The world is a lot bigger than any of us realize. 7 billion people is a lot and, unfortunately, we'll never have the time or opportunity to meet all of them. Fortunately, for us, sometimes we gain an insight into someone's life, a quick glance into their soul.
And sometimes we love what we see so much we share it on the internet.
Reddit user, u/Wide_Stop, wanted to know who we should never forget either when they asked:
Which random stranger do you still remember, and why?
Let's Start Off Strong
Trucker that pooped in a burger king sink 'cause you don't forget something like that.
Your #1 memory is also a #2 memory.
Don't Jack My Fries, Bro
Giphy
I once worked at a tackle shop and one day I ordered a plate of fries for lunch from the restaurant next door.
20 Minutes later and I've just about finished my fries and a customer needs help with one of the rods. I put my plate down on the counter and help the customer. I come back to the counter and there's overweight guy looking to be in his 40s who's just eating my fries. I give him this look as if to say, "bro, Wtf". And he dead-ss looks me in the eyes after eating the last fry and says, "could use a little salt".
That's Some Real Confidence, Right There
Random guy on the buss eating a cucumber out of a bag.
His presence was too powerfull
A Kiss To Start It All Over Again
NYE 2017, I'm in a bar and the countdown to 2018 begins. I'm with a group of my friends and the countdown just ended as everyone screams "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" . I lock eyes with this handsome stranger, and both lean towards each other and kiss. That's it. Never got his number, never saw him again. Just a spontaneous kiss with a handsome stranger.
Helping To Shut You Up
Just a little backstory Several years ago my and my buddy got stranded in California because one of the cars we group road tripped with ditched us to go up to washing. Mind you were from Colorado. Completely broke our buddies mom bought us train tickets back back home. It's was a 3 day train ride five or take at grilling pace of like max 30 miles an hour. We had no money for food and by the 3rd day we were at each others throats out of hunger.
The guy in from of us must have heard us complaining and bought us a little 6 inch sub sandwich to share. Probably to shut us up lol I'll never forget him. Also on that same train ride we asked to bum a smoke from a stranger at a rest stop and when we got back on the train he tossed us a whole pack of cigarettes. He was going all the way to to Tennessee I'll never forget him either. The train ride sucked but on a lighter not people were really nice and seeing the country on a train is a memory I'll never forget.
Random Kindness On A Ferris Wheel
I was 7 and was on vacation with my family. There was a carnival going on at that time with a giant wheel present there. I'd never been on one so decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I seemed pretty confident, but as soon as I took my seat, for some reason I was absolutely terrified. A couple of strangers sat next to me as there was still space to accommodate them.
Once the ride began, I began shivering nervously, and couldn't get myself to look out through the cabin I was in. Then I felt a comforting hand over my shoulders. I looked around and it was a girl probably 10 years older than me at the time. She noticed me vigorously trembling in fear, and started having a casual conversation taking my mind away from it all. As the speed started increasing every round, she held me hand tightly and in no time, the ride was complete. I didn't even get to know her name. That was the last time I saw her. I don't even remember her face now. But I'll never forget that moment.
Maybe You Didn't KNOW You Were Sad?
Homeless dude walking off the bus had his pants sagging down so much you could see his tighty whiteys. I was on the way home from the cinema with my gf. He takes a look down at me, hits my knee with a plastic spoon to get my attention, and says 'cheer up'. The funny thing is I was doing fine.
Rednecks With The Save
I was crossing the crowsnest pass in the Rockies, doing yet another crazy move with my mom. We were driving in an old station wagon loaded with our sh-t, and I was a kid (maybe 13). The car overheated trying to go up the hill and we pulled over, billowing steam. My mom was trying to flag down traffic but nobody was stopping for about 20 minutes. Then a beat up old ford came up the hill and pulled over and two redneck-looking dudes hopped out. A guy with no front teeth popped our hot radiator with a screwdriver (he dodged the cloud of steam) and then they refilled the tank and also clamped a hose back on. He kept calling his truck 'flyjuice' and said he'd stay just ahead of us and watch that we made it over the pass. Both of them sounded like American hillbillies that had gotten lost too far north (this was in bc, Canada).
I still remember those rednecks saving us. They didn't ask for sh-t, either, and they left after we made it over the pass.
The Happiest Place On Earth...?
A mom at Disney World angrily yelling at her son to "Just shut up and have fun!!" after he said he was getting kinda tired.
[The] kid was like 6
Yeah.
I'm on a cruise. I'm washing my hands in a bathroom and this large Andy Reid-lookin' dude with a thick Pittsburgh accent comes out of the stall and says to me, "If you put your left hand and right hand under two different soap dispensers, you get double the soap!"
And I'm like, "Yeah."
Random Acts Of Kindness
I was playing laser tag one time and I accidentally tripped and twisted my ankle. It hurt so bad that I struggled to get up. A guy who was playing laser tag with me saw me and asked if I was ok. I told him what happened and he helped me up and out of the laser tag arena and into the main lobby. He even told an employee what happened and the employee got me an ice pack for my ankle. I still remember that stranger because it was such a nice thing he did for me.
But...How...Distance?
Random hungover/drunk Scotsman approached me and my mother one day and asked
"Excuse me, where can I find a phone charger? I went out in Glasgow last night and woke up in Sheffield"
To which my mother replied "this is Lincoln"
He looked a little worried, then walked off saying "aye, it's been a long day"
It was 10am, he was 270 miles from home, and over 50 miles from where he woke up. I will forever remember this hero.
...The Happiest Place On Earth.
Oh god this reminds me of another horrible person in Disney.
So we were on the Carousel of progress. It's a ride that's more like a show, and the whole audience seating area rotates. You aren't supposed to stand during the show because it moves.
There was a baby in the front row. Had to be about a year old, with a light up toy (the ones that spin). Well this little boy was playing with the toy the ENTIRE show. It was a little annoying, but I saw the mom had attempted to take the toy away earlier and the child started crying. And since she couldn't take the child out because of the moving floor, she decided the toy was the least distracting for everyone else. Personally, I'd rather have a little light than a baby crying in a show. It wasn't that bad. Whatever. It's a baby in Disney world.
Well, this adult man behind me stands up halfway through the show, and screams at this baby and mom. "SHUT THE F-CKING TOY OFF." In a room. Full of small children. On a ride. In Walt Disney World.
I feel bad for that dude's children.
R.A.K. (Random Acts of Kindness)
Background: I've struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. My hormones worked crazy fast at growing me up. In the 7th grade, I could almost pass for a 17 year old. I was tall and I had filled out early. I was relentlessly teased, ridiculed, and bullied about being fat (which I was actually not). At any rate, I started to eat my feelings (self-fulfilling prophecies much?) and did start gaining weight. Before I had my weight loss surgery, I weighed 365 lbs. I also suffer heavily from Body Dysmorphia and BPD. I have never thought of myself as pretty or beautiful.
Story: A short time after my son was born, I went shopping with my ex husband (we were still married at the time) to buy some clothes at Lane Bryant. I was probably around 300 lbs at this time. I just remember looking at a top, and the voice of a woman caught my attention. She said, "Excuse me, sir." She was in a motorized scooter, so my husband made to move himself and our stroller out of the way, thinking he was blocking her path and even apologized for being in her way. I turned to witness the exchange, and this caricature of a wild-haired older woman wearing red-rimmed glasses was reaching up to touch my husband's elbow. She smiled up at him and said, "I just want you to know that your wife is absolutely beautiful. You're very lucky!" She turned and leveled a smile at me and I walked over to stoop and give her a hug to thank her. We exchanged pleasantries and she turned and went about her day after wishing us a nice day.
That woman, for no reason whatsoever, felt the need to point out something I was more or less ignorant of. And she didn't say it to me, she told my husband. I dunno, it just always really stuck with me.
Stepping In For The Save
A customer at work a few years ago! I was 19 and it was around 11pm on a close shift when I cut myself very badly on a deli slicer. A lady walked up to buy something and there I was freaking out and bleeding everywhere... Turns out she was a nurse, and she dropped everything to come behind the counter to patch me up. She was so lovely, not only did she help me, but she also made a point to the company that there should be a qualified first aider on at all times. Thanks to her they did just that!
A Peak Into The Soul's Window
I was 36 hours away from leaving a very toxic relationship forever, and I was picking up a few items at the local convenience store near my house.
A woman whom I've *never* seen before in my life walked in, looked at me, and it was like she stared into my soul. English was her second language, and she was visibly intoxicated.
She walks up to me and gets pretty close to my face, then asked me, "Are you okay?" I said yes, and went about my business. She gently grabbed my wrist and looked into my eyes a second time, and suddenly appeared quite sober. She said, "I'm serious. I see you. You're not okay. You must go. You know this."
I played it off and thanked her for her concern, and let her know that everything was fine. She kept trying to give me her phone number, but the shopkeeper waved her off. I found out later that night that she's a domestic violence advocate/lawyer.
How she "knew" ... I'll never know. What made this even more complex and weird is that my soon-to-be-ex was standing within earshot, and I had to be very careful/play stupid in case he figured out that I really was planning to leave. Thankfully, he was talking with someone else and didn't overhear what she said.
We just played her off as a drunk/crazy woman, but that wasn't the case at all.
I was on a plane and out of the country the next morning.
Singing For The World's Enjoyment
I used to work a 24 x 7 Network Operations Center. I had a midnight-noon shift. It was 5am, and I was in a toilet stall in our building, and there was a guy humming to himself in his stall. Imagine a deep, booming, baritone voice echoing everywhere because there were a lot of stalls.
"Durrr der dum... da dum... da duh dum da...."
But every once in a while, he'd have to strain.
"Durr dum deh deh de-HNNNGGGGGRRRRRrum... dum dah dee, doo dum..."
And sometimes, he's sigh contentedly after a strain, like an impromptu jazz moment.
"Durr dum doo de-HNNNGGGGGRRRRR-- aaahhhhh... ... dum dah dee, doo dum..."
It's been like, 21 years, and I never forgot that moment.
And Now, We All Can Use It Too
Giphy
The old man using the urinal next to mine in a Denny's bathroom and said to me, "Ahhhhh. It makes the bladder gladder."
My SO and I still use that phrase to this day.
The excuses people use to dismiss behavior range from mundane and meaningless to the sort of leaps normally reserved for kangaroos and Olympians. It's sometimes amazing that these excuses work - but they do.
Some of them work so well that they're just sort of "accepted." That, obviously, kind of sucks and is something we should avoid - so let's talk about 'em.
Can't swerve around what you don't see, ya know?
Reddit user TMTtasmachine asked:
What's the biggest excuse used for a-hole behavior that shouldn't be accepted as much as it is?
... and away we go.
Jerk Privileges
" 'That's just how they are.' "
"One of the biggest enablers for tantrum throwing, bullying, etc. is that they get treated with kid gloves to avoid dealing with them." - alexrt87
"Oh my God you hit the nail on the head. Whenever someone says 'that's just the way they are' I say:"
" 'Yes, that's the point! Glad you noticed too! Now is it okey-doke for them to be jerks they have special jerk privileges? Or maybe they are just people and should treat everyone else as such?' " - notatrumpchump
"It depends on how it's said."
"People are the way that they are, and you shouldn't be surprised when they continue to be that way."
"This, obviously, doesn't excuse it - but people also shouldn't be surprised when a bad person continues to make bad decisions. Neither should we waste space in our minds being bothered by it." - unlawfulfoxy
Harassment Isn't Humor
season 2 lol GIF by ShamelessGiphy" 'It's just a joke, bro.' Harassing people isn't humor." - loading__99
"Schrödinger's Douchebag"
"A guy who says/does offensive things and decides whether he was joking based on the reaction of people around him." - Eatsleeptren
"Dude, legit had someone come up to me and start shouting in my face, calling me Madison, pretending I was cheating on him. Literally the most crowded location outside a theater, everyone staring at us, looking at me like I was some horrible cheater while I was out with my then fiancé."
"I started hyperventilating, my fiancé nearly decked the dude, and then someone shouts 'CUT' like this is some big 'YOU'RE ON CANDID CAMERA' moment and everything's supposed to be okay."
"I burst into tears."
"It was the most humiliating moment of my life, and thank god my then fiancé, now husband is not the type to overreact or jump to conclusions, or be abusive. Imagine how bad that could have been for someone with an angry or abusive partner."
"Prank videos are a plague on the internet and there is a REASON so many of them are fake, or involve actors." - Darkovika
Stay Sober, Then!
Drunk Drinking Beer GIFGiphy" 'I was drunk / high / etc.' "
"Then don't drink?! Stay sober if you can't NOT be an a**hole!" - BasedBenjamin
"Alternately, I hear a lot of 'I'm a happy drunk!' "
"Yeah, according to your drunk a$s. That doesn't mean you're not an ahole. Not remembering is not an excuse either." - PepeBabinski
"I was that guy. I swore I was a 'happy drunk' - and I was. It was everyone ELSE who was miserable while I was happy."
"I was also loud, obnoxious, and I wouldn't remember sh*t the next day."
"Quitting drinking has been one of my best choices of my life." - TTungsteNN
"Help"
new girl coach GIFGiphy" 'I'm just trying to help you' " - Miserable-Air1234
"Every time I've heard this, they're manipulating me while helping only themselves." - mykittenfarts
"My Mom to a T. Everything she does is better than anyone else's and she always gets pissed that people don't praise her for 'helping.' "
"She's now a certified (by herself) psychic and I have come to the conclusion that she's not a covert narcissist but an obvious one. I really wish I was joking." - Silent_Discussion657
Parenting Problems
Leave Me Alone Run GIF by TLC EuropeGiphy"Any variation of 'I'm a Mother/parent.' "
"Had some lady cut me in line at a coffee shop and she hit me with 'I'm a single Mom of 3!' as her excuse."
"Ok? And? I was still here first." - maid-for-hire
"I'm a single mom and I f*cking haaaate when other single moms/parents pull that sh*t to get special treatment."
"Last week, I was having a rough morning, my kid was being difficult, and I was running late. I was rude to a cashier over a minor inconvenience."
"Not only did I apologize for my shitty behavior, I wrote corporate to let them know how professional and patient she was while I acted like a f*cking toddler."
"Was being a parent part of the reason I was frustrated? Absolutely. Was it an excuse for that behavior? HELL no."
"I acted like a b*tch, and I called myself out, and I apologized. I still feel bad about that - I rarely let things get to me to the point I snap at others." - ClusterfckyShtshow
"Wow. I'm a Mom as well and tired but it doesn't give anyone a right to use it as some sort of ploy to get away with stuff."
"Like, mice become Moms about 12 times a year. You're not special 🤣" - SpoonLoops
Believing Your Boss
The Office Monday GIF by 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentGiphy"I had a boss say some really racist sh*t around me one day and the next day, out of nowhere, he says:"
" 'Don't believe half the things that come out of my mouth!' "
"It was not really an excuse, more like trying to cover for himself after the fact, but still stuck with me." - sirlongbottom441
"Report them to HR. Seriously." - kokichi--ouma
"Looking past the racist stuff for a bit, that's not a very encouraging thing to hear from a boss…" - WonderfulBlackberry9
Bad Day Again
Bad Day Reaction GIF by Schitt's CreekGiphy" 'I'm having a bad day/week' "
"Okay, so you decide everybody that you interact with deserves the same fate? Get out of here, dude." - myordinaryexistence
"We all got stress, don't take it out on me. I get some people have stress bad enough for it to be passable every once and a while (family member passing, etc) but general, stress should not lead to you being a jerk to me." - willsimpforfree
"Damn, I'm definitely guilty of this. Usually I remember to apologize after but at this point I've learned to just avoid the situation in the first place by minimizing my interaction with people if I'm in a shitty mood." - nozzzrul
"Reminds me of when that White boy went on a murder rampage and killed a bunch of Asian women & that a-hole sheriff gave a press conference telling the media that the 'poor boy had a bad day.' "
"My idea of a bad day involves going home after a rough day at work and just staying in the house."
"Apparently, I should change my ethnicity from Asian to White and go on a murder rampage, see if my @ss gets a sympathetic sheriff to say on my behalf that I had 'a bad day.' " - kingkazul400
It's Not An Excuse
Season 2 Reaction GIF by FriendsGiphy"This won't go down well, but using depression as an excuse. As someone who suffers from it, it's still not ok to treat others like sh*t" - Rainbowwallstickers
"Could not agree enough. My partner has a 'friend' who treats everyone like sh*t all the time, has no consideration for others and openly mocks people in public."
"She gets so much grace from those around her under the guise of her 'mental health.' It's so infuriating watching an adult woman never have to take responsibility for her actions." - 34boor
"I get there are some things you can't control, but you are still responsible for keeping that sh*t in check and if you're aware of your mental illness, you should be aware of how you approach people and situations."
"I'll admit I used to be guilty of using my mental illness to be an @ss, but now I'm trying to better myself" - VeeSquibbles
Florida Gonna Florida
Looney Tunes Florida GIFGiphy"People are letting Florida off the hook way too damn much. And I live in Florida."
"Just because it's hilarious doesn't mean it isn't still completely f*cked up." - AlphaWhiskeyOscar
"The phrase 'Florida Man' is almost always followed some heinous way a Floridian is being an a$$hole." - PepeBabinski
"I'm also originally from Florida, and that state has serious problems. We need to pay attention to it." - [Reddit]
Moment of honesty ... as a Floridian ... yeaaaah, I'm gonna have to agree with that last one.