Stupid Things People Do in Public That Make Everyone Cringe

Stupid Things People Do in Public That Make Everyone Cringe

We’ve all been there – minding our own business in a public place when suddenly someone does something so outlandish, it makes you do a double-take. Whether it’s pure obliviousness or a lack of common courtesy, these cringe-worthy moments are universally awkward. Get ready to laugh (and maybe squirm a little) at these all-too-real examples.

1. Blasting their calls on speakerphone

We DON’T need to hear their breakup drama on speakerphone across the whole bus. Their private life suddenly becomes public entertainment, and the only escape is blasting our own headphones. Plus, we’re secretly dying to know how this juicy drama ends, even though we’re pretending not to listen.

2. Going at it with the PDA

A little hand-holding is sweet, but full-on make-out sessions? Save it for the bedroom! No one else needs to witness those tonsils battling it out while waiting in line at the post office. It makes you wonder if they’re secretly trying to make everyone else as uncomfortable as possible.

3. Playing music at full volume

Their taste in music might be questionable, but that’s no reason to force it on the entire park. The tinny, distorted tunes blasting from their phone aren’t a vibe, they’re noise pollution. We all secretly wish a rogue squirrel would chew through their headphone wires.

4. Clipping their nails on public transportation

Seriously? We’re all trying to enjoy our coffee break, and there’s a snip-snip soundtrack? Some personal grooming routines should remain strictly behind closed bathroom doors. Now we can’t get the image of their flying toenail clippings out of our heads (or the worry that one landed in our cappuccino).

5. Invading everyone’s personal space

They stand inches away at the ATM, breathing down your neck while you frantically remember your PIN. Personal space is a thing, and invading it causes us to break out in stress hives. You start contemplating whether it’s worth risking identity theft just to get away from them.

6. Letting their kids run riot

A child is screaming bloody murder in the grocery store, and their parent is nowhere to be found. We silently judge as the chaos unfolds, wondering if stepping in makes us heroes or busybodies. Half of you wants to intervene, the other half wants to grab the popcorn and enjoy the meltdown.

7. Blocking the sidewalk when people are trying to, you know, walk

A group takes up the whole sidewalk, walking at a snail’s pace, oblivious to anyone behind them. The urge to yell “Clear the runway!” is strong, but muttering under your breath is usually the safer option. Suddenly, you possess the ability to fantasize about elaborate ways to overtake them without making it look like assault.

8. Picking their nose

Please, for the love of all that’s holy, use a tissue! We all get a stray urge sometimes, but no one needs a front-row seat to their nasal excavation project. It’s a truly horrifying moment that will stay burned into your consciousness forever.

9. Telling people their life story without prompting

You’re trapped in a line, and suddenly he’s oversharing his medical history, his cat’s personality quirks, you name it. All you wanted was to buy milk, not be held hostage by a stranger’s biography. You desperately weigh up the pros and cons of pretending to get an urgent, life-altering phone call.

10. Littering

They finish a drink and casually toss it on the ground, as if the world is their personal trash can. Suddenly, you’re overcome by a desire to follow them home and dump all their garbage onto their bedroom floor. Don’t they realize someone else has to clean up their mess, and that person might have better things to do than play scavenger hunt with their discarded soda cans?

11. Picking their wedgies

Constant public wedgie-picking or rearranging their underwear is… a bold choice. Some things should just wait until they can find a bathroom and handle it in private. We all get the occasional wardrobe malfunction, but there’s no need to broadcast the solution to the entire grocery store.

12. Singing loudly… and badly

Their off-key, overly enthusiastic karaoke rendition in the supermarket is painful. We admire their confidence, but their talent leaves much to be desired. You desperately wish you brought noise-cancelling headphones along with your shopping list. It’s great they’re feeling the music, but perhaps they could save the full concert experience for a private shower session.

13. Going barefoot in inappropriate places

The grocery store is NOT the beach! We don’t need to see their questionable feet, no matter how much they insist on freedom of expression. The image of their calloused heels will now haunt every trip to the produce aisle. Shoes were invented for a reason, and we’re pretty sure that reason includes not subjecting the public to your un-pedicured toes.

14. Hogging multiple seats on public transportation

On a crowded bus, they spread their belongings across multiple seats, ensuring no one else can sit. Selfishness as a superpower…if only it wasn’t so wildly inconvenient for everyone else. You fantasize about loudly clearing your throat and asking, with exaggerated politeness, if their bag would like its own assigned seat.

15. Not going to the end of the line

They cut in lines like they’re allergic to waiting their turn. The audacity is astounding, leaving everyone else simultaneously fuming and impressed at their blatant disregard for social order. We can’t help but wonder what other basic societal rules they choose to ignore out of sheer principle.

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Jeff graduated from NYU with a degree in Political Science and moved to Australia for a year before eventually settling back in Brooklyn with his yellow lab, Sunny, and his girlfriend, Mia. He works in IT during the day and writes at night. In the future, he hopes to publish his own novel.
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