TIFU by mishearing the woman cutting my hair

Submitted by Swimmin_Duck t3_11yx01m in tifu

During my lunch break this afternoon I went to get a haircut at the Supercuts around the corner from my office. The very nice woman taking care of me was someone I had before a few times. She was doing the pleasant small talk thing (I'm not a fan but I know that's kinda part of it) and she asked me "Are you ready for your birthday?". At least that is what I heard.

Now, my birthday is in a week and I guess that info is in their system or something? I don't know. But I decided to roll with it. I made a joke of rolling my eyes and said "ugh, no!"

She frowned a little. She must love birthdays. She then asked "Well aren't you excited?" to which I replied "Haha. Not really, it's more annoying than anything else."

She gave kind of a week smile and said "What are you guys having?" This question confused me a little. Like, what am I gonna have for my birthday dinner? She must mean that. Weird line of questioning but ok. I said "Oh, I don't know. I guess I will figure it out at some point"

She now looked slightly offended and a little confused. "Oh. Ok. Well when is she due?"

It is then I realized that she did not ask me about my birthday but asked if I was ready for the baby my girlfriend/wife and I have on the way. I do not have a baby on the way. She clearly mistook me for another regular I guess.

I quickly replayed my previous answers to her questions and realized then what a profound asshole I sound like. At one point she clearly asked if I was having a son or daughter, to which I had responded "I don't know, I guess I will figure it out".

Then, for some ungodly reason reason, rather than quickly walk things back and apologizing for mishearing her, I got it in my head that continuing the conversation would be less awkward. So when she asked "When is she due" and I realized with horror what was going on, I sheepishly said "Oh, umm in a month" We did not talk much more for the rest of the time I was there.

So I clearly can't go back there anymore...

TL;DR - I misheard the woman cutting my hair. I thought she was asking about my birthday but was actually asking about the birth of my girlfriend's/wife's soon arriving baby (which I am not having). My answers to her questions then came across as quite horrific.

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Comments

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Internal-Radish3622 t1_jda1b8i wrote

Why not just clear the misunderstanding? i would’ve been like “oh i thought you said birthday” or something. There’s no shame in hearing things incorrectly, i’ve done it a few times and ppl forget after a few minutes.

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Gingersnap608 t1_jdb566l wrote

That's not as bad as what I did once. Last year I went to the doc to get my birth control replaced (I have the arm implant). The nurse was asking the usual questions to get my info. I thought she said "at home you feel sick?). I thought it sounded a bit odd but I was thinking to myself, I've been feeling fine at home. So I instantly said no. Well the thing is, she had a mask on and her speech was kinda muffled from it. To make things worse, my husband was standing right next to me when I answered her. When I said no, she gave my husband a dirty look, then looked back at me and said "you don't feel safe???" That time I heard her correctly and quickly apologized and told her I misheard her and yes I feel very safe. My husband was freaking out because he thought they were gonna call the cops on him or something because they think he's abusing me. Which he never has to be clear haha

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Tieger66 t1_jdcd0wa wrote

fucking stupid of them to ask you that with your husband stood right there, surely!

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CindySvensson t1_jdcd5mp wrote

They ask in front of the partner? Even a abuse victim would say no.

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snowmandala t1_jdccn3b wrote

I am so sad that they have to ask these kind of questions and i know that this is a good thing. But oh boi do I feel violated when someone suggests that i would ever hurt the people i love.

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Reddit_west t1_jdeyfql wrote

The worst part of COVID masks: trying to understand what the other person said.

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azewonder t1_jdd9v04 wrote

I had to get blood drawn a few weeks ago. There’s usually no problem finding a vein, but the tech was having a hard time.

I thought I heard her say “got it” or something to that effect, and I blurted out “finally!” When she stepped back, I realized that she did not get the vein, and was calling to her coworker in the next room.

I said “I’m so sorry! I thought you said you got it, I wasn’t saying ‘finally’ to you getting someone else!” We all had a good laugh over it. I would have felt like shit all day if I’d let her think I said “finally!” for calling someone else in

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moleware t1_jdd7mib wrote

It's like a weird version of main character syndrome. Some people mess up a conversation and then get so in their head about it that they'll say something like "I can never go back to that place again!" as if anyone else involved actually cares.

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Kid__A__ t1_jda92qb wrote

I hope the guy she thought you were walks in soon after.

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DarkAthena t1_jd9wlix wrote

I am dying.

I’m sorry OP.

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Jimbobjoesmith t1_jda4p2c wrote

oh no! i’m so sorry but this is hilarious.

and you’re right, you can never return to that place 😂

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Randomidk32189 t1_jdb41cz wrote

Better start to cut your own hair, OP. No recovering after that one. Probably should’ve cleared the misunderstanding

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Clarkoceans t1_jdaom7w wrote

Blessing in disguise, maybe? I’ve heard plenty of Supercuts horror stories.

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ktarzwell t1_jdajqux wrote

This is honestly something I would do...
I feel for you

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Zikkan1 t1_jdbulw3 wrote

Not sure why you focused on the "what are you having" part of it since that was the only one that made sense since not knowing the gender and "figuring it out" when the child is born isn't really weird at all. Saying it's annoying instead of exciting seems like a bigger deal to me.

Also it would definitely not have been weird or awkward to just say you misheard and you do infact not have a kid on the way.

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Igottamake t1_jdcippu wrote

Not going to a Supercuts is a win. Every other similar store is better. Even if it’s the same stylist doing your hair.

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soggy90 t1_jdcl9iq wrote

This is gold. To make you feel better OP I could imagine myself doing the same thing.

Edit: but yea.. don’t go back.

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Reddit_west t1_jdez3m8 wrote

I'm a big fan of asking people to repeat themselves if the question seems odd. And again, if necessary. I'd rather be considered partially deaf than a weirdo. 😄

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ThaumKitten t1_jdck4rh wrote

'I can't go back there'.

There's literally this thing called 'Apologizing'. Also known as 'clearing up misunderstandings'. Do people not know how to do these things or what they are anymore?

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