Although I only have but a tiny sliver of faith left in humanity, I know that the next time I step foot in a public place, I'll see something to deplete it even more. If I witness someone throwing trash on the ground DIRECTLY NEXT TO a perfectly functioning trash can, I automatically feel my inner George Costanza scream, "YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIVING IN A SOCIETY."
When u/FawnTi posted on AskReddit to ask "What can a stranger do in public that will immediately make you judge them?" I discovered even more irritating things people can do that I never even imagined — and these definitely deserve some serious side-eye. If you're guilty of performing any of these annoying, cringeworthy, or downright rude actions in public, then it might be time to rethink your life choices:
1. "Removing their shoes in public spaces. I've caught so many people resting their nasty bare feet on a seat across them."
2. "I saw a guy at the cinema restroom leave without washing his hands, go into the same theater as me, sit down, and take a handful of popcorn from a shared bucket with his lady friend."
3. "Bringing their kid to an inappropriate event. Your child is three. They don’t need to be at an outdoor beer festival."
4. "For me, it's being on your phone while driving. Instant rage. Full disclosure: I was T-boned by one of those a-holes."
5. "During peak COVID, my coworker and I witnessed someone pull their mask down, sneeze, and then put the mask back on."
6. "I once saw a girl FaceTiming with a boy in the women's locker room!"
7. "Parents who prank their kids. UGH. They are truly the worst. Parents who use their children to make money in general. Videos, acting, pageants. They are not your money makers. It will have long lasting effects."
8. "Not returning their grocery cart. Tucking it into the bushes or the space next to them like they don’t care someone is gonna have to clean up behind them because ‘it’s their job.’"
9. "Being cruel to their pets."
10. "I judge people for being too nice to their pets. Dogs should not be in strollers."
11. "I saw a woman buy an ice cream cone, smile while taking a selfie of her and the ice cream, and then toss it right in the trash without ever tasting it."
12. "Throwing trash on the ground."
13. "Letting their children run freely in a crowded parking lot. I am probably one of the most nonjudgmental people you will ever meet, but if my brakes get tested because you're not paying attention and your kid runs in front of my car, then my inner Karen will come out. You have been warned."
14. "Watching a video on full blast without headphones in places where it's clearly very inappropriate."
15. "How they treat people in customer service, like store clerks or waiters. Chill, man. He's going to refill your drinks. Give him a second."
16. "Stopping at the bottom of an escalator to think about where they want to go."
17. "Not picking up their dog's poop."
"Those people who throw bagged up dog poop into shrubbery. Just leaving it honestly isn't that bad. It's irritating, sure, but at least it biodegrades. Wrapping it in plastic just makes it easily 10x worse. That will take forever to break down."
18. "Yelling at anyone at all — kids, wife, husband, dog, cat, or cop. It doesn't matter. Yelling in public sets the wrong impression."
19. "Giving minimum wage employees an unnecessarily hard time. Lady, the cashier didn't pick the price for your vanilla iced latte. Just pay for your stuff or admit you're broke and leave."
20. "Parking their grocery cart in the middle of the aisle and staying there while looking at every item on the shelf when it's clear there are people waiting to get by."
21. "Me and my friends were ice skating and saw a man put his skates on...with no socks."
22. "Taking something out of the supermarket freezer to put it in your trolley, and then later deciding you don’t want it so you take it out and put it on a random shelf to thaw and spoil before somebody notices."
23. And finally, "Spitting on the ground where other people are walking. At least make the effort to go spit on a bush or something...even though the bush is innocent in all of this."
I think the moral of the story here is to just be aware of your surroundings and realize your actions affect others. If you get the vibe that your fellow passengers on public transportation aren't bopping along to your Nickelback's greatest hits playlist blasting from a cheap bluetooth speaker, just be cool and pop some headphones on. What's something you always judge strangers for? Release your rage in the comments! ⬇️
