Strange things people say to you in public

[saraha]

Yesterday at the grocery store, I had my back to the cashier, unloading my cart, while she finished up with the guy in front of me.  With my back still turned to her, I hear her say

C:  "Your hair makes me sick!"

Me:  turns to her :huh:

C: I can't grow my hair that long, just makes me sick

Me: Uh, ok?

C: That was a compliment

Me: Uh, ok, thanks

 

I do have hair that goes past my backside, and had worn it down yesterday, and when I do, I occasionally get compliments, but have never had that said to me before!

 

What other weird things have people said to you in public?

Edited May 26, 2017 by saraha

[momacacia]

Erm, actually, it's not *your hair* making her sick, she's getting sick over *her hair*. But, yeah, weird.

 

I try to wear my hair up a lot. ;)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm not a fan of backhanded compliments. I had a woman tell me that I made her sick because my then toddlers were well behaved. The stupid thing was that her toddlers were perfectly fine and were no different than mine.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest]

More than once, always in WalMart--

"Do all those kids have the same dad?"

 

No, I have a thing going on with the mailman, tell no one.

 

Why do people think they are entitled to personal information??

[Scarlett]

More than once, always in WalMart--

"Do all those kids have the same dad?"

 

No, I have a thing going on with the mailman, tell no one.

 

Why do people think they are entitled to personal information??

 

 

I can think of so many snarky things to say to that question.

[Scarlett]

I'm not a fan of backhanded compliments. I had a woman tell me that I made her sick because my then toddlers were well behaved. The stupid thing was that her toddlers were perfectly fine and were no different than mine.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

I know right.  I much prefer, 'you have beautiful hair.'

 

Or 'your children are so well behaved'.

[Selkie]

I was waiting in line at the pharmacy and had a bag with a few red bell peppers in the basket of my cart. The woman behind me said, "Oh, I thought that was a baby in your cart!" Then she pointed at one of the peppers and said, "I thought that was its head!" Um, no, that does not remotely resemble a baby...weird!

[Daria]

More than once, always in WalMart--

"Do all those kids have the same dad?"

 

No, I have a thing going on with the mailman, tell no one.

 

Why do people think they are entitled to personal information??

 

I'm a special educator, so my class size is small.  I've gotten this on field trips.

 

Yes, I have 5 8 year old sons of various races.  They all have different dads.  That explains everything!  

[Julie Smith]

When Youngest was between 1 month and about 4 months old, and Eldest was 18 months older then that, several times I had people asking if they were twins. 

 

???

 

One was a baby in arms, the other was walking beside me. (Eldest walked early and well). 

 

 

[Guest]

When my identical twins were babies and in a side-by-side stroller, I had someone step in front of the stroller and block my way, then asked me, "How'd you do that?"

 

Um... do what?

 

"How'd you get them to look so much the same?"

 

Ugh. As if I had any choice in the matter.

 

(Note: I never dressed my twins the same.)

Edited May 26, 2017 by Kinsa

[Jean in Newcastle]

When Youngest was between 1 month and about 4 months old, and Eldest was 18 months older then that, several times I had people asking if they were twins. 

 

???

 

One was a baby in arms, the other was walking beside me. (Eldest walked early and well). 

 

I had that happen with my son and my friend's son.  People would ask if they were twins.  They aren't even the same race. 

[Liz CA]

When my identical twins were babies and in a side-by-side stroller, I had someone step in front of the stroller and block my way, then asked me, "How'd you do that?"

 

Um... do what?

 

"How'd you get them to look so much the same?"

 

Ugh. As if I had any choice in the matter.

 

(Note: I never dressed my twins the same.)

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: Well, you know it was probably something I ate...

[hjffkj]

Today while walking in the parking lot someone asked in passing, " brought out the whole herd today!?!?" Referring to my 5 kids. I cheerfully responded, " nope I left the other ten at home!" They looked at me like I was the weird one.

[Liz CA]

More than once, always in WalMart--

"Do all those kids have the same dad?"

 

No, I have a thing going on with the mailman, tell no one.

 

Why do people think they are entitled to personal information??

 

"Well, let's see. This one I cannot remember...this one was the fridge repair guy, and this one....

[Jean in Newcastle]

I had that happen with my son and my friend's son.  People would ask if they were twins.  They aren't even the same race. 

 

Quoting myself to say that I guess it is possible, though.  http://nypost.com/2015/03/02/meet-the-bi-racial-twins-no-one-believes-are-sisters/

[Word Nerd]

When my identical twins were babies and in a side-by-side stroller, I had someone step in front of the stroller and block my way, then asked me, "How'd you do that?"

 

Um... do what?

 

"How'd you get them to look so much the same?"

 

Ugh. As if I had any choice in the matter.

 

(Note: I never dressed my twins the same.)

You molded their little faces like a sculpture, perhaps? 

[Julie Smith]

Quoting myself to say that I guess it is possible, though.  http://nypost.com/2015/03/02/meet-the-bi-racial-twins-no-one-believes-are-sisters/

 

I was looking for that same information, to let you know it was possible. 

 

So thanks for saving me the work. 

[Pawz4me]

I'm super short (4' 10") and total strangers feel the need to come up to me and point it out sometimes. As if I didn't realize it. Some day I'm going to say to someone "Yeah, I'm short but I'm not rude and stupid like you."

[KatieJ]

I have huge gaps in age in my kiddoes. That's the way God gave them to us, we did not plan it.

 

One gentleman who was a guest in my home at the time asked me what the story was here....

 

He was never invited back.

[tdbates78]

I was at a Brugger's Bagels with DH and my then 4-month old twins. A man, standing with his wife in line behind us, asked me if I delivered them vaginally :huh:

Edited May 26, 2017 by tdbates78

[Guest]

I was at a Brugger's Bagels with DH and my then 4-month old twins. A man, standing with his wife in line behind us, asked me if I delivered them vaginally :huh:

OMG! ROFL!

[Starr]

I was at a Brugger's Bagels with DH and my then 4-month old twins. A man, standing with his wife in line behind us, asked me if I delivered them vaginally :huh:

 

 

I think this is the winner!

[TheReader]

I've had many of the above, and I only have 3 kids. My oldest 2 people always thought were twins if they were sitting down (the youngest was exceedingly tall for his age, but both boys carry their height in their legs, so sitting it wasn't *as* obvious the age difference....they're 3 yrs apart. 

 

The worst comment I ever got in public, though (actually two...) was on an airplane, overnight flight, so I was slipping off my shoes & putting on slipper socks. I had an aisle seat, and the guy across the aisle saw me with (very briefly) bare feet and made a comment suggesting I keep my socks off...something like "Oh, don't cover those up! Please?!" in a way that really made me uncomfortable. :shiver: I was traveling alone, which made it worse. 

 

Second worst, a guy outside Walmart, as I'm walking in with my boys, then preschool age/toddlers. "Do I know you from somewhere?" (no...)  "Are you sure? You look so familiar? Did you go to such & such school...?"  (nope, sorry, polite smile...) He kept on, and I finally told him I was married. His reply?  "Happily?" 

 

Ummm, yes. And really, so not interested. 

 

The usual stuff I get is people being "sick" that I"m so thin (yep, hate that one), and not believing I'm my kids' mom since I'm "so young looking" and "gosh, how old were you when you had them???" which, hello, even if I had been 14 or something, is it really their business? :sigh: But the above from grown men were the funniest/worst. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I had a woman follow me around the grocery store once when ds was an infant.  She asked if he was a premie.  I said "no".  A bit of a strange question but that was ok.  But then she started to argue with me that he was so small that he had to be a premie!  (He was 7 lb. 11 oz. when born so even as an infant it's not like he was abnormally small.)  I finally turned to her and asked "Have you ever heard of genetics?  My husband and I are small.  Our baby isn't going to be a bruiser."  She left all offended.  Oh well. 

[TechWife]

I can think of so many snarky things to say to that question.

 

"I'm not sure. What do you think?" comes to mind. 

[MommyLiberty5013]

I have what's called hyper calcification on one of my top front teeth. Basically, it's a spot that is really, really white and doesn't blend into the color of my other teeth. I've never been bothered by it - it isn't very large and it's white and teeth are white sooooo, why fuss? And it has no negative affect or danger to my teeth or health.

 

One time when we lived in KY at our dentist, I was laying in the exam chair and the dentist struck up a conversation with the hygienist, in the same room as me, about a "friend" she had who has hyper calcification and how she opted to get it fixed. Then the dentist in front of me, proceeded to lament how she couldn't understand why anybody didn't want to get it fixed. It was obvious it was a "fake" conversation to get me to ask about fixing ($$$ to her) my tooth extra-whiteness. It annoyed me. It was highly rude and unprofessional.

 

We ended up finding a new dentist after that.

 

Anyway, if she has just looked at me and said, "That's hyper calcification on your tooth in front. If it bothers you in any way, I would be able to get rid of it and make that area blend with your other teeth." That would be a professional observing me and providing a way to fix it instead of making me feel like an invisible fish in a fish bowl.

[MommyLiberty5013]

I was at a Brugger's Bagels with DH and my then 4-month old twins. A man, standing with his wife in line behind us, asked me if I delivered them vaginally :huh:

 

How is ANY reference in public to a women's vagina at all appropriate? Wow. How did you respond to him?

 

I probably would've said, "Nope. Amazon Prime."

 

[Guest]

I was often asked if mine were twins, and they are four years apart!

Edited May 26, 2017 by Fifiruth

[OH_Homeschooler]

While traveling once in another state, I was refilling my gas and a guy approached me. He saw my county on my license plate and said "Oh, are you from there?" So I said yep, expecting him to say he was from there too, or knew someone from there.  "I lived there for a while. I hated it." Then he walked away without further comment.

 

Okay, thanks for sharing?  

 

Also, I used to get "You're fat." Oh wow really? I had no idea! (I'm still fat but I don't get that much anymore. Maybe since I'm older people realize I'm aware of the situation?)

[ErinE]

I had a woman ask me how I had a blue-eyed child. For background, I have brown eyes and DH has blue eyes. I told her my father had blue eyes so I carry the gene.

 

Stranger: "No, really. How does your child have blue eyes?"

Me: Long-winded explanation on genetics and gene dominance

Stranger: "I still don't understand how your child has blue eyes."

Me: "Well, my child just does." (walk away)

DH (talking to stranger): "Honestly, we're not certain she's the mother, but we know I'm the father."

 

He then walked away from the confused woman. I thought the story was good for a laugh.

[tdbates78]

Ha! I should have said Amazon Prime! I was in such shock (and sleep deprovation) that I gave the honest answer (yes) and walked away before he could ask any specifics!

 

I got all kinds of nosy questions with twins (the girl at Ikea who asked if I took a pill because she wants twins?!) but the vaginal birth one takes the cake!

Edited May 26, 2017 by tdbates78

[Guest]

People say the weirdest stuff to me all the time, asking if my kids are twins are the least of it...but I have always wondered:

 

What is on the other side of the twin question? If you say, "yes they are twins," what do they say then?

 

Why are random people forever asking if kids are twins???

[Guest]

I had a woman ask me how I had a blue-eyed child. For background, I have brown eyes and DH has blue eyes. I told her my father had blue eyes so I carry the gene.

 

Stranger: "No, really. How does your child have blue eyes?"

Me: Long-winded explanation on genetics and gene dominance

Stranger: "I still don't understand how your child has blue eyes."

Me: "Well, my child just does." (walk away)

DH (talking to stranger): "Honestly, we're not certain she's the mother, but we know I'm the father."

 

He then walked away from the confused woman. I thought the story was good for a laugh.

 

"They're implants."

[purpleowl]

DD#1 has always been tall for her age, and she was verbal early. When she was nearing her fourth birthday, another mom in a play area asked me how old she was. "Almost four," I told her. She got this look of disbelief on her face and said, "She's only three? Are you SURE?" Well, you know, I was there, sooo...

[kitten18]

I was waiting in line at the pharmacy and had a bag with a few red bell peppers in the basket of my cart. The woman behind me said, "Oh, I thought that was a baby in your cart!" Then she pointed at one of the peppers and said, "I thought that was its head!" Um, no, that does not remotely resemble a baby...weird!

This story is really my favorite.

It's just soooo bizarre. 🤣🤣🤣

[JumpyTheFrog]

I'm trying to think of any weird random stuff a stranger has said to me out in public. I can't remember anything. Now I wonder if I look unfriendly or if these off the wall comments are more unsusual than this thread makes it seem.

[Mimm]

I was pushing Oldest in a cart in Walmart when she was a baby, and she loved to stand up in the front seat. So I was holding onto her with both hands, and pushing the cart with my elbows on the handle. Some woman said, "You shouldn't let her do that. They won't give you anything if she gets hurt and you sue." Really, lady?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm sure I told this one before.  I was in a pet store with my disabled dog.  Another customer started to practically wail over my dog.  "What happened?"  I told her that she had been hit  by a car years ago and was left partially paralyzed.  She looked at me and said "Did you treat her?"  No, lady, I left her to drag herself home in her own blood.  Of course I treated her.  But I bit my tongue and just said "yes" and then added that she isn't in any pain.  That seemed to alleviate the woman's anguish at any rate. 

[Murphy101]

I was at a Brugger's Bagels with DH and my then 4-month old twins. A man, standing with his wife in line behind us, asked me if I delivered them vaginally :huh:

People, men and woman, ask me all the time if I delivered any or all of many vaginally. How they phrase it varies in vagarity but that is still the question.

 

I had one woman follow up with it made her vagina hurt just looking at me and my kids and exclaim I must be all sorts of stretched out.

 

Um. Thanks for your concern? 😳

 

And yes, I often get questions about paternity in various ways too.

 

My husband jokes yes, they are or that's the story I told him anyways.

[Scarlett]

I was in the drive-thru the other night and a young girl there complimented me on my hair. I had let it air dry and it was frizzy. I was kind of dumbfounded. Then she said she wished she could've been born in the 70's and 80's, so she could have hippie hair, too. 😂

 

 

Yes, I had a girl in the drive through ask me if I was Asian once.  She was Asian.  I am not.  I was so dumbfounded by the question I just stammered.

[Mom22ns]

My coworker and I had our first babies 5 days apart. Hers was a girl, mine a boy. She babysat for me for awhile and used to take the kids around in a twins stroller. People used to ask her if they were twins all the time. She was always annoyed by it and started answering, "No, they're 5 days apart." and walking away. She said people would just stare open mouthed trying to figure that out.  :lol:

[Arctic Bunny]

Yes, I had a girl in the drive through ask me if I was Asian once. She was Asian. I am not. I was so dumbfounded by the question I just stammered.

I was registered through a smaller college that was part of the big university. The lady at the desk asked me if I was sure I was in the right place, and not looking for the First Nations college? I also didn't know what to say. Even if I looked AT ALL First Nations (which I don't - other than brown hair), how outrageous to suggest that I could only have registered through the First Nations college!

[gingersmom]

I was often asked if mine were twins, and they are four years apart!

People have asked if my brother and I are twins.

 

We are 2 1/2 years apart, he's 6'2 and I'm barely 5'4.

[Liz CA]

I was at a Brugger's Bagels with DH and my then 4-month old twins. A man, standing with his wife in line behind us, asked me if I delivered them vaginally :huh:

 

Good Grief! I hope you just raised an eyebrow and remained silent.

 

[happi duck]

Not weird but people often speak Spanish to me first. I'm not sure what makes me look Hispanic.

 

I get "your hair is so long" a lot. Um, thanks?

 

Ds was 11 pounds and a c section. People always asked. When that fact was shared a lady at church proudly told me she delivered a bigger baby vaginally. Um, good for you?? Sorry I failed?

[Liz CA]

I cannot believe all the things people have been asked! I suppose those with larger families or cute twins stand out more and people want to comment...or may I look so forbidding that nobody would dare ask anything. ;)

[Liz CA]

People have asked if my brother and I are twins.

 

We are 2 1/2 years apart, he's 6'2 and I'm barely 5'4.

 

Fraternal twins don't necessarily look more alike than siblings but considering this thread, people must be preoccupied with twins. :)

[SpecialClassical]

I once had a cashier ask if my child was autistic right in front of her, as if autistic people can't hear. What in the world?!

 

(My daughter has FAS and has blank affect when she is overwhelmed.)

[Shelly in IL]

When I was overdue with my first son (2 weeks and 2 days!), I went in to a baby boutique to pass the time - I think at that point I was a full two weeks overdue. Anyway, I mentioned it to the cashier as I was checking out and she said, reallly?? You're pregnant??? I just thought you were fat!! Unbelievable!

[fdrinca]

I had all of the kiddos at the supermarket, and the cashier said they looked like "Flowers in the Attic children." 

 

Um...