People shared the weirdest interactions they’ve had with a stranger – 17 unforgettable head-scratchers
10.
‘Sitting on a quiet morning train from Reading into Paddington on a freezing Tuesday. The carriage was virtually empty apart from me and an older bloke wearing a heavy wax jacket who had spent twenty minutes methodically eating a pork pie out of a paper bag.
‘He brushed pastry crumbs off his lap, leaned across the table, and said with complete solemnity: if you ever find yourself stuck in Swindon, pretend you only speak French. I laughed, thinking it was a setup for a punchline, and asked why. He tapped the side of his nose, looked dead into my eyes, and whispered: they ask fewer questions.
‘The train slowed for Didcot Parkway. He stood up, grabbed an ancient leather briefcase, and stepped off into the drizzle without glancing back. Seven years later and I still wonder what happened to that man in Wiltshire.’
-NoTraining2278
11.
‘I was in a bookshop in Covent Garden when a man came up to me. He told me that he just had to talk to me as I had the greenest aura he’d ever seen. He said I couldn’t be from London as I seemed so calm and relaxed and asked where I was from. I replied that I was from Cornwall and he nodded, said “I knew it” and walked off.
‘I’m generally always a bit frazzled so I suspect that he wasn’t actually very good at reading auras.’
-strawberrypops
12.
‘A man gave me three courgettes at a bus stop, then went on his way.’
-Specialist-Web7854
13.
‘I was in a pub in Manchester once, and a guy came stomping up to our table, he carefully fished a 2p coin out of his pocket and slapped it on the table, then rummaged in his pocket again and pulled out a single dry roasted peanut. He carefully placed the peanut on top of the 2p coin. He stared at my friend very intensely in the eye for about 2 seconds then stomped out again. We just sat there in silence for ages trying to figure out what just happened.’
-Russ_Abbot
14.
‘Was in a pub with my mates in the early 90s, just chatting away. Late teens, not full of any bravado, just having a quiet drink.
‘A bloke, easily 30 years older, wanders over and plonks himself down just off to the side. There was no real fear from this guy, just someone a bit strange who was obviously listening to us talking late teen crap.
‘He butts into the conversation eventually and starts talking about the threat of nuclear war. Ranting more than talking.
‘Trying to be polite we let him continue. He eventually tells us that the only animal that could survive a nuclear explosion is the scorpion. After that bombshell he goes really quiet.
‘We all go quiet with him for a bit and resume our talking late teen bollocks. Aware he’s still sitting there but obviously consumed in his own thoughts. We ignore him for at least half an hour and then he suddenly pipes up…
‘”Wish I was a scorpion”‘
-Extreme-Kangaroo-842
15.
‘Dalston. Kingsland rd. man hitting himself in the head with a golf umbrella. I asked if he was ok he said he was just knocking himself out. I moved on reluctantly’
-Hair_of_the_cat_
16.
‘A man threw his excrement at my nan’
-Kiwiguy1840
17.
‘I was that weirdo on public transport. I said to someone once “you’d look gorgeous photographed in black and white”. No idea why I said that to her, I’m not a photographer or anything and I certainly wasn’t trying my luck – just paying a compliment.’
-mellonians