From time to time, we all eavesdrop on conversations not intended for our ears. Whether it’s on public transport, in a shady bar, or at a coffee shop, our curiosity gets the better of us. Sometimes we can’t help it, and other times we might deliberately try to listen in on what a stranger has to say.
However, once you hear something, it can’t be unheard. So when someone asked, “What is the creepiest thing you’ve overheard?” on r/AskReddit, replies started pouring in. From weirdly disturbing to painfully ridiculous, these stories show how people forget to read the room before loudly oversharing their thoughts.
Bored Panda has collected some of the best interactions from this thread, so continue scrolling and upvote the ones that surprised you the most. And if you’re in the mood for some more bizarre things people overheard in public, make sure to check out our previous posts about it right here, here, and here.
#1
I speak a small amount of russian. Not enough to get me through a conversation but after watching a bunch of videos and trying to learn the language, I can understand a fair amount more than I can speak.
I was in Toronto walking down the road and there were two guys, Russian, sitting and talking in Russian at a table. I overheard 4 words. Dead, Body, murder, and what was essentially dispose. I turned pale and got the f**k out of there.
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245points
#2
I heard a dude grunting in the stall next to me trying to poop but they were clearly phantom poops.
Although, every time he farted he broke out into a hysterical laughter and would then return to grunting.
The grunting got louder and louder until he just let out this epic GRUNT. Seriously, I thought he was s***ting a boulder. I think the whole Student Union heard him.
Anyway, after the huge grunt I heard the smallest "plop" and all hell broke loose.
He was cheering at this victory by banging on the side of the stall. Screaming with happiness. Between his screaming laughter he would yell, "F**k you poop! You can't control me!"
I think he forgot to wipe and wash his hands because then he just walked out.
I still wonder if I should try to be more proud of the poops I take.
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242points
We reached out to Veronica Galvan, Ph.D., a professor in the Psychology department at the University of San Diego, to learn more about eavesdropping and why we are so fascinated by what strangers have to say.
According to her, private conversations may catch our attention for several reasons. “They may contain personal information, and these interesting tidbits from other people’s lives may pique our interest.” Interestingly, such interactions also increase our curiosity because they may seem annoying.
#3
I use to work at a Honda factory in Alabama and they get a lot of workers in from temp agencies, so you tend to get a lot of weird ones. As I'm walking back from my lunch break, I pass two guys and accidentally overhear, "I just want to impregnate the first thing I see." My only thoughts were, "Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact."
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219points
#4
The following stories were featured on another topic similar in nature (which I later featured on my blog)...
Four or five years ago, a friend of mine and I decided to stop at a Steak ‘N Shake after competing in an intense 10K for inline speed skating. You know… load up on carbs, calories, and grease to relax after a hard morning. After receiving our food and starting to enjoy our food, we both heard the following conversation take place:
Man: I wish we had more time… you know… really enjoy the foreplay instead of jumping right to it.
Woman: I know, baby. My husband gets home early and we can’t afford getting caught.
Man: Why don’t you just leave him already? You know damn well you don’t love him anymore. You know I can provide you with everything he does and then some.
Woman: But the kids…
Man: Consider their college paid for. In cash. You know I can do it.
Woman: I love you.
Man: Then come be with me.
Woman: Next week, okay?
They then kissed each other passionately (read: make out with slobbery tongue action) and left.
ಠ_ಠ
Okay... not so creepy, but still disturbing. Another gem of a story that made me REALLY uncomfortable...
About two years ago, I had traveled out of town to go visit a jobsite my company was contracted for and wanted to enjoy a nice treat: Steak ‘N Shake. (See… we don’t have any around where I live and the closest one is at least 70 miles away; If I’m near one, I enjoy the hell out of it.) Again… I had just ordered my food and I suddenly begin overhearing the conversation taking place behind me. The voices sounded older… late 50′s, maybe early 60′s.
Man 1: Oh! I forgot to tell you I talked to Jenny [not exact name] the other day!
Man 2: Sweet! How’s she doing? How’s her daughter?
Man 1: She’s great, man. Her daughter is as beautiful as ever.
Man 2: Good deal. I remember her daughter used to be SMOKING hot. I wish I could [censored, for the sake of my sanity] before the school boys get to it!
Man 1: Oh, you and me both!
Man 2: How old is she now?
Man 1: She just turned 13.
...
What in the royal horse f**k did I just hear?
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209points
“Bystanders to these private conversations may think that it’s inappropriate to discuss personal topics in public settings. In some cases, the bystanders are a captive audience; for example, they’re not able to leave because they’re waiting in line, or dining at a restaurant,” she added. People usually don’t appreciate their inability to escape the conversation and may end up feeling irritated. This often causes them to pay increased attention to the dialogue. “It’s an itch that can’t be scratched.”
#5
I overheard someone in a bathroom talking to themselves in Yoda's voice saying "mmm tough this one is, use the force I must".
8 years ago, still creeps me out
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188points
#6
I was in a PATH train car with about 10 or 11 businesswomen. All middle aged. All looking pretty damn professional. 8 or 9 of them looked pretty damn sexy(if I do say so myself)
They were going on about how to trick men into getting them pregnant. Not even to trap them in a relationship. They just had the baby rabies.
Like they left a convention or something.
I made eye contact with another dude on the train. I'm pretty sure we were thinking the same damn thing.
172points
Galvan provided another reason why is it so difficult for us not to listen to private exchanges. “There’s an intriguing possibility that these private conversations may be even more attention-grabbing due to the pandemic. If people have spent increased time at home, there’s a sameness to the days, a blurring of time. Others’ private conversations may offer some distinctiveness to the day, a respite from the sameness.”
When asked if we awaken the nosy little eavesdropper within us on purpose, the professor said that listening to others’ conversations could happen consciously or subconsciously. “Our minds want to make sense of the world around us. If there is something interesting (or annoying) happening in our environment, we will latch onto that so we can better understand what is happening, why it’s happening, and whether it has any relevance to us.”
#7
Not creepy, but more funny. I was in Applebees when this dude and his date/gf sit down at the table next to us. They launch into boring conversation about how shampoo is the governments way of controlling our minds. Then gf shouts "No way!" Everyone turns and looks and she blushes and lowers her voice. I, of course, listened.
"You...you're not really Jesus...are you?"
Dude smirked and nodded, and gf looked thoroughly impressed.
Pretty sure dude got laid that night.
Tl;dr, Jesus eats at Applebees
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170points
#8
A guy I was standing near in the bar: "You know, the simple fact of the matter is, I could easily drug and [sexually overpower] any of these chicks. Most of them I wouldn't even have to drug, because I'm obviously stronger."
His friend: "That's one hundred percent fact. Hell, I'd help if she turned out the be a fighter. You know that."
I could pretend they were having a hypothetical discussion about women's safety issues, if it wasn't for that second guy's reply.
168points
“Our brains try to impose meaning and patterns onto the world around us. Sometimes the relevance is obvious, but other times, not so much—like hearing the “tick-tock” of a clock that is actually repeating the same sound over and over again.”
Galvan mentioned that people find overheard interactions entertaining because of the unpredictability of the content as well as the missing context. “It’s a mystery for our brains to solve, and our minds may especially welcome this challenge to counter the sameness of our pandemic days,” she concluded.
#9
When I was at In-N-Out at 1 AM having your average post-drinking midnight meal, There was a homeless guy in the corner, quite dirty and obviously trying to subtly eat some leftovers someone left because he was hungry. Some drunk frat bros were making fun of him, telling him to go back to his hole and other insults. After a few minutes of this, the homeless guy got up, stood on his table, and literally put a curse on them. I forget his exact wording because the scene was so shocking and I couldn't believe what I was seeing/hearing, but it was something to the effect of "I hereby curse you never to father healthy children and to die a painful death without love in the next year. You will be tortured by Satan for all eternity I swear it". The employees called the cops and the homeless dude left.
TL;DR: Homeless Man puts a curse on some a-holes at In-N-out.
144points
#10
When I was a bartender, I could overhear quite a few conversations. The most unnerving came when I saw a man hand another man a small brown container with a white cap. I only overheard snippets:
"… won't remember anything."
"Even from what happened before. Total eraser."
"… do it again and again."
"…. get blackouts. You don't know what kind of damage that does."
"… pass out? I'm not a necrophiliac."
"No, they participate all right…"
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142points
#11
"Send the money back to Jamaica, or everyone's gonna die!"
I was waiting at a bus stop when a woman walked past me, screaming this into her phone. I'd very much like to find out if they sent the money back.
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132points
#12
Back in elementary school and middle school, this one kid would be rapidly scribbling pictures in his notebook with his face practically two inches away from the page. He would mutter extreme violent things but I didn't think much of it. Even though he was constantly called into the school psychologists office and was into killing, he never pulled anything in school. To be honest I was glad I graduated and got away from him. He always made me nervous.
Fast forward to last year: My freshman year of college! I'm all happily relaxing in the library, when suddenly I hear that voice again. God dammit he goes to my college now ಠ_ಠ
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124points
#13
I was sitting in my room quietly working on homework (I was in college at the time) and overheard two men (one of whom lived in the room next to me) calmly discussing the best way to [sexually overpower] me. It was 10am and they were already drinking beer. They were discussing tactics like drugging my food or drink, or physically overpowering me on my way to the bathroom, either very early or late when no one would be awake to hear me scream.
They then started discussing the vile things they wanted to do, mostly involving [harming] me in vicious and inventive ways.
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121points
#14
"No, shut up. Just shut up. Listen to me. Go get some trash bags and rent a Uhaul. Everything's gonna be fine, I'll be there in 10 minutes." She then got up and walked out of the lobby while I exchanged horrified looks with the hotel cashier.
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116points
#15
At Starbucks in a pretty affluent area. Two soccer moms are having a conversation about mom #1's 12-year-old son [inappropriately touching] his sister who sounded close in age. It was graphic and detailed about what he did and what they were doing to stop it. They were talking in normal tones and not even being remotely secretive about this.
No, I didn't call the cops. No one is going to believe a poor kid over rich soccer moms anyway.
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114points
#16
At Burger King one day, "And they found her dead in the river?..... Who pulled her out?.... Oh, she was murdered?" It was a guy talking very loudly on his cell phone. There was an audible sigh of relief when he left.
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113points
#17
I was at an airport and had to use the restroom. This was in one of the smaller terminals so there was practically nobody near where I was except for in the stall next to me. I had sat down and was going about my business when all of the sudden I hear this high, feminine giggling coming from the occupied stall, please note, I was in the men's restroom. So I figure that some random lady got lost and ended up in the wrong restroom, but then I hear another, deeper voice telling the lady to be quiet. So I sit there for a moment, wanting to finish up as quickly as possible so I can leave before things get graphic, but I was too late when all of the sudden the guy yells: "Christ, you've got a d**k!" The stall door banged open and I heard the guy speed out of the bathroom, the 'girl' close behind him. I then took the shortest dump of my life and hurried back to my gate, my brain full of f**k. TL;DR: The Crying Game went down in the bathroom stall right next to me.
109points
#18
Work in prison so there is a lot, but one inmate telling me she was going to toss poo at me unless I fed her my boogers takes the list so far.
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106points
#19
Not creepy, but I overheard it:
SCENE: I enter the bathroom at a bar and head to the urinal. GUY 1 is slumped in the stall over the toilet. GUY 2 pops his head in.
GUY 2: Hey Rocco, you okay?
GUY 1: Ugghhhh.... Yeah.
GUY 2: You sure Rocco?
GUY 1: Mmmmmm... Ugh... fine.
pause
GUY 2: Happy birthday Rocco.
pause
GUY 2: You sure you're okay?
GUY 1: DO I LOOK LIKE I'M F***ING OKAY!?!
Scene
106points
#20
"I love you, but I can't let you throw my baby out the window." Said by drunk redneck lady to her male companion at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant. She kept repeating it to the man, still have no clue what events took place in their lives to lead up to that conversation.
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101points