Sometimes there is no specific reason a person gives others the heebie-jeebies.
Certain people are just born with that vibe.
And other people are just flat-out crazy.
There are small mannerisms and big ticks that just send a clear message to stay a few yards back.
More often than not, we can't exactly put our finger on it... but something inside us just knows.
Better to know and be warned I guess.
Redditor TheRealOcsiban wanted to hear about the people who left many of us with a deep sense of unease, so they asked:
"What made the creepiest person you ever met so creepy?"
People who stare for a little too long without speaking always freak me out.
It's rude to share.
What are your evil eyes really saying?
On Camera
Giphy"He followed me for 3 miles after I left physical therapy and only f**ked off when I went into a store that I knew had cameras all over the place."
isapika
Rambo
"Was kayaking a river when some dumba** decided to dive off a cliff head first into a rock below the surface of the water and had a huge gash in his head. A guy came running out of the woods full Rambo attire headband and all. Poured moonshine over the cut and bandaged the guy up then ran back into the woods. Pretty creepy but probably saved that guy's life."
Over my Shoulder
"(25 Female) Was working out at a fairly busy gym with one other person in the gym at the time as it was late at night. He made a point to only work out on the equipment directly behind me, and every time I would move to another, he would move to the machine behind. It happened so many times that I started to text my boyfriend to tell him I was getting kind of creeped out by a guy at the gym and I was uncomfortable because I was alone in the building with him."
"There’s an entire wall in this gym that’s just a long mirror so you can see the entire room through this giant thing. I look up at the mirror as I’m texting my boyfriend and this man was standing behind me and reading my text over my shoulder from behind the machine. Instead of freaking out and making the situation more dangerous for myself, I stood up and got off the machine and put my phone in my pocket, and briskly walked to the front door without even turning around."
"I walked out and got in my car safely but by this point, I was full of adrenaline and fear. Luckily he didn’t follow. I don’t know why he would have done that, or what his intentions were but I noped the f**k out of there. Reported it to my gym the next day and was told they would investigate and handle it. Never saw him again, thank God."
UndiagnosedOtter
Chilled
"Random guy walks into the restaurant I was working at before. He asked for a crazy coworker (we didn't interact at all) if she was working or if I can give her the schedule. I declined both because it was information he didn't need to know. Told another coworker at the time, and she told me the same guy would sit at a corner table and watch her work."
"At that point, I told her that he was banned and to let a crazy coworker tell him he was banned and can't come back. I also informed the cooks to have the cooks make sure she left safely. This only happened because he happened to give me a creepy chill down my spine when he walked in and asked the question."
lazyfoo_3
Contact Ended
"He kept looking at my feet and ankle and asked to rub my feet the first time I decided to hang out with him. Luckily when he approached me, while he was cute, I was cautious and made our first hangout a group hangout which now I am so glad about. He got creepier the second hangout (public again) and then when I decided a couple of hangouts were enough and I ended our contact, I later saw him in the news arrested for trying to break into a girl's house and trying to attack her."
AgitatedCress7062
Okay, that is too much. The foresight to do a group hang was really something.
Dogs Know
"He had no friends so to be nice one day I invited him over after school to trade some cards. The second my dog met him doggo's body language shifted to tense and alert."
"The dog wouldn't let us be in the same room without sitting between us and straight stared him down the entire time and it was the weirdest vibe. Never did that to anyone else. Creepiest dude I ever met, to be honest. While he was over he openly told me he stole a girl's wallet so he could 'find it' and ask her out. I didn't hang out with him anymore after that."
Achaern
You know nothing...
"Dude called other people NPCs (non-player characters) and couldn't understand that women have their own thoughts that don't involve trying to impress men. Like... he couldn't understand that women have hobbies because they're fun. Weird, narcissistic, and creepy. Oh yeah, he doesn't like it when he gets called creepy."
haunted-poopy
The Crazy Influencer
"He stalked me, threatened me, got me involved in a cross-country legal thing, caused me to beg for a restraining order which was finally granted, lied about me, harassed me, and showed up to my house with a gun. Why? I was his coworker at a retail store for a few months and said “no” when he wanted to date randomly. I barely knew his name at the time… he’s an 'influencer' now that he’s out of jail."
AleshiniaLivesStill
My Protector
"I had a client whose dog protected me from him. He had a creepy fake smile, and that pit bull sat on my foot, staring at him, and keeping herself between us. He laughed and said she's always protecting him, but if she was, she wouldn't have her back to me. She was keeping him away from me."
Hopefulkitty
Listen to the gut...
"I can't put a finger on why I was creeped out by him the first time we met, but a few months later he murdered two people."
"So I'm really glad I was creeped out by him the first time we met."
Ok_Whatever_Buddy
This is why I try never to leave the house.
Some people have lost their minds.
Be safe out there!
Things That Seem Normal For Americans But Weird To The Rest Of The World
Americans, we sure are an eclectic bunch.
We don't realize just how eclectic until we're outside of the country looking in.
Some of our traditions, several of our rules and TONS of our laws are kinda all over the place.
That's why people love to visit from all over.
Who doesn't want to see the zoo animals from inside the cage?
Redditor Specialist-Anybody3 wanted to discuss the aspects of life Americans found ordinary that others don't. So they broached the question:
"What things are normal for Americans but weird for non-Americans?"
We Americans have some funny ways to live.
And everybody notices.
Privacy First
toilet creeping GIFGiphy"Large gaps above, below and between the bathroom stalls..."
KimPTM
"Holy Jesus this! So nice to poop in private in Europe. I have no idea why the US does this!"
hhgfryhjkoo
Travel Tips
"If you drive for five hours in the United States, you’re pretty much still in the same place. If you drive for five hours in Europe, everyone’s talking funny and the cheese is different."
KaimeiJay
"In the US, 100 miles is nothing, 100 years is a lot. In Europe, 100 miles is a lot, 100 years is nothing."
"The stone retaining wall for the front of our property (here in Germany) is dated 1846, and it's nothing special. Many of the houses in the old part of our small town are 1300 and older."
insainodwayno
Dates...
"Writing the date format as mm-dd-yyyy instead of dd-mm-yyyy."
silkybow-
"This actually worked to my advantage. I’m a Brit and moved to the US when I was 20. I’m not a big drinker but was still mad I couldn’t get a beer. Then I realized that my DOB on my driving license would be read backwards making it appear I was a few months older and therefore 21. It never got turned down and I used it a lot."
UncleKodeia
"I work 911 dispatch. We have to write it at work as yyyy-mm-dd. Don't know why, but we do."
TheUnconfirmedk1ll
Mental Gymnastics
"Having to mentally add sales taxes on everything you buy. In Europe 9.95 means paying 9.95."
AaronBenne
"I thought we had this problem in Canada but I didn't realize just how much worse it was in the US until I moved here. In Canada, we have a VAT based tax so in Ontario, you just add 13% to the price to find the final price. Annoying, but not complicated."
"In the US, your sales tax changes based on your location increments smaller than a zip code because tax jurisdictions and zip codes were made separately. You have to basically use the exact address to figure out what tax jurisdiction you're actually in. It's practically impossible to know what actual tax you're gonna have to pay unless you've shopped there before or look it up."
BuccellatiExplainsIt
Nonsense
cbs wow GIF by Big BrotherGiphy"The fact that an 18 year old can drive and buy a gun while still being considered too young to drink alcohol."
Monika396
Some "rules" make no sense to many of us.
Years and Years
back to school college GIF by Rodney DangerfieldGiphy"Paying for college for 30 years after you graduated."
pingerlol
"That happens in England now, as well."
"But agree, for most developed countries, the idea of having an educated population is seen as a good thing that benefits everyone and should be affordable."
dannydevon
Attachments
"Attaching medical insurance to employment. One shouldn’t have anything to do with the other."
jimjamjimmerson
"Also, having a co-pay when you are covered, and a limit on what is paid. So, people are discouraged from seeking treatment early and for preventative care and can get financially ruined despite having coverage. It is a disgrace."
NameOfUserOfReddit
"I know, I've always thought that was odd. That is one thing I will never understand, America's healthcare system. How can your job be linked with your healthcare?"
BabySham8
Control
"HOAs like wtf. No other people who don't pay your mortgage telling you how to maintain your home."
throw_away_17381
"I've always thought this was the dumbest s**t. It's usually the fancier neighborhoods too. If I ever strike it rich, I'm buying a plot of land in the middle of nowhere and doing whatever the hell I want with my house. What's the point in having all that money and a house of your own if you decide to move somewhere where your property isn't under your control?"
Notthesharkfromjaws
'Hey, you need surgery'
"Seeing a possible serious medical problem with yourself and going 'ehh.'"
xx_Fiddler_xx
"I straight twisted a testicle. Since I didn't know this was possible, and I grew up on a farm so apparently my pain tolerance is pretty high, I thought it was no big deal."
"11 hours later is when I finally got off work and decided to go to urgent care."
"A total of 16 hours before I went in for surgery. I haven't gotten all the bills yet, but the one I did get has a doctor charging me $500 just to tell me I needed surgery. Not for the ultrasounds, or the surgery itself, or the follow-ups. Just to tell me 'hey, you need surgery.'"
"The worst part is, this is after the bill was run through 2 insurance programs."
StrayAI
Security
the mystery files of shelby woo nicksplat GIFGiphy"My friend attended his cousin's high school graduation in LA a while ago and he had to go through metal detectors and all that, as if he was going through airport security. So I guess metal detectors at school."
yeetgodmcnechass
We Americans are an interesting people.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.
The Creepiest Ways A Stranger Has Ever Tried To Come On To Them According To Woman
There are a lot of great things that go along with being a girl. We can grow our hair as long as we like, we can wear clothes generally meant for guys, and we never have to worry about getting judged for getting certain beauty treatments.
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows (or sugar, spice, and everything nice). Girls are often held to unfair beauty standards, expected to act in restrictive ways, and sometimes get harassed by strangers when getting hit on.
Now, we’re not saying women can’t be creepy when coming on to a man, but generally, women are the ones who have to deal with men coming on to them in the creepiest of ways.
Curious to find out more, Redditor springreleased asked:
“Women of Reddit: What is the creepiest way that a stranger has tried to come to you?”
Reverse Cinderella
"Not me, but one time I went to a party with a girl I had a huge crush on and some drunk guy started negging her by telling her her shoes made it look like she had horse hoofs instead of feet. Also that her pants were too high. He proposed removing both on her behalf."
– Suspicious_Lynx3066
Not Given A Chance
"Guy who I served in a bar I worked at when I was 18. He told me he was going to "walk behind that bar and finger you until you fucking cum". He was in his 50s."
"He did not finger me, as I threw him out and barred him."
– ElonMusksCarRecovery
"That's one of the reasons why I hate how underpaid people in restaurants are. Idk how a company just allow that, there's been several times where female coworkers asked to hide behind me or pretend I'm their boyfriend just to keep a creepy guy away from them, but they're regulars, so they get to stay. I'm glad you were able to throw him out."
– TylertheDank
Whodunnit?
"Before I met my husband, there was a guy I knew who liked to break into my car and leave me gifts. Creepy AF."
– Deathangel1976
"So they stopped after you met your husband?"
"Veeeeeeeeeeeery interesting..."
– NightsOW
"Plot twist. It was always your husband and he's always been too embarrassed to tell you."
– occpotato
Not Sure That's A Compliment
"I’m a guy but I have long hair, so a few fellows have gotten confused. One dark night, I was walking my large potato-like German Shepherd mix dog."
"We passed by some shrubs that were very dark. A man stepped out of a shrub and into my path. He looked at my dog, and looked at me, before finally saying, “Beautiful dog, so beautiful.” I thanked the guy, then he looked deep into my eyes and said, “And you look just like your dog.”"
– SlavojVivec69
Following The Leader
"Sat behind me on the bus for weeks, then followed me home to see where I lived. Next day he knocked on my door holding wine and flowers. I was 18, he looked 30s. I slammed the door in his face, thankfully he never came back"
– Apprehensive-Ad4244
"I really want to know what goes through people’s heads when they do this. I had something similar but less extreme."
"I met a man on the bus and he started talking to me which I don’t mind the random conversations (I’ve had interesting and innocent conversations before on the bus). But then he followed me out of the bus even tho it wasn’t his stop. I told him I was meeting my brother and he thankfully didn’t push."
"Another time a “friend” followed me home. He had made some girls uncomfortable by trying to touch/hug them even tho we told him not to do that. He wanted to ask me out by coming to my house but he couldn’t remember which house I entered so I’m also thankful for that."
– I_love_misery
Ew, Ew, Ew!
"once a man attempted to push me down the stairs at the library and then pull me back up by my shoulders when I turned around he smiled and said "i think you owe me a feel?" He even made the boob-grabbing gesture with his hands it was weird and gross."
– No_Number9780
"Holy crap people are disgusting"
– DoggoGamrr
Like Mother, Like Daughter
"Probably this old dude from my mom's facebook contacts whose method of hitting on me was to inform he's sexed my mom before and wants to do the same to me."
"Yikes."
– Senrik95
"That's phenomenally disgusting. My mom told me that when a sleazy guy falls out with a girl he slept with, sometimes they'll go for the mom, then the sister, and onto the next girl in her family.
– Krispy_Krane
"Wow! Did he really expect you to respond positively to that!?!"
– Hthrhrry29
"I’m going to hell for laughing at how bad that is. MY GOD"
– wandringstar
Nowhere Is Safe
"My first job out of school, I was a server at this takeaway with a few tables (about 5) for people to sit and eat."
"I used to the Sunday morning shift, the breakfasts were popular."
"This guy (late 40s maybe) comes in as the breakfast rush is ending and makes some small talk and asks me how old I was, I was about to turn 18. He looks me up and down and says "that's old enough" and proceeds to place an order and pay for the Sunday roast - only ready in 3hrs time."
"He spends the time lurking, saying creepy stuff, and not moving from the register counter. I was too scared to leave him alone at the counter but also too scared to leave me alone with him."
"Eventually told my boss and he came and punched the guy."
"He never came back."
"Edit: i remembered another one. I think I was about 21 and I was driving home alone, at night. A pair of cops pulled me over because my new tires somehow looked bald to them. They started asking if I lived alone, if my car was locked, if it locked automatically. They let me go, but I was SO freaked out."
– MzFrazzle
"Are you certain those were cops that pulled you over? I don’t doubt that creepy police exist but that experience makes me wonder if those men even were legit. It all sounds so sketchy."
– paidcatlady
Un-Relaxing Beach Day
"I was alone at the beach & had fallen asleep on my oversized beach towel after surfing all day"
"I woke up to a smiling guy laying right next to me on my own towel asking if I had a nice nap"
– slavicgypsygirl
And now I will never take a nap on the beach again!
Do you have any stories to share? Let us know in the comments below.
People Describe The First Thing They'd Think If A Stranger Told Them 'I Know What You Did'
We all carry a secret–whether it's a scandalous one that could cause irreparable damage or one that is extremely embarrassing, it's better to take it to the grave than to live life through endless mockery.
Redditor Sheeppower4 had a hypothetical scenario and asked:
"A person comes up to you and says: 'I know what you did'. What’s the first thing that comes to mind?"
Some people resorted to humor for their responses.
A Wisecrack
"Then you weren’t as drunk as me."
– Shroomtune
When Memory Fails
"F'k what did I forget now?"
– ForgottenForce
The Stash
"The hoard of granola bars under my desk in a shopping bag I've been slowly building up."
– ReverendLoveboy
Busted
"Sh*t, they know about the cheese heist."
– Blocko_tritaco
Some would be left scratching their heads.
Huh???
"Confusion."
– Ccaster0620
"Very much confusion, because I haven't done anything scandalous."
"I go to work and I go home. Sometimes I go to the grocery store."
"I wish I wasn't quite a goody two shoes, but here I am. Boring. So what did I do? I have no idea."
– brokendowndryer
Second-Guessing
"I would also be confused. But worried too because what if I did something unintentionally?"
– bunnyrut
Elaborate, Please
"Right? Which terrible thing are you referring to? That thing yesterday with the mess? Last week and the shovel? The tarps and ropes in January?"
"Please be more specific."
– hippocratical
Frame Of Reference
"Ominous undertones aside, I feel like this would probably be my response regardless. Most people have done plenty of things in their lifetime... good, bad, and everything between. If you don't specify which thing you're referring to, I'm not really going to have a frame of reference of where the conversation is going."
– ReggieLeBeau
Some turned the hypothetical confrontation into a challenge.
Perspective
"It's not about what you know, it's about what can you prove in court."
– GraceChamber
Blow Their Cover
"They're lying. It took a lot of time and effort to cover my tracks, no way that anyone knows about it."
– Chucks_u_Farley
Two Can Play This Game
"I would say, 'Me too.'"
"And stare at them not speaking any more."
– Oriumpor
If you're an open book with nothing to hide, hats off to you.
It must be nice walking around as someone who possesses no ounce of guilt, whatsoever.
But I can detect there's something lurking behind that confident smug.
'Fess up, buddy. I know what you did.
Why not relieve some of that burden bearing down on your shoulders and come clean? I won't tell...
Now, what's your response?
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This Woman's Viral Thread About Helping A Stranger On The Train Is An Incredible Must-Read
Many of us have had to ask for help at some point in our lives.
Oftentimes, it is a challenging thing to do, even in our most difficult circumstances.
However, when help is asked for, good people show up.
Erynn Brook was on her way home from work when she encountered a woman. The story of what happened next quickly went viral.
Sometimes a happenstance meeting can shift someone deeply.
I’m waiting on kitty ultrasound results and trying to distract myself a little bit so I’d like to tell you a story… https://t.co/pyAWNhvSop— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400160
I was on my way home after work. It’s about 10pm, and the subway is pulling up to my stop. I’ve been stressed about… https://t.co/AvzZJTB4wK— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400215
She’d been looking at me and I hadn’t really noticed. Her lips were barely moving, but I took out one earbud and sa… https://t.co/VuxXcIC25T— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400291
Many would have ignored this girl, but Erynn decided not to.
At the top it said “my seizure plan”. I blinked at it then looked up at her. “Are you having a seizure now?” I aske… https://t.co/h6SzAgGMn4— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400391
She mentioned her stop was 3 stops away. I asked if she would like me to ride with her to her stop. She said she di… https://t.co/Rd4a2Ve0cm— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400531
Then, only a laminated page to guide her, Erryn jumped into action.
Then she seized. She had already moved her purse out of the way and folded her scarf in a place to catch her head a… https://t.co/ffVnVSfbYB— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400652
This seizure plan paper is like an anchor. It says what to do, what not to do, how long seizures might last, what m… https://t.co/CkW6OXwabF— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400903
Then she offered to stay with the girl until her stop.
I tell her I’m just going to ride the subway with her to her stop, and if we miss it, don’t worry, I’ll sit with he… https://t.co/MaVSXQoNy0— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554400998
She mentions that she needs to get a prescription refill. I say prescription refills are so annoying. She nods a bi… https://t.co/DYaa2Q89r8— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554401087
She was flabbergasted by the vulnerability of having a seizure disorder.
It says she gets these seizures 1-4 times a day, and each episode lasts 10-60mins. Just think about that for a se… https://t.co/LfxIgzMLgR— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554401269
She comes out close to her stop. I ask her if she wants to get off. And she says “I’m just so tired, I want to go h… https://t.co/MZmVp4YOA3— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554401409
She places her folded scarf on the back of the chair and positions herself just so. She tells me “if it gets real b… https://t.co/d8KaC2OwCd— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554401510
Then, Erynn decided to get the girl home.
I’m a big sister and a woman in the world. I’m either sitting with her until she’s completely ready to get up and w… https://t.co/ohhpQxkMS3— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554401702
She just needs to make it up the stairs. She says her condo is right outside the exit. Offer to walk her up the sta… https://t.co/Aaxz4meNWy— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554401812
We get to the barrier and I say. “I’d like to walk you to your building door if you’ll let me.” She protests again,… https://t.co/iqHZMXTUzU— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554401937
She tells me that one of her seizures yesterday happened at the gym. THE GYM! I don’t even go to the gym and I have… https://t.co/QyX5Q2WDIS— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554402191
I walk her to her building door and open it for her. She says “thank you for staying with me and getting me home sa… https://t.co/TwqibpJ6XH— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554402310
This brought up many feelings about the ways in which we interact with each other, and what few defense mechanisms this girl had.
I have so many feelings. And they keep coming back to that scarf. That’s the image I see. How it was pre-folded bef… https://t.co/stPIyoRqHL— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554402446
She was fully prepared to go it alone. I didn’t help her, not really. My job was to make sure that no one interrupt… https://t.co/Z3P1kTNQKI— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554402511
She called us to action.
It’s not a story about me being a good person. It’s not a story about how brave she is (though she clearly is), it’… https://t.co/ttvbCudtQw— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554403030
We’re taught to call 911 when something looks bad and we don’t know what it is. And if I hadn’t heard her, if she d… https://t.co/i5RA76ciSI— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554403172
And this girl who’s just trying to go home because this is her daily life, would’ve been burdened with loud noises… https://t.co/faWMxDGmkY— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554403227
This girl has seizures more reliably than I eat breakfast. And she’s just out there living her life as best she c… https://t.co/mkHeT5wAQ5— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554404264
Before addressing larger and more systemic issues.
[cn/tw: assault] There is no policy or program structure that addresses the high rates of assault for disabled fo… https://t.co/Mjgx0XIgXM— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554404838
We built a world where an 18 year old who gets seizures 1-4 times a day, is taking the subway home, alone, and she… https://t.co/08opRK8XKQ— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554405670
We built a world where I could hit an emergency alarm button and walk off at my stop, feeling like I just saved thi… https://t.co/tCwLIVedsT— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554405932
Don’t get me wrong, emergency services are great and we should use them when we need to. That’s not the point of th… https://t.co/7zuYDh1mwg— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554406100
“She looks nice.” It took maybe 30 minutes out of my day to make sure she got home. And she didn’t need me at all… https://t.co/WmoZzbIN4u— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554406369
She noted the difference between accommodating someone and truly helping them.
Accommodation is the bare minimum. If I sat with her until my stop and then left, that’s what accommodation looks l… https://t.co/PHIKjjTDop— Erynn Brook (@Erynn Brook) 1554406584
Many people's hearts were warmed.
@ErynnBrook Thank you so much for the reminder that compassion can build bridges and touch lives in ways that money… https://t.co/SrpmACESMC— Jeff Bray (@Jeff Bray) 1554425828
@ErynnBrook I’m glad she found a safe person in you.— Sharon Olive✍️ (@Sharon Olive✍️) 1554427047
@ErynnBrook Thank you for writing this. Thank you for helping.— Jane Worley (@Jane Worley) 1554430747
This is how you show up for people.