Things that make you wince

Fran

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A colleague phoned one of the houses of the small charity I work for. We house mentally and physically disabled people to help them live more independent lives, and he got one of our support workers, a Bolivian I'll call G. He was chatting away to her and it all seemed quite friendly, then he suddenly said, "Why are you working for us? Shouldn't you be out selling cocaine?". Argh, argh, argh. He maintains it was a joke. What a comedian...

Have colleagues ever made anyone else want to hide under the desk and cry?
 

Wicked

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I don't need co-workers to make me want to go into hiding. My foot spends so much time in my mouth, I should go to the boot repair shop instead of the dentist. :e2apple:
 

backslashbaby

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When I did a roadtrip with my Irish friend around the country, we stayed at nearly every sibling's house. Dear Lord did I wince a lot that trip ;) About other ethnicities (not too bad, actually) but so much about Americans! It's not like I didn't expect it, but the exact things said were surprisingly out there.

OTOH, my new friend from South Africa at school would shake her head (nicely) and say, "You have no idea about the world..." God, I love her.
 

Fran

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I have Latino coworkers always saying racist things about African-Americans. But they talk about other people are who are racist.

I'm sure racism is only racist when it's directed at them. :rolleyes:
 

ad_lucem

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I pulled what I later considered a real "winner" at the local fast food place the other night.

I was in a hurry and orbiting some other planet out in space mentally.

So, I get to the window to get my sack of transfats and the African-American girl at the window (with a heavy southern accent) asks me if I want hotsauce. Well, I didn't, so I asked for ketchup instead.

She said, essentially, "Oh, what is wrong wit me! Who wants hotsauce wit they fries? Lawdy, I must be thinkin' of my chitlins waitin' at home..MMmm mmm, goood with hotsauce."

My reply? "Well, yes, I suppose that would make sense. Thanks."

Now, driving off...I thought, how did that sound? I meant it would make sense because my husband sometimes eats those nasty things and always has them with hotsauce. But, chitterlings are also strongly associated with a particular race/class. So, did it sound like "yes, that makes total sense you black-person, you" or did it sound like what I actually meant: "oh, yes, I've heard those things go with hotsauce"...?

I make myself wince, regularly.
 

Ken

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... a boss of mine once said something racist and I called him on it. Thought for sure I was going to be fired and was nervous just speaking up. But it turned out okay and we continued to get along fine, afterwards, without any more remarks of the sort being made by him. We've all got faults and flaws. Got plenty myself. And sometimes we just need others to step in and point them out to us to see how they're in need of correction.
 

backslashbaby

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^^^ :ROFL:

I like Tobasco on my fries, thankyouverymuch :)
 

Fran

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I don't think he meant to be racist although it did come off that way. I think he was stereotyping, which I suppose doesn't make it any better, but there wasn't any malice in it. It was just completely cringeworthy.

I like salt and lots of vinegar on my chips. :D
 

lucidzfl

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What's wrong with racism? People deserve to be taken down a peg!
 

ad_lucem

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^^^ :ROFL:

I like Tobasco on my fries, thankyouverymuch :)

When I was a little (fat) kid, I used to like mayo with seasoned fries. I liked mayo on a lot of things. Looking back, it's just so very, very NOT right. Besides, it just solidified the total slice of Wonderbread(tm) that I am. What is it with us melatonin challenged folks and the mayo?
 

archerjoe

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Many years ago a co-worker, Debbie, hired a stripper for the birthday party of another co-worker, Lisa. On top of the awkwardness of having a stripper surprise us in the breakroom, Debbie hired a male stripper when Lisa would have preferred a female. Most of us knew Lisa's preference except Debbie who was rather naive. I still cringe thinking about the look on Lisa's face and all us guys trying not to look at the green snakeskin g-string pouch.
 

backslashbaby

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When I was a little (fat) kid, I used to like mayo with seasoned fries. I liked mayo on a lot of things. Looking back, it's just so very, very NOT right. Besides, it just solidified the total slice of Wonderbread(tm) that I am. What is it with us melatonin challenged folks and the mayo?

:D

Mayo and only ever having eaten square fish. Am I right? ;) :D
 

KTC

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During a phone conversation, I once congratulated an American on Obama's election victory and on his upcoming inauguration...and told him of the stir of excitement it was causing up here in Canada. I have done business with this person for years and years. His reply: "Oh...you mean the in-INSERT N WORD HERE-ation". All this time later, I am still cringing! And it floated off his tongue like sugar. I have been icy to him ever since.
 

JoeEkaitis

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During a phone conversation, I once congratulated an American on Obama's election victory and on his upcoming inauguration...and told him of the stir of excitement it was causing up here in Canada. I have done business with this person for years and years. His reply: "Oh...you mean the in-INSERT N WORD HERE-ation". All this time later, I am still cringing! And it floated off his tongue like sugar. I have been icy to him ever since.
Uttered by a rapper, it would have been hailed as art.
 

tjwriter

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The people I work with have been making fun of some odder folk in the cafeteria. It makes me very uncomfortable. I was made fun of for years in our very clique-oriented school system.

I didn't laugh.
 

Susie

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I once made myself wince saying to a lady in a restaurant with her husband that we knew that she looked wonderful since she lost weight and colored her hair blonde. I sure was red-faced when the husband said a bit annoyed, "Susan, that's my new wife!"
 

Xelebes

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I'm really (clinically) bad at socialising so whenever I hear someone do say something or laugh at something that I know is inappropriate, I wince. I have a hard time hanging with others who have the same problem as I do.
 

Silver King

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I once made myself wince saying to a lady in a restaurant with her husband that we knew that she looked wonderful since she lost weight and colored her hair blonde. I sure was red-faced when the husband said a bit annoyed, "Susan, that's my new wife!"
Poor Susie. I can see that happening, and it made me wince and smile at the same time. :)

The worst wince-inducing person I've ever known was my later father. No matter where we went, even when I was very young and shouldn't have known better, he made me cringe the way he talked to women. He thought he was funny, but he was insulting. I'd rather not recall how many times a distressed woman would look my way, and I could see in her eyes that if I wasn't present, my dad would've gotten a good slap across the face.

I loved him and still worship him, but he almost wrecked my view of the world at large, and of women in particular...
 

Death Wizard

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I once made myself wince saying to a lady in a restaurant with her husband that we knew that she looked wonderful since she lost weight and colored her hair blonde. I sure was red-faced when the husband said a bit annoyed, "Susan, that's my new wife!"

Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Death Wizard

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I once went to a hospital with two other co-workers to visit an elderly co-worker who had just lost a leg to diabetes, and my one friend -- in an attempt to make conversation -- was talking about how busy it was back at the office, and he said, "I've been busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest." I turned and went into the hospital bathroom and didn't come out for about 10 minutes. To this day, I feel terrible about it ... and I didn't even say it.
 

Fran

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I once made myself wince saying to a lady in a restaurant with her husband that we knew that she looked wonderful since she lost weight and colored her hair blonde. I sure was red-faced when the husband said a bit annoyed, "Susan, that's my new wife!"

Oooooh.... :roll:

I used to work for directory inquiries (I think 411 is the American equivalent) and there was this really awful screeching noise in the background of one call. It was really irritating me and I said to the man 'What is that awful racket?' and he said 'That's my son playing violin. I'll tell him you're a fan.'. Ack. I still feel terrible about it but it was horrendous!
 

Susie

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Oooooh.... :roll:

I used to work for directory inquiries (I think 411 is the American equivalent) and there was this really awful screeching noise in the background of one call. It was really irritating me and I said to the man 'What is that awful racket?' and he said 'That's my son playing violin. I'll tell him you're a fan.'. Ack. I still feel terrible about it but it was horrendous!


Ditto for me on your little blooper. :D The playing must have been bad cuz when a violin screeches, it is an awful racket.
 
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Susie

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Poor Susie. I can see that happening, and it made me wince and smile at the same time. :)

The worst wince-inducing person I've ever known was my later father. No matter where we went, even when I was very young and shouldn't have known better, he made me cringe the way he talked to women. He thought he was funny, but he was insulting. I'd rather not recall how many times a distressed woman would look my way, and I could see in her eyes that if I wasn't present, my dad would've gotten a good slap across the face.

I loved him and still worship him, but he almost wrecked my view of the world at large, and of women in particular...

Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad ya liked. I can laugh at it now for sure, but still feel like wincing. Good thing it was a dark restaurant so they couldn't see my red, red face. :D I did apologize, though. That's great your dad didn't spoil the view of the world or women for you, dear Silver. That's super!