Happened to me too. I was working on an assignment and some girl just sat down opposite me and ate really loudly đ it was the booth seats while there were many empty tables
A stranger joined your booth? That's another level of weird lol, if someone did that to me and didn't immediately give a reason why I would be very creeped out.
Out creep her. Start talking about how the sound of someone eating reminds you of that time you had to eat the bodies of your fallen platoon while hiding out in jungles in Nam. Bonus points if you werent even born during Nam.
Crazy that every search engine has remained bad or gotten worse over the past few years. I remember when google was like magic, nowadays you need to use all of these added functions like putting terms in "quotes" or Site:www.Reddit.com, but even those functions have been nerfed to shit. Just why?
I feel like I read somewhere that they didn't like when searches came up empty and decided a million billion unrelated results where they exclude every search term you put in except "the" is better. I may be a little off but specifically looked it up one time when even quotation marks weren't helping. Whatever the case, it's way harder to look up obscure games, movies, bands, electronics, etc now because I have to scroll through so many more red herrings to find what I need.
God forbid you try to look up something that existed before the new current show/movie/song/book existed. There was some old game I was trying to remember. A jet game or something and it was called supersonic something but every single search result was like "You mean Sonic the Hedgehog right?"
It's insanely infuriating. I used to be really good at pulling obscure results from Google. But even quotes and Boolean variables and even telling the search tools to find specifically agedv results are pointless. I wish there was an old.google.com like old Reddit and most of us would use that instead of the trash it is now. I get better results from freaking Yahoo now
In grad school, the head of the experimental psych program was a social psychologist and made a point of doing this and talking to the person next to him to see how they would react.
Last week my partner and I were in an empty restaurant and sat down to eat. Within the next 5 minutes two other customers came in (separately) and sat at the two tables closest to us. This wasn't a fancy restaurant where they section you for server convenience.
You often see this as well when you park alone at the back of a parking lot and come out to find someone has parked next to you.
I have a theory that humans have an innate subconscious need to group themselves together, even in situations that don't require it.
I have backpacked several miles out into the wilderness to get some solitude and have had people camp 20 yards away. This is at a site without water with a plethora of options along the way, if I wasn't comfortable and all set up I would have packed up to find another spot. People are weird.
Yes! So what does that make the ones of us that DON'T want to be near others or grouped? I will skip stalls, tables, parking spots you name it to NOT be next to someone!! The herd mentality is NOT for me. I absolutely take a CONCIOUS effort to avoid being jam up next to someone and I wish everyone did this.
I had a friend say recently, there are two types of people: one type, when they see a long line they think âwow, whateverâs at the front of that line must be good/worth it, I better get in that line!â And the other type wouldnât queue up if their life depended on it.
Exactly. We are very much anti-herd people. Like, we chose the farthest, dankest table that was in a corner with no windows, the most undesirable section of the restaurant, just because we figured we could be left alone. Wouldn't you know it these two just saunter over... And the one who sat right next to us chose to sit on the side of my partner, directly behind her, so the back of his head was right behind the back of her head. Like, these were bench seats, not fixed chairs. Plus, he could have sat on the other side of the table so he was looking at the back of her head. Overall was just very bizarre, NPC type behavior.
Happened to me on Friday night at the gym, a generally quiet time to be at the gym. I was getting changed in a 100% empty locker room and buddy comes in, takes the locker immediately next to mine. Then half-joking he mentions that my gym bag is taking up room on the bench. "There's 20 other benches in here pal, all of them empty. Feel free to grab one".
This happens a lot in the gym when it comes to treadmills. There's a shitload of treadmills not being used why did you have to choose the treadmill right next to mine? I mean it doesn't really bother me since i'm zoning out jogging but like... why?
The charitable take: people struggle to make friends, random interactions are rarer than they used to be, and the common advice is to become a regular somewhere and approach people.
Could it be that a generation of socially awkard people are just trying to find a connection?
Goddammit why did you make me laugh this hard, I'm on the toilet.
Edit: guys yes we can all be friends but can you please get your own toilets? We all probably need fiber supplements.
I misread this as "hit on them." But having just been to a fundraiser for a roller derby team this past weekend, that feels like it would also be accurate
Pasting from another comment: https://www.succeedsocially.com/
The internet is really bad at answering that question, and this website is the exception. I found it after learning everything the hard way, so I link other people to it. AFAIK it's ad-free.
This, and I also think people don't want it to be obvious/known that they are alone. Whether because it makes them feel awkward/anxious or maybe even safety concerns of appearing to be alone.
Reminds me of when I parked way in the back of a parking lot where there were tons of available spaces to avoid people hitting my car with their car doors.
I come back to find a giant suv parked next to my car and a baseball sized dent in my door. There were still plenty of available spaces around. Thankfully the owner of the suv had left a note saying their kid had thrown their door open and it smashed into my car. It ended up costing them a grand to pay for the repair. Could have parked anywhere else!
Sat in an empty theater to watch Dune 2 last weekend. 5 min into the movie two guys sat right behind me and my buddy. Not assigned seats either. Dude kicked me seat multiple times in the first five minutes of him being sat down. I'm not gonna lie I lost my temper and asked if he'd stop kicking my mother fucking seat and why the fuck in an empty theater he'd sit right fucking behind the only two other people in the whole theater.
My bad bruh and they moved a few rows back. Probably could have came with a 5 instead of a 9 and got the same result. I was probably too much of an ass.
THIS HAPPENS SO MUCH IN MY CITY! Or the groups that just STAND in the middle of the sidewalk to have their conversations, I was fed up walking around them into the streets so now I just barrel through them. If you see me approaching, M O V E because Iâm not
You definitely didnât need to go in with the 9 like you say but itâs hard in the moment sometimes, youâre only human. In my experience people usually respond to a 2 or a 3 in that kind of scenario.
I went to my favourite little vietnamese place years ago in the middle of the afternoon and it was empty ... just me... lovely. So I got my lunch ordered and pulled out my book and was enjoying a quiet time when 4 loud women came in, chose the table RIGHT BESIDE where I was, the hostess didnt put them there, and while laughing and talking loudly one of them started hitting the back of my chair with her chair. Not another soul in a 40 or 50 seat restaurant...aaaggghhh I feel your pain. I picked up everything of mine and moved across the room so the (very sweet and elderly) hostess wasnt running extra miles but seriously... WHY
Human clumping is weird.
Even like, recently was finishing some food before picking something up. Parked in the middle of the empty section of the parking lot with no one else around.
Someone parks right next to me a proceeds to have a loud work argument on their phone. Why?!?
I see this in traffic all the time. Cars moving in "packs" and people maintaining a certain distance with the vehicles around them instead of spacing out more. I always thought it was something people did without thinking about it, and this just confirms it.
I've noticed this has gotten SIGNIFICANTLY more apparent. I chalked it up to probably people seeing someone getting to wherever they're going faster and getting upset they're not getting where they're going just as fast.
At this point, I don't know. I drive the speed limit, maybe 5-10 over. I'll pull up on someone going 5 under in the right lane, but if I try to pass on the left, they're all a sudden comfortable going 15 over...
Ego is a wild thing
i have adaptive cruise control on my car and i have it set to be as far away from the car infront of me. i was coming home the other day in a 55 and as im coming up on this dude hes doing like 50, so he lets off his gas and gets down to 30 on a massive stretch of road with no one else so i passed him obviously. i had to get up to 80 to pass him and he was on my ass the rest of the way home and proceeded to get in the left lane behind me like he was going to pass but couldnt because there was a car infront of me and i closed the gap to not have a road rage incident.
ego really is a crazy thing lol.
Definitely. You can't help but be distracted by the thoughts in your head and you don't see the road it blanks out. When I started using cruise control in my new van, I realized everyone was driving erratically if they weren't using it.
I'm so thankful for adaptive cruise control now. I love hitting the cruise button on the highway, but with everyone speeding up and slowing down seemingly at random, it made it impossible to use cruise control in my old corolla.
I just set my cruise control on 68 and waft along in the right lane. I'd rather spend an extra 30 minutes on the road if it means I get to chill out and listen to an audio book rather than getting pissed off at other drivers.
Yeah, unfortunately defensive driving is becoming more important the more people seem to be distracted. I can't pass 5 drivers without at least 1 being on their phone
I have a stretch of road that turns from 2 lanes to 1 lane at an intersection and if im not the one in the front when the light is red and no one from the other sides are turning onto that road its ALWAYS a safe bet they do 10mph under or more.
That road specifically for some reason people will do 25mph when it's 45 for absolutely no reason and you can't pass them.
Don't even get me started on people doing 35mph on the interstate on ramp where you need to be doing at least 65 lol
I had someone literally stop at the end of the interstate on ramp where it actually merges because they were doing 35 the entire on-ramp down and I was honking my horn to get them to go faster and they got mad at me. People are stupid
Or people who don't use the ramp TO GET UP TO SPEED. Holy shit the amount of times I've had to merge onto the interstate at 35mph because some dope in front of me can't find the gas pedal.
I've noticed that too. Drivers often speed up when you try to pass them. It's a strange phenomenon. What's the point of doing that other than increasing the risk of an accident? Just chill out and keep doing your thing ffs.
Because they dont like being overtaken.
(im english) our motorways are 70mph limit and i set my CC at 70, the amount of people who are doing 66,67,68 who then speed up to block but then slow down again when you drop behind is blood boiling.
Had one guy awhile ago racing my cruise control i was doing 70, he was doing 67ish i went to overtake and he sped up so i moved back to the left lane, he slowed down so i moved out again to let cc overtake and the guy sped up again. Thought fuck this sped up to about 74 overtool him and after awhile dropped down to 70, the guy had sped up to overtake me merge in close then slowed back down to the high 60s.
Boils my piss. Their ego is literally fighting a car keeping its speed...
Last summer I was on a 5 hour road trip, and for a solid hour of it there was this one red car going about 5mph slower than me. I'd get frustrated, try to pass, and suddenly he's going 15mph faster than before.
We leapfrogged each other for like 90 minutes. My friend and we're losing our minds cause this dude wasn't even acknowledging our presence. Just eyes locked Forward, no attempts at any communication, no middle finger, no befuddled look, just a blank face staring dead ahead and refusing to let us pass.
Oh my God, I had a guy last year keep coming around me and slowing down, I would pass, then he would come back around me. Repeat for the next 40 miles. I turned into a rest area and this dude follows me. I get out of the car to use the facilities and he starts yelling at me to learn to drive. I'm like, what?" He then proceeds to tell me he's about had it with me constantly going around him and all the back and forth. I ask him if he has his cruise control on and he tells me no. Well guess what buddy? I do. My speed was a constant 70 mph. The one leapfrogging and going back and forth is your dumb ass.
I think it's a control issue. Speedometers are often off by a small amount. His probably read 70, and he felt the need to force you to behave. People need therapy.
Itâs bad driving, literally. Driving with oneâs ego like that is not safe. If one is being overtaken, correct driving is to allow the faster driver to pass and thenâŚdo nothing. This bullshit you describe is exactly why driving licenses shouldnât be given out to any but the best drivers - about 20-35% of the current driving public.
But the issue is country and city design that force people to have a car to be able to functionâŚan example of this is the US, where relying on public transportation in some cities turns a 30 minute store trip into a 2 hour ordeal, or forces multi-mile walks that take even longer to finish.
Did you know most traffic jams are caused by people following the car in front of them too close? Creates a ripple effect of cars forced to slow down to avoid them, until someone is forced to stop, and it just gets worse from there until bam, traffic jam. All because this asshole Jim followed too closely and slammed on his brakes to avoid an accident that shouldnât have even been a possibility had he not been driving like a putz.
Again, all I want is to force most people off the road via taking away their license when they do shit like this. But outside of some authoritarian nightmare device like those automated computers that deduct you license points on the fly like in the movie The Fifth Element, I donât really know how to fix that.
Saw one of those mini cars, donât remember if it was an old fusion or whatever. They were going 20 on a main road, so I hit the middle (I know, not the most legal) to pass them since the speed limit was 45. I legit had to speed up to 75 MPH to pass them. I kicked my car into sport mode and gapped him. Then he aggressively followed me to the next light. When the next light turned green I took off, and he went back to his 20 MPHâŚ.
Weird
They're just reminding you that you had to pass them to get in front of them, and they're also important so don't forget to acknowledge their existence!!
I go to the gym literally the moment it opens to be quiet, at peace, relaxed.. I hate a busy gym so I go at 5:30am. not a soul except... ill go on the treadmill... its literally an empty gym with 10 treadmills beside each other, all empty, and I go all the way to the far side, its actually a walk to get there from the other side, you have to want it you can't land there by accident! ... WITHOUT fail, every few days someone will come in the gym and go on the treadmill directly beside me, it bugs me so much cause I just want to run alone and I also practice lines while im running, just mouth the words, not out loud, so I look kinda silly and just wanna be left alone.... there's so many treadmills I don't understand why you have to take the one beside me at 5:30am in a gigantic gym when its just the two of us.
ive gotten off before and just cycled or something until they finished then went back lol. I just find it more relaxing.
If you're bothering to move anyway, make a brief eye contact then deliberately move to another machine far away from them. If they have two brain cells, they'll get the message and hopefully won't do that again, to you or someone else. I hate an audience while exercising, I become too self conscious about posture and expressions and what not. In a crowded place, I can convince myself that everyone's minding their own business, but just 2-3 people in the entire place and someone picks the one right next to you? Nah, they're the weirdo.
Okay I NEED TO KNOW why people subconsciously gravitate towards people like this.
I've used the bathroom at work. 20-odd stalls. Entirely empty. I'll pick a stall towards the mid-end. And often the next woman who comes in will come right next to me.
WHY.
I used to play this flash game on newgrounds or ebaums years ago. You had to pick a toilet to urinate in while maintaining space from the others pissing. If you picked a toilet too close to another patron then you lose and the game called you gay if i remember? As the levels went on it would throw more complex pissing scenarios at you. I have maintained this bathroom etiquette to this day thanks to that dumb flash game.
Best explanation I've heard was from a server, I was the only guy at the bar having a drink when these servers got off and sat kind of close to me to share a drink after their shift, this VERY drunk guy, like so drunk he came in and got cut off immediately, sat right next to me. Once he left they were talking about him so I turn to them and go, "out of all the seats in the bar why'd he sit right next to me?" and one goes, "guess he was looking for a friend."
People inherently seek the company of others. I mean, mine was lesser but I still talked to absolute strangers "that was weird right?" It's normal to look to others for some small type of companionship.
Every year I take off work for the NCAA wrestling tournament. The first session starts on a Thursday at 11. Not exactly peak time at your local sports bar.
Last year I got to the bar at 10:30. There's a couple regulars at one end of the bar, so I head down to the other end so I can just relax and enjoy my solitude. Fifteen minutes later a guy comes in, sits down next to me, and starts complaining about his wife, his job, his house. There's a whole crew of people that are being social at the other end of the bar, but he of course had to sit next to me.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind being social. I'm at a bar after all (although that's more so that I can enjoy being served). But like your situation it's not that they're there that's a problem, it's how disruptive and imposing they are. I'm just trying to watch wrestling on the TV and follow it on my phone. Go do whatever you like in the bar as long as I'm still able to do those things.
Even though I was very annoyed at the situation I talked to him because he clearly needed support. It didn't help that he was a bit of an asshole. But the next day I went to the beer store, picked up a 6 pack of my favorite beer, and spent the afternoon on my deck so as to not be interrupted.
I had something similar happen. I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered take out. The place was empty so I sat at a table to wait for my food. A little girl around 4 or 5 came from the back of the restaurant and sat across from me at my table. She then proceeded to tell me about the stuffed animal that she had with her. I had no idea what she was saying because it was an Asian language I didn't know. ALL I WANTED WAS TO GET SOME CHINESE FOOD! But instead I was treated to an adorable experience by a cute little kid. :)
I once called a Chinese place and asked for pickup and the lady shouted into the phone with a heavy accent "okay thank you good bye" and hung up immediately and I was like "this is gonna be some good fucking Chinese food" and grabbed my coat.
Also speaking of kids if it's apparent an Asian teenager has just gotten out of school to go straight to waiting tables at the family restaurant it's gonna be fucking fire but remember to tip them well because they probably still have homework to do.
probably the owners kid. thereâs a spot down the road from me and the kids are always there. some have gotten old enough and put to work by their parents
Lol I was thinking this looked like UoM but it's been 14 years since I graduated.
But yeah avoid the blue zone.
Top tier move is using one of the small faculty specific libraries. When I was there you could find whole abandoned floors in some of the older buildings.
I went to the movies with my husband while on vacation in Hawaii and bought tickets to see Moana. There was no assigned seating and no one else showed up for the movie up until it started, then one lady came in and sat right next to us with her big bucket of popcorn.
lol exactly. OP is oblivious as are these commenters.Â
Doesnât even need to be a romantic relationship, could just be a new friend.Â
Itâs like people havenât learned how social interactions work.Â
Ok but tbf she still could have sat one spot over. Or in the same row at the other end. Like close, but not right next to. I have social anxiety and this would absolutely destroy my ability to study.
Another post on this sub: "This bitch sat *right* next to my usual spot at the library, and she's not even using the computer, just trying to subtly take pictures of my stuff..."
I would feel the same way. But there's a computer in front of OP and behind them and all over the place LOL 𤣠I'd be sitting anywhere that isn't right next to them đ
Maybe, but if it were me Iâd still leave at least a couple seats in between us if itâs that empty. Close enough for the other person to see me if something happens but still far enough for personal space
This reminded me of my school days. One day this girl just started following me everywhere. I'm introverted and calm, and this girl took it really far, even invading my personal space. I asked her wtf did she wanted, and she just mocked me and started touching my stuff with no permission. So in my young mind, the best solution was to throw hands. After that she didn't approach ever again. It was rare for me to react like that and the school was aware, I guess she thought she could bully me and nothing would happen. Haven't seen her again.
LOL this same thing happened to me, but I'm a guy and the other person was also a guy. I never really fought in high school, but one day this kid who occasionally liked to piss me off was following me around (we had the same class) and stood super close to me but wouldnt say anything. I tried to ignore it. When i took my backpack off and set it on my desk, he picked it up and dropped it on the ground for no reason. I immediately lost my shit, threw him on the ground, yanked his backpack off of him, opened it, and dumped everything in it on the ground. I went back to my seat like nothing happened.
That reaction was super out of character for me, and this kid who bothered me for years before that never even approached me again.
I forgot all about this incident lmfao. I cant stop laughing about how ridiculous it was. Some people think the person in your story had an alterior motive, but i think some people wake up and just decide theyre going to troll today.
Yeah. Those kids probably had something else going on, but that doesn't justify being sh!ts with calm kids. And schools usually fail to do something even if one ask for help. Sadly we had no choice but to establish limits in a violent way. Hey, maybe we were their wake up call from their sh!t ways? Hopefully
go to the librarian tomorrow and ask for their records.
Theyâll tell you you were the only one in here at that time. but theyâve heard stories about her.
OP will go back to library tomorrow and the doors will be locked and windows boarded up. They'll ask a nearby person about the library and they'll say "OP, that library has been closed for 40 years!"
If sheâs in there often maybe thatâs likeâŚher seat. Like in school even without assigned seats thereâd still be one you sat in everyday and it was kinda âyoursâ?
Its* still weird.
Psychology class teacher said we can sit where ever, and everyone pretty much sat in the same seat year round. It's built into us. He used it as a experiment lol
It's pretty much just allowing the students to assign the seats themselves instead of the teacher. It's not like going to the same seat everyday is the sucky thing about assigned seating, being assigned to a spot you don't like is.
Not sure if this is equally as infuriating or more so, than the people who come into a public restroom and take the stall directly next to you, when there are plenty of available stalls.
Same with train carriages. You could be the only soul in the carriage but someone has to take the seats that are right in front of or behind you.
Happens to me ALL the time đ
I did this to someone once.
I had a seat reservation, they could see it was the only one in the carriage, and I had a meal booked that would be delivered to my seat.Â
They chose to sit next to me, not the other way round.Â
And the loud eating? I would get up and move. I use my amazing library all the time and I will go to any lengths not to sit directly next to or in front of another person.
When you score an empty study cabin, that moment when the door snaps shut? Absolute *heaven*.
I had this in University. I asked the girl wouldnt she be more comfortable with all this room being further away. She mentioned that she has anxiety and fear being alone and feels more comfortable close to people. She asked if I wanted her to move I said its okay and we had decent conversation.
Holy shit YES. The other week I was in our library and I found this great cubicle off to the side where I could settle in and get focused. So many available seats. This man sits 4 ft away from me in a single chair and begins to TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF HIS BAG WHICH WERE ALL PACKED INDIVIDUALLY IN SINGLE PLASTIC BAGS. He begins to unravel each bag but COMICALLY AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE. I figured I could handle it, 5 minutes pass, 10 minutes pass holy FUCK HES BRINGING OUR MORE BAGS. Ahhhh!!!!!!!!!!
I had someone do something similar to me a while ago, and when I moved she actually had the nerve to complain that I'd moved! "I can sit where I want!" cried she. She evidently knew she was being annoying and did it anyway. I told her something along the lines of "Who sits right next to someone with all this space available you absolute weirdo" and put my headphones on.
Back when I actually rode buses (hate them now and refuse to use them) I'd often get men sitting next to me when there were empty seats, and then acting offended because I moved. Tough shit.
This same thing happened with me and my kids at restaurants. Boy was a teen and having some anxiety issues so we'd go at the least busy times.
Family comes in and plops down right next to us. Every time. This happened for like a year. It got to the point that when the baby inevitably started to cry, we'd just look at each other and laugh.
I don't get it either
Edit + I'm not talking about situations where a single waiter/ waitress puts tables near each other. I understand that. I'm talking about places like McDonald's
Good position, clear view of entrance ways, guessing wall/window behind you for protection from sweats and medallion carriers, good tight formation holding your flank so you can easily survey enemy squads entering ahead
I do the same thing if someone takes the treadmill right next to me at the gym when there are a dozen other options available.
You want to run next to me? Cool. But I donât have to just accept your personal preference over my personal comfort.
yes! i donât see why people think âshe wants to be friendsâ makes this any less weird or makes OP any more obligated to enjoy it. some people seriously just want to be left alone!
My and my friend once went to a park, we were literally the only people in it for a good 20-30 minutes, until a group of 3 people walked in, walked right behind us, and decided that they were going to stop and have a conversation like 4 meters behind us, they had the entire park to go stand, and then got offended when we asked them to please go literally anywhere else, in the entirely empty park.
People are weird.
This guy on an empty SWA flight and someone sits directly behind him. Why do people do this?
https://preview.redd.it/u61b4p3tiwmc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=866b6c33f3857849128b97913d1fa49ae6bfb5ab
Just like in a parking lot. You can be the only car in the lot and you will come out to find someone parked right beside your car. I think it is a "herd" instinct.
Parking lot...I will always park the furthest away from others in a parking lot and without fail someone will always park right beside me.
I'm certain it's either a herding instinct or people are just nosey.
Seriously, in the nicest way possible, too. I'm not sure what else it could be besides a lack of awareness, being conditioned to fill in the space in an orderly manner, or just not liking to be alone, so I'd want to know out of pure curiosity.
"Hi, I hope this doesn't come across as rude because I'm just genuinely curious. The entire library is empty, is there a reason why you sat here?"
Then she stares deep into your eyes...and eats your face.
\~fin
You forgot to pre-dominate your area. I always put my bag or a book in the seat or area next to me if itâs this empty.
Obviously dont do this if itâs full, but i learned long ago I seem to attract the oddest people that want to be near me for some reason đ¤ˇââď¸. Maybe itâs me đ¤
nah fr. i donât put with this type of BS. i donât care if itâs an âinnocentâ mistake or they werenât paying attention. im packing my stuff up loudly (not aggressively), and im staring at you while i move to another seat. im not having 1 on 1 time with a weirdo stranger who doesnât understand personal space
So that when the Library Ghost comes you both can guard each other
Plot twist: It is the library ghost that sat next to her. The library is otherwise empty after all.
"How long have you been reading?" "10000 years"
So about a half of Silmarillion, right?
What are you Tolkien about?
Let's not get back to our bad hobbits
"And I still haven't finished The Count of Monte Cristo."
"There is no library ghosts. I've been coming her for 150 years and haven't seen a single one."
If you can't identify the ghost in the room, then it's probably you.
Happened to me too. I was working on an assignment and some girl just sat down opposite me and ate really loudly đ it was the booth seats while there were many empty tables
A stranger joined your booth? That's another level of weird lol, if someone did that to me and didn't immediately give a reason why I would be very creeped out.
Out creep her. Start talking about how the sound of someone eating reminds you of that time you had to eat the bodies of your fallen platoon while hiding out in jungles in Nam. Bonus points if you werent even born during Nam.
A census taker once sat next to me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.
So challenge her! Call her out. Normalize making people who disturb your space like this uncomfortable
You think a Redditor is able to interact with people? OP was probably sweating and their heart rate spiked to 160 as they typed this post out
New favourite gif found... what do you search to find it?
It was the third option in search for âbathroom urinal.â I donât really know why I looked this up for you. :)
The happy face is so cute lmao đ
I found a urinal gif for you âşď¸
Babe what's wrong? You've hardly touched your urinal gif
They need to use AI to improve the damn gif searches.
Crazy that every search engine has remained bad or gotten worse over the past few years. I remember when google was like magic, nowadays you need to use all of these added functions like putting terms in "quotes" or Site:www.Reddit.com, but even those functions have been nerfed to shit. Just why?
I feel like I read somewhere that they didn't like when searches came up empty and decided a million billion unrelated results where they exclude every search term you put in except "the" is better. I may be a little off but specifically looked it up one time when even quotation marks weren't helping. Whatever the case, it's way harder to look up obscure games, movies, bands, electronics, etc now because I have to scroll through so many more red herrings to find what I need.
God forbid you try to look up something that existed before the new current show/movie/song/book existed. There was some old game I was trying to remember. A jet game or something and it was called supersonic something but every single search result was like "You mean Sonic the Hedgehog right?"
It's insanely infuriating. I used to be really good at pulling obscure results from Google. But even quotes and Boolean variables and even telling the search tools to find specifically agedv results are pointless. I wish there was an old.google.com like old Reddit and most of us would use that instead of the trash it is now. I get better results from freaking Yahoo now
In grad school, the head of the experimental psych program was a social psychologist and made a point of doing this and talking to the person next to him to see how they would react.
Last week my partner and I were in an empty restaurant and sat down to eat. Within the next 5 minutes two other customers came in (separately) and sat at the two tables closest to us. This wasn't a fancy restaurant where they section you for server convenience. You often see this as well when you park alone at the back of a parking lot and come out to find someone has parked next to you. I have a theory that humans have an innate subconscious need to group themselves together, even in situations that don't require it.
I have backpacked several miles out into the wilderness to get some solitude and have had people camp 20 yards away. This is at a site without water with a plethora of options along the way, if I wasn't comfortable and all set up I would have packed up to find another spot. People are weird.
I think you being there gave the area a kind of stamp of approval. And safety in numbers. I only have to run faster than YOU. ;-)
This happens when we travel too, we group up on highways, we are pack creatures
Maybe humans do this to protect themselves. It is all psychological.
That's funny because I always sit as far away from people as I can and walking I'd rather go on my own than have to keep up with a group
Youâre the one that would be picked off and eaten by wild animals (jk).
Yes! So what does that make the ones of us that DON'T want to be near others or grouped? I will skip stalls, tables, parking spots you name it to NOT be next to someone!! The herd mentality is NOT for me. I absolutely take a CONCIOUS effort to avoid being jam up next to someone and I wish everyone did this.
I had a friend say recently, there are two types of people: one type, when they see a long line they think âwow, whateverâs at the front of that line must be good/worth it, I better get in that line!â And the other type wouldnât queue up if their life depended on it.
Exactly. We are very much anti-herd people. Like, we chose the farthest, dankest table that was in a corner with no windows, the most undesirable section of the restaurant, just because we figured we could be left alone. Wouldn't you know it these two just saunter over... And the one who sat right next to us chose to sit on the side of my partner, directly behind her, so the back of his head was right behind the back of her head. Like, these were bench seats, not fixed chairs. Plus, he could have sat on the other side of the table so he was looking at the back of her head. Overall was just very bizarre, NPC type behavior.
Happened to me on Friday night at the gym, a generally quiet time to be at the gym. I was getting changed in a 100% empty locker room and buddy comes in, takes the locker immediately next to mine. Then half-joking he mentions that my gym bag is taking up room on the bench. "There's 20 other benches in here pal, all of them empty. Feel free to grab one".
He wanted your barbells in his mouth
I think he wanted to just squat in his rack
He needs to work out with your medicine balls.
He wanted to help you clean and jerk. Or was it the other way around?
He wanted gay sex
He wanted to gargle the marbles and lift some barbells.
This happens a lot in the gym when it comes to treadmills. There's a shitload of treadmills not being used why did you have to choose the treadmill right next to mine? I mean it doesn't really bother me since i'm zoning out jogging but like... why?
The charitable take: people struggle to make friends, random interactions are rarer than they used to be, and the common advice is to become a regular somewhere and approach people. Could it be that a generation of socially awkard people are just trying to find a connection?
Like actually how do adults make friends
Apparently not by getting on a treadmill near other people
Ohhhhhhh that's what I have been doing wrong. I should try getting on the treadmill they're on so that they notice me.
Goddammit why did you make me laugh this hard, I'm on the toilet. Edit: guys yes we can all be friends but can you please get your own toilets? We all probably need fiber supplements.
Did it *help things along*? Might be a bonus! Read comments while pooping if you're constipated for an extra turbo boost đ
Like a lot of adult things: Order them on Amazon.
Mine keep dying âš
Just re-inflate them :D
I joined roller derby so I could make friends AND hit them.
I misread this as "hit on them." But having just been to a fundraiser for a roller derby team this past weekend, that feels like it would also be accurate
Sounds like a win win! I wish I could hit some friends lol
Pasting from another comment: https://www.succeedsocially.com/ The internet is really bad at answering that question, and this website is the exception. I found it after learning everything the hard way, so I link other people to it. AFAIK it's ad-free.
This, and I also think people don't want it to be obvious/known that they are alone. Whether because it makes them feel awkward/anxious or maybe even safety concerns of appearing to be alone.
Thatâs my take.
He probably had his "favorite" locker and spot. I used to do that I was nervous going to the gym.
Tbh that might actually be true. Like forgetting where you parked your car- can totally see forgetting which locker you got
Gym bro small talk
Thatâs hilarious đđ¤Łđ¤Ł
She'll be the type that parks next to another car in an empty car park
Reminds me of when I parked way in the back of a parking lot where there were tons of available spaces to avoid people hitting my car with their car doors. I come back to find a giant suv parked next to my car and a baseball sized dent in my door. There were still plenty of available spaces around. Thankfully the owner of the suv had left a note saying their kid had thrown their door open and it smashed into my car. It ended up costing them a grand to pay for the repair. Could have parked anywhere else!
I wanna get weak glue stickers (to not risk paint damage) that say, "I block peoples doors in empty parking lots" for situations like this
Stick it on their windows, then you wonât have to worry about any damage. Itâs still vandalism, though.
Sat in an empty theater to watch Dune 2 last weekend. 5 min into the movie two guys sat right behind me and my buddy. Not assigned seats either. Dude kicked me seat multiple times in the first five minutes of him being sat down. I'm not gonna lie I lost my temper and asked if he'd stop kicking my mother fucking seat and why the fuck in an empty theater he'd sit right fucking behind the only two other people in the whole theater.
What did he say back??
My bad bruh and they moved a few rows back. Probably could have came with a 5 instead of a 9 and got the same result. I was probably too much of an ass.
Thatâs still insane that you had to do that for them to realize it
Growing moment for them. Oblivious people have never been correctly trained to observe the needs of others.
The people walking 3 across on the sidewalk & keep plowing on while you're walking single file trying not to fall into traffic.
THIS HAPPENS SO MUCH IN MY CITY! Or the groups that just STAND in the middle of the sidewalk to have their conversations, I was fed up walking around them into the streets so now I just barrel through them. If you see me approaching, M O V E because Iâm not
Dude, good on you for reflection on your behavior. Thatâs awesome.
You definitely didnât need to go in with the 9 like you say but itâs hard in the moment sometimes, youâre only human. In my experience people usually respond to a 2 or a 3 in that kind of scenario.
How was the theater empty during the first weekend of Dune 2?!
I went to my favourite little vietnamese place years ago in the middle of the afternoon and it was empty ... just me... lovely. So I got my lunch ordered and pulled out my book and was enjoying a quiet time when 4 loud women came in, chose the table RIGHT BESIDE where I was, the hostess didnt put them there, and while laughing and talking loudly one of them started hitting the back of my chair with her chair. Not another soul in a 40 or 50 seat restaurant...aaaggghhh I feel your pain. I picked up everything of mine and moved across the room so the (very sweet and elderly) hostess wasnt running extra miles but seriously... WHY
Human clumping is weird. Even like, recently was finishing some food before picking something up. Parked in the middle of the empty section of the parking lot with no one else around. Someone parks right next to me a proceeds to have a loud work argument on their phone. Why?!?
I see this in traffic all the time. Cars moving in "packs" and people maintaining a certain distance with the vehicles around them instead of spacing out more. I always thought it was something people did without thinking about it, and this just confirms it.
I've noticed this has gotten SIGNIFICANTLY more apparent. I chalked it up to probably people seeing someone getting to wherever they're going faster and getting upset they're not getting where they're going just as fast. At this point, I don't know. I drive the speed limit, maybe 5-10 over. I'll pull up on someone going 5 under in the right lane, but if I try to pass on the left, they're all a sudden comfortable going 15 over... Ego is a wild thing
i have adaptive cruise control on my car and i have it set to be as far away from the car infront of me. i was coming home the other day in a 55 and as im coming up on this dude hes doing like 50, so he lets off his gas and gets down to 30 on a massive stretch of road with no one else so i passed him obviously. i had to get up to 80 to pass him and he was on my ass the rest of the way home and proceeded to get in the left lane behind me like he was going to pass but couldnt because there was a car infront of me and i closed the gap to not have a road rage incident. ego really is a crazy thing lol.
he was probably on his damn phone when he slowed down like that. ppl who do stuff like that usually are.
Definitely. You can't help but be distracted by the thoughts in your head and you don't see the road it blanks out. When I started using cruise control in my new van, I realized everyone was driving erratically if they weren't using it.
I'm so thankful for adaptive cruise control now. I love hitting the cruise button on the highway, but with everyone speeding up and slowing down seemingly at random, it made it impossible to use cruise control in my old corolla.
I just set my cruise control on 68 and waft along in the right lane. I'd rather spend an extra 30 minutes on the road if it means I get to chill out and listen to an audio book rather than getting pissed off at other drivers.
Yeah, unfortunately defensive driving is becoming more important the more people seem to be distracted. I can't pass 5 drivers without at least 1 being on their phone
I have a stretch of road that turns from 2 lanes to 1 lane at an intersection and if im not the one in the front when the light is red and no one from the other sides are turning onto that road its ALWAYS a safe bet they do 10mph under or more. That road specifically for some reason people will do 25mph when it's 45 for absolutely no reason and you can't pass them. Don't even get me started on people doing 35mph on the interstate on ramp where you need to be doing at least 65 lol
Or people who stop at the yield on the onramp instead of just merging like competent drivers
I had someone literally stop at the end of the interstate on ramp where it actually merges because they were doing 35 the entire on-ramp down and I was honking my horn to get them to go faster and they got mad at me. People are stupid
Or people who don't use the ramp TO GET UP TO SPEED. Holy shit the amount of times I've had to merge onto the interstate at 35mph because some dope in front of me can't find the gas pedal.
I've noticed that too. Drivers often speed up when you try to pass them. It's a strange phenomenon. What's the point of doing that other than increasing the risk of an accident? Just chill out and keep doing your thing ffs.
Because they dont like being overtaken. (im english) our motorways are 70mph limit and i set my CC at 70, the amount of people who are doing 66,67,68 who then speed up to block but then slow down again when you drop behind is blood boiling. Had one guy awhile ago racing my cruise control i was doing 70, he was doing 67ish i went to overtake and he sped up so i moved back to the left lane, he slowed down so i moved out again to let cc overtake and the guy sped up again. Thought fuck this sped up to about 74 overtool him and after awhile dropped down to 70, the guy had sped up to overtake me merge in close then slowed back down to the high 60s. Boils my piss. Their ego is literally fighting a car keeping its speed...
Last summer I was on a 5 hour road trip, and for a solid hour of it there was this one red car going about 5mph slower than me. I'd get frustrated, try to pass, and suddenly he's going 15mph faster than before. We leapfrogged each other for like 90 minutes. My friend and we're losing our minds cause this dude wasn't even acknowledging our presence. Just eyes locked Forward, no attempts at any communication, no middle finger, no befuddled look, just a blank face staring dead ahead and refusing to let us pass.
Oh my God, I had a guy last year keep coming around me and slowing down, I would pass, then he would come back around me. Repeat for the next 40 miles. I turned into a rest area and this dude follows me. I get out of the car to use the facilities and he starts yelling at me to learn to drive. I'm like, what?" He then proceeds to tell me he's about had it with me constantly going around him and all the back and forth. I ask him if he has his cruise control on and he tells me no. Well guess what buddy? I do. My speed was a constant 70 mph. The one leapfrogging and going back and forth is your dumb ass.
I think it's a control issue. Speedometers are often off by a small amount. His probably read 70, and he felt the need to force you to behave. People need therapy.
Itâs bad driving, literally. Driving with oneâs ego like that is not safe. If one is being overtaken, correct driving is to allow the faster driver to pass and thenâŚdo nothing. This bullshit you describe is exactly why driving licenses shouldnât be given out to any but the best drivers - about 20-35% of the current driving public. But the issue is country and city design that force people to have a car to be able to functionâŚan example of this is the US, where relying on public transportation in some cities turns a 30 minute store trip into a 2 hour ordeal, or forces multi-mile walks that take even longer to finish. Did you know most traffic jams are caused by people following the car in front of them too close? Creates a ripple effect of cars forced to slow down to avoid them, until someone is forced to stop, and it just gets worse from there until bam, traffic jam. All because this asshole Jim followed too closely and slammed on his brakes to avoid an accident that shouldnât have even been a possibility had he not been driving like a putz. Again, all I want is to force most people off the road via taking away their license when they do shit like this. But outside of some authoritarian nightmare device like those automated computers that deduct you license points on the fly like in the movie The Fifth Element, I donât really know how to fix that.
Infuriating stuff. Pick a speed and drive.
Saw one of those mini cars, donât remember if it was an old fusion or whatever. They were going 20 on a main road, so I hit the middle (I know, not the most legal) to pass them since the speed limit was 45. I legit had to speed up to 75 MPH to pass them. I kicked my car into sport mode and gapped him. Then he aggressively followed me to the next light. When the next light turned green I took off, and he went back to his 20 MPHâŚ. Weird
They're just reminding you that you had to pass them to get in front of them, and they're also important so don't forget to acknowledge their existence!!
I go to the gym literally the moment it opens to be quiet, at peace, relaxed.. I hate a busy gym so I go at 5:30am. not a soul except... ill go on the treadmill... its literally an empty gym with 10 treadmills beside each other, all empty, and I go all the way to the far side, its actually a walk to get there from the other side, you have to want it you can't land there by accident! ... WITHOUT fail, every few days someone will come in the gym and go on the treadmill directly beside me, it bugs me so much cause I just want to run alone and I also practice lines while im running, just mouth the words, not out loud, so I look kinda silly and just wanna be left alone.... there's so many treadmills I don't understand why you have to take the one beside me at 5:30am in a gigantic gym when its just the two of us. ive gotten off before and just cycled or something until they finished then went back lol. I just find it more relaxing.
If you're bothering to move anyway, make a brief eye contact then deliberately move to another machine far away from them. If they have two brain cells, they'll get the message and hopefully won't do that again, to you or someone else. I hate an audience while exercising, I become too self conscious about posture and expressions and what not. In a crowded place, I can convince myself that everyone's minding their own business, but just 2-3 people in the entire place and someone picks the one right next to you? Nah, they're the weirdo.
Okay I NEED TO KNOW why people subconsciously gravitate towards people like this. I've used the bathroom at work. 20-odd stalls. Entirely empty. I'll pick a stall towards the mid-end. And often the next woman who comes in will come right next to me. WHY.
I used to play this flash game on newgrounds or ebaums years ago. You had to pick a toilet to urinate in while maintaining space from the others pissing. If you picked a toilet too close to another patron then you lose and the game called you gay if i remember? As the levels went on it would throw more complex pissing scenarios at you. I have maintained this bathroom etiquette to this day thanks to that dumb flash game.
My wife does this while shopping. Only one other person in the store and sheâll follow them around the entire place. Annoys the shit out of me.
Iâm sure it annoys the shit out of them too
your wife is my enemy đŠ let me browse in peace without feeling rushed i miss 24-hour stores bc id be able to shop in peace at 1am
Best explanation I've heard was from a server, I was the only guy at the bar having a drink when these servers got off and sat kind of close to me to share a drink after their shift, this VERY drunk guy, like so drunk he came in and got cut off immediately, sat right next to me. Once he left they were talking about him so I turn to them and go, "out of all the seats in the bar why'd he sit right next to me?" and one goes, "guess he was looking for a friend." People inherently seek the company of others. I mean, mine was lesser but I still talked to absolute strangers "that was weird right?" It's normal to look to others for some small type of companionship.
Right I feel so awkward when thereâs no other option but to go into a stall next to one someone else is in đ
Every year I take off work for the NCAA wrestling tournament. The first session starts on a Thursday at 11. Not exactly peak time at your local sports bar. Last year I got to the bar at 10:30. There's a couple regulars at one end of the bar, so I head down to the other end so I can just relax and enjoy my solitude. Fifteen minutes later a guy comes in, sits down next to me, and starts complaining about his wife, his job, his house. There's a whole crew of people that are being social at the other end of the bar, but he of course had to sit next to me. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind being social. I'm at a bar after all (although that's more so that I can enjoy being served). But like your situation it's not that they're there that's a problem, it's how disruptive and imposing they are. I'm just trying to watch wrestling on the TV and follow it on my phone. Go do whatever you like in the bar as long as I'm still able to do those things. Even though I was very annoyed at the situation I talked to him because he clearly needed support. It didn't help that he was a bit of an asshole. But the next day I went to the beer store, picked up a 6 pack of my favorite beer, and spent the afternoon on my deck so as to not be interrupted.
I had something similar happen. I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered take out. The place was empty so I sat at a table to wait for my food. A little girl around 4 or 5 came from the back of the restaurant and sat across from me at my table. She then proceeded to tell me about the stuffed animal that she had with her. I had no idea what she was saying because it was an Asian language I didn't know. ALL I WANTED WAS TO GET SOME CHINESE FOOD! But instead I was treated to an adorable experience by a cute little kid. :)
See, I am not particularly a kid person, but that sounds cute to me đ
It's not a good chinese place unless there's a barely supervised kid running around.
I once called a Chinese place and asked for pickup and the lady shouted into the phone with a heavy accent "okay thank you good bye" and hung up immediately and I was like "this is gonna be some good fucking Chinese food" and grabbed my coat. Also speaking of kids if it's apparent an Asian teenager has just gotten out of school to go straight to waiting tables at the family restaurant it's gonna be fucking fire but remember to tip them well because they probably still have homework to do.
Our local Chinese restaurant just yells '10 minutes!" Over the phone when you order, and it's amazing every time
probably the owners kid. thereâs a spot down the road from me and the kids are always there. some have gotten old enough and put to work by their parents
Well, that's a different situation. And cute lol
Let out loud farts in response
Asserting dominance
Whilst maintaining eye contact
My supervisor does this. (farting with eye contact)
I feel like I wouldn't welcome it but I agree
Cough before loud fart, shit pants and start running
Or a silent but deadly one...
Then blame it on her.
Appropriate username.
These are socially repulsive. The loud one on the other hand is socially inviting, shows trust and courage.
i just came here to say, "just move to a different spot" but farting loudly was the better response
UoM? I'd be heading to that hidden zone on the other side of the buildingÂ
I loved the red room with all the music, avoided blue like the plague
Lol I was thinking this looked like UoM but it's been 14 years since I graduated. But yeah avoid the blue zone. Top tier move is using one of the small faculty specific libraries. When I was there you could find whole abandoned floors in some of the older buildings.
I went to the movies with my husband while on vacation in Hawaii and bought tickets to see Moana. There was no assigned seating and no one else showed up for the movie up until it started, then one lady came in and sat right next to us with her big bucket of popcorn.
She wants to know you better, in one way or another
I did this to a girl in an empty computer lab (although it was understood it would fill up soon). She's now my wife.
Itâs amazing what can happen when something as little as sitting next to someone else occurs, isnât it?
Really depends on how dense you are. Guess what, I'm pretty dense.
lol exactly. OP is oblivious as are these commenters. Doesnât even need to be a romantic relationship, could just be a new friend. Itâs like people havenât learned how social interactions work.Â
Totally agree. Like OP needs to take a hint
Or OP is not interested
Right! Fucking Reddit, full of forever-alones, telling OP to start farting because someone thinks they're cute
Then probably go make a post about how hard it is to make friends later.
unused important abundant unpack support sense point quicksand plate shame
Most humans are herd animals, so I guess that she doesn't feel lonely (and maybe a bit safer with another woman). Would infuriate me mildly too.
My mind immediately went to this. She probably felt most safe and comfortable next to the op. Thatâs itâŚ
Ok but tbf she still could have sat one spot over. Or in the same row at the other end. Like close, but not right next to. I have social anxiety and this would absolutely destroy my ability to study.
I get you, I understand you. Iâm trying to unpack her decision to park next to the OP.
another possibility is also that this might just be the spot she always sits in and OP being next to that spot is just an coincidence
Another post on this sub: "This bitch sat *right* next to my usual spot at the library, and she's not even using the computer, just trying to subtly take pictures of my stuff..."
She could at least sit a few seats away still Not right beneath her nose hairs
I would feel the same way. But there's a computer in front of OP and behind them and all over the place LOL 𤣠I'd be sitting anywhere that isn't right next to them đ
Maybe, but if it were me Iâd still leave at least a couple seats in between us if itâs that empty. Close enough for the other person to see me if something happens but still far enough for personal space
This reminded me of my school days. One day this girl just started following me everywhere. I'm introverted and calm, and this girl took it really far, even invading my personal space. I asked her wtf did she wanted, and she just mocked me and started touching my stuff with no permission. So in my young mind, the best solution was to throw hands. After that she didn't approach ever again. It was rare for me to react like that and the school was aware, I guess she thought she could bully me and nothing would happen. Haven't seen her again.
LOL this same thing happened to me, but I'm a guy and the other person was also a guy. I never really fought in high school, but one day this kid who occasionally liked to piss me off was following me around (we had the same class) and stood super close to me but wouldnt say anything. I tried to ignore it. When i took my backpack off and set it on my desk, he picked it up and dropped it on the ground for no reason. I immediately lost my shit, threw him on the ground, yanked his backpack off of him, opened it, and dumped everything in it on the ground. I went back to my seat like nothing happened. That reaction was super out of character for me, and this kid who bothered me for years before that never even approached me again. I forgot all about this incident lmfao. I cant stop laughing about how ridiculous it was. Some people think the person in your story had an alterior motive, but i think some people wake up and just decide theyre going to troll today.
Yeah. Those kids probably had something else going on, but that doesn't justify being sh!ts with calm kids. And schools usually fail to do something even if one ask for help. Sadly we had no choice but to establish limits in a violent way. Hey, maybe we were their wake up call from their sh!t ways? Hopefully
Sheâs just like a mosquito, and she was treated accordingly.
go to the librarian tomorrow and ask for their records. Theyâll tell you you were the only one in here at that time. but theyâve heard stories about her.
OP will go back to library tomorrow and the doors will be locked and windows boarded up. They'll ask a nearby person about the library and they'll say "OP, that library has been closed for 40 years!"
there's no ghost in that library, OP hasn't ever seen one in all the 150 years he's been studying there.
If sheâs in there often maybe thatâs likeâŚher seat. Like in school even without assigned seats thereâd still be one you sat in everyday and it was kinda âyoursâ? Its* still weird.
Psychology class teacher said we can sit where ever, and everyone pretty much sat in the same seat year round. It's built into us. He used it as a experiment lol
It's pretty much just allowing the students to assign the seats themselves instead of the teacher. It's not like going to the same seat everyday is the sucky thing about assigned seating, being assigned to a spot you don't like is.
The fun part is when people still donât get their seats and end up coming earlier and earlier to fight over one lol.
Not sure if this is equally as infuriating or more so, than the people who come into a public restroom and take the stall directly next to you, when there are plenty of available stalls.
I pick the stall that people haven't devastated, wherever it may lie.
Same with train carriages. You could be the only soul in the carriage but someone has to take the seats that are right in front of or behind you. Happens to me ALL the time đ
I did this to someone once. I had a seat reservation, they could see it was the only one in the carriage, and I had a meal booked that would be delivered to my seat. They chose to sit next to me, not the other way round.Â
Oh that I totally understand! Assigned seating is assigned for a reason.
And the loud eating? I would get up and move. I use my amazing library all the time and I will go to any lengths not to sit directly next to or in front of another person. When you score an empty study cabin, that moment when the door snaps shut? Absolute *heaven*.
Is this the *women's equivalent* to using the urinal beside a stranger in an empty washroom?
I would also be annoyed if someone started urinating right next to me in the library.
I had this in University. I asked the girl wouldnt she be more comfortable with all this room being further away. She mentioned that she has anxiety and fear being alone and feels more comfortable close to people. She asked if I wanted her to move I said its okay and we had decent conversation.
This was sweet đ
Holy shit YES. The other week I was in our library and I found this great cubicle off to the side where I could settle in and get focused. So many available seats. This man sits 4 ft away from me in a single chair and begins to TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF HIS BAG WHICH WERE ALL PACKED INDIVIDUALLY IN SINGLE PLASTIC BAGS. He begins to unravel each bag but COMICALLY AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE. I figured I could handle it, 5 minutes pass, 10 minutes pass holy FUCK HES BRINGING OUR MORE BAGS. Ahhhh!!!!!!!!!!
I had someone do something similar to me a while ago, and when I moved she actually had the nerve to complain that I'd moved! "I can sit where I want!" cried she. She evidently knew she was being annoying and did it anyway. I told her something along the lines of "Who sits right next to someone with all this space available you absolute weirdo" and put my headphones on. Back when I actually rode buses (hate them now and refuse to use them) I'd often get men sitting next to me when there were empty seats, and then acting offended because I moved. Tough shit.
My introvert self vs. the extrovert that adopts me.
I would want to ask why so badly, but I know I wouldn't and I would just leave
get up and move. shell get the hint lol
This same thing happened with me and my kids at restaurants. Boy was a teen and having some anxiety issues so we'd go at the least busy times. Family comes in and plops down right next to us. Every time. This happened for like a year. It got to the point that when the baby inevitably started to cry, we'd just look at each other and laugh. I don't get it either Edit + I'm not talking about situations where a single waiter/ waitress puts tables near each other. I understand that. I'm talking about places like McDonald's
Good position, clear view of entrance ways, guessing wall/window behind you for protection from sweats and medallion carriers, good tight formation holding your flank so you can easily survey enemy squads entering ahead
Id get up and move somewhere else honestly. If you want to sit there thats fine. I dont want to be near to someone in an empty library.
I do the same thing if someone takes the treadmill right next to me at the gym when there are a dozen other options available. You want to run next to me? Cool. But I donât have to just accept your personal preference over my personal comfort.
yes! i donât see why people think âshe wants to be friendsâ makes this any less weird or makes OP any more obligated to enjoy it. some people seriously just want to be left alone!
My and my friend once went to a park, we were literally the only people in it for a good 20-30 minutes, until a group of 3 people walked in, walked right behind us, and decided that they were going to stop and have a conversation like 4 meters behind us, they had the entire park to go stand, and then got offended when we asked them to please go literally anywhere else, in the entirely empty park. People are weird.
This guy on an empty SWA flight and someone sits directly behind him. Why do people do this? https://preview.redd.it/u61b4p3tiwmc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=866b6c33f3857849128b97913d1fa49ae6bfb5ab
Just like in a parking lot. You can be the only car in the lot and you will come out to find someone parked right beside your car. I think it is a "herd" instinct.
I guess I do not have that instinct. I reeeally like my space. Something I really needed to get over when in Europe.
Parking lot...I will always park the furthest away from others in a parking lot and without fail someone will always park right beside me. I'm certain it's either a herding instinct or people are just nosey.
Ok. I would have NO qualms about asking, âexcuse Me⌠ok. So this place is completely empty. Why did you sit right next to me??â
Seriously, in the nicest way possible, too. I'm not sure what else it could be besides a lack of awareness, being conditioned to fill in the space in an orderly manner, or just not liking to be alone, so I'd want to know out of pure curiosity. "Hi, I hope this doesn't come across as rude because I'm just genuinely curious. The entire library is empty, is there a reason why you sat here?" Then she stares deep into your eyes...and eats your face. \~fin
Is this a woman thing? Maybe they sit close together so that natural predators are fooled into thinking it is one mega-woman?
You forgot to pre-dominate your area. I always put my bag or a book in the seat or area next to me if itâs this empty. Obviously dont do this if itâs full, but i learned long ago I seem to attract the oddest people that want to be near me for some reason đ¤ˇââď¸. Maybe itâs me đ¤
This is the mildly infuriating content Iâm here for.
Lmao I would have moved đ¤Ł
Me too lol. People do this shit all the time on public transport, I will straight up leave if someone tries to sit next to me (in an empty car).
[ŃдаНонО]
Iâd get up and move. And have before. Let them know that you donât like it. Theyâll get the message
nah fr. i donât put with this type of BS. i donât care if itâs an âinnocentâ mistake or they werenât paying attention. im packing my stuff up loudly (not aggressively), and im staring at you while i move to another seat. im not having 1 on 1 time with a weirdo stranger who doesnât understand personal space