Embarrassing Public Moments That Will Make You Cringe

There are specific unwritten rules that most of society abides by. These rules are the fabric of our civilization that stops communities from turning on each other. Breaking one of these rules is considered a sin, but everyone violates these rules of etiquette at some point in life. Even the most elegant individuals commit these embarrassing acts in public.

Everyone has had a moment in public they would rather forget. Sometimes these are simple mistakes while others can snowball into an awkward series of events that nobody will forget. Often people attempt to hide these embarrassing acts, sometimes drawing even more attention to themselves.

In private, people can act any way they want, but once in public, everyone judges each other. As much as everyone tries to deny it, we’ve all done these embarrassing public acts, with some of the worst discussed below. 

1. Eating With Your Mouth Open

It’s common to meet friends for dinner or lunch. There’s a lot of eating and talking taking place and someone is bound to eat with their mouth wide open. This is a public no-n0. Everyone in the restaurant can see your meal chewed up and stuck to your teeth. Nobody wants to see that, so keep your trap shut when eating. 

2. Staring at Someone

The rule when checking someone out the first time is to take a glance. But we know it can be tough not to stare at an attractive person. That doesn’t make the act of staring any better. Getting caught staring is cringeworthy and embarrassing. The awkward eye contact will make both people want to jump out of their skin. It will make you look like a creep too. 

3. Farting in Public

Everyone has passed gas in public at some point in life. Sometimes we’re lucky and it doesn’t make a sound, but other times the disruption can be loud. This is something you don’t want to be doing in the classroom, lecture hall, library, or theatre when it’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop. And if the sound doesn’t get you, then the smell will. 

4. Talking To Yourself 

Sometimes there’s only one person that can talk sense into you. That person is yourself. Individuals talk to themselves all the time. They may be preparing for a presentation or trying to remember directions. It’s also possible the person is talking under their breath about an argument. That’s when you make weird eye contact with a stranger who spots you muttering to yourself. There’s truly nothing more uncomfortable. The last thing you want is people thinking you’re crazy. 

5. Pick Your Nose

You’re standing in line at the bank. Suddenly you feel something in your nose. You’re curious to know if it’s peaking out. It’s starting to annoy you but you don’t have a tissue. So you go finger first into your nose.

It’s one of the most embarrassing things a person can do, especially if you get caught. Not only is it embarrassing, but it’s also one of the most disgusting habits. 

6. Ugly Cry

It might come as a surprise, but you don’t look your best when you cry your eyes out. It happens to every grown adult at some juncture in their lives. Maybe you’re watching a heartbreaking movie or listening to a classic Whitney Houston song.

It can be hard to hold back the tears. Sometimes you just have to let the waterworks flow, but if possible, try and do it in private so people don’t have to feel uncomfortable as you ugly cry. 

7. Trip Over Your Own Feet

Nothing is funnier than watching someone trip and fall. Of course, it’s not funny when it happens to you. At some point in everyone’s life, they will trip over, try to catch their balance, and fall flat on their buttocks. The worst part is falling in public in a crowded room or down a flight of stairs in the high school cafeteria. It’s one of the most embarrassing things that can happen in public and is even worse when you hurt yourself. 

8. Wear the Same Outfit Twice

There’s one thing we all learn as kids: never wear the same outfit two days in a row. Everyone’s going to notice. Suddenly, people have a perfect memory when it comes to your clothes and will let you know.

The most common tactic to avoid this, besides always dressing in something different, is wearing the same outfit when seeing different people. That way only you know your dirty secret that you’re wearing dirty clothes. 

9. Pick Your Wedgie 

There truly is nothing more stressful than getting your underpants in a knot. It happens to the best of us. The problem is the feeling is debilitating. It feels like the underpants are trying to burrow into your body. No matter how bad it gets, you must resist the urge to pick a wedgie.

It’s tough to pull it off in public without anyone seeing it and there is no graceful or elegant way of doing it. You’re better off waiting until you have some time alone so you can rearrange things without feeling embarrassed. 

10. Spend 20 Minutes Getting the Perfect Instagram Pose

Adding a camera to everyone’s cell phone changed the world. You can. now can snap realistic pictures of you and your friends staring at the sunset. While it might seem natural, most people spend at least 20 to 30 minutes trying to find the right pose.

Despite everyone doing it, getting caught is still embarrassing. It’s even worse when you know someone is taking a million pictures to get the perfect shot to post on Instagram. Nobody wants to be the basic boyfriend taking Instagram shots for their girlfriend. 

11. Walking Around With Your Fly Down

Walking around with your fly-down is horrifying. The day starts playing on rewind as you picture working all day, going to the bank, and picking the kids up from school. Suddenly, those smiles and glances take on a different meaning. There isn’t a person that’s not mortified. It’s impossible not to feel embarrassed when caught with your fly-down. 

12. Having Something Stuck in Your Teeth

Discovering that you have a piece of lettuce or spinach stuck in your teeth causes intense humiliation. The worst part is nobody told you. It’s an embarrassing moment that can’t get any worse.

Adding to the embarrassment, some individuals try to pull out the leftovers from their teeth in public. It’s wise to go to the bathroom after eating your meal instead of cleaning house at the table. 

13. Waving at a Random Person

Waving at the wrong person in public happens all the time. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause utter embarrassment. It’s always an embarrassing situation to wave at a friend in the distance only to discover it’s a complete stranger. The awkward look they shoot you doesn’t help matters, either.

14. Accidentally Spitting When Talking

You’re sitting at lunch with your friends, telling them a thrilling story. Everything is going perfectly until you suddenly spit all over the place. It’s one of those awkward moments when time stands still. There’s no way of avoiding it. It’s a simple faux pas. Nonetheless, it’s an embarrassing moment and you must either acknowledge the spit or pretend it’s not staring you in the face.

15. Thinking Someone Is Talking To You or Waving At You When They’re Not

You’re standing in a public place when you see someone waving in your direction. They walk towards you, talking. So, you do the normal thing and wave back. That’s when you realize they’re not waving at you, but the person behind you. This is like waving at a random person but in reverse.

It’s tough to get out of an embarrassing situation like that. The best you can do is try to play it off, which can make it more embarrassing. 

16. Checking Yourself Out in a Window or Mirror

When walking in a mall or public street we tend to glance at ourselves in the mirror, window, or reflective surface. You might want to check out your hair or that your fit looks good. It’s something we’ve all done and one embarrassing thing that’s almost impossible not to get caught doing.

There’s a high chance of making eye contact with someone, especially if they are on the other side of the window. It’s weird and embarrassing and can make people think you have a giant ego. 

17. Thinking People Are Laughing at You

Most of us don’t want to admit that we’re self-conscious. In public settings, it’s easy to assume a group of people is laughing and talking about you. The chances are likely that it has nothing to do with you but can certainly make you feel uneasy. Those feelings of anxiety will slowly disappear until the next embarrassing thing happens.

18. Skipping Washing Your Hands

There’s one important rule when using a public bathroom: wash your hands. Each and every person should, no, must wash their hands. This isn’t always the case though, with individuals often skipping washing their hands in public every day. Perhaps they want to avoid getting their hands all wet or using an unreliable air dryer.

Whatever the case, getting caught not washing your hands after going to the loo is extremely embarrassing. It’s disgusting and unhygienic. Always wash your hands after going to the toilet. That’s 101 bathroom behavior. 

19. Pretending To Text or Talk on the Phone

Pretending to be busy in public is a common trick. It’s the easiest way to prevent anyone from trying to start a conversation with you. All you need to do is pull out your phone and pretend to take a call or have a fake text messaging convo.

Some people will actually type while others are just scrolling through social media. Another version of that technique is to pretend to make a phone call. In most cases, people will have a full-blown fake conversation with nobody.

This gets embarrassing when people notice that you aren’t actually talking to someone or texting. Not a situation you want to be in, especially if it’s a friend that catches you trying to avoid them. 

20. Searching for Your Credit Card

The grocery store and shopping malls are cutthroat places. Add in long lines, angry customers, and screaming kids, and tensions snowball. So you want to always have your payment method ready when standing in a line.

Most people wait until after the cashier rings in their items to pull out their credit cards. This can be embarrassing when you can’t find your credit card or money. All kinds of thoughts rush through your head as the people around you groan and complain while you dig around for your credit card. 

21. Playing Music Off Your Phone Without Headphones

Nowadays headphones come in various designs at affordable prices. Some headphones are even wireless. A person can listen to any song they like, however, there’s always that one person that plays music off their phone without headphones.

The entire gym, library, or bus can hear the music. In most cases, it disturbs other people who just want to go home. It’s wise to buy a pair of good headphones and keep the music in your own ears. 

22. Leaving the Bathroom Stall Unlocked

There are specific rules for the bathroom that most people follow, but there’s always that one person that thinks the rules don’t apply to them. When using a public restroom, it’s imperative to lock the stall door. If you don’t, there’s a good chance someone will kick the door in while you’re in the middle of your business. Locking the door is crucial as you don’t want to be caught with your pants down, literally!  

23. Talking Loudly on Your Phone

There was a time when the only phone was a landline in the kitchen. That kept phone conversations private. The advent of cell phones changed the nature of private conversations. It allows people to have private conversations in public.

The louder you talk, the more people hear your business. It’s safe to say that nobody on the bus, at the gym, or in the restaurant wants to know about your private life, so keep chatting on the phone in tight public spaces to a minimum.