
People Reveal The Most Terrifying Ordinary Thing They Could See On The Street
[rebelmouse-image 18355252 is_animated_gif=Context is everything. Something completely normal in one place could seem absolutely horrifying in another. Think about it, a surgeon in a full gown and mask would be comforting in a surgical suite, but that same guy standing in the middle of a corn field behind your house is suddenly a reason to call the cops and a series of priests. One reddit user asked:
What normal thing would be terrifying if you saw it on the streets at 3 in the morning?
They kicked off a thread full of past experiences and make-you-think responses... also a thread full of people who are rightfully terrified of creepy children.
Car Smoking
[rebelmouse-image 18355254 is_animated_gif=A car parked with the lights OFF but someone is still inside is creepy as hell. Can you see the intermittent glow of a cigarette as the person watches? Do you hear something and look away and when you look back they are gone without making a sound? Are they just laying down in the seat or are they already out of the car moving silently in the dark, creeping like a shadow in the night until they are right behind you?
It feels like a horror film when it's probably just my damn neighborhood teens smoking weed again.
Outside it's like:
**"Who the f^ck is this stalker on my block at 3AM?" **
And inside its like:
"Hey, pass that blunt."
The Old Man
[rebelmouse-image 18355255 is_animated_gif=The scariest thing I saw walking around at night was an old man in a wheelchair, at probably one in the morning, only visible by the streetlight directly above him. My older sister and I booked it home. Looking back on it I hope he was alright, but for a 13 year old it was a scene right out of a horror movie.
Two For One
[rebelmouse-image 18355256 is_animated_gif=I'll give you two, of two very different flavors:
- A car with its headlights off, in your lane, speeding right at you. This happened to me in the quiet and dark hours following the 4th of July revelries back in 2009. I was taking my friend home and this presumably-drunk driver came inches away from taking out all three of us; only my snap reaction speed saved us, as I slammed the brakes and swerved around to the left (into an oncoming lane, mind you, but the streets were otherwise entirely empty). Absolutely fing terrifying though and producer of a truly unique litany of unhinged swearing.
- A clown, poofy afro, barefoot, standing at the crosswalk pushing an empty shopping cart, lit only from above by the dim-orange streetlight. It was notime close to Halloween. I had a different friend with me and we nearly pissed ourselves turning that corner. Fer didn't even watch us go by; I sped down the road and kept an eye in my rear-view mirror; he never moved.
Lemonade Stand
[rebelmouse-image 18355257 is_animated_gif=A child selling lemonade at a Lemonade stand
Car Wash
[rebelmouse-image 18355258 is_animated_gif=Someone washing their car. Whose blood are you washing off? What did you hit?
The Wolf Bear Tricycle Thing
[rebelmouse-image 18355260 is_animated_gif=There was a large open park behind my old apartment with a realistic, life-size sculpture of a dog riding a tricycle. Pretty amusing to look at during the day. My roommate and I once went out there around 1am to smoke, so we may have been a little more paranoid than usual. It was also super foggy out.
I almost s* myself when I saw what appeared to be a creature somewhere between a wolf and a bear, on its hind legs, somewhat obscured by the fog but illuminated by a streetlight directly above it. I froze and turned to my roommate, who audibly gasped when he saw it.
It took us a solid 15-20 seconds to realize it was the f_*_ing statue of the dog on the tricycle. We'd both seen it plenty of times during the day, but something about the fog and the lighting made it look like something completely different.
"This F^cking Dog"
[rebelmouse-image 18355261 is_animated_gif=I wake up everyday at 3:30 and walk my mom to her car because our driveway is full so sometimes she has to park at the end of the block. We don't live in the best part of Los Angeles; a couple months ago there was a guy running around hitting people with a hammer. A few years ago, gangs were doing this "100 days of killing" - so when I see a car coming up the block my heart just drops and start thinking this is it...
But the scariest thing that's happened was when me and this f_*_ing dog bumped into each other and we both took off running the opposite way.
The Horn
[rebelmouse-image 18355262 is_animated_gif=Parked Cars.
One time as a young teenager I was sneaking out to meet up with some friends, probably 20 minute or so walk away for me. I was never really scared of doing this. It's probably 2am or so, I get to the bottom of my street where there's a car parked on the side of the road.
This wasn't abnormal in fact there were many cars parked on the road instead of in driveways. The car was off, no lights, whatever. Then.. as soon as I had past the car and was turned away from it.. it layed on the horn. I quickly turned around and as soon as I did the horn stopped. I couldn't see anybody in the car but I have bad eyes, was getting further away and it was dark af. The second I turn my head back around to continue waking it lays on the horn again, steady until I turn around again to look, at which point it again abruptly stops..
Now I'm fucking SCARED lol, I turn around and start fing booking it and they just lay on the horn for a good 15-20 seconds straight. I ran allll the way to my friends house. I know it was just someone fing with me, this would have never scared me if it hadn't been the middle of the night with no one else around.
Clowns
[rebelmouse-image 18355263 is_animated_gif=A clown.
We had a goddamn clown scare in my state a few years ago. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry thought it would be a f_*_ing good idea to dress up as clowns and follow people in the middle of the night. One night, there was one standing on my property at the tree line at 1am. I backed out of my driveway, parked on the street by the front entrance. Made sure all my house's doors were locked without turning on any of the lights because you can see into my ground level windows from outside, and then booked it all the way upstairs. That night I was thankful for my bedroom being on the third floor.
The store I worked at ran out of pepper spray because these as$holes thought they were funny. A lot of women were followed around college campuses, apparently.
Soccer
[rebelmouse-image 18355264 is_animated_gif=Kids are always playing football (soccer) around my block, and obvously, when the ball get stuck under a parked car, 2 or 3 kids try to crawl under to get the ball back.
If I'm walking outside at 3am and see a bunch of kids crawling under a car, I'm getting the f* away.
The "Men In Black" Reference
[rebelmouse-image 18355265 is_animated_gif=A 10 year old girl carrying quantum physics books, in the ghetto, surrounded by aliens....
"Innocent" Gardening
[rebelmouse-image 18355266 is_animated_gif=I used to go for 2~6am brainstorming walks through my old quiet suburban neighborhood and one of my neighbors a street over had a life-sized statue of someone gardening. The first time I saw the silhouette of a person apparently gardening at 3:45 am I did have a weird primal fear response to it.
Living Statue
[rebelmouse-image 18355267 is_animated_gif=A 'living statue', basically someone who paints themselves completely silver or something similar and busks in busy public places.
Union Rat
[rebelmouse-image 18355268 is_animated_gif=The inflatable union rat that they bring out for protests. Funny during the day, freak you the hell out at night.
Unwholesome
[rebelmouse-image 18355269 is_animated_gif=A child flying a kite, there's something about flying a kite at night that's so unwholesome. But if you put some glow sticks on it you can mess with people for miles around...
Wrong With Reality
[rebelmouse-image 18355270 is_animated_gif=The sun reflected in a car's chrome. Or... just one item or building, that looks like it's illuminated in the middle of day. That would be so weird. The implication that something has gone wrong with reality. It's more of a surreal horror than a direct one.
Coconut Guy
[rebelmouse-image 18355271 is_animated_gif=The guy who sells coconuts at the end of my block. He's always got a machete on him.
Spongebob Menacingpants
[rebelmouse-image 18355272 is_animated_gif=A sponge standing menacingly under a street light.
One Child
[rebelmouse-image 18355273 is_animated_gif=One little child on a swing
Alone
I have seen enough horror movies to s* my pants if I saw that.
Procession
[rebelmouse-image 18355274 is_animated_gif=A funeral procession:
Imagine it moving along the streets with vehicle lights turned off on its way to the pitch-dark cemetery at 3 a.m.
H/T: Reddit
It's always interesting what ages well and what doesn't.
And, for that matter, how quickly something ages.
How often do we find ourselves sitting down to watch a film or TV show from only ten years ago to see how poorly it holds up?
Or, for that matter, how ten years ago we thought something would be the next big craze or trend, and instead see it become obsolete with each passing year.
Redditor jerydajery was curious to hear what things people were attracted or fascinated by a decade ago, but have little to no interest in today, leading them to ask:
"What was attractive 10 years ago but now isn't anymore?"
Blogging
"Honestly, I miss the blogging culture."
'Articles written with honesty and passion, mostly to connect with real-life friends first and online audiences second."
"Only the biggest bloggers could make a living off blogging."
"They were the original influencers."
"Easy to avoid though because there were just a handful of them, unlike the influencer culture of today."
"The one thing I love about blogging culture were the honest reviews."
'No advertisers to please, just regular folks writing their opinions on something they’ve used long term."
"Back then Google even had a specific search engine exclusively for blogs."
"Blogs were proper article length."
"Then Twitter came out and no one has the attention span anymore."
"That was the beginning of blogging downfall."
"What a shame."- Aemilia
Will probably skip the reunion...
"My classmates."
"Swear, every one of them is on crack now."- DOEsquire
Won't be much use anymore...
"Mayan calenders."- ThreeEdgeSword
Who.Knew.
"2020 definitely sounded attractive 10 years ago."
Did people actually do this?
"Having a moustache tattooed on the side of your finger."- garynzilla
Did anyone rock this look though?
"Girls rocking that Han Solo look."- CregDerpington
Everyone's getting so tense...
"I remember everyone going nuts about thigh gaps."- baeraerm·
People must have wanted to lighten the mood...
"Black granite countertops, apparently."- genteelbartender
Not so "hip" any more...
"Hipster culture made a 180."
"Now that's just a bad stereotype of a millennial."- steamedpasta
The world becomes a different place with each passing year.
One can only imagine things we can't get enough of today which we won't be able to bear the sight of in ten years.
Though, it's safe to assume one thing we wouldn't mind seeing less of are medical masks and mobile testing sights...
People Describe The Real Reason They Cut Ties With Their Best Friend
Friendships are one the most important and intimate connections young people make. Friends are the people you are close to, who you grow up with, and who are always there for you when you need them.
A majority of people have best friends. That's the one friend who you trust and love above everyone else. The one who has proven he'll always be there for you and the one you're ready to drop everything for.
However, not all friendships are meant to last. Sometimes, one or both of you will change. Other times, you'll just drift apart. And sometimes, the friendship will end because of malicious actions. Redditors seem to have a lot of those stories!
Curious about what broke apart once strong friendships, Redditor gli-tc-h asked:
"People of reddit what ended your friendship with your best friend?"
Work And Friendships Do Not Mix
"I gave one of my best friends a job at my convinince store when he was down on his luck. He worked in his dad's shop previously for like 6.50 an hour and his dad was toxic so he quit and came to work for me till je got a better job. The inferiority complex kicked in and he started talking down to me and talking about how I was spoiled and a daddy's boy "my dad gave me the shop.""
"I paid him the best money he ever made and he would routinely go off on me for perceived managerial issues or start stupid arguments with customers like not selling kids toy guns because they would be at risk and not selling cigarettes or beer to pregnant women, which I understand is a personal choice but as a business I can't just refuse to sell people sh*t their allowed to buy legally. Covid hit and he became a huge antimasker and I finally fired him after a huge blowout about me trying to establish a mask policy. He's a marine now and got married to a girl he knew for two weeks. We still talk but I've never trusted him since. It sucks because I think he was just like me but from a worse situation. If I was in his shoes maybe I would be way worse."
– joyesthebig
Uneven Investment
"I got tired of always being the one to put forth any effort. Fly across the world to meet up, attend family gatherings, reach out, be patient, make sacrifice. It was good times when we were together. So it was worth it for a while but when she moved close and still never bothered to make an effort, I was over it. Wish her nothing but the best."
– SpoonfulofYou
Not A Real Friend
"When I realized he was a bully. I just wanted his friendship and attention, and then I realized he was using me for kicks."
"I put up with his bullsh*t because I wanted to be liked."
– bananajr6000
Neither A Borrower Nor A Lender Be
"After 14 years of friendship we get an apartment and suddenly he loses his job as a personal trainer because of a dress code violation (he wore a hoodie to work, allegedly) and then 2-3 months of him not working. Then after he agreed to pay me back eventually, all he ever gave me was $400 from his mom (I paid over 14,000 for the year). So I paid the full year lease and he stayed 8 months total. I never talked to him again also because I found a receipt where he was trying to make a copy of my car keys make and model. F*CK THAT GUY"
– autumnsromeo
Flirting With Disaster
"Every single time that I would tell her I was interested in/talking to a guy, she would try to get with him. She was never successful but it hurt that she kept trying. I confronted her about this in a very nice and civil way and explained to her how I felt about this. She apologized profusely and promised it would never happened again. And then it happened again. I just immediately cut her off after that, no explanation or words needed. She knows what she did. Haven't spoken a word to her since"
– WhiskeyMeAway-
Just Didn't Mesh Well
"Took an international vacation where we realized we hated damn near everything each other did the whole time. Realized year of seeing each other 1-2 times a month made us hardly know each other."
– McJumpington
Me, Myself, & I
"Just made a post about this but she uses me as a therapist but when I try to vent to her, she gives me a few cliche words of support before turning the conversation back to her. It's gotten to the point where we don't talk unless she has a bad day and needs someone to talk to. She'll take days or even a week to respond to a funny meme but then immediately start dumping on me about things going on on her life. I'll invite her out to have fun and within a few hours, I'm being her life coach."
"Also, we just started to grow apart. She's turned into her parents and her parents are the typical snobby surban people that are extremely judgemental."
– Pear_Jam2
Completely Tacky
"She didn't invite me to her birthday party. It was my first time back from college and I would have been able to go. She made a whole Facebook event page and invited everybody but me. I found out through mutual friends, the kicker was no one showed up and she called me crying that this other girl didn't show up."
– ubettawuurrrk69
"A friend did something similar when he didn't invite me to his wedding. He called me years later apologizing when he needed to vent about his marriage."
– tamagotchi____
A Passive Lady Macbeth
"My husband at the time had to step away from his job because he was dealing with pretty severe mental health issues. We had a young child and I was a stay-at-home mom and it was really devastating not only financially, but socially as a lot of our social life revolved around his job and work friends."
"I was really good friends with a coworker’s wife. The coworker moved into my husband’s (higher up) position when my husband had to resign. We had to sell our home since we couldn’t make the mortgage payment anymore. The friend came to help me pack, and while doing so told me that they always knew this would happen because the Lord had revealed it to the husband in a dream several years earlier. They had basically been waiting around for my husband to “fail” so that coworker could “succeed” and fulfill the Lord’s prophesy."
"Yeah no. Said goodbye to her, moved out of state, and never looked back. I won’t tolerate people using religion to be dicks."
– LittleWhiteBoots
Priorities
"I’m a leap year baby, I try to make a big deal of my bday since it only comes every four years. My 24th, I booked a beach house to spend it with my family, my other best friend and her. Told her two months in advanced. Paid for everything and family took care of the food, so all she had to do was show up. The day comes and she said she couldn’t come cause she couldn’t get off work early enough (we were there on a Thursday-Sunday) so I thought she’d at least make an effort to come on the weekends. She never came. Then a week later, she tweets that she’s compulsively took time off work to watch F1. Felt like she couldn’t even make time for me but can make time to watch cars racing."
– kkhhaayyccee
It's never easy or fun to lose a friendship, but it is sometimes part of life.
Sometimes, it's something that will always haunt you, but you can learn from that. And other times, it's just a way of expelling toxicity from your life, and you can find better friends who will enrich your life.
One's teenage years are almost guaranteed to come with ups and downs.
With adulthood fast approaching, many spend those years enjoying their vanishing youth and living life to the fullest.
All the while undergoing significant physical and emotional change.
So, it's natural that everyone looks back on several fond memories of being a teenager, along with things we try to forget, or wish we handled differently.
As a result, we can't help but wish we could go back and give advice to our younger selves.
Redditor alexjuby211 was curious to hear what people believed to be the best advice offered to any teenagers today, leading them to ask:
"What are some great tips for teenagers?"
Don't underestimate a sparkling smile.
"Brush your teeth."
"They may seem fine for a while but It'll catch up to you fast."- DonttouchmethereUwU
Just be yourself!
"The coolest thing you can do is stop trying to be cool."- fortwenie
You have a lot to look forward to.
"Remember that 'right now' is not forever."
"The teenage years are just one small chapter in the book of your life!"- lovealert911
Ramen will get old very quickly...
"Learn to cook."- Catscratchingcats
Put Yourself First
"Invest in you."
"Not someone else."
"I should clarify."
'I’m not talking about money."
"I’m talking about investing time and energy into yourself."
"Learn and understand yourself."
"Love yourself."
"This is so important for teenagers."
"I’ve been there."
"I know it’s difficult growing up and I can’t imagine how much more difficult it is in the age of social media."
"Your own mental, emotional, and physical health should be at the top of your priority list."- PBandJellyJesus
Keep your friends close
"Figure out who your good friends are and try to keep in contact."- radpandaparty
Don't enable bullies.
"Stand up to bullies."
"Even if you’re not the one being picked on."
"I regret not doing more for kids that really struggled in school."
'Reading Reddit posts made me realize how terrible school can be when you’re alone or bullied.'- knovit
Be open, but selective.
"Say no to peer pressure but say yes to more experiences."- Becauseitstuesday
Take it in stride
"Don't be afraid of rejection."
"Take it in stride and keep on trying."
"Don't be like me and intentionally emotionally cripple yourself for life."- Picard2331
All teenagers are bound to make some mistakes that they will regret five or so years later.
Which might even include not listening to their elders.
Any other tips to share? Let us know in the comments below?
Marriages fail for many reasons.
The truth is that many of them are avoidable reasons.
I always wonder what is at the crux of the dissolution of a love story.
Or maybe it's all like Buffy and Angel.
One partner will never have access to a full soul.
Whitney was right... "I'd rather be alone than unhappy!"
Redditor Kztten wanted to hear the confessions of divorced couples about why they split.
"Divorced people of Reddit, what ruined your marriage?"
I've never been married. And after what I'm about to read, who knows if I'll ever want to be.
I Saw the Signs
"I truly believe a midlife crisis... not the kind that buying a convertible would fix it. I saw weird little signs for about a year and then wham! He wants out! Not only does he want out, but he also doesn't even communicate with our 2, now adult, children. The whole thing was bizarre and still is all these years later."
00tamtam00
No big blow up...
"My ex and I just came to the realization that we were completely incompatible. No big blow-up. No cheating. Just a long conversation, a few tears and an agreement to separate for three months to see what comes of it. By the end of three months, we knew we wouldn’t be getting back together and we put the house on the market and started to make plans for a future apart but as co-parents."
"These days the kids are grown but him, his wife and I get along very well. She was an amazing other mother to my girls and I appreciate everything she did for them when they were at their home. I think the three of us made a great parenting team."
OldTiredAnnoyed
Valid Concerns
"That guy I was told not to worry about. Turns out I was right to worry."
DavosLostFingers
"Yea, I had that experience too. When he confronted me he made this weird face that seemed to say, 'How DARE you suggest that?' But it was all there- they walked home together, always went to lunch together, went mountain rock climbing together."
"I was never invited along, even tho I worked 10 mins away and could have met them, etc. She used to come to ours all the time for dinner parties but was with someone so thought nothing of it, just another couple. This was a long time ago and I've remarried since then but I'm still a bit uneasy doing things with other couples."
banvillesghost
It is what it is...
"It's currently in the process of ending. My wife of 11 years and partner of 16 had an affair with our 9 year old daughters best friend's Dad. I tried very hard to make it work, but she is done with me and it's time to focus on my kiddos and care for myself."
M1OREGON
"You already seem to have a healthy attitude in trying to focus your energy on yourself and your kids rather than wasting it on the other person anymore. Best of luck!"
Fessir
I thought love was forever. How silly was I?
Friends
"About ten years ago, I got sick and eventually had to leave work. And then I got really sick and couldn't go back. My ex wife had to take on a caretaker role and I became a dependent. I'm much better now, but I was sick for so long that our relationship couldn't change back to a partnership."
"We were working on it, and then the pandemic happened. We were locked down for a few months and neither of us had our usual escapes. We decided to separate on our own terms while we were still friends. We now have a very supportive friendship, but our marriage is done."
Sparky62075
dealing in yaba...
"When the police put the cuffs on her and took her away for 25 to life. Looking back on it from 10 years later, best day ever. Got an easy divorce and full custody of my son. She's Thai, we were living in Thailand. While I was at work in O & G she decided to start dealing in yaba. A South East Asia form of meth. She got set up by the police as an easy visible we're tough on drugs scam. She went down, cops got a photo opp, she's on year 11, and my son and I moved to Canada. I'm Canadian by the way."
WinterDustDevil
The Pouter
"My first husband couldn’t accept that I was individual, rather than an extension of himself. He couldn’t handle me doing anything independently - he’d pout for days and lash out passive-aggressively. It was exhausting."
BellaLeigh43
"I’m in this exact situation. My girlfriend would start acting annoyed anytime I do anything without her, specially visiting my parents or friends, or going to wash my car. I’m just exhausted to death by this. Heart problems increased because of this. I just can’t take it anymore."
baracuda33
In retrospect...
"Picking the wrong person to begin with. In retrospect, red flags were there early. Several years in, I heard someone say - one of the clear things showing a marriage is in decline is when one partner speaks poorly of the other in front of third parties. My spouse did that while we were still dating."
"And yes, stupid me still walked down the aisle anyway. When you have on rose colored glasses, all the red flags... just look like flags. Bad communication, lack of respect, lack of forgiveness, lack of humility, no boundaries, never apologizing, I could go on. The last several years were just constant fighting."
ToucansofWhoopass
Broken People
"Son of divorced parents. Married for almost 30 years. Ended it when they were well into their 50s. Although it wasn’t my marriage, children are often collateral damage unfortunately. We see it all. Sorry, this will sound a little rambly:"
"I always wondered why mom slept in one room and dad the other. Dad drank too much and would pass out on the couch."
"Mom had tons of baggage from her childhood, they both did. Never did anything of merit to address it. They never worked as a team. There was never a joint decision. Communication was yelling. Everything was a crisis, no matter how insignificant. I still have a f**ked up trauma response because of that.
"I go into panic mode at the drop of a hat. I’m getting better, though. Ultimately, it was 2 very damaged people who went through life in coexistence always settling for less. I love my parents and thank them for the life they gave me. I’m happy that they’re happy now. It wasn’t easy getting there, though."
honkinbooty
Well, this is just a big PSA for the single life.
Do you have similar experiences? Let us know in the comments below.