If only these people actually stopped to think about what they were about to ask, it would save them a huge embarrassment.

Spoiler alert: they did not stop to think about what they were about to ask.

Clarifying Demographics

"That black people in Africa are not 'African-American.'"

– hassanwaybread

Years ago, France was having some riots, it was primarily African immigrants upset with how they were being treated, I think. In any case there were a lot of angry black dudes in the crowd, who were referred to as "African Americans" by some of our, United States, news media.

– Guvnuh_T_Boggs

A Direct Messenger

"I'm a mailman. Sometimes have to tell people 'YOU are Current Resident.'"

– JoeYoung2

Pizza Magicians

"That pizzas aren't cooked in pizza boxes."

"Had a regular customer at an Italian place I worked once exclaim that we were magicians, because he couldn't even reheat his pizza without nearly burning his house down."

"Mind you, this was at a counter that faced the end of the pizza oven - customers could literally watch you take it from the oven, off the oven tray & into the takeaway box."

"Somehow, he just never put the pieces together. Would try to reheat leftovers, crank his oven at home up, put the whole box in & have it catch on fire every time."

"The look on his face when I explained has stayed with me for a decade."

– LaceOfGrace

Wrong Balloons

"That helium is a gas you have to pump into balloons that make them float. There are no 'helium/non-helium balloons.' I was blowing up balloons with a coworker using our mouths and she was confused why they weren't floating. She thought we had bought the 'non-helium' kind by mistake."

– abae17

Beastly Myth

"My ex-boss thought that King Kong was a true story. I had to patiently explain the truth."

– RunDNA

The Big Boo

"That Halloween never has and never will fall on Friday the 13th."

– booksoverppl

This Statement Was The Catastrophe

"Someone tried to convince me that boats were not invented in the days of the Titanic."

"Their literal words were 'boats did not exist when the Titanic sank...'"

– Arge101

Sometimes, people just have to put two and two together. But there's no guarantee they'll arrive at a realization.

Does Not Calculate

"I had to spend far too long trying to convince the HR person at my work that a sum of time adding up to 136 minutes was more than an hour and 36 minutes."

– fossetwhining

Things That Are Normal Where You Live But Crazy Anywhere Else | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

Free Money

"When I was 10, I had to explain to my 18 year old half-brother that he had to have money in a bank account to back up what he wrote on checks. He thought a checkbook was a magical book of free money everyone got when they turned 18."

– batonuncovered

Criminal Activity

"At university, some intro to business class."

"This girl didn't understand profit. That you could buy a good for a certain price and sell it for a higher price. She thought that was illegal."

– Pussydestroyer885

Earth's Expiration Date

"Back when I was teaching, I had to tell a classroom of 9 year olds that the Earth wasn't going to end in December 2012 and then having to tell THEIR PARENTS that the world wasn't ending in December 2012. When they asked how I was so sure, I said, 'Come see me in January 2013 and I'll explain it to you then.' Four kids' parents showed up in January 2013 and demanded to know how I knew the world wasn't going to end.... THAT was the most ridiculous thing I've ever had to explain. Fact: Stupid parents are the primary reason teachers quit teaching with bad administrators being a distant second."

– PinocchioWasFramed

Powering The Sun

"I was sitting outside looking at the stars with the person I was dating. The sky was exceptionally clear and dark and I mentioned how bright the stars were."

"They replied with 'Yeah, it was super sunny today so they got a good recharge!' Straight face, not an ounce of sarcasm or hint of a joke."

"I had to explain, to a 40 year old parent, that stars are similar to our sun and produce their own light. They are not the same as the glow-in-dark star stickers that their child had in their bedroom."

– TempestWest

Having patience with clueless customers can really test your limits.

The Mocktail

"At the beginning of the pandemic I worked at a grocery store and we had Pedialyte on an end cap. I had to explain to two men that it was not alcohol and you shouldn't wash your hands with it. It took me like 5 minutes to convince them."

– basicusernamehere

Now, Picture This

"Working in Michaels frame department a lady said she was looking for a 10x8" frame, but all she could find on the floor were 8x10' frames. Grabbed a frame, flipped it horizontally and sent her on her way."

– jailkneel

Coupon Computation

"I deal with the general public on a daily basis. Needless to say I die a little each day. 5pm today until 5pm tomorrow = 24 hours. Loads of basic math. Here is one example though: Customer buying a 12 pack of beer. Beer had a $3 coupon that required the purchase of two bags of chips. Lady proceeds to buy the two bags of chips (about $7) so she could use said coupon. Then gives the chips away because she didn't want them she just wanted to save $3 off her beer. I tried explaining that she just paid four extra dollars instead of saving three. She didn't believe me."

– terrifyuphold

The Bagging Method

"I worked at a grocery store and we packed the customers items for them."

"Customer had an insulated bag he brought with him, so I put the cold food in there."

"He got mad at me because I did not also include the hot rotisserie chicken."

"He believed that the bag would keep hot things hot and cold things cold even if you put them in together."

"I could have explained this to him. But I didn't care. So I just said my bad, put the chicken in and sent him on his way."

– SatisfactionNo2578

Many of these comments involved mathematics, revealing most people had problems with numbers – a common insecurity.

One would hope in time, they actually grasp basic computational skills.

But when it comes to claims of mythical creatures existing in real life, or our sun requiring a good charge to power through another day of brilliance for the denizens of earth, some of these out of touch individuals are just way off their orbit.

May they get back on track to a better understanding of basic common knowledge.