Question Of The Day - Tuesday, January 22

Greetings! Happy Tuesday!




What the strangest/weirdest thing a stranger has ever done or said in front of you?


Had my fair share over the years Thanks to working with the public for many years. From commentaries from meth addicts and drunks and conspiracy theories, strange marriage proposals and TMI stories from individuals. Recently a woman who went on to me about how she thought clothing was poisoning her and had to wear gloves all the time. I reckon one of the top memorable activity one was a fellow who decided that not only was it a good idea to clip his toenails on the bus, but um...lick the clippers clean after each use.

I've had my fair share of middle fingers and insults and personal questions over the years from strangers (usually older men).

For a while, around 2010 or so, the Sovereign Citizen movement was a thing. I work at the Post Office, and they thought that if they Express Mailed something to the government, with a certain amount of postage on it, the government would have to release them from any obligation to follow laws or pay taxes. It had to be a very precise amount of postage (not usual Express Mail postage), down to the penny. I don't remember the exact amount, I think $27-something. And they mailed it to the White House address, not the Dept. of State or anything like that. I'm fairly sure they went straight into the garbage. Anyway, we had about 10 people do that, which seems like a lot for a small town. That was very very weird.

aliceneko said:

I've had my fair share of middle fingers and insults and personal questions over the years from strangers (usually older men).

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I guess I have had my share of middle fingers and insults from strangers over the years. I can't really think of anything right now.

Just the usual with the middle finger. I was flashed once when I was much younger. I don't think that would happen now at 62. If it did I am sure I would have a comeback or just laugh. I was only 19 and a very naive 19 so he got the desired effect, being embarrassed and flustered.

People tell me I look younger than my real age but when I was newly married and in my 20's the hostess at a restaurant gave me a "junior" menu.

Ugh, lots of things. I travel in interesting circles. One that stands out was a guy who I met while having a smoke outside a shop (I quit a long time ago) who was telling me all about how he was a legit vampire and had been alive for hundreds of years and how lonely he was and sad he was that he had to drink blood.

This is well before Twilight and the vampire movie craze- maybe that was an actor practicing for a part.

I've also met self- declared Werewolves and a few people who felt strongly that they were elves. The elves really did look elvin aka Tolkien- not the elves of actual Norse or early European depictions of course.

Life is strange and beautiful.

(Please note I know this is a genuine problem...pica...but still it was one of the oddest conversations I have ever had.)

A few years ago I had a student that I suspected was suffering with pica as he was prone to chewing paper items (towel, straw wrappers, tissues, etc.) so I brought it up to his mother. She said "yeah, well...I like soap." Because I wanted to make sure we were understanding each other I responded "Yes, I like soap too. Do you mean to wash with or to eat?" She calmly said "to eat." So I continued "any particular kind?" She answered "oh yes, only Jamaican blue soap. I keep a case in my car trunk to snack on."

A lot of weird things. My brother's ex fiance was queen of saying weird things. "I really like your turkey. I like my turkey dry... my mom's is too moist." Ok. Thanks?

I used to ride a very early train to work when I lived in Atlanta. I've been preached at and had more strange conversations than I can count. Once, I sat behind a man who kept vigorously rubbing his face and head. After about 5 minutes of this nonstop rubbing, I had to move because I was starting to feel itchy.

One thing that comes to mind when I was in school (two year tech school), some guy sat in the front row of the class clipping his toenails. Teacher was afraid of him, I think (I don't blame him) because he didn't say a word.

As a Human Resourced professional I had a most unusual interview with a job candidate. He came in nicely dressed, shook my hand and then sat in the chair in front of me. By the time I sat down he had scooted his chair all the way up to the edge of my desk and I watched as he set out a lunch container and very slowly and carefully spread out his lunch items across my desk. As I asked him questions he proceeded to eat his lunch pausing in his answers now and then to take a bite or a sip.

marmoset said:

Ugh, lots of things. I travel in interesting circles. One that stands out was a guy who I met while having a smoke outside a shop (I quit a long time ago) who was telling me all about how he was a legit vampire and had been alive for hundreds of years and how lonely he was and sad he was that he had to drink blood.

This is well before Twilight and the vampire movie craze- maybe that was an actor practicing for a part.

I've also met self- declared Werewolves and a few people who felt strongly that they were elves. The elves really did look elvin aka Tolkien- not the elves of actual Norse or early European depictions of course.

Life is strange and beautiful.

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~ You can have all of that in one place - Hollywood California

JamesCalifornia said:

~ You can have all of that in one place - Hollywood California

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Well we were close- Arizona.

When I was a teenager (16 or so) I was a cashier in a grocery store. During the summer, I worked the graveyard shift. One night a man came in dressed in a red dress and had red heels on. He also had on a long, dark blonde wig. This was around 1986. It was the middle of the week. He came up to the register with a few lipsticks and asked me which one I thought would look best on him. I picked one, he thanked me, bought it and left. If that happened today I doubt I'd even bat an eyelash but back then things were different. I didn't judge him then or now. It's just that my 16 year old self wasn't prepared for that.

When I was living in Ft. Lauderdale I was at a dinner the bank was having for its employees. The man seated beside me asked if I had had a nose job and if so, which doc did it. Stunned me then and would now. (I haven't)

Kat0121 said:

One night a man came in dressed in a red dress and had red heels on. He also had on a long, dark blonde wig.

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Oh! That reminds me of Eddie. This was in a town I used to work in. He was a clerk at one of the gas stations. He always wore a long blue prairie skirt. With a t-shirt and sneakers, facial hair, no makeup or anything. He wasn't trying to look like a woman, he wasn't effeminate at all. He just liked his long blue prairie skirt. And everyone just shrugged and said "yep, that's Eddie for ya".

I don't know if this counts, but after I had been dating my (now) husband for a few years, his mother told him that I dyed my hair too dark and it didn't look natural. My hair is naturally dark brown and I have never dyed it. (although now it is getting gray in it so maybe I should.

rgwanner said:

I don't know if this counts, but after I had been dating my (now) husband for a few years, his mother told him that I dyed my hair too dark and it didn't look natural. My hair is naturally dark brown and I have never dyed it. (although now it is getting gray in it so maybe I should.

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I think we should have a whole thread on inappropriate things that in-laws and relatives say and do. And also for husbands who pass along comments from their mothers.

I used to work at a grocery store (worst 5 years of my life) and on one of my first days, I had a customer come in with a cake he baked in a paper bag and said he needed a new box because it didn't turn out. He left the bag at my register and then just went and took another box.

I was domiciled in Consumer Affairs for the Postal service for 23 years. The full moon was something we dreaded, especially it fell on the first of the month (check day).

One morning I got a call from a somewhat elderly-sounding lady saying the carrier refused to deliver her package. I called and found the carrier refused to go to her house alone. A supervisor agreed to go with him to see what was going on. The woman answered the door and stepped outside into the blistering summer heat. She was wearing an old red dressing gown so dirty it would have stood on its own. Her feet were bare and she had gangrenous-looking toes. They said they could have handled that, but she was also wearing a mask - made of taped-together sanitary napkins. They gave her the package and fled.

She later called to say the package had been opened and re-taped. She asserted that the Postal Inspection Service, the CIA, Secret Service, the FBI, the local police, and every other government agency were in cahoots to steal her mail, especially their social security checks and to give them to a man down the street. Supposedly he'd stolen thousands of dollars this way.

She claimed he was trying to kill her. The carrier said she would ride the bus in the red dressing gown. She asserted that she tried to get a drink at a public fountain but he poisoned the water before she could get a second sip. Her water at home was poisoned with Agent Orange. He'd even poisoned everything in her freezer, she claimed. I asked how she knew that and she said it had white powder (frost) all over it.

She would keep me on the phone for hours. Finally I had an inspiration. I had a ball of aluminum foil at my desk. After dealing with her for a while, I would hold the ball near the phone and crackle it. I'd ask her if she heard a noise and as quick as that she would hang up.

Her husband called one day and I very tactfully let him know I understood she wasn't well. He puffed up and told me everything she said was absolutely true! It's frightening to know they were both like that. I'd hate to be the neighbor they blamed everything on.

I had quite a few others but this is enough for you to get the idea of the first of the month.