Society & Culture Awkward Situations

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Working in a call centre, a woman gives me a name from the Indian subcontinent to type into the computer.

'And your title?' I axe

'What sorry?'

'Your title - is it Ms, Miss or Mrs'

(pause)

'It's Mr.'

Whoops!

I never know what to say when people ring me up to report deaths.

I usually say 'I'm sorry to hear that, ok' and most people react well. But one bloke last week gave a snidey laugh and said 'yeah, right.' Well I AM sorry to hear that people have died, even if I never met them.
 
When you move your books off the desk next to you, expecting the person walking by to sit there, only for them to sit at the other desk further on. Looked like a tool, I did.
 
Zarrix said:
When you move your books off the desk next to you, expecting the person walking by to sit there, only for them to sit at the other desk further on. Looked like a tool, I did.
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LOL so many awkard times at uni.

A girl yelled out shutup during the lecture and everyone was just like wtf.
 

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Zarrix said:
When you move your books off the desk next to you, expecting the person walking by to sit there, only for them to sit at the other desk further on. Looked like a tool, I did.
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Hahaha, it makes it look like you're desperate for them to sit next to you :D
 
The other day I walked into an empty elevator to be hit by a foul stench most likely left by the morbidly obese man who had just exited. I consider not taking it but i'm late so I quickly grab a couple of deep breaths outside and prepare to hold my breath for the trip to the 8th floor. 2 floors up it stops and a woman attempts to gets on. As the smell hits her she is visibly taken aback and looks at me with disgust. I'm the only one on the elevator so she obviously blames me but before I could protest my innocence she tells me she'll get the next one and the doors close. As I was leaving an hour or so later I run into her having a cigarette outside and she gives me the same look then proceeds to whisper something to her friend/workmate. I wanted to explain but couldn't bring myself to have that conversation with a complete stranger so walked away in shame.
 
bresker said:
I never know what to say when people ring me up to report deaths.

I usually say 'I'm sorry to hear that, ok' and most people react well. But one bloke last week gave a snidey laugh and said 'yeah, right.' Well I AM sorry to hear that people have died, even if I never met them.
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It certainly is a tough one, but one of the inevitabilities I'm afraid.

However, for someone to ring up to report the death of someone you haven't heard of is just unnecessarily awkward conversation raising.
 
I struggle when close friends break up with someone in a serious relationship.

You go with the 'I'm sorry..that sucks' and then I'm completely lost as to what to say and usually try to make some lame ass joke to try lighten up their mood.
 
An awkward situation is only as awkward as the recipient makes it IMO. For example. Been going out with my current girlfriend for 4 months. We were kind of set up on the first date. We were at the pub. I made the comment

"This is one of the worst bands ive ever heard. I dont like this music normally but this is too much, lets go across the road"

In the end we went somewhere quiter and stayed. Next morning talking to my friend I realised her 2 brothers were part of said band playing. Now she could of made it real awkward and mentioned that fact to me but she let it slide and because of that we were able to have a fantastic unawkward guilt free evening. I asked her about it. She thinks they are good but understands everyone has different tastes in music so she didnt care. Moral of the story really is if someone does something awkward dont shine the bright light on it. Just let it pass by as quickly as possible and ignore it. Lifes alot smoother that way
 
A couple of weeks ago a new guy started at my work, and he is also an amateur actor. This guy was in an ad that aired a lot during the Aus Open Tennis which I'd seen many times (because they play the same ads like 50 times a day), and so when I met him I was kinda looking at him like I'd met him before even though I hadn't.
 
anti_ said:
here's more of a funny situation that made me lol...

i was taking the train to work one morning at about 7, its always packed as of course.

i get in and stand there as the train takes off. a large girl probably about 20 years old is sitting in the two priority seats, dressed in a miss mauds-like attire.

after a little while, shes eating stuff and then she grabs a 1.25L bottle of pepsi...takes a swig and about 5 seconds later she throws is back up all over herself.

i completely lost my shit, i couldnt stop laughing. when i'd try and stop i'd burst out again. i felt so bad for her, she was trying to clean it up but she was just rubbing it in. i think thats what made me keep laughing, her trying to pretend like nothing happened.

all the businessmen stood silently, staring at me and her. but inside they were laughing...surely?

worst part was we still had like 3 more stops til perth station. was pretty arkward, i felt like a dick afterwards. it was still a good start to the day.

i salute you, priority seat(s) spew girl.
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Hahaha epic :D
 
Dr Phil said:
An awkward situation is only as awkward as the recipient makes it IMO. For example. Been going out with my current girlfriend for 4 months. We were kind of set up on the first date. We were at the pub. I made the comment

"This is one of the worst bands ive ever heard. I dont like this music normally but this is too much, lets go across the road"

In the end we went somewhere quiter and stayed. Next morning talking to my friend I realised her 2 brothers were part of said band playing. Now she could of made it real awkward and mentioned that fact to me but she let it slide and because of that we were able to have a fantastic unawkward guilt free evening. I asked her about it. She thinks they are good but understands everyone has different tastes in music so she didnt care. Moral of the story really is if someone does something awkward dont shine the bright light on it. Just let it pass by as quickly as possible and ignore it. Lifes alot smoother that way
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drphil1.jpg
 
Meeting ex girlfriends is by far the most awkward situation.

Me and my ex attend the same Uni, and while we are in different faculties and rarely see each other, we take the same train each morning.

She gets on a station after me and we always have the same awkward coversation.


Also, when you see someone you don't like/want to socialise with but you feel that since you have seen them you have to acknowledge them.

Your only option is to pretend that you didn't notice them, and then when they come up to you and say "hi" you have to act really surprised to see them...
 
One I hate is when you go into a toilet, particularly on a train, and it smells horrible. You go in to take a leak then when you come out you kind of make eye contact with the person waiting to go in and just realise theyre going to assume it was you that made it smell that bad.
 

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When your having coffee or a meal with a mate and the waiter comes over to refill your glass of water. The waiter will stand there pouring it slowly and your conversation has immidiantly stopped, its pure silence for like 15 seconds. Akward...
 
emuboy said:
I mentioned this on another thread ages ago, but I was once introduced to a young woman called Tennille and I made the following errors of judgement:

1. I thought it would be a good idea to make the "Where's the Captain?" joke.
2. I based my reasoning on the assumption that girls called Tennille love this joke, and never tire of hearing it.
3. I made the "Where's the Captain?" joke.
4. I laughed at the joke as I said it.

I was nearly turned to stone by her icy glare.
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LOL I could see myself going through exactly that routine.

I was going to make up some shit about how I was on a train in Perth and spewed my guts up... and some disrespetfull tool thought it was funny..... but can't be arsed.
 
Truckosaurus said:
When someone you think you recognise but aren't too sure you do waves or smiles in your direction and you're not sure whether to respond or if there's someone behind you.
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hahaha Yes! In that situation one of you is going to look stupid. The last time this happened to me i decided not to wave back and it turned out that the wave was for me and i left this poor guy out to dry.
 
Big Cox said:
An awkward situation is only as awkward as the recipient makes it IMO. For example. Been going out with my current girlfriend for 4 months. We were kind of set up on the first date. We were at the pub. I made the comment

"This is one of the worst bands ive ever heard. I dont like this music normally but this is too much, lets go across the road"

In the end we went somewhere quiter and stayed. Next morning talking to my friend I realised her 2 brothers were part of said band playing. Now she could of made it real awkward and mentioned that fact to me but she let it slide and because of that we were able to have a fantastic unawkward guilt free evening. I asked her about it. She thinks they are good but understands everyone has different tastes in music so she didnt care. Moral of the story really is if someone does something awkward dont shine the bright light on it. Just let it pass by as quickly as possible and ignore it. Lifes alot smoother that way
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hmmm, be careful, she sounds like she has a clue. Remember, they all reveal themselves as ****ed in the head, some just take a little longer so don't fall for it, it's a trap!!! ;)

Na, well handled from her and what a good attitude. Most people would be offended enough to probably ruin the date/chance to hook up.

I'm pretty good at handling situations like that where they do say something. I figure your in so deep, only way out is to keep going and make a good joke.......something like i don't know, "**** you must have been a tortured soul growing up with those boys belting out this shit every night. I'd prefer to listen to cats F'ing through 6ft speakers with a smile and a ;) and hope like hell she laughs it off. If they ark up you know you are gone so i find it better to just tell them to GTF over it.
 
Wish Wellingtons said:
Also, when you see someone you don't like/want to socialise with but you feel that since you have seen them you have to acknowledge them.

Your only option is to pretend that you didn't notice them, and then when they come up to you and say "hi" you have to act really surprised to see them...
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mmm

"Oh....hi!"
 
footyfreak said:
h
I'm pretty good at handling situations like that where they do say something. I figure your in so deep, only way out is to keep going and make a good joke.......something like i don't know, "**** you must have been a tortured soul growing up with those boys belting out this shit every night. I'd prefer to listen to cats F'ing through 6ft speakers with a smile and a ;) and hope like hell she laughs it off. If they ark up you know you are gone so i find it better to just tell them to GTF over it.
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Yeah, woudn't recomend that. She may have forgiven you because you didn't know that it was her brother's band, but if you persist...
 
I had a slightly awkward situation at work today. Our firm often has to get temporary staff to fill monkey jobs on the back of machines (I work at a Print Finisher and most of the time they are stacking finished work on pallets). Of these people, a high number of them are Indian students trying to help pay for their tuition.

Anyway, one of these Indian guys was on the back of the machine I was working on today. To drown out the noise of the machines, most of us have an Ipod in our ears. I often sing along quietly to myself as I work.

On came Run For The Hills by Iron Maiden. One of the lines in the song ends with "...the only good Indians are tame." I happened to be walking past him as I sang it, obviously loud enough for him to hear. I got the darkest look from him.

Just so you know, the song is about native American Indians and is actually a positive song. Didn't help me though as this guy didn't really like me for the rest of the day but I didn't care. I wasn't singing about him and more than likely I will never see him again. Not my problem.

Was a bit awkward though.
 
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