“Whilst looking around on the tube to pass the time, I noticed someone a few seats down that looked remarkably similar to an old friend of mine who I hadn’t spoken to or seen for a while,” he wrote. “Although this person was a lot rougher round the edges and about 20kg heavier than my friend.”
Shocked by the uncanny resemblance, Salty Drink snuck a photo of the stranger. He sent the snap to his friend *Steve, along with the caption “this guy looks just like you if you packed on some pounds.”
A few minutes later, he got a reply: “That is me SaltyDrink.”
“I haven’t been able to respond yet, I’m too embarrassed,” the poster said. “I feel truly awful about it though. Serves me right for being a bit of a t***.”
Reddit users found the story hilarious, with the post receiving over 26,000 upvotes in just 24 hours.
What to do if you accidentally offend someone
As much as we’d like to forget, we’ve all made comments in poor taste at one time or another. But how can you make things right?
Chase Cassine, a behavioral health specialist at DePaul Community Health Centers, said if you want to repair the relationship, it’s best to take accountability for the unfortunate remark—rather than deflect.
“Even with the best intentions, you will offend someone in life because it’s an inevitable human experience,” he told Newsweek. “Don’t delay apologizing. Even if you’re feeling humiliated, do it.”
He also recommends using “I” statements when apologizing, which convey empathy, as opposed to gaslighting or avoiding responsibility out of embarrassment.
“[For example], ‘I apologize for the offensive remark about your weight,’ instead of ‘You’re overreacting,’” he said.
‘I died on the inside’
Steve is a friend of SaltyDrink’s from college. He hasn’t seen Steve in-person since before the pandemic but would message every now and then.
“He’d grown some slightly unkempt stubble, grown his hair and gained a few pounds—that’s why I didn’t recognize [the man] as him,” SaltyDrink told Newsweek. “He was about 10 seats down and across, so I don’t believe he spotted me.”
Fortunately, SaltyDrink was already off the train by the time Steve saw his message, avoiding an awkward confrontation.
“I did apologize immediately but he was cool about it,” he said. “Steve always had a good sense of humor and had poked fun at my appearance in the past, so he can take it as good as he gives.”
The pair are going for a drink next weekend, with SaltyDrink paying, of course.
Fellow Reddit users sympathized with the poster, with Redditor skapoww “mortified” on SaltyDrink’s behalf.
“I died on the inside,” said Cool_As_Your_Dad.
“Thanks for the second hand anxiety,” Redditor arthurdentstowels wrote.
“RIP OP,” joked Open_YardBox.
“Move to the sewers, it’s the only way to escape the shame,” commented Garage_Sloth.
User fredsam25 advised SaltyDrink to “ghost your previous life.”
“Just throw your phone and ID cards away. You won’t need them anymore,” he said. “You’re going to start fresh with a new identity because there’s no recovering from this.”
The poster isn’t the only one to go viral after sharing an embarrassing moment with the internet. A woman dumping her boyfriend over a “weird and embarrassing” comment at a party was recently backed by Redditors, while a wife who set a trap to humiliate her boundary-stomping mother-in-law was also applauded.
