When people are out in public, it's sort of implied that we all stay on our best behavior.
But walk down any street on a New York day, and you quickly realize most of the world missed the memo on this matter.
Or they got it and just crumpled it up and tossed it in the garbage.
This makes us all spectators to some serious nonsense.
Oh the things we can never unsee!
Redditor Defaultuser9148 wanted to hear about the most messed up things they've witnessed others do, so they asked:
"What is the most f**ked up thing you saw someone do in a public place?"
I try not to look at people in public too much.
I've already witnessed more than my fair share of crazy.
WHAT THE ACTUAL F??!!!
Oh My God Wow GIF by The Roku ChannelGiphy"Saw a coworker take off his shoe and sock, pull up his foot, and bite his toenails DURING A WORK MEETING AT THE OFFICE."
hyteck9
"Covid is over, they said. Return to the office, they said. The exposure to corporate culture will be good for you, they said."
johnwalkersbeard
Look Away
"I used to deliver janitorial supplies to businesses. Part of my route was in the Kensington section of Philadelphia it's basically zombie land there and the whole neighborhood is filthy, idk how people can even live there. Needless to say, I've seen A LOT. But the one thing I saw that really stuck with me was seeing a naked man covered in his own excrement... He was clearly very disturbed. No one paid him any mind either. It was surreal."
Jawnson765
Rinse and Repeat
"I once saw a homeless man rinse his mouth out with water from the windshield cleaning 'bucket' at a gas station."
theAdvancedBeginner
"Just saw something similar here in San Diego on Friday. Pumping gas and a homeless guy in a trench coat in 90-degree heat asked me about my dog in the car as he dunked his head in the windshield bucket. Asked me for a dollar right after too while dripping."
H3rrPie
Rough
"I was waiting for a bus in the ‘rough’ part of town when I heard two men having a full-blown argument on the other side of the bus stop… one was being extremely aggressive whilst the other sounded confused at the verbal lashing he was receiving. It went on for a couple of minutes and the meeker one was nearly in tears, so I decided to walk around the other side of the bus stop to take a look at what was going on."
"When I poked my head around the corner the poor guy was crying but his aggressor was nowhere to be seen, I asked if he was okay to which he said 'Yeah, don’t worry about him, he’s all talk.' I nodded and turned around just as the nastier man re-emerged to berate his victim… only it wasn’t another person, it was the same guy shouting at himself with an alternate personality. Until you see these things up close you don’t realize how disturbing it must be to suffer from such mental health issues."
BarraDoner
It's heartbreaking to see people like that.
The Disturbed
Scared Kermit The Frog GIFGiphy"Saw a kid follow around a toad at a state park for a bit, pick it up, and ground it against a tree, eviscerating it in an instant. An adult immediately grabbed them and took them off yelling as the kid didn't look bothered by the interaction at all. It was surreal and disturbing."
Capn_Yoaz
Disgusting
"A scary a** woman was yelling at people in a store. The manager told her to leave. She screamed insults at him as security escorted her out. When I left the store, she was still screaming at him. He was blocking her from going back into the store."
"Then she did something I never thought I'd see in my entire life: She reached into her pants, pulled out a bloody tampon, and threw it at the manager. She missed but it stuck to the glass door. She laughed as she ran off. I wanted to vomit. I never want to see anything like that again."
RiffRandellsBF
All is Well
"21st B-Day at a Festival in FL called Langerado. Was incredibly drunk but I'll never forget this... unfortunately."
"So, we're listening to a band called Umphrey's McGee and everyone is having a good time. All is well. Heaven on Earth. Until I turn around."
"There's a guy, late 30s or early 40s by himself and he was having quite a time."
"He kept shoving his hand [in his pants] and licking his fingers afterward. At some point, he started chasing people and then some poor souls working security had to deal with him. Ewwww."
DylanV1969
In the Bathroom
"A woman at my old retail job I used to work at came in dry heaving to our restroom. It sounded like she was about to give birth. Nope, much worse. She goes into our restroom and shi*s all over the stalls, the floor is coated. It became a complete swamp. This woman proceeds to take off all her clothes and leave them there. She walks out of the store nude, screaming."
AdReady528
Stop It!
"Woman recording a mother and her two children after the mother collapsed and was unresponsive in a Costco. Asked her to stop, but she looked at me and scowled, so I amplified my request which was 'Stop recording, you completely demented, witch!' and the immediate unfavorable attention that got her compelled her to stop. The woman who collapsed, and her small children were terrified, screaming and crying, and it was awful. Can't imagine why you would want footage of such a thing. Just remembering makes me sad and hope that everything turns out alright."
Freechickenpeople
When you gotta go, you gotta go!!
Peeing Ladies Night GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy"In my hometown, I was using the mall food court bathroom which is usually a bad idea... but I had to. While I was taking the worst poop of my life, the people in the stall next to me were getting on the whole time. I can't image someone being that horny next to me in my worst time."
Breze
Some people will do it anywhere.
I would run to another restroom if I could make it!
Do you have any wild stories for us, let us know in the comments below.
Redditor Quiet-Reference5135 wanted to discuss some bad behavior, so they asked:
"What is something people do in public that gets under your skin?"
People who DON'T use turn signals.
WHAT IS YOUR DAMGE!!
Make a Choice
Walking GIFGiphy"People who keep passing me and then slowing down so I have to pass them. I'm on cruise control going the same speed all the time. Pick a speed, we don't need all this lane changing!"
dan1101
Hang Up
"Watch Tik Toks or videos LOUDLY!!"
Artistic-Anybody-434
"We have a girl that does this in the bathroom at work. More than once I've thought about turning the light off on my way out."
Creative_Tea_269
"A guy I used to work with used to sit there and run the hand dryer anytime someone was in the bathroom watching videos or talking on the phone while in a stall."
Imnotabadman
MOVE!!
"Oblivious to their position or how they are blocking an entire aisle."
CommanderAndMaster
"This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Not being aware of the space you take up in public places."
avocadoplease
"Yep. The worst one is person A knows person B, so they are just having a conversation in the middle of the aisle."
"They are completely oblivious to you, too, and act like it's an inconvenience when you ask them to please move."
ServiceCall1986
Look Around
"Having no situational awareness at all."
True-Mousse4957
"I worked in a large hospital in the amount of people that did not treat the hallways like roadways and we’re just popping out of nowhere at any time with no idea of what’s around them was maddening!"
lonecactus777
"I try to be aware of where I am and I work hard at it but between my spatial awareness and situational awareness I tend to get in the way a bit. I also run into a hell of a lot of door and wall and you name it. I’m very disgraphic and it is my constant and at times real fear that I’m in the way."
Pretty_Horsey08
Cover Up
sick tyler james williams GIF by HULUGiphy"Coughing or sneezing without covering their mouths."
Responsible-Ad6103
"I feel like people are so much worse with this since COVID restrictions disappeared. Like they’re making up for lost time."
KayDashO
In this day and age how are people still NOT covering their mouths?!?!
Save your Business
Nervous Laughs GIF by Apple TV+Giphy"Speakerphone calls. Seriously, just hold the phone to your ear. No one wants to listen to your conversation."
DenturesDentata
The Audacity!
"People who litter."
CoffeeLoverChick
"I worked at Taco Bell as a teenager and one day I was working the drive thru and this man was at the window and I could smell his cigarette smoke."
"After he drove off, I could still smell it very strongly so I looked out the little window and he had dumped his whole ash tray out of his door right in front of our drive thru window. The audacity."
pineappleprincess_13
"Yes I hate that, the world isn't their trashcan, they're making things worse for everyone. Just hold onto the trash and throw it away later."
dan1101
Move Aside
"Groups that walk 5 wide on a sidewalk chatting away like they're the main characters."
corneliouswafflebot
"I’ve started doing this move where I walk to the side, so they can give me room, I walk deliberately, but I look up and to the right or left so they can’t make eye contact. They always realize they better move or it’s gonna get real awkward. I also scuff the bottom of my shoe if someone is walking right toward me with their face buried in their phone. It works."
Unit_79
RUDE!
"Leaving their shopping carts out in the middle of the parking lot, rather than taking the cart to those designated spots the store puts out."
Lazy-Enthusiast16
"But they walked all over the store, they can't possibly have the energy to walk 20 more feet!"
SymphonyForTheDevil
"Had to deal with this last night. Butthole left the cart behind my car, with the freaking corral not 10ft away."
Kitsune_Scribe
Out First
train help GIFGiphy"Not letting people off the train before trying to cram themselves into a full car. Just let people off and there will be more room!!! How do you live/work in the city and not learn this by day 3!?"
brightnessys
As a New Yorker, that train issue is the WORST!
Okay, sound off? What indecent behaviors get under your skin? Let us know in the comments.
Redditor DaffyBraylonwanted to discuss what stomach turning things we've witnessed.
"What is the most disgusting thing that you have ever seen in public?"
I've lived in Manhattan. The things I've seen. Even when I close my eyes.
Hep Needed
Schitts Creek Seriously GIF by CBCGiphy"In the corner of the outdoor patio of a bar. A guy was vomiting while smoking a cigarette and taking puffs in between heaves. After he finished he peed on it and went back to the bar for another drink."
ThinkIGotHacked
"Alcoholism 100/100."
DoucheCraft
At Walmart
"Was at a Walmart with my dad, and my father is someone who makes it a point to always wipe the carts down before he uses them. This particular day, we had to go to the customer service section and in front of us was a family of about four. What I assume was the father had this huge build up to a sneeze and blew out everything in his nose into the palm of his hands. He looked at it for like 2 seconds then proceeded to wipe it off on the handle bar thing of the shopping cart. Most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I will never miss a day of wiping off my shopping cart before I use it."
CALL_ME_JIG
Brutal
"Walking past the McDonalds in Charing Cross late one night. A drunk man pulls his trousers down and has extravagant diarrhea against the window, and the guy sitting in the window seat vomits at the sight."
carlonseider
"Something similar happened at the office I work at. Everyone was on lunch in the break room, which has an emergency door that has that tint so you can see out but can't see in."
"Some guy ran up and had a brutal diarreha episode right up against the door. He gave everyone having lunch quite the show, and then he left his underwear out in the parking lot right next to the dumpster. I should add that his wife/gf was inside our building for an appointment, so he could have just came in and used our restroom."
Prestigious-Ad-5457
Happy New Year
"I had a friend who had recovered from a serious drug problem. He stopped because he ODed at a new years party, where he 'started expelling vomit with force until he was empty, then continued to dry heave, while rolling a cigarette with one hand, then lighting and smoking it between retches. He then suffered a major heart attack and nearly died.' I'd like to say he's clean now, but he's certainly a lot more careful."
OwnInterview4715
Roll On
Big Brother What GIF by Big Brother After DarkGiphy"Saw a lady walking and turds start to roll out her shorts. Didn’t break stride just kept walking."
crfyz450
My stomach may not make it through the rest of these stories.
The Sight/The Smell
Sick Vomit GIF by CBSGiphy"A charred human, not yet a corpse."
mason_savoy71
"Been there... car crash that caught fire... couldn't get occupants out... can't decide what was worse. The sight, sounds or smell."
Present-Breakfast768
Poor Lad
"I was at a festival once in the 90's and was waiting outside the portaloo's for my wife when i heard a scream from inside one of the toilets. The door was flung open and a guy had broke through the flooring and was up to his shins in poo. they had been cut to bits as he fell though."
"The poor lad was hysterical as the paramedics cleaned his wounds with long forceps so they didn't get too close. Even writing this down it sounds so unlikely as i have no idea how on earth he managed to break the floor but my wife confirms it's not a fever dream. I've always been extra careful using those loo's ever since."
Lammyrider
West Michigan
"I was at a public beach with my family one summer (we live in West Michigan, every town has a nice beach.) I love the beach, the water, everything. But one of my favorite things to do is dig my toes into the cool, moist sand.This time, I did exactly that, and then I realized that the sand didn't feel quite right. It wasn't cool enough, and it was very, very squishy and something tickled."
"I looked down and to my horror, I saw that I did not stick my toes into sand. Instead, I was ankle deep in the slimy entrails of a warm, rotting fish carcass. The tickling sensation came from maggots crawling up my leg. I jumped right into the lake, and then went promptly to the car. I can still feel that phantom squishy sensation if I think hard enough. It traumatized me."
missamericanmaverick
Frenzied
"Was at Chuck 'E Cheese, Chuck E came out and had about 100 kids in a frenzy, threw a million tickets in the air. Unfortunately as he threw the tickets some young kid projectile vomited everywhere. Kids didn't care they dove through the vomit and gathered the tickets like they were gold."
Plenty-Still-6697
Covered
Los Angeles Hello GIF by LA ClippersGiphy"Was at a swimming pool, and this kid was crying at the top of a slide, I talk to him and go look for his parents. Try to put my hand on his back, and the whole back is covered in poop. Even the back of his head. Glad I could give him to his grandfather."
Chip_Skylark_92
Well that was more than I ever needed to know.
Do you have similar experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
Redditor HisMajesticDickenswanted to hear some confessions.
They asked:
"What is one socially unacceptable fact about yourself?"
Who is willing to dish?
Speak up... because I'm not. LOL
hands up...
"I've always struggled with sweaty hands and feet since I was a small child. In formal settings I enjoy the option of wearing opera gloves. People think I'm being fancy. Nah bra I'm just hiding that I have to shake 9000 hands at this event tonight and I don't want to have to keep wiping them on my dress." ~ happyfunisocheese
My Purpose...
"I will do nothing but sleep and eat all day if I could." ~ fernandito_chiquito
"I'm currently unemployed and basically do that everyday. And trust me, it's very easy to stop caring about yourself, stop showering, stop brushing your teeth, thus getting more lazy, not going out anymore because showering seems already like so much effort and sleeping is so much easier and BOOM! Depression pit."
"It's so easy to slip into this and just a tiny little step each day. There are a lot of days that I feel like useless garbage and that I absolutely suck I can recommend taking a break from working for two months or maybe even 3, but it's not as easy sitting home all day as we imagine it is. I feel like I have no purpose anymore." ~ Shadowchani
So incredibly toxic...
"I think my family are a bunch of self involved manipulating a**holes and if they didn’t talk to me again, it might make my life easier." ~ rockinthe90s
"I second this. Except I separated myself from most of the sick biofamily. The extreme levels of delusion with terrifying amounts of narcissism to cover the fact that not single one of them even knows how to be or even what happiness is. O and to cover up the blind ignorance and the absolute refusal to grow. So incredibly toxic. I have never been happier." ~ hurricane4689
Poser
"I am faking everything. Literally. I could not care less about anything. But I fake it all." ~ NotNotRonSwanson
GiphyFacades are normal.
We all hide behind them.
Don't stress.
I'm Tired
"I typically do not masturbate for pleasure. i usually do it just to make myself tired enough to fall asleep." ~ lauryngrace
"I still remember an episode of 'According To Jim' (I think, might have been some other sitcom from around that time) where the fat guy mentioned 'some of us do it as a sleeping aid' in a room full of people and he got weird looks while the laugh track played. That 'joke' was definitely based in reality for sure." ~ Chromattix
Bad Kids
"I hate kids and am a teacher. I’m a high school teacher and I enjoy teaching teenagers, but can’t stand kids under the age of 11." ~ ljnr
"I work with high school age kids and I cannot stand the super entitled ones that must think their crap smells good. They are so rude, so condescending, they'll tell you off for not having the latest iPhone or airpods. Have fun with your soulless, materialistic life I guess? They're so self centered they'll probably never even realize how petty and unlikeable they are. Sad." ~ joantheunicorn
"I definitely do not know at what point expressing my desire to talk to someone crosses from 'reaching out in a friendly way' into 'annoying and impinging'. And I worry about it!" ~ TheShendelzare
"I constantly feel like I'm annoying everyone that I talk to. Even my training supervisor, who has to remind me many times a day that I'm allowed and encouraged to ask questions in order to do my job better. Still feel like I'm always interrupting and pissing her off." ~ AzraelleWormser
Can you hear me now?
"Sometimes I like having fake phone conversations. Sometimes because I just need to talk through a problem or plan something out loud but my mom isn't picking up the phone. Sometimes for my own entertainment (trying to get people to eavesdrop)." ~ deqb
GiphyConan Tales
"I have full on conversations when I'm alone in the car. I find that its a good way to get my thoughts in order. I have conversations that I'll never have in person. I'll imagine that I'm arguing with somebody or that I'm on Late Night with Conan O'Brian taking about my new movie (I'm not an actor. I just love Conan)."
"Sometimes I just pretend that I'm explaining a hobby or something to a friend. Thank goodness cars have Bluetooth capabilities these days. Sometimes at stoplights I'll take breaks in between sentences so that the people in other cars think I'm talking on the phone." ~ stinkystinkypoopbutt
Just be you.
We all have traits and quirks the "public" won't love.
But clearly the public has them too.
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Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
Ok!
Cartoon Yes GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy"Breastfeeding, sure no problem. Changing diapers on the table/booth/chair, no freaking way. There's a reason most bathrooms have a change table."
- LuntiX
Be Clean
"As long as you don't leave your dirty flip-flops on the table that's disgusting."
"Last week I was at a cafe terrace and I saw a woman breastfeeding her baby and afterwards changing the diaper on the table (which was a tad odd since they have a nice changing room there). After she left I noticed she left the dirty diaper on her plate, didn't even bother to close it up."
- domin8r
Silence
"A baby can't scream with a mouthful, so I'd say it's a win-win."
"My son used to do the same. The thing is his twin would get right to feeding and would stimulate the let down on his boob too, so it would be 20 seconds of screaming and 30 seconds of vague drowning noises before he clicked that food was happening."
Who Cares?
"The baby's gotta eat. Plus I don't even pay enough attention to other people to even notice or give a crap either way."
- Jikal
"I agree lol!! I've noticed moms breastfeeding their babies at a restaurant maybe a grand total of TWO times in my whole life, and I go out to eat all the time. However, I ALWAYS notice when a baby is screeching so loud nobody can enjoy their meal."
"I don't even mean just crying, I mean that SCREECH they do sometimes where if you're anywhere close to them you can't even continue talking, you just have to stop and WAIT for the kid to finish. (I promise I don't hate kids LOL this is just my opinion)."
No Adults
Oh No You Didnt GIF by happydogGiphy"Acceptable if she's breastfeeding her baby, weird if she's doing so with her husband."
- maajyc
So far, so normal. Stay in your own conversation. If you're that interested about another person, you're sounding like a stalker.
Whateves
Let It Go Whatever GIF by Hannah Bronfman Giphy"The more it happens the less people will care."
Couple Issues
"I was once breastfeeding my daughter on the beach, aside from my boob being *kind of* out (mostly blocked by the baby) I was wearing shorts and a shirt, more covered than most of the people on the beach. Apparently a dude started watching me that I didn't notice and his girlfriend took offense to it."
"She started to approach me, but my mom was with us and gave her the stink eye to end all stink eyes. I have to think if they had been just a little more exposed to breast feeding this wouldn't have been anything. I'm also 99% sure that incident resulted in the couple fighting."
When in Public
"I walked with my head down the majority of my life because I felt like everyone was staring at me as I'm a very tall female. Started looking up a few years ago and realized how very wrong I was. I cared WAY more about this made up scenario in my head while assuming the worst and causing MYSELF to feel shame over it- than anyone else ever cared about my height. We're all busy doing our own thing and I don't think MOST people care about women breastfeeding in public as people think they do."
The Best Questions To Ask During A Job Interview | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
In the UK...
"I went to a mall in London, England once with a room dedicated for baby care. There were comfortable chairs and a microwave and sink. There were also little rooms with rocking chairs and low light floor lamps. Now, I would feed my baby wherever the hell I needed to, but this was luxury."
Free!
Mothers Day Mama GIF by reactionseditorGiphy"I'd rather a happy baby having a meal than a hungry miserable baby screaming and crying for nourishment. I am however against the restaurant charging an opening fee."
Didn't Notice
"You know, I don't think I've ever noticed anyone breast feeding. I'm sure I've seen it happen while I was out but I've never noticed. I think that says something about the people who do make a big deal out of it."
"So often it just looks like they're holding the baby. You usually can't see anything. There were a couple times random people struck up conversations with me while I was nursing in public, and I could tell they had absolutely no idea."
Cover Up
"As a woman, I think women should be able to feed their baby wherever. As a matter of personal preference though, I always cover up. I have had soo many creeps stare at me that I don't like to openly do it."
"I have breastfed in public before, and would continue to do so if I had children who were nursing. I always used the two-shirt method to keep myself as covered as possible, which was for my comfort as my breast was much larger than my baby's head."
In America...
"Just to add to this... In America, public breastfeeding is protected by federal law and state law - in all the states."
"In so many comment sections, I always come across the argument that the federal law only protects breastfeeding in public so women can't breastfeed in restaurants or stores because they're private property—the law must only apply to municipal parks and government buildings. I tell them to look at the text of the law because it doesn't say "public", it says "anywhere the mother is otherwise permitted to be", like a publicly-accessible-yet-privately-owned store. Idiots."
Who cares?
mind it talk show GIF by iOne DigitalGiphy"I try not to think about other people's business. Especially stuff that doesn't affect me in any way."
Gotta Eat
"I think everyone, including babies, should be able to eat in restaurants."
"Restaurants should also set policies though. I'm cool with those that allow everyone, but it's fair as well to have adults-only restaurants. Kids can be quite disturbing. As long as policies are disclosed, s'aulgood, man!"
- Bytewave
Drink Up
"It's pretty much the same as any customer. Don't disturb the other guests and you are fine. So drink up little human. At least you are silent."
"This is the most reasonable. As long as you aren't making a scene while doing it, it's not a problem. If you take your boob out and then wait for someone to look and then decide to throw a fit, then you should be thrown out just like any other unruly customer."
Summer in the South, fun!
"My thoughts are that I hope she doesn't give a crap what anybody else thinks when she breastfeeds her child in a restaurant."
- MRS300
"I am extremely self conscious about it because I've had people make nasty comments to me while feeding my baby in a restaurant (and elsewhere). If my baby gets hungry, I don't give a f**k about anyone else. I will always feed my hungry baby no matter what, no matter where."
"I even wear specific nursing tops so no boob is visibly exposed. For this reason, and the fact that the baby gets hot and uncomfortable (Summer in the South, fun!), I also refuse to cover with a blanket. However, I always feel judged and frowned upon for doing so. It's just hard not to."
be clean...
Sick Black And White GIF by Fleischer StudiosGiphy"Breastfeeding = fine. Not washing your hands in the bathrooms? Not cool."
On Display
"If we look at high fashion we see women with stickers covering their breasts. In high street fashion it is acceptable to expose any part of the breast as cleavage, sideboob, underboob. Basically the only part of the woman's breast we've censored is the nipple, which I find especially odd given that's the bit men have as well. Regardless, in this case the baby's mouth covers the nipple so the breast on display isn't anything out of the norm really, and even if the nipple were out, get over it."
It is what it is. Be free ladies. Whatever keeps the kid quiet, works for most of us. Do as you need.
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