People are sharing excruciating tales of public embarrassment – 23 hilarious jaw-droppers
It all began when Sophie Petzal – @Sonic_Screwup over on Twitter – shared this tale of ‘the worst thing’ that happened after she mistook someone’s chicken meal for a box of free samples.
The worst thing just happened. I won’t recover. I just reached into a box of free samples outside a chicken restaurant. Only it wasn’t free samples. It was a man. Holding a box of chicken. His chicken. I tried to steal this man’s chicken.
— Sophie Petzal (@Sonic_Screwup) March 23, 2022
I want to fucking die
— Sophie Petzal (@Sonic_Screwup) March 23, 2022
In what other circumstance do I go ‘hands first, ask questions later’? Wtfffff
— Sophie Petzal (@Sonic_Screwup) March 23, 2022
There’s an allegory here. About…greed or something. I didn’t need food. I’d had a burrito. And an ice cream. But I saw this guy leaning against a shop window. And this possessive, animalistic entitlement washed over me.
I deserved a free sample.
— Sophie Petzal (@Sonic_Screwup) March 23, 2022
Not only did their tweet go wildly viral, it also prompted lots of other people to share their own tales of excruciating public embarrassment.
And it’s just the lift we needed in these troubled times. Here are our 23 favourites.
1.
My grandad was on a train once and noticed that a passenger had forgotten his bag. He grabbed the bag, ran after him, yelled ‘wait you forgot this!’ and threw it out onto the platform as the doors were closing. Turns out it was another passenger’s bag.
— Alasdair Kennedy (@AlasdairKenned1) March 24, 2022
2.
Was once followed by an oddball in the supermarket. Was frightened so started to speed up. So did he. Ended up with him literally chasing me up and down each and every aisle. Eventually, he caught up. And then he asked if he could have his trolley back. 😩
— Fiona Barton (@fionabarton) March 23, 2022
3.
I was on a long flight and the woman next to me looked like she was struggling to turn her TV on – the screen was black and she was pressing buttons. I reached across & pressed the power button. An hour or two in I realised they had privacy screens and I’d just turned her tv off
— Leanora (@l_mitchellv) March 23, 2022
4.
in highly trendy Sanderson hotel in London. I go for a piss in the Gents. The design is futuristic. I start pissing in the urinal, man comes in and starts WASHING HIS HANDS in the urinal!!! My horror at him turns instantly into his horror at me. I was pissing in the sink.
— ǝʞıɯlǝʇɹɐɔ (@cartelmike) March 23, 2022
5.
My mom’s friend was eating a muffin & the guy next to her kept picking pieces off it and eating it. She was all, wtf?
When the muffin was gone, he went and bought another muffin.
To make a point, she grabbed the dude’s muffin, and left…
Then found her muffin in her purse.
— Heather M. Jones (@hmjoneswriter) March 24, 2022
6.
Went to find the toilet in a cafe. Thought it was odd how far away it seemed to be from the seating. Found it and thought it was odd that there were toothbrushes in there. Turned out I was in someone’s house.
— Róisín 🏳️🌈🌹 (@RoisinRants) March 23, 2022
7.
A friend had eye surgery. Even though his vision was still blurry, went to a restaurant. He went to the bathroom, where he saw a man approaching him, and they awkwardly did the “No, you go. No, YOU go” for 5 minutes. Turns out he was standing in front of a mirror the entire time
— Jarrod Murray (@theofficialword) March 23, 2022
8.
Time for me to roll out my “I grabbed a bald man’s head thinking it was a melon” story again. Yes I delivery driver bent down to lift up a box to my kitchen counter. I reached down and grabbed a melon. Was confused cos I hadn’t ordered melon 🤷♀️
— DameTannersTavern (@TavernTanners) March 23, 2022
9.
A few years ago my parents stopped at a rest stop so Mom could use the facilities. A minute later another woman got in and didn’t notice until Dad said “Look, I can only take you as far as Chicago.” Her husband was cracking up in the *other* silver Toyota Camry in the next spot.
— CW (@cw5h2o) March 23, 2022
10.
On the bus (London) to work. It was a rainy day so I had a wet umbrella at my feet. At my stop I went to pick it up but the handle somehow hooked under the trouser leg of the man next to me. The more I fumbled to retrieve it the more it disappeared further and further up his leg.
— Rebecca Jules (@RebeccaJJules) March 23, 2022
11.
Reminds me of the time in the coffee shop when the barista placed a coffee in front of me.
Instinctively I placed my finger into it and swirled it,
“I asked for milk” I said.
“Yes, that’s not yours”
I turn to horror stricken customer next to me.
Mine arrives. I take it and run.— Luc Benyon (@HanburySt) March 23, 2022
12.
I once admired a beautiful coat on a manikin in TOPSHOP. Like full on admiration, I stroked it, brushed my face against it (don’t judge me, it was a very cosy looking coat!) only to realise that the coat wasn’t hanging on a manikin. It was hanging on a real girl! Real human being
— Danusia (@danusia0301) March 23, 2022
