Elevators, buses, taxi cars, normal cars and lines at the grocery store are a few of the places where these rude acts are comitted with little to no knowledge or recognition. It’s a big world, but these acts happen everywhere.
1) Silent but deadly
-A rather sticky subject, farting in public is, but we’ve all been there before. You’re standing in line somewhere and all of a sudden that persistent odor spontaneously appears. Those who are frequent at committing this act do have an alibi! From a health perspective, “holding it” is actually very unhealthy. There are ways to avoid gassing out that unsuspecting stranger to your left, such as: taking to a far away corner to “let it rip,” excusing yourself to the bathroom, or if you suffer from chronic gas problems, take a Gas X before standing close to someone. Just a fair warning, at some point in life you will have to deal with the “silent but deadly” crime in public. In that case, a small sized bottle of Bath and Body Works perfume, cologne (for men) or even a travel sized Febreze would come in handy!
2) Stepping on the heel of shoes
-Almost more painful than a papercut, is when you’re wearing your favorite pair of flip-flops or sandals and the fast walker behind you scrapes the back of your heel with whatever obnoxious shoe they are wearing. In severe cases, they will step on the bottom of your flip-flop/sandal causing the bottom half to rip from the strap and render the shoe useless. This unfortunate turn of events also leads to your having to limp home. Most of the time the person behind you isn’t intentionally trying to ruin your new $15 flip-flops, they’re just in a rush and not paying attention to where they’re walking. Seven times out of 10 the fast walker will say sorry and run off to their important meeting or flight that caused them to semi-assault you in the first place. Take it in stride, and always be prepared with a backup pair of flip-flops and some band-aids. They’re really cheap (under 10 bucks at most stores) and can help you avoid the embarrasement and pain of limping home after an incident like this.
3) Zoning out
-Imagine pouring your heart out in the most dramatic way to a good friend or boy/girlfriend only to receive a blank stare in return. Even worse is when they ask “Were you saying something?” If you’ve experienced this, then you’re a victim of the zoning out effect. We’ve all done it, we get lost in our thoughts, the interesting hairdo on that guy in front of us, that really tacky car parked down the street, flowers and birds on a spring morning, and so on. We lose our train of thought and most importantly we subject an unsuspecting friend to having a conversation with themselves. Sure, after realizing that you’ve just been “zoned out on” you feel a bit embarrassed or silly. Honestly, however, take it in stride (even laught it off) and if the statement is that important then just repeat it. If you are the “zoner,” however, make sure to let the other person know that it’s nothing personal. Warning: if you are consistently a victim of the “zoning out effect,” then you might actually have one of these problems: a bad friend who isn’t a good listener, a case of talking-too-much-itis, a friend with a lot on their mind who needs to be alone, or hallucinations!
4) Letting your kids “run free”
-We all know that kids have horrible timing. They decide to be on their very worst behavior during the very worst time at the very, very worst place. Common antics include hiding in the clothes racks in Macy’s, playing tag in the elevator, running up the down escalator, screaming for the overpriced item they want you to max out your credit card paying for, and the oldest trick in the book: having to “go potty” the second you reach the cashier after waiting in line for an hour. Parents with young children, and sadly some with older children, must often deal with these antics in public. Their constant stress leads to parents slowly becoming more and more passive towards their kids antics as well as more and more unaware that other people are subjected to the uncomfortable circus their kids are putting on in the middle of your favorite grocery store, restaurant, department store, etc. We’ll give these parents the benefit of the doubt that their children are just going through a phase and aren’t actually the little terrors they appear to be. As a bystander, however, one should treat a situation like this one with caution. Try to get as far away from the misbehaved children and stressed out parent as possible and if this is not possible, then grab your own kid and make sure they know to never repeat what they are seeing. It will not only kill any ideas your child might have after seeing this, but it will temporarily distract you from gawking at the misbehaved brats. If this does not apply to you and you are utterly disgusted beyond belief, try complaining to a manager at the particular establishment. Complaining requires one to be a bit forward, but if a warning from the manager will get the parent to control their children (or leave the premesis) then it’s worth it! Warining: approaching the parent yourself could lead to a heated arguement or altercation which could have easily been avoided — and remember, they have their kids for backup!
5) Standing/parking too close
-Everyone’s got a personal bubble they’d not like popped. Personal space exists for obvious reasons of privacy and safety. Keeping a polite distance is crucial if you want the person next to you to understand that you are not doing any of the following: being a weirdo, trying to pick-pocket them, following them, or setting them up to be cornered. The best approach to this situation is a forward approach. Step away from the person in noticable way that lets them, as well as anyone around you, know that they’re making you feel uncomfortable. If the person persists, get verbal. Sternly let them know that they’re too close or call for help – many people each year turn up missing, are killed, or are stalked in situations like these, if someone is acting wierd and making you apprehensive DO NOT be shy about it!
-Parking too close to someone, especially in a mostly empty lot, is a great way to get your car scratched/hit, anger the person you’re parking next to or give the wrong impression (for example, the impression that you want to intentionally damage their car or steal from their car). In filled parking lots, however, feel free to squeeze in wherever you can safely fit your vehicle. In an empty or only moderately filled lot, however, do not try it. Squeezing next to another car while passing up perfectly good spaces elsewhere can only give a bad impression and, if you are unlucky, can have a bad ending.
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