Normally Calm People Share Stories About Times They Freaked Out In Public

Scared of Heights

Even normal and calm people suffer from phobias. It’s common to experience a fear of heights or enclosed spaces. But what happens when these two combine in one place? In short, the individual may suffer from a horrible panic attack as they freak out.

“I’m terrified of heights,” ImNotJesus said. “I got stuck in a lift just recently and started to panic. Panic begets more panic and it got worse. I tried to remember my breathing and worked my way through it.” Hopefully, they escaped before it became too much.

Sudden Explosion

Everybody has a friend who stays calm in almost every situation. But when they erupt it’s one of the most terrifying moments because it’s so out of character. One netizen explained how a girl annoyed her friends and she was ready to intervene. In the end, she didn’t because her shy friend exploded.

The Redditor shared: “I just arrived and being the most confrontational out of the group I was about to tell her off, but out of nowhere my quiet friend snaps. She started yelling at the girl to get a life and where to go.” This scared everybody including her friends but it was worth it.

Scorpion

Scorpions are one of the most menacing creatures on the planet. Even if they’re just going about their business and not bothering anybody they terrify people. Some scorpions contain toxic venom that can even kill a human being so it’s justifiable.

Buckeyes

Here is another example of a calm and mellow person who goes crazy when he watches his favorite team. In this case, the Buckeyes make him freak out because he is a diehard fan. It’s funny because it’s rare for this type of person to have an intense emotional reaction.

“My friends have always been astounded by how hyped I get watching Ohio State football and basketball,” Nonexistantsip said. “I’m usually pretty laid back and introspective but during Buckeye games, they would see me get excited for once.”

Chimps

The strangest things make people freak out. Here’s a situation where a zookeeper was watching chimpanzees go about their days. It struck him how similar their actions are to humans and made him realize how closely related we are. One moment stood out in particular because it provoked nostalgia.

“I remember it was raining and the baby chimp was sticking out his tongue and catching raindrops,” the zookeeper noted. “That was something I did as a child too. It was mind-blowing in a small way.” Incredibly, we share 98% genetic similarity.

Time Goes By

We’ve already spoken about mortality because it becomes apparent as we grow older. Certain moments feel like they’ll last forever for children but speed up for adults. It’s easy to freak out if we overthink these things because they remind us of our limitations.

RobertBreadford shared: “How much quicker time goes by as you get older. Remember when you were five, and a summer vacation felt like a whole lifetime?” It’s important to ensure that children enjoy being young and at the moment because nothing is forever.

Floating

Here’s another existential thought that made a person freak out. They spoke about the scale of the universe because Earth is so small and our lives don’t matter. Billions of people have existed so why do we think we are more important than what came before?

Raised Voices

Another calm person revealed how people react when they freaked out. However, the advantage is that his colleagues take him seriously when he explodes because it’s so rare. This is a positive because it means that his words hold a lot of value.

“Nobody is afraid of me, some have called me a gentle giant,” King_Trasher noted. “But the one time I raised my voice during a debate, I got a good 30 seconds to express my viewpoint. I even got a point of extra credit for it.” That’s why it’s wise to stay calm as often as possible.

Party Time

Introverts hate when people make them the center of attention. They don’t mind being in a small group with friends that they trust. But some individuals dread the thought of public speaking or even surprise birthday parties. The following story shows what happened when one introvert experienced the latter.

Over 20 people shouted at her when she arrived home after a long day. It made her freak out because it was a stressful moment. SparklingBlueLight wrote: “I didn’t know what to do, so I started crying my eyes out and ran upstairs and couldn’t calm myself for a good 45 minutes.”

Road Rage

Selfish and careless drivers provoke a lot of anger on the road because of the potential consequences of their actions. They could damage the vehicle or even cause a serious risk to the other driver’s life. One Redditor wrote about their experience with a rampant road user.

“As she squeaked by me, she looked at me with a smug expression on her face,” BlueBlueBreeze wrote. “I’m not prone to road rage, but this hit me where it hurt. So, I followed her for a while.” It’s safe to say that she didn’t enjoy the next few minutes but she deserved it.

Knife Party

Sometimes it’s horrifying to watch other people use basic household implements. It’s important to slice away from the body when using a knife. However, there are unavoidable situations where people risk serious injury. Here’s a wild situation that made the storyteller freak out because they thought the worst happened.

Run Rabbit

Pet owners care about their animals more than other people including members of their families. Most people love dogs but the problem is that instinct drives them to stupidity. This story shows what happened when somebody thought their dog ran away forever.

“She saw a rabbit, and while she was only about 10 ft from me, she took off into the darkness like a bat out of hell,” TheMilkMan wrote. “I had a mini panic attack not knowing where she was or how far I’d have to chase to find her.” Luckily, he averted the crisis but it could have been serious.

Looking Down

Plane travel is incredible because it helps people reach far-flung destinations. There’s something special about looking out of the window and enjoying the view. But don’t think about it too much because it may produce an existential crisis like the following person’s experience.

“Down there are people living life exactly like I do and doing their everyday thing,” Proxarn said. “Makes me think how big the world is and how tiny you are as a person! That freaks me out a bit.” Everybody across the planet is indeed trying to live their life as best as they can.

Red Fist

Another sports fan had a moment of rage when their baseball team suffered a tough loss. Usually, they remained calm in most facets of their life but this made them react with violence. Unfortunately, it had serious consequences for their home.

RollingStonner admitted: “I punched a small hole in the wall when the Red Sox were eliminated from the playoffs a few years back…does that count?” We would agree that this is a good example of when a normal person freaked out.

Freudian Sense

Life isn’t easy because everybody experiences highs and lows. But one of the worst things is feeling a sense of underachievement. We all have dreams but success isn’t a guarantee. Meanwhile, some internet users have regrets over their relationships and the direction they went.

Journalisto wrote: “I’ve been freaking out a lot lately. More than I’d like to admit. Mostly, over the last five years, especially with having two kids, I’ve come to realize I married my mother – in the Freudian sense, of course.” This is a strange situation for everybody involved.

I’m Pregnant

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing because it means another person will enter the world. But an unplanned pregnancy is one of the most terrifying things anybody can experience. One Redditor freaked out when they realized that their younger sister became pregnant.

Overwhelming

A change of location can be extremely jarring for some people. Culture shock is real especially when they go to a drastically different place. The following Redditor left a sleepy dustbowl town for the heaving metropolis of Hong Kong and they freaked out.

“My worst freak out ever was when we went to Kowloon, Hong Kong,” Cjdavda wrote. “I had a pretty bad panic attack from the sheer number of people. I’m from Texas, and I’d never seen anything like that before. I just don’t think I’m meant for that dense of a population.”

Cockroach On Crack

Walking home alone in the dark is a creepy experience for everybody. One internet user said that they felt jumpy because they were in a quiet area. Suddenly, they heard a loud noise beside a garbage can and they freaked out before realizing that it was just a cat.

“I remember jumping a little bit and shaking like a cockroach on crack for like half a second,” the Redditor wrote. “Then an immediate feeling of shame for being terrified for no reason whatsoever.” To be fair, this feels like a completely normal reaction in this situation.

Unwanted Visitor

Another person had an extreme reaction to a random insect in their room. We don’t know if they thought that they would swallow it in their sleep. Perhaps they believed that it would bite them or something. Then they slept on the couch instead of removing it from the bedroom.

Cross the Line

There’s a code of conduct during a business meeting but sometimes that goes out of the window. One Internet user explained how they freaked out because the situation escalated. This was unprofessional but they couldn’t help themselves as it heated up.

A Redditor wrote: “During a bargaining session a few years ago, one of the principals and I in my district got personal, really fast. I’m usually pretty calm, but the look on my VP’s face that day after the meeting told me I’d probably crossed a couple of lines.”

Motorbike Helmet

Another insect provoked a serious reaction from a grown man. He was driving his motorcycle when he stopped at a red light. Then he realized that there was a bug inside his helmet’s visor and he freaked out. This was understandable because nobody wants an insect on their face.

TallDrSeuss explained: “Definitely made an interesting sight at the traffic light as I repeatedly smacked my head and screamed in a high-pitched scream.” No doubt this entertained a lot of onlookers because he must have looked like a crazy person.

Cracked Screen

Another technological mishap made a person react in anguish. They freaked out because they broke their expensive laptop beyond repair. It was clumsy but this is something that anybody can do. They explained the situation and revealed how miserable it made them.

Rat Visit

A group of rats is called a mischief because that’s how they behave together. But nobody wants a mischief of rats to visit them in their apartment without an invitation. Here’s a horrifying story about how one New Yorker experienced this for themselves.

“When rats started coming in my apartment I tried to chase them out like mice,” the Redditor explained. “They don’t care. They might stroll out, turn around, and peer at me from their hole.” Rats have a lot of confidence and brazenly do what they want.

Horse Riding

Physical ailments are harrowing to deal with because they put people in a state of fear. One person spent a lot of time horse-riding but suffered the consequences. They freaked out because they experienced cramps in their back and this immobilized them.

The Redditor divulged: “One day I woke up in the morning, stretched, and all of a sudden there was a sharp pain in my back. I literally laid there in pain, unable to move, for 5-10 minutes until it faded. It was some of the worst pain of my life.” That’s a frightening prospect but luckily it passed by.

Moth Attacks

Another person seriously freaked out when they saw a moth in their office. It didn’t matter that there was a room full of other people because they experienced too much fear. Furthermore, the moment paralyzed them and they were unable to react quickly.

“I couldn’t push back my chair to run away, apparently that takes too much focus,” MissChristine wrote. “Instead I just froze up and started slowly leaning over.” This is another level of fear beyond what most people feel in everyday life but even rational humans have this.

Hormones

Pregnancy is a tough time for women because they go through so many physical changes. Meanwhile, they endure hormonal imbalances that produce cravings as well as fluctuating moods. One woman explained how she freaked out at times during her pregnancy.

“During my pregnancy, I’ve had a few really bad hormonal freakouts, like breaking a couple of glass cups or knocking everything off of my computer desk,” ZBQ10 said. This is completely normal and nobody should feel bad about going through these kinds of moments.

Jump Scare

When people wake up in the middle of the night they suffer disorientation because they aren’t fully cognitive. It takes a few minutes and potentially a cup of coffee to become alert. That’s why it’s scary to unexpectedly bump into someone else in the darkness.

“I woke up and really had to pee,” the Redditor wrote. “So I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom only to find my mom sitting on the toilet in the dark with the door open. I screamed like you would not believe.” We believe it but it must have been funny too.

Existential Crisis

Every human has a finite existence. It doesn’t matter if they’re rich or poor because death comes for everybody on this planet. But we must make the most of every minute on this earth and not dwell on our impending doom. One Internet user said that they freaked out when they thought about it too much.

I do this frequently enough, unfortunately, but whenever my mind ventures to think of death and what it will be like, it scares the ever living s*** out of me,” the Redditor wrote. “Seriously I can’t cope with it for whatever reason, just ceasing to exist at all.”

Money Problem

Money makes the world go around but most of us don’t have enough of it. Regular people constantly try to make ends meet and grind their way through life. It’s tough when somebody realizes how precarious their situation is but usually, things work out.

Freak Out

Most spiders don’t cause physical harm but there’s something about all of those legs that horrify people. Arachnophobia is extremely common but usually, there is no reason to fear these tiny creatures. However, that doesn’t make life easier for the likes of the following person.

They freaked out after they had a close encounter with an eight-legged visitor. The Redditor wrote: “I was on the computer when a spider slowly descended right in front of my face. I normally don’t freak out from spiders, but this one was right in front of my eyeball.”

Idol Shock

We’ve focused mostly on when people freaked out for negative reasons. But sometimes calm and rational humans lose the run of themselves during a positive experience. Take the following person, who met the cast of “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” and couldn’t control their excitement.

“Mine was in a good way,” the Redditor shared. “Last Saturday I met two of my childhood and current idols, Greg Proops and Ryan Stiles. I became sufficiently incoherent within the first few seconds of seeing them.” That’s lovely because it must have brightened up their day a lot.

Grad School

These days everybody is competing with each other to stand out. That’s why increasing numbers attend grad school because it’s so difficult to get a job. However, it’s tough to deal with the workload and responsibility that comes with this intense education.

“Grad school is one freakout after another,” a Redditor explained. “The most recent one is realizing I have 3 homework and 2 tests in 3 days next week and I have no idea how to do one of the homework, and one of the tests is scaring the life out of me.”

Falling in Love

Love is a beautiful thing but it can also be incredibly confusing. If somebody falls for the wrong person it will irrevocably change the boundaries of their relationship. They’ll no longer look at each other the same way and sometimes it even ends friendships.

Don’t Talk

It’s important to take advantage of the quiet moments in our lives. Some people love to read at the end of the day because it transports them to another world. But they hate when somebody interrupts them and tries to speak to them while they’re relaxing.

Dim The Lights

Too many drivers don’t show consideration for other road users. One common mistake is that they leave their lights on full beam when they pass another vehicle. It’s good etiquette to dim the lights so that they don’t blind the other person and potentially cause an accident.

Shopping Carts

Everybody has pet peeves that exist because other people are idiots. It could be a personal habit that they have like chewing loudly or with their mouth open. Sometimes people are selfish and careless because they can walk away from the scene of their indiscretion.

Near-Death Experience

Losing control of a vehicle is one of the most terrifying moments of anybody’s life. Let’s hope that most readers never experience this because it’s traumatic. This Redditor freaked out after they regained control of the car and the adrenaline stopped coursing through their body.

“Somehow I managed to gather my wits, restart the car, turn it around, and drive off before another car hit me,” Kay_Elle wrote. “I stopped at the earliest possible parking opportunity, and that was when I felt it – the fear.” It’s natural because they went through sheer terror and came out the other side.

Sky Fall

Here’s another extreme situation where a person justifiably freaked out. They were on a plane when the pilot announced that there would be an emergency landing. Suddenly, the plane began plummeting, and they thought that this was the end of their life.

121Guy wrote: “All I could think about was I can’t see the ground and we are falling. I know there is a hill out here somewhere, this is where I am going to die. The plane got down to around 400ft off the ground before it finally started to climb.”

Giant Rat

Nobody wants to feel the touch of another unknown creature in the middle of the night. But that’s exactly what this Redditor experienced when they woke up in the middle of the night. They freaked out when they discovered their horrifying visitor.

“When I was trying to sleep at around 3 and felt someone press on my bed,” JakeWang1 shared. “Then the bag on the chair started shaking. Then again I felt something on my bed. Finally, I dared to switch on the light and found a giant rat on my bed.”

Full-Size Mode

Perhaps the following person isn’t calm or mellow because this may seem like an overreaction. But the reality is that even normal people have pet peeves that irritate them. It’s funny but they hate when Google gives them notifications after they selected an option.

CinnaSol6 wrote: “That dumb notification that says “the screen is now in full-size mode” on google chrome when you expand a video. I KNOW IT’S IN FULL-SIZE MODE GOOGLE.” The main reason why Google does this is to help confused users but that doesn’t change his annoyance.

Free Gas

The following story is one of the scariest on this list because it could happen to anybody. A female driver ran out of gas and pulled over on the side of the road. Then a man stopped to help her but suddenly his attitude changed and she freaked out.

“The complete change in demeanor and tone of voice scared the absolute s*** out of me,” Gutinstinct999 explained. “It sent a chill through my body. I was absolutely terrified. Even if I’d had a weapon, he could have overtaken me.”

Brown Snake

One person was cycling their bicycle when they encountered a lethal brown snake. They quickly flew past it because they didn’t want to die. That’s understandable but it’s not the end of the story. The Redditor freaked out with what happened next.

Five Minutes

Roller coasters provide a massive adrenaline rush but many people won’t go on one. They have a fear of heights and dread the thought of the ride breaking down. This happens in real life as the following netizen revealed. They freaked out when their theme park experience became traumatic.

The Redditor reminisced: “I was on a 360-degree roller coaster and you go around and around but it got stuck at the very top. The ride shut down for 5 minutes so I was upside-down and I was very little and it was terrifying.” What a horrible time this was for the poor person.

After The Storm

Water is beautiful but it possesses terrifying power. Humans realize how small and vulnerable they are in the middle of the ocean. Storms are even scarier because they possess the strength to devastate coastal communities and sweep ships away.

King Cobra

It’s always great to visit different countries and enjoy new cultures. But sometimes we receive more than we bargained for. One person visited their family in India for the first time and suffered a massive shock. They went to the bathroom but freaked out because of a terrifying sight.

One Redditor shared their experience. They said: “I was 6 years old and went to take a leak. I was at my grandma’s house in a small village in India. The bathroom was an outhouse. Just as I was about to start, I noticed a cobra hissing at me.”

Fasten Your Seatbelt

Anybody with acrophobia should look away now because this is haunting. Imagine if a rollercoaster attendant forgot to check the passengers’ seatbelts. Think of the potential lawsuit and risk to life because it would be massive. Luckily, this doesn’t happen often.

Tough Workout

Another normal person went to the gym and pushed themselves through a tough workout. They gave everything because they wanted to see good results. But they didn’t expect what happened after their training session. In the end, it was hilarious but they went through sheer terror.

They wrote about their ordeal: “I started to feel a tightness in my chest, and pain. I started clutching at my chest, thinking “NO NO NOT NOW, NOT LIKE THIS! IT’S TOO SOON! And then I let out the biggest, most powerful burp I’ve ever had.”

Stolen Keys

Most people feel safe when they’re at home and shut the door behind them. We think of our houses as our private castles and a shield against the world. But the reality is that it’s easier to access them than we may think. Take the following person’s story as a terrifying example.

The_Soup_Whisperer explained: “Once my mother called me on the phone telling me that a copy of our house keys was stolen that afternoon from the lobby and someone might be in the house. This happened at the exact moment I was entering the house.”

Rescue Service

Nature is glorious but we must respect it or it will make visitors pay. This Redditor discovered this the hard way when they had a near brush with death. If it wasn’t for the brilliant work of first-responders they may have died. But luckily they made it through their ordeal.

BonfireFanatic wrote: “My friend and I had to be helicopter rescued because we drove through a creek and camped on the other side and then melting snow from a town 6 hours away flooded and turned the creek into a raging river.” They should have been aware of the danger but they survived their mistake.

McNuggets

Embarrassing moments scar people for life. This person earned the nickname ‘McNuggets’ after a traumatic ordeal that everybody remembers. They freaked out after a terrible but hilarious prank that their friend pulled in the famous fast food chain.

“I was with my travel baseball team and we were standing in line at McDonald’s,” TravelAny398 wrote. “I was going to order and my friend pantsed me but got my underwear too.” The friend exposed their entire lower half for all of the patrons to see.

Collision

Some people feel a sense of calm the moment before they crash their vehicle. That’s because they know it’s inevitable and that they can’t stop it. But this person freaked out when they lost control because they knew they would die if they hit a giant truck.

Osprey11795 remembered: “At some point, I realized I was going to crash, and there wasn’t much I could do – the one thought going through my head was “don’t hit the semi-truck, don’t hit the semi-truck” over and over again.” Luckily, they survived because we don’t think this was their ghost.

Burn it Off

When we step onto any form of public transport we’re putting our lives into another person’s hands. It’s even riskier on an airplane because most crashes result in mass deaths. This Redditor freaked out when their pilot announced an emergency landing.

Chris_TT wrote: “I was on a commercial flight and the pilot came over the tannoy to tell us luck wasn’t on our side today. There was an emergency with the flaps and landing gear not working correctly, and that we would have to fly around to burn off the fuel.”

Cauliflower Smell

There’s something nice about cooking dinner for visitors. It’s nice to receive a homemade meal and to know that somebody put in a lot of effort. But this usually calm Redditor freaked out when their visitors mocked the meal that they served up. They couldn’t understand why they suffered this disrespect.

ricctp6 shared: “I made cauliflower once (in my own house) and two acquaintances who were over just ganged up on me about how disgusting cauliflower smells. I was like…ok that’s cool and everything but you can f*** right off since I’m making dinner for everyone here.”

Angry Day

Another Redditor explained how their friends freaked out when they lost their temper. That’s because he was a calm person who kept control of his emotions. It was unusual for him to have a strong reaction to anything. When it eventually happened he terrified everybody because it was out of character.

Wrong Turn

This person hated sharing a vehicle with a rude passenger. They think that some people have extreme expectations and should treat hardworking workers with more respect. When the driver missed a turn, one passenger freaked out but the Redditor put them in their place.

“Missing their turn or exit,” they shared. “You aren’t traveling in interstellar space. Go to the next exit and turn around.” This is true and if they’re in an Uber it shouldn’t matter much. Mistakes happen and in the end, they will arrive at their destination.

Food Wars

Many people have freaked out because of weird food concoctions. We don’t know why it’s a heinous crime to put pineapple on pizza but it provokes a severe backlash. But this Redditor argued that it doesn’t matter and that nobody is forcing them to eat it. They say that they lose patience with picky eaters like this.

Choking Child

Any parent will say that there’s nothing more terrifying than a child in danger. It could be because they’re suffering an illness or that they’re missing in a department store. This parent freaked out after she saved her child from choking on a spoonful of cereal.

Jelc17 shared: “Multiple slaps. The clog of cereal dislodged and he was able to breathe again. We both collapsed on the floor in tears, had cuddles, and generally recovered. Then he wanted to carry on eating his breakfast.” It’s unbearable to even think about this because it’s horrifying.

Active Shooter

Another person had a harrowing life experience when they went to the mall as a youngster. Security forces shut it down because of the risk of an active shooter. It’s safe to say that they freaked out because nobody should deal with this type of scenario.

“When I was around 14 years old, my friends and I were at a mall and the mall went on lockdown because of an active shooter,” ChaneI remembered. “Turns out it was just a guy shooting the air but at the time we didn’t know that.” Impending mortality is terrifying.

House Fire

House fires create a terrifying sense of disorientation. Usually, the smoke kills people before the fire burns them. Flames engulfed this Redditor’s home and they freaked out. Luckily they made it out alive and saved their beloved dogs in the process.

“By the time I had woken up the stairs were engulfed in flames,” ChicagoSpawn6 wrote. “I truly lost all sense of what to do. Thought it was all over. Eventually got to a window and ended up throwing my dogs out the window (all were okay) and jumping out the window.”