this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2026
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[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 210 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (6 children)

I hate this though because I am not just trying to say hi, I am literally trying to explain to women why they should listen to me, so if they have headphones in they will never hear the arguments in the first place that I have honed in preparation through conversations with my AI Wives.

It is rude for women to just pretend like they can go about their lives and not center me, I am a man and I am the hero of MY STORY you have to listen to me.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 78 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Its not her story, its history. Right fellas!

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 69 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I don't mean this in a gay way, but men have such sexier minds than women, I just wish we could transport the minds of men into the minds of women so I could stop having to deal with these complicated feelings about my bros.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 20 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's like there's a wall between us

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 32 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Ughh I know right women are always putting up walls, all I am trying to do is knock down walls for no reason while screaming "WHAT ABOUT ME" in a tantrum. Then my friend Kyle who is super jacked has to come over and put his hand on my leg to calm me down by stroking it.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 14 points 5 days ago (5 children)
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[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 25 points 5 days ago

Exactly. It's like they don't even realize who the protagonist is here.

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[–] harmbugler@piefed.social 48 points 4 days ago

As a wise person once said…

If I have both earbuds in, don’t talk to me.

If I have one earbud in, don’t talk to me.

If I have neither in, don’t talk to me.

[–] Paradachshund@lemmy.today 93 points 5 days ago

Self awarewolf

[–] dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 days ago

I wear headphones because it keeps the ADHD demons at bay. Also, not really interested in conversations with random people on the street. Just a polite wave or nod.

Only animals get verbal acknowledgment.

[–] YaxPasaj@lemmy.eco.br 7 points 3 days ago

Textbook rage bait.

[–] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 74 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Does he usually walk up to random people on the street who aren't wearing headphones to try start conversations? 😬

[–] ickplant@lemmy.world 103 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (5 children)

Judging by replies to that thread… yes, quite a bit. One woman described how she had to wear ear protection after ear surgery and a guy removed that to talk to her from behind. She was in pain for 2 days afterwards.

Edit: my personal experience is I had 2 different guys tap on my shoulder and ask me to remove my earbuds by gesturing. Both times they were trying to pick me up. I was just on the way home from work, exhausted and also heavily married.

[–] TheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.works 52 points 5 days ago

Oh my god, that's awful

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 39 points 5 days ago (7 children)
[–] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 36 points 5 days ago (2 children)

It's a thinner batter - think tempura rather than chipshop fish (or corndog if you're of the USian persuasion).

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[–] BlueKey@fedia.io 37 points 5 days ago (2 children)

H..How can someone come even close to think it is a smart move to stand behind someone, invading personal space (at minimum with their arm), grabbing and taking away ones belongings aka the headphones and then expecting that person will be happy to have a nice chat with you which results in a date?

[–] pivot_root@lemmy.world 14 points 5 days ago

Because they think they're hot shit and have an ego the size of Jupiter. In their mind, they're the catch and someone would have to be a (insert slur) to turn down such a gracious offer from the world's most attractive "alpha male".

[–] ttyybb@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Some people really are just that stupid I guess.

Cavemen like that only understand a wack on the head, and even then they think the woman is into them.

[–] LwL@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Someone... touched what some stranger is wearing to remove it... and it wasn't an emergency???

What the fuck is wrong with people

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

entitlement. women are objects for men to interact with and men are owed their attention when they want it. you have ear protection? well that interferes with me seeking female attention, so off it goes. that's the mindset we're dealing with.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 2 points 3 days ago

To the gas chambers with them all!

[–] BillyClark@piefed.social 12 points 5 days ago

One woman described how she had to wear ear protection after ear surgery and a guy removed that to talk to her from behind. She was in pain for 2 days afterwards.

Sounds like she suffered consequences while the man who harmed her suffered no consequences.

We should be able to easily call police and sue for damages in such situations.

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[–] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 59 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Story time! This isn't here to say that dudes have it worse or just as bad or anything. It just made me think of this.

I have a good friend who wears wired earbuds often. He gets in a space where he doesn't want to talk to anyone but he got to be out for one reason or other. I've watched person after person come up to him to talk. He rolls his eyes, takes out an earbud, make a huge show of pausing whatever he's listening to while holding up the "Wait a second" finger. They'll say whatever they're trying to open with and he will nod and give the biggest fake smile. Then put his earbud back in. To continue the conversation they have to tap him again and wait for him to do it all over again. Some do, sometimes repeatedly.

Some people seem to have no concept that others aren't just waiting for the chance to talk to them.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 53 points 5 days ago (4 children)

This whole thread is weird to me because being approached in public by people wanting to talk almost never happens. Not that I'm complaining exactly, it's confusing and concerning when it does, but it's hard to imagine it as such a normal thing that it has become a commonplace annoyance.

[–] tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This seems dependant on location to me. In a region I lived before it would be rare that someone would talk to me in public like at the store, now where I'm at it happens all the time, people seem much more social in general. I used to be sort of confused when it did happen, now I'm used to it and it feels like a nice human moment when it does usually.

[–] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

Human moment

[–] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago (4 children)

I don't know what it is. I used to get approached semi-regularly, maybe once every few weeks when I was younger. But this dude, for whatever reason, was approached often. I think part of it is the places he was a lot of times. We'd be out at the bar (he would lend music/PA equipment to bands or small bars for a small fee and show up to basically drink for free) and there was one night I watched it happen half a dozen times. Not by the people who were borrowing equipment, but just random people who he didn't know.

He said it never happened at like the grocery store or whatever, but very often in bars when he'd sit alone, less often in restaurants when he'd sit alone, and occasionally at the park when he'd go sit to read (headphones in). He's good looking but not extraordinarily so and never looked especially friendly so that wasn't it. It was both men and women, men more often but women more persistently.

Some folks just have something that makes others want to talk to them I guess. I imagine it's worse for women for a few reasons (the way certain demographics of dudes are socialized, not knowing how a guy will react when you shut him down, etc). And some folks seem to believe that everyone is just waiting for them to strike up a conversation, even if the person they're trying to strike it up with is obviously actively avoiding people.

It stopped happening to me. I'm not sure if I aged poorly over the pandemic or if I just look meaner these days. He moved away so I don't get to watch that particular trainwreck anymore. I'll have to ask him.

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[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It happens depending on where you are.

In the East Coast? Mind your business.

In the West Coast:

Someone made conversation with me in the toilet. "Good water flow, yeah?" He said.

As a dude, most people only give me small talk, just to break the ice and explain nobody is a threat. But I can see as a woman, most small talk is a lead up to something else.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 2 points 3 days ago

I figured out I have to say hi or hello to anyone going into the waiting station, just to let them know I'm not a threat, but ironically, my own voice breaks with fear, because I have to share a space with another human, and I'm on edge the entire time.

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[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 22 points 4 days ago

Hes not "so close to getting it" he completely understands the bait hes setting out.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 43 points 5 days ago (1 children)

All you got to do is wave your hands in front of face and ask if they are using aptx HD, AAC, or some other codec. It's an easy conversation starter.

[–] devfuuu@lemmy.world 25 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Is there even a point in continuing to talk if they are not using LDAC?

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[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 46 points 5 days ago

Took me a second to get that this was a dude missing the point. It seems so obvious I struggled to recognize how someone could be so blatantly unaware

[–] BillyClark@piefed.social 38 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The guy is not "so close to getting it." He just appears that way because we don't have the same bias he has. He's actually quite far from getting it and he probably won't even believe the truth when people explain it to him.

If he was close to getting it, he'd have gotten it already.

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[–] PuddleOfKittens@sh.itjust.works 24 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Waiter! My steak is too juicy and my lobster too buttery!

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[–] Malfeasant@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago (14 children)

Meanwhile, the dirty looks I get when I'm on a bike ride and I startle nearly every woman I pass because she couldn't hear me say "on your left"

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[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 7 points 4 days ago

I love the energy of this post. People are finally learning to live on their own.

I hate it so much when I put in headphones so I can power through something like doing the dishes without distraction only to have someone come in and start talking at me. It’s like, there are so many other times when I’m available. Can you not do it when it’s going to make something I don’t particularly enjoy doing take so much longer?!

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