As much as there is an allure of living in small towns, there seems to be just as much mystery.
There is a sense of security in knowing that someone has your back.
But on the same token, as is typically depicted in movies, small towns have their fair share of nefarious activity that those in the know are sweeping under the rug to maintain their town's good name.
Curious to hear about bizarre cases that don't always make mainstream news headlines, Redditor descended_from_apes asked:
"Small Town Redditors, what's the weirdest unsolved crime in your town, old or new?"
Not all mysteries involve unsolved murders but are just as baffling
A Crime In The Turd-Degree
"Nowhere near the scale of disappearing children or Nazi collaborators, but my hometown's biggest mystery is who keeps sh**ting in the holes at the golf course."
"Person has been doing it for more than 20 years. Every 2-3 months, there's a hole that's been pooped in."
Outstanding Debts
"I found out my grandma played cards with the mob in a liquor store basement. I was reading a news article on a cold case from the former owner disappearing for an English assignment and my grandma kinda just frowned, told me she used to play cards with him and never payed his debts."
House On Fire
"Not exactly 'small town', but small compared to the region. There was a house that burned down 3 times in the span of a decade. I remember hearing lots of rumors about divorces and revenge, gang activity, being cursed. Not sure if it was ever solved."
When Children Played No More
"In 2003 in my hometown, someone decided to burn down a playground. This was in a very small rural town. The nearest playground aside from that one was 15 miles away. This playground was decent sized too, and I believe it was made possible by a donation from someone in town. It was mostly wood with rubberized mesh, steel bars, and large plastic slides."
"Nobody ever figured out who did it."
Unsolved missing persons cases like the ones mentioned below must be pure torture for family members.
Death Chair
"Happened this year."
"A man rented a room at a guest house. When he left the host went to go clean/ prepare the room for the next occupant."
"The room was covered in blood. In the shower there was a chair with a pool of blood-it is assumed the person died in the chair."
"So the baffling part is that there is a camera trained in the room's door. The man entered and left alone without a speck of blood on him."
"The authorities assumed the blood belonged to a woman whose chopped-up body was found in a nearby damm. Blood tests came back and it doesn't."
Missing Classmate
"1973: My 4th grade buddy, Guy Heckle, disappeared during a boy scout camping trip. They found his coat, that was all. Not another clue after all these years."
The Bar Patron
"Man got kicked out of a bar 3 years ago this December and went missing. Nobody has come forward with tips at all. He went missing from a fairly busy part of town too."
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Child Abduction
"My cousin, TJ Davison was abducted from a car in 1985 and has still yet to be found. He was 4 years old at the time. (Decatur, IL)"
And sometimes, when the bodies turn up, their identities can remain forever a mystery.
In Deep Trouble
"Where I grew up they found a dude who was buried under the cement in a building, no history or information about him. It's clear that he got into some deep trouble with someone."
– KGhaleon
Remains In A Lake
"About 15 years ago. A town near where I grew up drained a man made lake that was used for recreational swimming. This particular year they decided to drain the whole thing to do a clean up. They discovered an intact skeleton that had been sitting at the bottom of the lake for something like 50 years based on the class ring that was still on the skeleton. From my understanding this person had never been reported missing or anything."
Double Mystery
"Two bodies were found on my island in SE Asia in the last 24 hours. One was found in the jungle after being there for a year in an apparent motorbike accident the other washed up on the beach."
– BKKJB57
What's In The Barrel
"There was an old story that during prohibition a big barrel showed up at the post office, addressed to someone no one knew. It was obviously filled with alcohol."
"When the time to pick up expired and it was still there, it was tapped to find whisky inside. It was enjoyed by many, but when it was gone, it was still quite heavy."
"So they opened it up to discover a dead body."
– Dudeinairport ·
Some of the saddest cases involve the deaths of a newborn.
Murderous Mother
"Back in 1903 a local woman poisoned many members of her family, including a baby over a few months. She served time and died but never really admit to a motive. One theory is that she really liked attending irish funerals."
The Infant
"About 30yrs ago a refuse worker found the badly burned body of an 18 month old boy amongst the bags and recycling. Forensics deduced that due to the condition of his liver he'd died less than a week before his body was found."
"Hospital and medical records were used to establish that nobody in the county was missing a child."
"He doesn't have a name on his gravestone."
"Edit: it was in Cumbria, England."
"The police likely didn't retain a DNA sample, or we might have heard something about familial DNA by now.The local police aren't very good - look up the case of Poppi Worthington as an example."
"Most local people assume he died of SIDS, then his parents panicked and tried to conceal his body. Whoever did it must have had an element of local knowledge in order to know where to put the corpse."
A Proper Burial
"There is a street in my city called Park Ave. It's a very small city, mostly blue collar."
"In 2005, a newborn baby boy was found dead near a factory on Park Ave. Doctors could tell he was born alive and likely lived for a few hours before he died. I don't know if he was abandoned (left to die) or killed in some way; that info was never released. Police made a statement saying please come forward, we want to help you bury this child properly."
"The mother sent an anonymous letter to the police station two weeks later, and said she would come to the station soon. The letter didn't explain the circumstances, but it did say she was afraid."
"She never came forward. The baby was named 'Baby Parker' and money was raised to give him a proper burial. People still leave gifts at his grave."
Thanks to horror movies, small towns get a bad rep.
Under the veneer of warm hospitality and kindness lies an unsettling sense of discomfort.
Are the denizens covering up a murder committed by one of their own? Or was there a grifter who dumped a body in their unassuming town and fled the scene?
In the game of life, no one gets out alive. But hopefully, your life's journey won't end in a small town.
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When it comes to certain behaviors, it's a gender thing.
Our different anatomy makes men specifically do things–like adjust their crotch area in public or just give up altogether and spread their legs while sitting on a subway train to make themselves comfortable.
But it's not just about moving a stuck testicle.
There are other peculiarities exclusively associated with men.
Curious to find out more about what else men typically do, Redditor Sythanytx asked:
"Guys of Reddit, what is one thing that all guys do?"
Here's some behind the scenes examples of what guys do concerning what's between their legs.
Adjusting Period
"Pretending to put our hands in our pocket when actually we're actually trying to untangle our underwear."
– 0MrSoap0
Hands-Free Method
"The side step to unstick your junk from your thigh."
– decorativesofapillow
Here's what happens in the men's room.
Respecting Boundaries
"Give each other space at the urinals. 9 times out of 10, the only time you will see 2 guys using directly adjacent urinals is when there's no other choice. Otherwise, the rule is every other urinal, and we're pretty good at it."
– callingallcomas
Focus On The Task At Hand
"The stare blankly at the wall when peeing at a urinals."
"Looking to the side is punishable by death."
– barronelli
These behaviors occur before accomplishing a task.
Sound Check
"Pressing the trigger on your drill a couple of times as soon as you pick it up."
– bisquickvic
The Pat-Down
"What my brother calls the 'guy check.'"
"We slap our pockets to make sure we have our wallet, keys, and phone."
– yamo25000
Maybe it's a guy thing.
Clearing The Path
"Kick rocks off of the sidewalk or down the street."
– blueduck9696
A Boulder Move
"enjoy dropping big rocks into water etc."
– Wetvv
Hear Him Roar
"One time I was in a walking path that crosses over a lake. Two little boys were running to the shore and back up to toss in rocks. I walked down to the shore picked up a bowling size rock and threw it off the bridge for them. I was a god in their little eyes. Lol."
– 10_Virtues
Selective Knowledge
"I have no idea wtf is going on in most of my friends personal lives... Known them for years."
– KingYondu
How Presumptuous
"Critically think if the next woman that talks to us is flirting with us or is trying to be a friend.... usually we fail anyways."
– Hack3rsD0ma1n
Here's a twist, if you will.
It's no secret men have an advantage with peeing while standing.
But here's my personal secret, and it's not something all men do.
At home, I pee sitting down. It's for a sanitary reason. I don't want to make a splash and have micro droplets accumulating on the bathroom floor, because, gross.
I wish my husband felt the same; but, I can't complain.
He always puts the seat back down for me when he's emptied out.
It is estimated that nearly 37.9 million people in the United States currently live in poverty.
A shameful statistic, to say the least.
Challenging as it is, however, growing up poor is nothing to necessarily be ashamed of, as many influential people in this world came from humble beginnings.
Even so, many people who grew up poor and found success and financial stability in adulthood still try to hide their childhood from others. But those in the know, or who had the same experience, tend to notice the subtle, tell-tale signs of those whose childhood was anything but luxurious.
Redditor Puzzled-Painter3301 was curious to learn how people could tell if someone grew up poor, leading them to ask:
"What's a sign that someone grew up poor?"
Their Relationship With Food
"When you can’t finish a meal, pulling it apart to at least eat the meat because 'that’s the expensive part'."
"Or just force feeding yourself any meal you buy because you have to feel like you didn’t waste."
"Being hypersensitive to any light left on, door left open, opening the fridge too much, running water too long, etc, because you’re trained to minimize utilities."
"Never pouring more than 1/2 a glass of any drink when at someone else’s house (except water) because you don’t want to be seen as wasteful/gluttonous."
"Making weird snacks out of food that isn’t supposed to be a snack - ex."
"Eating dry ramen noodles like chips, Kool Aid with sugar and your finger to make your own fun dip, eating Kraft cheese slices/cold hotdogs/other things that are normally just a part of a meal."- kountryt
"Scanning the menu for the cheapest options possible when at a restaurant."
“'It’s ok the soup is really enough for me.'”- Call_the_Green_Man
"I grew up poor and my husband grew up middle class."
'Whenever we have guests, I am constantly asking people if they got ENOUGH food."
"'Is anyone still hungry? I can make something else!'"
"My husband will inquire about the quality of the food and if it is to everyone's liking."
"I think when you grow up poor, food is very much quantity over quality."- NoMaineKoonsAllowed
Resistance To Let Go
"Never replacing anything unless there’s absolutely no way to use the old thing anymore, and going to absurd lengths to keep something 'still useable'.”- boymanpal
"Odd hoarding behaviours of things you probably should have gotten rid of out of fear you won’t be able to replace them easily."
"I keep a stack of boxes broken down because there’s still this fear in the back of my mind that I’ll have to move again at a moment’s notice."
"I make a decent salary now and have lived where I am for nearly 7 years, but I still can’t part with those boxes despite the space they take up."
"Under the bed, behind the chest of drawers."
"Yeah. I still have ‘em."- Mr_Lumbergh
"Difficulty throwing things away."- OldSamVimes
"Sentimentality."
"Not that wealthier people can't be sentimental.'
"But my dad, whose parents grew up in the rural South during the great depression, wants to keep every little thing of my mom's."
"Everything."
"He would prefer to keep her bedroom as is."
"I always wondered why he wanted to keep it like that."
"But then I realized, the only thing we have left is my mom's ashes in an urn."
"There was no funeral, no memorial, (she didn't want any and there was no one to come anyways) no tombstone."
"Nothing that feels tangible, personal, etc."
"We don't have the luxury of beautiful personal mausoleums, or headstones, or anything else in the Western death culture."
"My mom's bedroom, and all her stuff is the closest we will ever have to a memorial for my mom.'
"It's a tomb, without a body in it."- InsomWriter
Always Looking For A Sale
"Never buying clothing at full price."
"It just feels illegal."- Totally-trapped
Justifying A Purchase
"For me, I have what I call 'poverty mentality.'"
"While I can afford new shoes and clothes, they have to be falling apart for me to replace."- ciarrabobeara
Appreciation For Nice Things
"Still being marveled by an ice maker and side by side doors."- Difficult_Let_1953
"Realizing I wanted to have the house that all my kids friends came over to hang out at because that wasn't really an option for big chunks of my childhood."- sykojaz
Strictly Sticking To A Budget
"Immense financial anxiety."- natandsneks
Hiding Their Smile
"In the US I’d say poor dental history or teeth."
"Dental work is a luxury."
"Overall, I’d say many hoarders grew up poor because they are so afraid of not having something if they’ll need it so they keep everything."- Leadsingerofthebandd
Should we notice people doing these things, it is of the utmost importance not to judge.
In fact, one can only admire people with an undying appreciation for beautiful things and who never underestimate the value of one dollar.
When talking to a friend who brings up one of our favorite books, celebrities, or tv shows, we often find ourselves saying we're "obsessed".
Our excitement is often met with a sneer from our friend, but we don't give it much thought.
Owing to the fact that even if they're better at containing their excitement than we are, deep down everyone has an obsession of some sort.
Naturally, it's not particularly healthy to be "obsessed" with anything, as nothing should take up the majority of our time.
Even so, if one were to take a very close look at society as a whole, we might find that just about everyone has an unhealthy obsession they just can't break.
"What’s an unhealthy obsession people have?"
Schadenfreude Much?
"Love to hate."- Odd_Adhesiveness4804
Never Settle!
"Being in a relationship no matter the cost."- hibbletyjibblety
"Pointless relationships."
"Settling for less just because you think you can't be alone is not healthy."- shutyourmouf03
Aging Gracefully Always Pays Off
"People are obsessed with youth and some people will do anything to maintain its appearance."- Mad-farmer
There's So Much More Beyond Your TV Screen
"24 hour news cycles."- SuvenPan
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
"Having to be first."
"It's okay if you beat me to the pump, or if you beat me to the grocery checkout line."
"It's okay if you get to the freeway exit before me, or pull in front of me on the highway."
"I'm patient, and it's a virtue."
"Have to credit my father who taught me this."
"He was an airline captain for over 30 years who is a very patient man."
"Thanks Dad."- Look-At-The-Aliens
Humming Season 17 GIF by The SimpsonsGiphyThere Are So Many Better Ways To Be Social
"Obsession with their social media image."- knovit
Has No One Seen All About Eve?
"An obsession with everything celebrities are doing."- Streak_Free_Shine
There's A Reason Paid Vacation Days Exist!
"Work/productivity."
"Everybody needs a break, not just every once in a while, but often."- RoKe3028
To Each Their Own
"An obsession with each others lives."
"Seriously just let people live as long as they’re not hurting anyone just leave people the f*ck alone."- MiseinToxicity
"Other people's sex lives."- huiscloslaqueue
Worry About Yourself Saints And Sinners GIF by BounceGiphyIronically, Making Calls Is One The Last Things They're Used For Now...
"Their phones."
"It's one thing to keep yourself busy, it's another to never let yourself be bored."
"Being bored is important sometimes, it makes you think/helps clear your head.'
"Phones make it ridiculously easy to never let yourself get bored, to the point where it ain't healthy."- Crestego
"Being on their phone all the time, especially while driving."
"I see this literally every day, despite laws against it."
"I constantly have to honk at people sitting at green lights, because they can't possibly be inconvenienced with their own thoughts for 2 minutes sitting at a red light."- dallased25
Mistakes Are How People Learn...
"Being right all the time."- lee24k
Sheldon Cooper Rules GIF by CBSGiphyIt's very easy to scold or ridicule someone for being inordinately fond of someone or something.
However, before passing judgment, always a good idea to take a step back and examine our own behavior.
As we may be no different at all.
People Who Make More Money From Their Side Hustles Than Their Day Jobs Share Their Experiences
In this day and age, it's not uncommon for people to have a side gig -- an extra job as a way to make more money -- aside from their regular 9 to 5.
It's also not super uncommon for some of these people to find that their side gig can -- and sometimes does -- pay them more than their 9 to 5.
My best friend is a brilliant journalist by trade, but he makes way more money by freelance editing than he does as at the paper he writes for. Freelance editing is a side gig, however. He doesn't do it all the time, and yet makes enough to pay his monthly rent just by doing one freelance job!
Redditors have discovered other side gigs that pay them more than their regular 9 to 5, and are ready to share their experidnces.
It all started when Redditor DonkKinnis asked:
"People that actually found a side hustle that makes more than your 9-5, what was it?"
I Need A Weapon
"Making swords, it started as a hobby - like let's see where we can take it. It is now a company with 15 guys employed, and 1,500+ swords a year. Best job ever"
– Charming_Height_6944
"You’re living my husbands dream. He would love to forge swords as a hobby. If you feel so inclined, can you message me with info on your starter setup? It’s my goal to surprise him someday with a fully functioning beginner forge, but I have no idea where to start"
– _StaRrFoxX_
"Lucky for you guys England and France are at war. Business must be booming."
– Tudpool
Happy And Healthy
"I was a therapist for 5 years in acute inpatient psych, and I burned out HARD. From awful pay, zero security, staff getting cut but workload increasing, and the work culture being one of “suffering Olympics” where you’d see who can work the most on the least sleep, it was inhumane."
"In the last 2 years, I turned my photography hobby into a successful business! I shoot weddings, elopements, couples’/family sessions, you name it. I work much less and make much more, plus the second hand dopamine is fantastic for my own mental health."
– LimitedGenius
"Me, working inpatient psych as a nurse, studying this thread like my life depends on it."
– Addwon
Knickknacks
"I sculpt miniatures for 3D printing, RPG, DnD etc. I make roughly triple what I was doing at a previous ''real'' entry job."
– CougarJo
Just Whistle While You Work
"Cleaning houses makes pretty good money. It's surprising how much people will pay you to just come in once a week and do a little cleaning."
– Sprinkle_drama
"My dad told me once of a acquaintances wife who started a cleaning business. Not by hour but charged for the task. Floors swept and mopped was $xx dishes done and benches wiped $xx carpets vaccumed $xx bathroom cleaned $xx toilet $xx. It worked brilliantly esp for young busy working men. Having set prices for set tasks was easier for them to get their heads around than 3-4 hours cleaning. She did very very well out of it"
– SupTheChalice
Flowers DO Cost A Fortune!
"Wedding Florist. Quit the 9-5 last year!"
– _adsbygoogle
FOOD!!
"I sell brownies on delivery apps"
– andydessa
"There is a kid who did this with frozen pizzas from his apartment on YouTube."
– Elegant_Housing_For
"This is f-ing brilliant."
– HappyPixie
I Want One!
"I sew stuffed animals, quilts and sometimes children’s clothing. I use to work in a nearby hospital working with Covid patients and Covid samples. I can make my old paycheck in a day if I spend the entire day working."
– YrsaAse
Should I Be Scared?
"Building killer stereo systems I’ve also have been building patio chairs really just making stuff if you can make it but make it well and take pride in your craftsmanship there’s a market for it"
– Bass_head_thomas
"Read this too fast and thought it said “serial killer system” and I was very confused and slightly worried for a moment."
– Infinity9999x
A New Idea Is A Good Idea
"I’m a software engineer. I had a coworker who was into bowling and couldn’t find an app he liked to track his stats, so he wrote one himself after using it, his friends started asking if he could give it to them. He put it on the App Store. Within a year close to half his income was coming from his app selling."
"He tried to repeat his success a few times, but none of his other apps ever caught on."
– dring157
Didn't Even Know This Was A Thing
"Secret shopper."
"So technically I don’t have a 9-5 cause I’m a student, but it’s still a VERY well paying hustle."
"Essentially all I do I drive around the city, go to random stores, buy a lottery ticket, see if they ask for ID, and leave. Then I fill out some paperwork, and I’m done."
"They compensate full gas charge, and give roughly 30$ per store. I can easily do 20 stores in a day. The problem is once all the stores are done, I can’t check anymore."
– Mattrockj
Very Entrepreneurial
"I'm the unofficial tech guy for a pretty large retirement community. It started by me setting up a dvd player for my grandma, she started telling her neighbors and now one day a week I go by and will spend the day doing minor stuff for tech illiterate people. Half the time it replacing batteries, allot of the residence are given computers their kids or grand kids that ill set up for them. I charge next to nothing, but usually will ask for the old tech if im replacing something which i refurbish and sell. Alot of people buy their grandma new mac book every 2 years that are barely used, then given to me."
– handsthefram
Fun, Fun, Fun
"I became an Uber driver and make over 10k a month these days. Really enjoying it too."
– Alexanderdaw
Music Ties It Together
"I started a wedding DJ business and found people were willing to pay a premium for a non-cheesy DJ who doesnt make the night or party about them. Even though I only worked Friday-Sat-Sundays due to weddings mostly being held on these days, I was making 2x my 9-5 job."
– JamesKPolk130
"This day and age it does make sense to do this. Invest in a good sound system. Invest in a decent light setup. Be sure to have a wi-fi connection at the venue so if someone requests a song you can easily download it. Watch people have a great time"
– chxnkybxtfxnky
The Universe At Work
"I left my job in publishing and performed the same functions on a freelance basis for about two years."
"I made only about 5-10 percent less gross. Once you factor in my lack of commute to Manhattan, not havimg to buy clothing for work, not getting lunch out, etc., net was only single digits less."
"It was also cool because every so often the universe would toss me a random extra day off. That was hard to give up."
– AlanMercer
Check And Mate
"I make custom chess board sets for professional chess players."
– Magnetic_penis_strap
I understand. I would pay big money for one of those!
Do you have a side hustle we should know about? Let us know in the comments.
People Break Down The Dumbest Thing Anyone Has Ever Seriously Said To Them