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It’s not unheard of for random people on the street to say something, well… random. And whether they’re striking a conversation about something so out of context, no one would be able to crack the code, or yelling out something so inexplicable, it ought to leave everyone around noticeably perplexed, such strangers can range from somewhat amusing to downright scary.
All sorts of one-sided conversations with strangers on the street were recently discussed by members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community, after the user ‘izzie4563’ started a thread about such encounters. Fellow redditors had plenty to share, so if you’re interested in reading their stories, scroll down to find their answers on the list below, and see just how weird and unexpected some exchanges can be.
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#1
Homeless guy on a bike after almost running into me rounding a corner:
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
#2
A guy offered me 100 for my socks. I remained sockless for the rest of the day.
#3
"I'm dressed as a human today." I kept on walking by, but faster! What the hell does that mean?!
Clown fish 6 months ago
I heard two women having a conversation that skin was new to them. 😕
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Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 6 months ago
You took what I was going to say.
Load More Replies...
LauraDragonWench 6 months ago
It's why I don't leave the house much anymore - dressing as a human is EXHAUSTING.
Skara Brae 6 months ago (edited)
It just means they changed out of their bunny pajamas before leaving home.
Jocelynn Schreiner 5 months ago
Wouldn't be surprised if they did that purely to eff with people. Some people are just trolls and like saying s**t like that because they find it funny.
#4
Years ago a very, very drunk man unsteadily approached my friend and I in the street. He was squinting at his watch and closing one eye to try and read it. When he finally got to us he asked "Is it 10 in the morning or 10 at night?".
#5
Them: “Anyone ever told you that you look like Vin Diesel?”
Me: “No” (I do not look like Vin Diesel)
Them: “ Well, you don’t.”.
#6
A few hours after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks: "Lovely day for the first day of the Apocalypse, isn't it?".
#7
Was walking my dog when a lady approached, leaned in close, and whispered, "They're listening through the trees," then just walked away like nothing happened. Haven't looked at an oak the same since.
#8
Many years ago while waiting outside a restaurant in New York City with my husband, his sister, and her husband, this lady came up to me and said "I love your coat, where'd you get it?"
After I told her I got it from a thrift store, she started excitedly saying stuff like "I think that coat is designer, you could probably sell it for a lot of money, I'd love a coat like this" etc., and the whole time she was grabbing different parts of the coat and examining them like she was appraising it or whatever, and then she suddenly just quit and walked off without saying another word.
I'm pretty sure she was just trying to distract me while she looked for my purse or searched my pockets or something but the joke was on her because I wasn't carrying a purse and my husband had everything in his pockets so there was nothing to take lol.
#9
I was walking my dogs, and this guy hesitantly passed us. Then he turned around and shouted, "YOUR DOGS ARE RACIST!" My dogs love everyone lol.
#10
"Today, more adults were spanked than children"
I kept walking.
#11
In Long Beach, California when I was a teenager:
Old lady walking past: “Oh you must be a smart boy—your head’s so large you must have a lot of extra brains.”
I’m walking with a school friend down the street. A car stops in the middle of traffic and the driver, a middle aged woman, calls out, “Hey, are you two brothers?”
Both of us look at each other and wonder, even if we were, is she going home and announcing excitedly, “Hey I saw a coupla brothers today!”?
#12
Crazy homeless lady came up to me and in a deep raspy voice said "I've got bodies in my body".
#13
Once I was smoking a cigarette in a designated smoking area and some random lady came up to me screaming "HOW DARE YOU SMOKE THAT CIGARETTE IN FRONT OF ME DON'T YOU KNOW I'M A CANCER SURVIVOR".
Skara Brae 6 months ago
"You didn't survive. Welcome to hell, where people yell at random strangers."
#14
A girl said to me very low "I found your wife cheating on you" I don't have a wife or girlfriend lol.
Dawn Woolley 6 months ago
Perhaps just a nasty person hoping to cause trouble for a complete stranger
#15
I had a man come up to me and say “you smell like you’re on your period.” I was.
Sinnsyk Jakte 6 months ago
I was in high school and my delusional stalker said, 'I can smell that you're in heat.' Couple things: I am now /obsessive/ about ensuring I smell good, and you can sucker punch me in the psyche if you tell me I smell... Aaand the guy actually believed I was a werewolf.
#16
At a bus stop very early in the morning sitting next to a very old lady with—I s**t you not—a school clock hanging around her neck. She pointed it towards me and asked me what time it was.
#19
I was smoking a cigarette outside of my first job when 2 guys walked by and asked if I wanted to be in a movie.
It wasn't until years later that I read between the lines on that one..
Mind you, I was 18 and caught off guard, but EW MAN WTF.
#20
“Good thing you’re wearing a mask, it’s important to protect your respiratories, they’re putting 5G towers in here soon and you’ll really need to be protecting your respiratories” from some lady smoking and walking her ancient beagle after I told her the dog was cute.
#21
“Do you do MMA? You just have the kind of face that looks like it could take a punch”. - guy making my sandwich at Subway.
#22
A homeless person in Santa Barbara walked up to me and said " Christmas in July man!" But it was December 15th.
#23
Do you want to see the elephants.
Someone said this to me in the mall. It took years to find out what tf they were talking about. I looked at them all confused and they walked away.
Later I found out they were trying to sell me acid. Oddly enough it was my exhusband as teenagers. I was talking about the odd time someone asked me about elephants at the mall and he started laughing. Not the only time we had run into each other when we were younger. Another time I was walking out of someone's house and we had a hey what's up moment and went about our business.
#24
I was walking home and this older woman was walking towards me, as she got closer, she started snorting and spat a loogie nearby. She then turned to face me and said "Here's a gift for you from the above". It was the most unexpected thing ever
Final score:
44points
#25
Not on the street but at work one time a patient pulled out a bobble head of Gandhi and when I asked him why he has that he said “I don’t know I’m just from California”.
Michael Largey 6 months ago
Gandhi-themed merchandise is hard to find most of the year. Of course at Christmas you can get gandhi canes.
#27
I was trying to rush to class and a guy popped out from behind a pillar and told me that I look like a female Skrillex. I got the distinct impression he had been waiting for me.
#28
I was walking to my car and a guy stopped his weed wacker to say, "you look comfortable." Then winked at me.
Oddball 6 months ago
I was in the Miami airport waiting for my GF flight that was late, way late. It was around 1am and I fell asleep in a chair at the gate. I was rousted out of my nap by a guy asking me "Do you have time to talk about our Lord and savior Jesus Christ?" Still groggy I said "Sorry man I don't speak English".....the guy said "Oh, sorry" and walked away....That was 48 years ago and I still remember it and laugh.
#29
I want to lick your toes.
#30
Give me milk to drink.
What do you think ?
athornedrose 6 months ago
took a shortcut through an alley i knew i really shouldn't at 3 in the morning between xmas and new years. a person with altered mental status slid out from behind a dumpster and was like "hey baby, do you need a biiiiig, stroooong, man?" i said "nah, i'm good, thanks", and he just goes "THAT'S RIGHT BABY! NO YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T! NEW YEAR, ALL YOU! YOU GOT THIS!" full volume, all enthusiasm. it made me feels so good about myself, i gave him a couple bucks and told him to keep safe out here. still makes me smile
DoubleDoubleTiredAndTuckered 6 months ago
That turned out... way more wholesome than I thought it would be. Love that story!
Load More Replies...
Jeremy James 6 months ago (edited)
I was walking through an alley on my way home from work. It was late, no one was around, and I was loudly whistling, "If I Only Had A Brain." Suddenly, this man comes stumbling out of a parking structure and gives me his best Scarecrow dance. I gave him a few bucks for lifting my spirit.
JB 6 months ago
Standing at a bus stop, roughly ~20. Guy in a BMW screeched to a halt. Got out, exclaimed, “It must be fate! Have dinner with me.” I politely replied, “Sorry, no, I have a boyfriend”. I occasionally wonder if my life would have been wonderfully changed. Mostly, when I recall the incident, I’m grateful I said, “No”.
JNDauterive 6 months ago
Ever since I read about the serial killer that had a handcuff set up in his console, I’ve given major second thoughts to ever getting in a car with a stranger.
Load More Replies...
Robert T 6 months ago
Was sitting at a cafe in Valetta having lunch with my colleague. Random woman comes up and asks my colleague if she can have a chip. Takes a chip and goes away seemingly happy. Comes back about 5 minutes later for another one. [chip being a French fry for those wondering]
Me 6 months ago
This happened to me many years ago. And on a side note, I'm a natural red head. Right after I turned 18 I moved to Flagstaff, AZ. The very next day I was standing in my open garage with a few friends when an older Navajo man (heavily intoxicated) wandered across the parking lot towards us. He grabbed my arm and started pulling me away. Then he said very seriously, "I am going to take you. I'm going to braid your hair and I'm going to scalp you". My friends had to step in to get him to let go of me and leave. Fun times in Flag.
ShellsBells 6 months ago
"Hey, little girl, wanna see some maggots?" I was doing an ER rotation at a level I trauma center. Stepped away from the trauma bays to go to the regular rooms. A homeless, repeat visitor had severe gangrene in both legs and he was advised several times he'd need his legs amputated. He'd come in, get the maggots pulled out, get his legs cleaned up as much as possible, then take off. Everytime the nurse who was chosen to clean his legs pulled out a maggot, you'd hear her scream behind the closed door.
Lee Stone 6 months ago
Those maggots were doing good work cleaning up all the dead and diseased tissue. You just have to get them before they burrow in and pupate. We didn't use them for debridement often, but man were they good at it (and gross). Hospitals use the tiny ones and you have to count them one-by-one when you're removing them. Trust me, you haven't questioned your life choices until you've chased a tiny off-white wiggler around a white sheet with a pair of cheap plastic tweezers.
Load More Replies...
Cat Chat 6 months ago
I was excited to be able to finally be able to purchase an R rated movie ticket on my own. Took my sister to watch Nightmare on Elm Street IV. There was hardly anyone else in the theater, but the guy a few rows back suddenly exclaimed "I told you not to talk to me in public because nobody else can see you and it makes me look crazy". It was obviously a mentally ill homeless guy, so we did our best to ignore it as he continued to converse with what seemed like an invisible alien. But afterwards he seemed to keep trying to follow us to my car. So we pretended we forgot something back at the theater and needed to go ask about lost-and-found. The manager distracted him long enough for us to leave unfollowed.
Binky Melnik 5 months ago
A woman in the subway scared me (and others) by freaking out and shrieking at me, “YOU HAVE A BLACK AURA! LOOK! SHE HAS A BLACK AURA!” It was that day that I realized that not everyone who speaks to you is okay and that we didn’t necessarily inspire them to say what they say; some people have mental illnesses causing them to say things, and there’s not actually anything wrong with you!
ronniebeaton00 6 months ago
Going for my train home after a comic con in Glasgow, I'm wearing a Star Trek uniform, I've got a Star Trek teddy bear in my arms, and some random lady grabs my sleeve and asks if I work in the station.
GB 6 months ago
To those of you who are literate in non-English languages, can you tell me if other languages are devolving in the same way English is; i.e. are correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and structure fading away?
Ample Aardvark 6 months ago
Yes, same, but I suppose it's always been like this, language evolves/devolves very quickly.
Load More Replies...
StrangeOne 6 months ago
I got off the bus with my daughter, along with a few other people, and proceeded to an intersection. Some guy ran up to me, shouting "Hey, hello." Then, took a better look at me and said "Whoa. Sorry, I thought you were someone else. But they're not THAT ugly. Geez." and walked away in the opposite direction. I was having a good day, but that was so random and unnecessary.
Marnie 6 months ago
Working as a stock person at Target in the 80s, a Middle Eastern or Indian man (I couldn't tell back then) came up to me. He was wearing a very expensive, out of style suit. He walked up to me and with no preliminaries said, "You will marry me," exactly that way. I replied, "No, I will not." And I turned around and kept working. He had a very large guy with him that struck me as being a bodyguard. They both just walked off.
Catpawsarethebest 6 months ago
Had a homeless woman, in London, run up to me. Stopping infront of me and yelled "Your face!!! Your face!!! The horror!"... so yeah.... fun times.
Jeremy James 6 months ago (edited)
I was in West Hollywood on my lunch break when this street-walker sat across from me, took a cigarette out of my pack, looked me in the eyes, and asked, "So, what happened to you, Vicky?" He switched between several personae as we talked, including a Southern preacher character. At one point, he claimed the ring I was wearing was his. It was the first of several strange encounters with this boy who called himself, "Madonna."
detective miller's hat 6 months ago
When I was living in Philly and walking around one night with a friend, this homeless dude in an overcoat comes up to us and says to my friend, "hey, you wanna buy some rock?! How 'bout some roofies for your girlfriend?" My friend almost punched him, but the dude was pretty spry and he ran off.
Ranger Kanootsen 6 months ago
Some woman came up to me and asked me what HER phone number was. I said I didn't know. She said "YES YOU DO, TELL ME!". 20 minutes of unwanted arguing ensued.
Mrs. Ginger McSarcasm 6 months ago
I'd be walking to the nearest police station.
Load More Replies...
Littlemiss 6 months ago
We have a guy who has mental health issues who wanders past work regularly. One day he stopped by the fence tell me wee oo wee oo, I'm a fire engine. The next day he was a radio station. The kids think he's fantastic.
Anita Hummelshøj 6 months ago
two girls talking to each other "got a penguin in the eye", dont know if it was one of them that got a penguin in the eye or a friend butr really want to know how or if it is slang for something?
athornedrose 6 months ago
took a shortcut through an alley i knew i really shouldn't at 3 in the morning between xmas and new years. a person with altered mental status slid out from behind a dumpster and was like "hey baby, do you need a biiiiig, stroooong, man?" i said "nah, i'm good, thanks", and he just goes "THAT'S RIGHT BABY! NO YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T! NEW YEAR, ALL YOU! YOU GOT THIS!" full volume, all enthusiasm. it made me feels so good about myself, i gave him a couple bucks and told him to keep safe out here. still makes me smile
DoubleDoubleTiredAndTuckered 6 months ago
That turned out... way more wholesome than I thought it would be. Love that story!
Load More Replies... Jeremy James 6 months ago (edited)
I was walking through an alley on my way home from work. It was late, no one was around, and I was loudly whistling, "If I Only Had A Brain." Suddenly, this man comes stumbling out of a parking structure and gives me his best Scarecrow dance. I gave him a few bucks for lifting my spirit.
JB 6 months ago
Standing at a bus stop, roughly ~20. Guy in a BMW screeched to a halt. Got out, exclaimed, “It must be fate! Have dinner with me.” I politely replied, “Sorry, no, I have a boyfriend”. I occasionally wonder if my life would have been wonderfully changed. Mostly, when I recall the incident, I’m grateful I said, “No”.
JNDauterive 6 months ago
Ever since I read about the serial killer that had a handcuff set up in his console, I’ve given major second thoughts to ever getting in a car with a stranger.
Load More Replies... Robert T 6 months ago
Was sitting at a cafe in Valetta having lunch with my colleague. Random woman comes up and asks my colleague if she can have a chip. Takes a chip and goes away seemingly happy. Comes back about 5 minutes later for another one. [chip being a French fry for those wondering]
Me 6 months ago
This happened to me many years ago. And on a side note, I'm a natural red head. Right after I turned 18 I moved to Flagstaff, AZ. The very next day I was standing in my open garage with a few friends when an older Navajo man (heavily intoxicated) wandered across the parking lot towards us. He grabbed my arm and started pulling me away. Then he said very seriously, "I am going to take you. I'm going to braid your hair and I'm going to scalp you". My friends had to step in to get him to let go of me and leave. Fun times in Flag.
ShellsBells 6 months ago
"Hey, little girl, wanna see some maggots?" I was doing an ER rotation at a level I trauma center. Stepped away from the trauma bays to go to the regular rooms. A homeless, repeat visitor had severe gangrene in both legs and he was advised several times he'd need his legs amputated. He'd come in, get the maggots pulled out, get his legs cleaned up as much as possible, then take off. Everytime the nurse who was chosen to clean his legs pulled out a maggot, you'd hear her scream behind the closed door.
Lee Stone 6 months ago
Those maggots were doing good work cleaning up all the dead and diseased tissue. You just have to get them before they burrow in and pupate. We didn't use them for debridement often, but man were they good at it (and gross). Hospitals use the tiny ones and you have to count them one-by-one when you're removing them. Trust me, you haven't questioned your life choices until you've chased a tiny off-white wiggler around a white sheet with a pair of cheap plastic tweezers.
Load More Replies... Cat Chat 6 months ago
I was excited to be able to finally be able to purchase an R rated movie ticket on my own. Took my sister to watch Nightmare on Elm Street IV. There was hardly anyone else in the theater, but the guy a few rows back suddenly exclaimed "I told you not to talk to me in public because nobody else can see you and it makes me look crazy". It was obviously a mentally ill homeless guy, so we did our best to ignore it as he continued to converse with what seemed like an invisible alien. But afterwards he seemed to keep trying to follow us to my car. So we pretended we forgot something back at the theater and needed to go ask about lost-and-found. The manager distracted him long enough for us to leave unfollowed.
Binky Melnik 5 months ago
A woman in the subway scared me (and others) by freaking out and shrieking at me, “YOU HAVE A BLACK AURA! LOOK! SHE HAS A BLACK AURA!” It was that day that I realized that not everyone who speaks to you is okay and that we didn’t necessarily inspire them to say what they say; some people have mental illnesses causing them to say things, and there’s not actually anything wrong with you!
ronniebeaton00 6 months ago
Going for my train home after a comic con in Glasgow, I'm wearing a Star Trek uniform, I've got a Star Trek teddy bear in my arms, and some random lady grabs my sleeve and asks if I work in the station.
GB 6 months ago
To those of you who are literate in non-English languages, can you tell me if other languages are devolving in the same way English is; i.e. are correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and structure fading away?
Ample Aardvark 6 months ago
Yes, same, but I suppose it's always been like this, language evolves/devolves very quickly.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 6 months ago
I got off the bus with my daughter, along with a few other people, and proceeded to an intersection. Some guy ran up to me, shouting "Hey, hello." Then, took a better look at me and said "Whoa. Sorry, I thought you were someone else. But they're not THAT ugly. Geez." and walked away in the opposite direction. I was having a good day, but that was so random and unnecessary.
Marnie 6 months ago
Working as a stock person at Target in the 80s, a Middle Eastern or Indian man (I couldn't tell back then) came up to me. He was wearing a very expensive, out of style suit. He walked up to me and with no preliminaries said, "You will marry me," exactly that way. I replied, "No, I will not." And I turned around and kept working. He had a very large guy with him that struck me as being a bodyguard. They both just walked off.
Catpawsarethebest 6 months ago
Had a homeless woman, in London, run up to me. Stopping infront of me and yelled "Your face!!! Your face!!! The horror!"... so yeah.... fun times.
Jeremy James 6 months ago (edited)
I was in West Hollywood on my lunch break when this street-walker sat across from me, took a cigarette out of my pack, looked me in the eyes, and asked, "So, what happened to you, Vicky?" He switched between several personae as we talked, including a Southern preacher character. At one point, he claimed the ring I was wearing was his. It was the first of several strange encounters with this boy who called himself, "Madonna."
detective miller's hat 6 months ago
When I was living in Philly and walking around one night with a friend, this homeless dude in an overcoat comes up to us and says to my friend, "hey, you wanna buy some rock?! How 'bout some roofies for your girlfriend?" My friend almost punched him, but the dude was pretty spry and he ran off.
Ranger Kanootsen 6 months ago
Some woman came up to me and asked me what HER phone number was. I said I didn't know. She said "YES YOU DO, TELL ME!". 20 minutes of unwanted arguing ensued.
Mrs. Ginger McSarcasm 6 months ago
I'd be walking to the nearest police station.
Load More Replies... Littlemiss 6 months ago
We have a guy who has mental health issues who wanders past work regularly. One day he stopped by the fence tell me wee oo wee oo, I'm a fire engine. The next day he was a radio station. The kids think he's fantastic.
Anita Hummelshøj 6 months ago
two girls talking to each other "got a penguin in the eye", dont know if it was one of them that got a penguin in the eye or a friend butr really want to know how or if it is slang for something?
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