What compels people to be so trusting? I don't leave myself unattended let alone kids, pets, electronics, food, drinks.... the list is endless. I don't trust anybody with my stuff, including family. You never know. In this day and age the blind faith some people have is astonishing. We'll carry mace and guns for protection from crime but then sheepishly leave our belongings with absolute strangers? No. Just no!
Redditor u/ProfessorNasty wanted everyone to listen up to some cautionary tales by asking.... People who've been asked 'watch my stuff for 5 minutes', have you ever experienced anything in those 5 minutes that required you to step in?
The Sidekick....
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When I was 8 I was walking to the corner store when I saw my friends older brother with his pitbull. He asked me to watch his dog (he was on a leash) for a few moments so he can go in a buy a soda. So he walks in and this pitbull (probably twice the size of me) just goes nuts at a bird and takes me with it around the parking lot. Moots_point
Run! Whiskey Run!
I was a regular at a very mellow bar and would often be the only one there besides the bartender. One day he said he had to go out for a minute and asked me to watch the bar. It's the first time that has happened to me and I felt pretty good about being trusted like that.
20 seconds after he leaves a dude runs in the door at speed, jumps and slides across the bar, grabbing a bottle of whisky and jumps off at the end running out the other exit. It happened so fast and was utterly out of character for the area.
Like a minute later the bartender came back and was like... what happened? I tried to explain but he couldn't keep a straight face. The other dude works up the street and was coming to meet the bartender and couldn't resist the opportunity to mess with me and went and gave the bottle back to the bartender.
That they played the prank actually made me feel much more part of the family there than when I was asked to watch it to begin with. jwm3
Are you Married?
I used to work at a coffee shop and people would ask that pretty regularly. Generally it wasn't a problem except one time when guy leaves his laptop on the counter to be watched ... girl comes up and tries to take it ... I grab it and put it behind the counter ... turns out it was his girlfriend and he acted put out that I hadn't let a stranger (to me, if not to him) walk out with his laptop. CursusUrsa
Oh the slots!
Friends invited me to go with them to a large casino and "try my luck" at slot machines.
While I was playing a slot, the lady next to me - a woman probably in her 80s - asked if I'd watch her machine while she made a quick visit to the ladies room. I smiled and said that I'd be glad to reserve it for her.
She left the machine with over $485 credit displayed in the machine's credit window - just waiting to be played or cashed out.
Some guy game along, spotted the $485 credit, and sat down at the machine faster than I could stop him. I explained that I was "watching" the machine for a lady using the lavatory. But he didn't care, and was about to push the "Max Bet" button ($3 per spin) to start gambling using the lady's credit.
Fortunately, a casino attendant came by and I got him to intervene just as the lady returned. The guy was physically removed and escorted out. Back2Bach
The Kids are Alright....
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We took my daughter to the local children's museum recently. Right as we walked into one of the rooms, this poor woman comes running up to us asking me if I would hold her baby because her daughter was stuck in the slide. I held the little guy and made sure that I was in her line of sight the whole time. She seemed really embarrassed but stuff happens and kids are unpredictable. Apparently I don't look like someone who would kidnap a child. mudbean
Silly Tourists....
I was posted up with some friends at the beach and these dudes asked us to watch their stuff while the swam. 30 minutes later the tide starts to roll in getting dangerously close to their stuff so me and my friends haul 5 dudes stuff 30 meters up to where we are. I'm talking coolers and chairs and everything. They came back and thought we moved their stuff because we were trying to hit on them. Helloooo dumb tourists, your sh!t almost washed away. HappyOpal
It's a dog!
I was sitting with friends in a cafeteria at college and a women set down a tote bag and asked us to watch it while she went to the bathroom. Not long after she walked away a chihuahua poked its head out. I was delighted, but seriously, say there's an animal in there!! Notathrowawaysleeve
NO Ice Cream for you!
One time I was at McDonald's with my son (we were traveling) and a woman came to me with her son. He seemed to be about 3. She looked very sick and asked me to keep an eye on him for a couple of minutes. She went in the bathroom and I could hear her coughing all the way out in the play area. While she was in there her son asked me why I was so fat. I told him I was going to have a baby soon. No further drama. She came out a few minutes later, thanked me, bought her son an ice cream cone and they left. UffdaWow
Do I know you?
"Save my seat" in a sold out movie theatre with a popular film is a huge pain in the butt. Thankfully most theaters around have gone to assigned seating by now. AyronNorya
Gimme 5....
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I've bugged people by saying "5 minutes aren't up yet, I can't let you take this," but besides annoying the requester, it's usually the act of someone watching it, that keeps it secure. IGetYourReferences
A Jay's Jinx....
After a Blue Jays game in Toronto, my brother in-law and I were asked to watch a hotdog vendors cart so she could use the bathroom. To be fair, my BIL is a cop and I've been asked if I'm military, both clean cut blah blah. Lady runs into the train station and we start getting customers. She was gone for 5-10 mins but we made her $60. We walk away with a dog and pop and of course, a Jays loss. PineappleBum
The Venice Trap!
Walking on Venice Beach boardwalk once when one of the artisan vendors stopped my wife and begged her to watch his little booth as he really had to go to the bathroom. She agreed, he fled, holding his butt. hehe. Lord knows where he ate that morning! She called after him "Hey, how much are these paintings?" "$10 for big, $5 for small," he hollered back while still running to the toilet.
Anyway, my wife embraced the moment, actively started peddling and charming those in earshot. I was chuckling watching it all. She explained she knew absolutely nothing about any of it, or the artist, other than he wasn't having the best of days... and sold two of his little paintings in the 15 minutes he was gone!
He returns, she handed him the 10 bucks and pointed out the empty spaces where two prints were, then said, "In case you didn't make it, I figured you might need an emergency clothing fund." haha.
PS: some of you might remember this day on Venice Beach, actually. It was the same day that bizarre lightning bolt (on a perfectly sunny, clear day) struck the water near the beach, killing two people, and sending 12 to hospital! My gawd. I remember the huge BOOM from that strike! I thought a bomb went off. DCCrankmusic
Can you swim?
When my friend was traveling around America, a guy asked her to watch his stuff while he went swimming at the beach. Turns out he almost drowned while he was out there. Ambulances and police showed up and she had to give a statement. I don't think she ever found out what happened to the guy before she left to come home. UnrealDisco
Nights at the Pub.
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Yes.
The pub I go to has a few customers who always leave their drinks with others. It's gotten to the point where everyone knows the drinks are theirs, and no one cares.
Once, though. This one time, some fool walked into the pub looking for a fight and was apparently just taking drinks out of people's hands and trying to neck them. I had no idea about this at the time, but he walked up and grabbed one of the drinks that I was asked to look after.
It was just strange. I asked him where the hell he thought he was doing, and he just got really aggressive. Next thing I know: the police are there.
It was an incredibly strange night. ionised
What's your internet password?
Guy told me to watch his stuff because he was going to take a nap. Slept like an hour, but I was stealing the free WiFi so I didn't really mind. sleepilyLee
Going Number 2?
Once I was on the train to go home, and a cute couple sits in front of me with their bags. After a while, they both go to the bathroom and ask me if I can watch their stuff. I say yes, knowing that my stop was 10 minutes later and figuring that it wouldn't have taken them more than that to come back from the bathroom. Turns out it actually did, I had to leave and there was no one else there I could warn, so I just got off the train. Still don't know what happened. Maybe they were mad when they saw I wasn't there anymore, but I couldn't miss my stop, and who tf goes to the bathroom and stays there for more than 10 minutes, knowing that their stuff is all out there being watched by a stranger? Stillstilldre
Don't Play!
When I worked retail, a lady came up to me and said that her son was wandering around the store. We were in a strip mall, so she was going to go to one of the other stores for a "few minutes" to teach him a lesson about not wandering off. And then she left.
Within, like, two minutes, the kid came up to me asking to help find his mom. I told the truth, that she had run next door and would be back soon, but he was so bummed that his mom would leave him behind like that. AmbizzleQ
Baggage Claim....
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I was waiting in line to board an Amtrak train when the woman behind me in line asked if I would watch her suitcase while she ran to the bathroom. The gates hadn't opened yet so I said sure. Shortly after she left, the gates opened and it was a mad dash to the train. I felt like I would be trampled if I didn't move, but I didn't want to bring her suitcase with me because I wouldn't know how to find her. And my selfish butt didn't want to risk not getting a good seat on the train. So I left the suitcase there and went to get on the train. Didn't see her again. I still feel bad about that. murrrdith
Kidding. Maybe?
No, but I do like telling people that I don't mind watching their stuff but also what should I do if someone does try and take it? Usually they'll joke back, but some times their faces go completely blank when they realize that they don't actually know what they expect someone to do. ImposingPenguin
For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.
Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.
The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.
Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:
"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"
Serious Danger
"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."
"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."
oofboof2020
Waiting for Food
"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."
"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."
nowhereboy1964
Captain Hobo to the Rescue
"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."
"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"
"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."
FartAttack911
Survival
tsunami GIF
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"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."
faithfulpoo
These Tsunami stories are just tragic.
On the Sand
Scared The Launch GIF by CTV
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"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."
oyloff
Be Clever
"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."
OstneyPiz
Bad Jokes
"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."
Alegan239
YOU
Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
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"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"
PrettyLola2004
Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.
No one should talk to others in the dark though.
Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen
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What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
Hug GIF by The BarkPost
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Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
sleepy kitten GIF
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Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official
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Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...