11 Things People Do In Public That Drive Anyone With Common Sense Insane
We craft safe and healthy public spaces by offering people basic respect.
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock While there are certainly public areas — like parks and coffee shops — that were originally intended to serve as "third places" for people to connect and socialize, it's no surprise that many of these have adopted financial barriers and other obstacles to entry. On top of that, our society shifts more narcissistically every day, so many people are growing aggravated with strangers they don't know and actively avoiding the kind of casual social connection that brings value to their lives.
However, outside of these experiences, there are many things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense insane, further exacerbating their anger and irritation of the people around them. From driving habits, to meeting for the first time, and even showing common courtesy to strangers in the grocery store, these small habits and behaviors mean more than you'd think.
Here are 11 things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense insane
1. Not putting their shopping cart back
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Not putting a shopping cart back is the epitome of selfishness. Whether they're driven by a distaste for respecting service workers or a general sense of entitlement, pushing off responsibility onto others by not putting your cart away is one of the things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense crazy.
It's simply a sign of integrity and social responsibility. Of course, nobody will punish, fine, or harass you for not putting your cart back — at least not to your face — so choosing to do the right thing and look out for others is a sign of moral integrity.
Of course, there are certain situations — like a parent with no free hands or an elderly person with limited mobility — where not putting your cart back is completely valid and even a safe option, but this exception hardly applies to everyone.
2. Blocking a road or entryway
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Whether it's blocking the road by pulling into the street or simply standing in a busy doorway, people who lack the social awareness to consider others as they navigate everyday life tend to make enemies everywhere they go. Even if you're not speaking to someone, you can convey a kind of mutual respect to them by simply respecting their space.
However, when someone is actively blocking a high traffic area or putting their own convenience above all else, it can quickly transform into one of the things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense insane.
3. Playing music out loud
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Similar to talking loudly on the phone or invading other people's personal space, playing music out loud without headphones in public spaces can disturb other people's comfort and peace without any kind of real useful connection or conversation.
Respecting other people and offering the kind of basic decency you expect is what crafts healthy, happy, and safe public spaces. When people are dealing with irritability in the face of behaviors like this, we subconsciously craft the opposite.
4. Talking on speakerphone
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Social awareness is embodied in a number of behaviors, from reading the social cues in a conversation with strangers, to offering someone help, and even talking on the phone. For example, if someone needs to pick up their phone in a public space or around other people, they're cognizant of the volume and other people's comfort prior to doing so.
However, people who don't acknowledge social cues and instead prioritize their own needs may instead talk on speakerphone or incredibly loudly while other people stay quiet and focused. This disregard for other people is why this habit is one of the things people do in public that drives anyone with common sense crazy.
5. Stopping abruptly
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When people are walking behind you in public, being cognizant of how fast you're moving, how much you're stopping, and how distracted you are can ensure everyone is safe and happy. Everyone just wants to feel seen, so if they're forced to jump out of the way or run into someone who's stopped abruptly in front of them on the street, it's not surprising that they become annoyed.
Like many of the other things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense insane, misguided walking behaviors and other examples of public rudeness are often annoyances simply because of their prevalence. If people are dealing with chronic stress, anxiety, or isolation, and they need something to serve as the "scapegoat" for their suffering, the most popular habits will also become nuisances.
6. Cutting in line
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Typically, cutting in line is a social behavior that's unacceptable and banned, which is why it's not surprising that it's one of the things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense insane.
However, many people overlook the social stigmas and emotions associated with the behavior when they're the one that benefits from doing so. Whether it's meeting up with friends or excusing themselves into a line, they're far more comfortable making excuses for their own behavior than offering other people grace in the same situations.
7. Littering
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According to a study from Environmental Challenges, 63% of all littering is unintentional and, oftentimes, especially in open public areas, it's "polite" — where people leave trash and things behind in a neat, yet inappropriate fashion. These patterns of behavior are part of the reason why intentional and malicious littering is one of the things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense crazy.
It's clear that they care more about personal comfort or convenience than the environment or their neighbors, which paints them in a negative, manipulative, and self-centered way.
8. Not covering their mouths to sneeze
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Not covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough can generally make other people incredibly uncomfortable in public, especially in the current state of our world — and reasonably so. It's a matter of safety and security, which is why we adopt habits like this in the first place: to protect ourselves and our neighbors.
Being around someone who doesn't cover their mouth feels like they're actually saying "I don't care if you get sick" or "I care more about my convenience than keeping you safe," which is why it's one of the things people do in public that drive anyone with common sense and empathy insane.
9. Filming without social awareness
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While it's often perfectly acceptable and legal to take photos and videos in public spaces, doing so without any kind of social awareness can annoy the people around you. Especially if you're taking tons of videos and shining a camera right in someone's face or recording parts of their conversation over an extended period of time, it could become one of the things that anyone finds incredibly annoying and intrusive.
Even though it's legal doesn't mean it's something you should be doing all the time, unless recording something or someone is warranted. Respect people's space and presence, even if that means saving a photo for later.
10. Not cleaning up messes
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Especially in our society, where so many third places and social environments have been blocked off for the average person, protecting the cleanliness and safety of the spaces we do have is incredibly important. These spaces not only boost our personal wellbeing, they promote social connectedness that feeds everyone's general health.
When someone doesn't clean up their mess or leaves a public space worse off than when they found it, it not only creates more annoyance and work for the next person, it sparks a chain reaction of irritability and frustration that can have massive consequences.
11. Letting children roam unsupervised
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We get it — every parent needs a break every once in a while. However, letting kids run unsupervised and forcing strangers to set boundaries, call out, and essentially "parent" your kids is not only annoying, it's unsafe. That's why this is one of the things people do in public that drives anyone with common sense insane.
Parents deserve the right to take up space in public space and to go out when they want, alongside their kids, but when you disregard other people's comfort, personal space, and respect, it's going too far.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
