Will you accept a straw from strangers?  |
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 The day was hot, but that was not what bothered me. I was walking from the train station to a shopping mall, and I was bombarded by noises from both the traffic and construction sites along the way. The noise volume was so high that I could not even hear the music from my earphones.
10 more metres. 5 more. There. I stepped into the cool comfort of the mall. Feels very good. I took a few steps forward and suddenly, a girl dashed out from behind me, from my left side, to block my path. She wasn't exactly fast, but she covered the distance in many hurried steps. It conveyed a definite sense of urgency.
I stopped. I had to stop, or I would have knocked onto her. I looked at her and saw that she was middle-aged, wearing office attire and donning a smile. So I asked her, "Do I know you?" She stuck out both hands and tried to shove something at me. What a "surprise". It turned out to be a handful of drinking straws. She said, "For shoppers". Despite her smile, I responded too quickly and too automatically. "Not interested, thanks". And I continued my walk.
With hindsight, why would I want those straws anyway? They were not sealed in packets so who knows how dirty they might have got despite the clean look. And it just strikes me as weird. Why on earth is this shopping mall giving out straws to shoppers? Surely they can afford something more expensive and practical?:P
So if you were me, what would you do if you were "confronted" by this lady under such strange circumstance? FYI, on my way out, I was met by another of her colleagues who tried to shove me some straws too. Do you accept strange things from strangers in public? Or will you actively approach them if you see them giving out things? Do share your thoughts.;-)
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Will you accept a straw from strangers? |
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81.  callarse1 (2910) | 3 years ago |  I don't think I wouldn't do that either. Why would I want those straws anyway? I could buy them and I don't use straws at home anyway, well I do agree that it was strange and I would have done the same thing as you.
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| 82. gberlin (3167) | 3 years ago |  The straws I would have tossed in the trash. If someone is handing out flyers I will look at it. If I don't want it I toss it. I do not usually accept food sample either.
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83.  mtdewgurl74 (10311) | 3 years ago |  Do I accept straws? Only if they are wrapped up. You can never be to careful with straws if they are unwrapped they could have all kinds of crawlies in them. bugs could have left treats in them..yuck. So no I wouldn't have accepted the straws being that they were unwrapped. Straws are very handy I use them all the time becuase I have sensitive teeth and it helps me alot to use them. No I do not approach people who are giving things out, my mom probably would then strike up a conversation with them, that is how she is though. I don't even try the sample things they have at the stores you never know hoew long it's been out and how fresh it is and who has handled it etc...
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| lordwarwizard (10401) | 3 years ago | Oh gosh. You made it sound so disgusting.:P | |
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| 84. castleghost (1113) | 3 years ago |  I probrally would have asked why she was handing out straws. It makes no sense to me so I would feel the need to ask. I wouldn't have accepted them by any means because like you said their unwrapped and you don't actually know how dirty the straws are. I am not the type to accept strange things from people in public. You just don't know what their trying to pull on you. I try to avoid these types of people if at all possible. Most don't want to take no for an answer.
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| lordwarwizard (10401) | 3 years ago | Yea, I might have asked her if I was curious enough to start being chatty. I just wasn't - then.:P | |
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| 85. tigerdragon (2986) | 3 years ago |  do not always forget what you have learned from kindergarten that you should not talk to strangers and it is still true up to know at our adult age that we just don't trust strangers.
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| 86. easy888 (4305) | 3 years ago |  Hello,wizard,I will not accept something from strangers in the public generally,in this case i will not take the straws for sure as the straws are not useful for me,i will not use them anyway as i do not know whether they are clean or not. But if someone is promoting something and offer some free stuff to me, i may accept it if it is useful.
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| lordwarwizard (10401) | 3 years ago | Wasn't really in the public anyway - it was inside the mall, near the counter.:P | |
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87.  Lydia1901 (15711) | 3 years ago |  I wouldn't take anything from anyone unless I really feel comfortable about it. If I don't, I feel a danger there or something like that.
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| Lydia1901 (15711) | 3 years ago | Yep, you can never be too careful at all. | |
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| 88. lols189 (4319) | 3 years ago |  i would never accept things offered to me by people in public as i just dont like the idea of this. that was a bit strange handing out drinking straws to the customers that werent even in a wrapper. if i would of been there i would have said no sorry i dont want these straws as i dont know where they have been. eeeww lol
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| 89. slickcut (6006) | 3 years ago | Thats weird, what was they doing giving straws away that day or what? I would have done just like you and said NO thank you... | |
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| lordwarwizard (10401) | 3 years ago | Agree. I thought they were weird too. | |
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| 90. babyreyn (453) | 3 years ago | I am very careful in accepting things coming from other people. THere are times I accept what they give not because I want it but just to let them know that i appreciate their kindness. I dont even eat in a house whom I am not used to stay with, let say, I am just a visitor and they offered me something, there are times, I refuse to eat what they offered, or I took them out, then gave it to other people. I dont want to offend people that is why I am very careful in handling them. | |
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| lordwarwizard (10401) | 3 years ago | In a way, knowing how to receive is part of being generous too.^^ | |
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