Most people would laugh at how silly these stories are if they were in a movie and say they can’t believe them. But they all truly happened, and screenwriters didn’t make them up. These stories were shared by real people on Reddit, who talked about the weird, raw, and sometimes scary things that happened to them. Every story reveals how terrifying and unpredictable everyday life can be. These stories aren’t made up to make things more fascinating; they’re reminders that life doesn’t always go as planned.
One of the saddest things I heard on Reddit was about an older sister who used Disney tapes to drown out her parents’ conflicts. The constant sound of lively songs and fairy tale talk was calming at the moment. Even though the house was full with stress and concern, it made the younger sister feel safe. But the memories shifted as they got older. What used to feel magical now hurt them because it reminded them of what they were trying to forget: a home torn apart by violence and held together by the thin thread of children’s movies on repeat. Pressing “play” was more than just a method to kill time; it was a chance to stay alive, even if it looked like cartoons.
There are also times that are so ridiculous that they are almost odd. One person said they saw a woman at Disneyland calmly lick her phone screen clean from top to bottom and edge to edge, wipe it on her sleeve, and put it back in her purse. There’s no doubt. She didn’t pay any attention to the looks she was getting. She didn’t seem to think her behavior was odd in any way. She had just figured out that her tongue was the best way to clean things at “the happiest place on Earth.” The witness wasn’t too bothered by the deed itself. What concerned them the most was how peaceful and relaxed the person seemed, as if it were normal.
The parent who rode the bus, sucked mucus out of their baby’s nose in front of other passengers, and then ate it would probably get a gold medal for the most disgusting thing they did in public. Yes, they did. Parents on Reddit remarked that some caregivers do this, especially when bulb syringes or aspirators are hard to locate. But just because you know it happens doesn’t make it any less unsettling to see it in a little area. Because the parent did it in a casual way and in public, other passengers questioned what they thought they knew about boundaries.
It was just as bad, but in a way that was even more perplexing, when a man walked into a fast-casual restaurant, pulled off his shirt, and started shaving his armpits at the soda fountain. Customers were shocked when he slathered deodorant on like shaving cream and dragged a disposable razor across his underarms. There was no hurry or sign of shame; just a man next to the Sprite and Coca-Cola machines going about his daily hygiene routine. It was the kind of thing that could have been in a strange comedy, but the agony it created was quite real.
Some stories are really terrifying, especially ones that have to do with technology and invading someone’s privacy. Someone on Reddit stated they bought a used laptop and then, weeks later, noticed strange hidden folders on it. There were recordings of them within. They filmed the films once they got the laptop home. I was terrified by the thought that someone may see the laptop’s camera. Someone was looking. It was not only scary, but it was also illegal. They wiped the device, notified the police what happened, and spent weeks feeling unsafe, trying to get rid of the idea that someone had been in their most private areas without ever coming through the front door.
Someone else experienced a scary experience like this while staying at an Airbnb. I didn’t think the smoke detector in the bedroom was a good idea. It was at a strange angle and looked newer than the other things in the room. It was a pinhole camera that was put within the detector and pointed straight at the bed. The guest was so afraid that they left the property right away and phoned the platform. The discovery not only made them feel dangerous, but it also made them—and many other people who read it—wonder how many additional devices like it remained unreported.
These stories stick with you because they go against the idea that life is dull or predictable. They remind us that humans are never boring, for better or worse. We laugh at certain stories because they seem so unbelievable. A few of them make me feel uneasy. Some memories, like the Disney tapes we used to cover up our screaming, hurt so much that they leave emotional scars that last a long time.
In a world where there is always fresh stuff and carefully created online personalities, these raw, unvarnished glances at reality are unsettling yet necessary. They show how weak, foolish, and hazardous it may be to meet people all the time. They make us remember that life is often stranger—and occasionally worse—than fiction. These stories aren’t just weird. They are like mirrors that demonstrate how strange, tragic, and sometimes surprisingly normal the unreal can be.
