Disgust is an emotion most of us prefer to avoid — yet some moments are so revolting, they etch themselves permanently into memory. Whether sparked by strangers, loved ones, or shocking acts in public, these true stories capture encounters so nauseating that they still haunt the witnesses years later.
Story 1: The Picnic Nightmare
A few years ago, I was on a picnic with my family when I spotted a couple lounging on a blanket nearby. Suddenly, the woman leaned over the man and — to my horror — popped a large pimple on his forehead with her teeth.
There are many disgusting things in the world, but that scene hit me on a deep, primal level. I can still feel my stomach turn just thinking about it.
© Garth Ware / Quora
Story 2: Christmas at the Food Court
I once saw a wom]an change her baby’s diaper on a table in the middle of a crowded mall food court — right at Christmas, when the place was packed.
I even told the custodial staff, “Hey, some lady just changed her baby on that table,” and they didn’t do anything. I couldn’t eat there again for months.
© ratsandfoxbats / Reddit
Story 3: The Grocery Store Sneeze
When I was about 14, I was walking around the grocery store with my dad. A mom and her toddler daughter were in the same aisle. The girl said, “Mommy, I have to sneeze!”
To my absolute disbelief, the mom got on her hands and knees and let her daughter sneeze directly into her mouth. Then she stood up as if nothing had happened.
© bonybug / Reddit
Story 4: The Buffet Incident
At an all-you-can-eat buffet, an elderly woman began choking, and an employee had to perform the Heimlich maneuver. She vomited all over the table and plate.
After she was taken away by ambulance, her husband calmly continued eating his meal with the vomit still on the table.
© Lisa Olson / Quora
Story 5: The Raw Chicken Eater
A well-dressed woman sat beside me at a bus stop, unwrapping a package of raw chicken she’d clearly just bought from a nearby store. Then she began eating it — raw — as if it were a snack.
It was over 105 degrees that day in South Texas, and she chewed calmly while flies buzzed around. I’ve never forgotten it.
© Unknown author / Reddit
Story 6: Gum from the Subway Floor
Once on the subway, a man in front of me suddenly bent down and scraped something off the floor — right by my foot. Then he put it in his mouth and started chewing.
It was an old, black, flattened piece of gum that had probably been stepped on a hundred times.
© valoudev / Reddit
Story 7: The Newspaper Horror
I was sitting on a park bench when a homeless man silently approached and tossed a folded newspaper onto my lap. Confused and uneasy, I opened it.
Inside was a slimy, decomposing mass of something unidentifiable. The stench was unbearable.
Without a word, the man turned and vanished into the shadows. For a moment, I thought I might faint — or throw up.
Story 8: The Jar Apartment
My parents managed a 480-unit apartment complex. One male tenant moved out, leaving his place spotless — or so it seemed.
Then I opened the bedroom closet. Inside were hundreds of mason jars filled with urine. Every cupboard and closet was the same.
We had to call a biohazard team and rent a dumpster just to get them out.
© Julie Jergenson / Quora
Story 9: The Nail Clipper at Dinner
I was at a restaurant with my ex-boyfriend and his colleague. In the middle of our meal, his colleague pulled out nail clippers and began trimming his nails at the table.
No shame, no hesitation — just clipping away. I almost lost my appetite on the spot.
© Susanna Stratmann / Quora
Story 10: The Money Wound
At the hospital where I work, a homeless man came in with a severe abdominal abscess. When we began cleaning it, we discovered wads of money hidden inside his wound.
He explained, quite casually, that he kept it there to prevent anyone from stealing it.
© DyingLion / Reddit
Story 11: The Library Menace
At my university library, there was this unwashed, smelly old man who always came for the free Wi-Fi. I could tolerate his loud laughter and piles of tangerine peels.
But one day, he started clipping his filthy fingernails — and one of them flew straight at me.
I went straight to the staff and got him banned from the library.
© Le_German_Face / Reddit
Story 12: The Train Groomer
On a midday regional train, a man sitting beside me pulled out dental floss and began flossing vigorously. Food particles were flying everywhere for ten minutes straight.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he started cleaning his ears with his fingers and wiping the wax on his pants.
© Blurryblanket / Reddit
Closing Note
Some sights fade with time. These don’t. From raw chicken eaters to sneezing moms and jar hoarders, these moments remind us that disgust isn’t just an emotion — it’s a survival reflex, and once triggered, it never really leaves you.
