost twenty years of experience managing bars and restaurants."
"What do you think I won't get? "
"Stylish or not?"
"Ice."
"In everything."
"I can assure you that I have saw far more appalling ice machines in back of houses than immaculate ones."- Tricky_Routine138
ice waiting GIF by tarninabarnGiphyStay Consistent
"Anything outside of what their core business is."
"Not ordering fish at a steakhouse, a burger at a Mexican restaurant etc."- KinkyPTDoc
Why Pay For What You Can Make Yourself?
"Quesadilla."
"I'm not paying for tortillas and cheese."
"I always have that sh*t at home."- DGex
"Pasta."
"I can make it at home, I'm a decent cook and can make most pasta dishes at home."
'I eat out to have foods I can't make."
'I'm usually disappointed when I do order it."- bensmom2020
"Tuna fish sandwich."- Limp-Persimmon-5729
"A grilled cheese sandwich."
"There's just no way a restaurant can elevate it to make it worth the cost."- manderifffic
Hungry Grilled Cheese GIF by U by Kotex BrandGiphyCasear, Cobb, Waldorf...NOPE!
"Salad."
"It’s so cheap to buy the ingredients and most restaurant salad comes from a bag."
"It’s just dumb in 85% of the cases."- humancalculus
"$17+ salad."- Monowakari
Split It, Maybe?
"Oh, I've got a good one."
"Do not order the lasagna if you visit Brio Tucsan Grille."
"It's not awful, fantastic, or extraordinary; it's just normal."
"But why, you say, would you advise against eating a typical meal?"
"Considering that it contained 5200 calories. calories for two days."
"When I removed empty dishes from the table in front of guests, I would shudder."- KeyPersimmon445
If You Can't See The Sea, Maybe Avoid Seafood...
"In a location not known for its seafood, lobster."
"Where are they going to get lobster, anyway?"- WillingnessInner9666
"Rocky Mountain Oysters."- Rollin_Soul_O
Eight Is A Few Too Many Legs...
"Anything cephalopod."- FarewellMyQueen
Pbs Nature Sea GIF by Nature on PBSGiphyUnless They Pick The Leaves Themselves...
"Tea."
'Compared to how much it costs to make at home, it's stupidly overpriced at restaurants."- Pure_Block_5309
There's nothing wrong with being a picky eater.
That being said, it's always worth trying something new before deciding you don't like it.
Even if no one should blame you for refusing to order sushi at a pizza counter.
"Never dip your pen in the company ink."
An age-old cautionary saying urging people not to get romantically entangled with their coworkers.
Doing so used to be illegal at many companies, whereas now it's grown to become a bit more commonplace, and often results in some cases of wedded bliss and happily ever afters (as demonstrated by The Office's Jim and Pam.)
Of course, when entering a relationship with a coworker, be it a one night stand or a committed, multi-year relationship, there is always the risk that it might not end well, resulting in your being forced to see your ex every day at the office (Bridget Jones anyone?)
"People who slept with a coworker, what happened after?"
Well, That's A Success?
"We became friends and she donated a kidney to me lol."- Headbobby
As If Nothing Had Changed...
"Got married 2 years later."
"'Co-worker' can mean different things and different circumstances, for instance:"
"Our company had 130,000 employees world-wide."
"Our group was housed in a building with 1,000 employees."
"We were not in each other's chain of command."
"It could have been somewhat awkward if it did not work out, but not awful."
"It did work out."
"Later on, saved money by carpooling!"- SyntheticOne
The Office Laughing GIF by NBCGiphyJust Couldn't Fight The Chemistry
"We were both working as actors in a small film, cast as romantic leads."
"She noticed I got tense when we had to kiss... and suggested we go on a date to practice kissing."
"We played mini-golf and practiced kissing."
"Then we continued practicing in her car in the parking lot after the mini-golf place closed until a cop came to investigate."
"Then we got a hotel room and practiced other stuff."
'I guess I'm a slow learner because she's still giving me remedial lessons."- Jake_Science
Nothing Personal, One Hopes..
"She had to fire me."
"Poor performance."- bilvester
Consider Long Term Goals First
"Fun."
"Highly recommend if you have a job."
"Do not recommend if you have a career."- bluegiant85
Renee Zellweger Office GIF by Working TitleGiphyOn To Bigger And Better Things
"Dated discreetly and after four years we got engaged."
"We then both told our supervisors we were leaving in the summer."
"At our last meeting as they were doing their good bye lunch for both of us with about 30 coworkers, they had us say a few words."
"I went first and said I was moving to a new city."
"Then it was my fiancés turn and she said she was also moving to that city, with me, because we’re engaged."
"It was glorious."
"We are happily married for 13 years and have an awesome daughter."
"Life is goooood."- lmc227
Jealous Much?
"I had a supervisor that I really hit it off with and had great chemistry."
"As soon as they found out we were dating, she got fired and immediately found a better job."
"We've been married for almost 13 years now."
"I feel I should clarify a little bit while still keeping the details as vague as possible because quite a few people worked there."
"She was my boss in the sense that if she told me something needed taken care of, I was expected to take care of it."
"She didn't actually have the power to fire me if our relationship went south, but she probably could have gotten me fired if she had been that type of person."
"We worked there for two years before anything remotely physical happened."
"Our lunch breaks lined up."
"After a few conversations, we became friendly and started spending most of that hour shooting the sh*t with each other."
"I was crushing on her hard, but didn't think she'd be interested in dating one of the janitors, so I didn't say anything in an effort not to make things weird at work."
"One day I let it slip to one of the other janitors that I had a crush on her."
"He thought it would be hilarious to immediately go and tell her what I said."
"The next day, she asked me if I had really said that."
"I was really embarrassed but admitted that I had said it."
"She basically told me she was feeling the same way and gave me her number."
"11 months later, we were married."
"There were two guys in upper management that had asked her out and been rejected."
"Their egos obviously took a hit when they found out she chose me."
"She was fired after being blamed for someone else's mistake."
"Then they refused to show the proof that she was the one responsible."
"It was bullsh*t, but it only took her two weeks to find a job that paid a lot more."
"Once they did that to her, I immediately became a terrible employee and openly talked sh*t about everyone in management until they really had no choice but to fire me."- Imahorrible_person
Nothing Lost, Nothing Gained
"We did it a couple of times then both went on with our lives."
"It was just something we both wanted to do temporarily."
"Neither one of us wanted it to be serious or long-term, and so it wasn’t."- Listening_Heads
No Regrets Whatsoever
"We moved in together, got engaged, bought a house and had a baby."
"Don't let a job get in the way of your life."- AllSonicGames
Who'd Have Guessed...
"I slept with my boss back in 93."
"She instigated it."
"She’s sitting beside me."
"30 years later and two adult kids."
"Worked out!"
"I should add we did NOT care for each other at first. It was definitely not a case of 'will they, won’t they' but more of a 'will he quit or won’t he?'"
"Funny how life works."- Uncle_Bug_Music
Proceed With Caution
"Fun while it lasted, but very awkward after."- BrianH-84
Love cannot, and should not be denied, even if it is a coworker.
Anyone looking for a one and done, however, might want to look beyond the walls of your office.
Unless you like constantly being reminded of your past mistakes.
It can take a lot of courage to put yourself out there and let someone know you're interested.
As long as they're not creepy, aggressive, or crazy, it should be flattering, right?
If you're straight and a person of the same gender as you flirts with you, this should be easy to deal with.
In most cases, it took a lot more courage for them to ask than for you to hear.
The following question has been asked to many a straight guy over the years.
Let's see how the times and reactions have progressed.
Redditor FregeanCoder wanted the heteronormative gents out there to share with us, so they asked:
"Straight men, how would you react if a man hit on you?"
I've flirted with many a straight guy, and 99% of the time, it's all gone over well even if they turned me down.
Be Polite
buster keaton GIFGiphy"I've told them thank you but not interested."
twinturboboosted
"Pretty much this for me as well, no need to get scared, but at the same time I did have one super creep, not a comfortable experience."
Empty_Jellyfish_1995
Happy Endings
"My response was, 'I’m flattered, but it’s not my thing.' Guy insisted on buying me that drink anyway as an apology. Thirty years later, we’re still friends. I was best man at his wedding, and now they’re both like brothers to me."
ElectricTurtlez
"Wow, an 'apology' - for flattering you!? Maybe he felt that he made you uncomfortable. Sounds like a generous and humble person."
BoringBob84
"I wish men could do that when women reject them. For some reason, if a woman rejects a straight man he thinks 'being friends' is like a punishment."
Joygernaut
Aww Shucks
"My wife and I were at a gay bar with some friends and one time while alone a young man offered to buy me a drink… it was the most flattering feeling, which I of course told him as I politely declined. He must have been having a rough patch since he was very attractive and had no business hitting on a guy like me. Or maybe it was late and he was drunk."
corona-lime-us
"You could have been his type. Never know."
twinturboboosted
"Haha. Perhaps. I’ll cling to the possibility. I’m just grateful my wife agreed to marry me before I discovered IPA’s and how to smoke meat!!!"
corona-lime-us
Keeping it
"I had a man I thought was hitting on my girlfriend and telling us both multiple times he was into threesomes tell me in a forceful way at the end of the night was gay. I said ah, that's cool man good for you! He walked away looking kind of sad and defeated. It wasn't until the next day that we realized he was hitting on me and we all had a chuckle at my obliviousness."
Gettinrekt1
No Harm
"Well normally at first I’m polite and say no thanks in some way or straight out. If it ends there it’s amusing no harm done. But just like with women if they are overly aggressive after then it’s a lot different. Ashamed of how common that type of stuff is. It has nothing to do with people's sex life. People are capable of all kinds of things. We know this but seem to act like it doesn’t happen."
_Dirty_Deedz_
OHHHHHH!!!!
Seth Meyers Pain GIF by Late Night with Seth MeyersGiphy"Probably the same way as when a woman hits on me - be oblivious to it until weeks later when it suddenly dawns on me."
Eccentric_Fixation
I always hate that A-HA moment.
Like, where was my mind at in the moment.
SEE MEEE!!!
Jim Carrey Flirting GIFGiphy"I'm gay, my oldest friend is straight. Took him to a gay bar once. He got very offended that no one tried to hit on him."
J8766557
Why not?
"I'm a straight, bearded, short but pretty muscular guy living in (very liberal) Berlin. Apparently, that's attractive for a lot of gay men so I'm getting hit on by men pretty regularly, a lot more than by women. I usually just tell them I'm not gay and then it depends on their reaction."
"Keep talking, do more drinking, keep dancing... Why not? I've been on the opposite side after a rejection by a woman and it's nice to just keep having a good time instead of an awkward exit that you'll cringe about 10 years later randomly."
Magnetobama
Back when we danced
"Not sure how it works nowadays with apps like Grindr but in the late 90s/2000s, we had a gay club in our city (no longer exists and there’s not another one unless you drive 30 min to a town over). Anyway, I was the straight friend in a group of gay guys because I loved EDM and I think by association, other gay men thought I was gay."
Always flattered, politely said no and they would turn to the next guy waiting in line for a drink and hit on them. Rinse and repeat. I think what I learned is that men regardless of sexual preference are all horny and will try again and again until they find someone down to clown."
irn
Thanks, Corey
"I was at a house party and he started hitting on me. I kind of panicked and said I was dating one of the girls at the party. Went over to her after and asked her to play along because he was hitting on me and I didn’t want to start a fuss. Ended up hooking up with her later that night and 16 years later were married with 2 kids. At our wedding speech, I thanked him even though he wasn’t there. Corey wherever you are, thanks bud."
reload88
Beautiful Hair
"Happened to me by a coworker. I very politely explained I wasn’t gay but it never changed my opinion of him. He eventually thanked me for dealing with it the way I did and I explained it wasn’t necessary to say thanks. I asked him why me though. He replied, 'You’ve got one hell of a head of beautiful hair!' And he was right."
Particular-Paper-558
Be Fair
Criminal Minds Fist Bump GIF by IONGiphy"I flirt a little but make sure he knows I'm straight and there is no opportunity for us to be anything but friends. Gay dudes are some of the best friends a straight guy can have and I don't give a f**k what anyone thinks about that. Just don't lead them on, it's not fair to them."
somedoofyouwontlike
Well it does sound like we've come a long way.
It's nice to know.
Let's flirt.
Whether we realize it or not, we have certain "tells" that will signal to other people what life is like at home, whether we're hard workers or parents or travelers.
Even single men, despite their age, have certain characteristics that can be spotted from a mile away.
Curious, Redditor hamsterdumpster asked:
"What screams 'single male lives here'?"
Questionable Decor
"Anything but a curtain acting as a curtain."
- Some-Nice-Basil
Minimalist By Nature
"When I first heard the description of a minimalist I was confused because as a single male, I had been living like that for years..."
- jnd_photography
A Glimpse into the Bathroom
"Three empty bottles of head and shoulders still in the shower, prob another bottle half full with tons of excess shampoo dried all around the outside."
"A small pile of leftover Irish spring soap bars maybe we can smash 'em together and make a full bar one day."
- Omnivore_Omri_23
Very Elaborate
"There's just a mattress on the floor in the bedroom."
- gambito705
Bottle Collections
"Empty liquor bottles lined up as decor."
- miranda_alexis
No Place for the Garbage
"There's no trash can in the bathroom."
- Iilsmokey
Key Characteristics
"Empty fridge except for a random beer and leftovers. White plastic chair. Everything black...black couch, black picture frames, black desk. Etc."
- elvishranger
Central TV
"A really big single-seat recliner in front of a massive TV with game consoles under it. Not that there's anything wrong with gaming, but there's a certain level of being committed to staying single when you have just one chair in your loungeroom, lol (laughing out loud)."
- Totallycasual
Shaving Day
"Stubble in the sink."
- Ok_Wave_7358
"And behind the sink faucets."
- Urrrsagrrl
National Pride
"A random flag hanging on the living room wall."
- bucktop
New Standard in Bedding Sets
"Using tee shirts as pillowcases. Lol (laughing out loud)."
- Ok-Mood9454
"Can confirm, have done this. They're about the same size and sometimes I can't (be bothered to) find a pillowcase."
- whyamionfireagain
Stereotypical Decor
"According to 90’s romcom/sitcoms: Lava lamp and a beanbag chair."
- sorentomaxx
"Can confirm: I love lava lamps."
- ithinkoutloudtoo
External Closet
"Speaking from experience. I got tired of having a floordrobe so I got an absolutely giant clothes drying rack where all of my clean clothes go."
- Bribase
"'This pile is clean, that pile is dirty.'"
- GSturges
"'...That pile is dirty but wearable.'"
- wageslave645
The Single Man Starter Pack
"Bare white walls or a s**tty poster on them... A large TV with no furniture other than a futon serving double duty as a bed... Beer everywhere, even on the ceiling."
- Barmacist
Enough Said
"All of the pizza boxes."
- somedream
"I called it the leaning tower of pizza."
- TheMohawkMan
While there's nothing wrong with being single, a guy should be mindful of what he keeps in his home, how he behaves, and even how his clothes appear, if he for some reason doesn't want to disclose to others that he's single or living alone.