Society is full of rules. Obviously, you’ve got to abide by the law. But you’ve also got to learn all of the unspoken rules. Don’t yap with your phone on speaker in a public place. If you see a stranger drop something, alert them immediately. And if people are waiting in line, you'd better respect that. No cutting allowed!
But not all of the social rules we have to follow feel like burdens or inconveniences. Some are actually incredibly wholesome. Threads users have recently been sharing their favorite social contracts that strangers abide by in public, so we’ve compiled a list of them below. Enjoy reading about these sweet interactions, and be sure to upvote the ones that you love too!
#1
We don't just vaccinate our families to protect them, we also do it to protect the community.
78points
#2
I'm an amputee and every huge snow storm, state of emergency called or not, someone doesn't just shovel my sidewalks and my handicap ramp, they use a plow to clear the curbs by my door and to where my car is parked so I don't have to.
They do it in the middle of the night so I can't catch them.
I have no idea who it is.
They do it in the middle of the night so I can't catch them.
I have no idea who it is.
73points
#3
When someone stops to let me cross the road, I always rush a little to prove I’m a top notch pedestrian
69points
#4
Caring. Period. One time I was headed to pick up supplies to end my life. I had to stop at the gas station on the way to the store. I was walking back to my car and someone ran all the way over to me because I had dropped my debit card in the store. That person saved my life. It made me feel humanity in a way that made life worth living. I felt cared about. Got in my car and sobbed for hours. Then went back home. That was roughly five years ago. They didn’t even know they saved my life that day.
63points
#5
I’m a big, tall man. When I notice a woman looks back and considers me a threat, I suddenly have a loose shoelace that I must kneel down to tie while she walks away and feels more safe.
tabi.blakemore:
Love you for this. Your mom did great work.
0ne_tru:
I'm tall and walk fast.
If I notice that I'm too close to a woman, I'll slow down and give her space because I know I'D BE SPOOKED by seeing some tall MF'er walking up on me
tabi.blakemore:
Love you for this. Your mom did great work.
0ne_tru:
I'm tall and walk fast.
If I notice that I'm too close to a woman, I'll slow down and give her space because I know I'D BE SPOOKED by seeing some tall MF'er walking up on me
60points
#6
I was on the train home one night (I live in NYC) and a man’s grocery bag broke. His groceries were rolling around the train car and everyone wordlessly picked them up and returned them to him, and those of us with plastic bags we were able to part with offered up our bags to repack his groceries. There was no discussion. We all just handled it and went back to minding our own business. It was beautiful.
54points
#7
The drunk girl in the bar bathroom is my best friend until she finds her friends again.
phredator:
I would fight a lion for drunk girl in a bar bathroom. Her shoes are cute as hell, her hair is perfect, of course she can have a tampon, her ex can pass in a fire, & she can cry for as long as she needs to.
phredator:
I would fight a lion for drunk girl in a bar bathroom. Her shoes are cute as hell, her hair is perfect, of course she can have a tampon, her ex can pass in a fire, & she can cry for as long as she needs to.
51points
#8
Waving at any random little kid that waves at you for no reason at all.
plannersassy86:
You have to!! Just like you take the call when they hand you a pretend/toy phone.
cactiii_music:
I could be having the worst day at work, be in the worst mood possible. The minute a little squirt smiles and waves at me I lock tf in and give him the biggest and brightest smile & wave back. Bad mood is immediately gone🥹
plannersassy86:
You have to!! Just like you take the call when they hand you a pretend/toy phone.
cactiii_music:
I could be having the worst day at work, be in the worst mood possible. The minute a little squirt smiles and waves at me I lock tf in and give him the biggest and brightest smile & wave back. Bad mood is immediately gone🥹
51points
#9
Putting the divider down after you unload your groceries on the conveyor belt at the store. We all do that, right? Right?!
51points
#10
If I compliment your dress, I expect to learn whether it has pockets
duval500:
And that you got it on sale!
thereelrandom:
Some guy on insta took his wife’s favorite dresses and had pockets added as a surprise. No idea who, it was some time ago. But, I’ve witnessed my wife going through this routine more than once.
lotte.clarke:
This happened to me at the weekend. The lady was like “AND, it has pockets”! I thanked her for the critical information.
duval500:
And that you got it on sale!
thereelrandom:
Some guy on insta took his wife’s favorite dresses and had pockets added as a surprise. No idea who, it was some time ago. But, I’ve witnessed my wife going through this routine more than once.
lotte.clarke:
This happened to me at the weekend. The lady was like “AND, it has pockets”! I thanked her for the critical information.
49points
#11
The way we warn another woman going into a bathroom stall if there’s no toilet tissue in there
46points
#12
I was teaching my son how to cross the street safely and we were practicing after leaving the grocery store into the bigger parking lot. A lady stayed next to us with her cart and I told her she could go on ahead, that we were working on it!
She said she’d go when my little boy said it was safe to go. And when he did we all crossed together to the parking area. She thanked him for helping her stay safe and I think about it all the time
She said she’d go when my little boy said it was safe to go. And when he did we all crossed together to the parking area. She thanked him for helping her stay safe and I think about it all the time
46points
#13
The thank you wave in traffic.
pippylongstalker:
Throw the 🤙! Hawaiian style! Drive with aloha.
theverythoughtofyou:
When I was little, my dad waved in traffic and I said, "Who was that?" My dad thought that was so funny and explained that, no, the guy just let him into traffic. He didn't know him.
Cut to me learning to drive. The first time I waved at someone in traffic with my dad, he said, "Who was that? Did you know them?" That man proceeded to laugh harder than I've ever seen him laugh. Like he'd been waiting a decade for it.
pippylongstalker:
Throw the 🤙! Hawaiian style! Drive with aloha.
theverythoughtofyou:
When I was little, my dad waved in traffic and I said, "Who was that?" My dad thought that was so funny and explained that, no, the guy just let him into traffic. He didn't know him.
Cut to me learning to drive. The first time I waved at someone in traffic with my dad, he said, "Who was that? Did you know them?" That man proceeded to laugh harder than I've ever seen him laugh. Like he'd been waiting a decade for it.
45points
#14
my favorite is when strangers just help someone with a baby carriage go up or down stairs and just keeps walking as if nothing. this happens a lot in nyc
43points
#15
When any animal does the big stretch so you say “biiiggg stretch”
43points
#16
If the baby speaks to me, I speak to the baby.
43points
#17
ABSOLUTELY no one is getting between me and a stranger who asked me to watch their stuff at a coffee shop.
mimi__k_t:
I don't even watch my own stuff as good as their stuff 😂
sara.no.the.other.sara:
A flight attendant asked me to watch his bags at the airport while he went to the bathroom, and I would've done everything to protect that luggage.
mimi__k_t:
I don't even watch my own stuff as good as their stuff 😂
sara.no.the.other.sara:
A flight attendant asked me to watch his bags at the airport while he went to the bathroom, and I would've done everything to protect that luggage.
39points
#18
If you're in front of me in a long line, and you step out of it to run to the trash can or the restroom, please know I will protect your spot in line like I am Jon Snow in the Night's Watch.
_thatswhat_she_read_:
When I was visibly enormously pregnant, I was waiting in a horrible line in a hot building and decided I couldn’t take it anymore and went to leave. When I realized I would have to come back eventually to get the thing done, I turned around. The woman who had been behind me told me to sit down and she’d save my place. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me
_thatswhat_she_read_:
When I was visibly enormously pregnant, I was waiting in a horrible line in a hot building and decided I couldn’t take it anymore and went to leave. When I realized I would have to come back eventually to get the thing done, I turned around. The woman who had been behind me told me to sit down and she’d save my place. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me
38points
#19
When I observe something funny and I exchange glances with another person who has just observed the same thing, and we share a laugh.
38points
#20
I am an introvert until the moment I see someone is looking uncertain, uncomfortable or like they need assistance, then it is like a switch flips and I am mama bear making sure they are OK!
36points