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“It Was A Cult”: 49 Times People Realized That Something Was Very Wrong And They Needed To Leave
Everyone always says to trust your gut, but it's hard to know exactly what that means until it’s put to the test. It can be difficult to articulate how it feels when you suddenly feel threatened or on edge. The hairs on the back of your neck might stand up, even though nothing around you is blatantly dangerous or out of place.
In these moments, it’s usually best to follow your instincts and get the hell out of Dodge. Otherwise, you might have some serious regrets in the future… Threads users have recently been recalling moments when they realized something was seriously wrong with the situation they were in. Below, you’ll find a list of their most unsettling stories, so be sure to upvote the ones that will remind you to always trust your gut.
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#1
Walking home from school at age 9 with my best friend. A man next to a ‘broken down car’ asked for our help. Immediately grabbed my friends hand and ran telling her what man would need a 9 year olds help? He drove by us as we were running. Our parents called cops as we had first few letters of license plate and rough make/model of car. (Blue Camaro). He was pulled over the next day and there was a girl in his trunk. ALWAYS trust your instincts!!!!
ABC NrEleven FCK CENSORISM 2 hours ago (edited)
Damn, only 9 years of age and already saved a life. Good kids.
RELATED:
#2
Backpacking in Colombia. Told my group we needed to leave immediately and we went indoors to a coffee place. Watched a group pass by and the owner said oh yeah they would have robbed you and hurt you. I suddenly just felt a need to go. We had set up a rule beforehand that if one of us felt unsafe we all listen, no debate. Glad we did.
#3
My ex-roommate asked me to come to her graduation ceremony, as she had no family or friends to attend. Before the ceremony, they brought the guests into a separate room, and told us we could not see the graduation unless we sat through their pitch. Every warning signal went off in my head. I got up and left.
It was a cult.
Peter Parker 14 hours ago
Or maybe you missed out on something amazing! Just kidding, it's a cult..
#4
How about the one time we should have and didn't.
I was pregnant only once - at 42, & was miscarrying naturally. On Christmas Day. My mother insisted we HAD TO come over. I'm doubled over, actively contracting in her kitchen. She laughs & says "you have no idea how much labor hurts! You've never had a baby!"
My husband gasped. I was in shock. We did leave. And I haven't spoken to her in years. To this day, she denies she ever said it.
GalPalAl 3 hours ago
My mother is notorious for this kind of gaslighting. She has said so many things to me on dozens of occasions. Hurtful things When I tell her what she said, she denies she ever said that and asks me rhetorically why would I ever say that? How does it benefit me to make up stories about things that you said that were meant to hurt my feelings? She actually has said to me on more than one occasion, I wish I never had children. To this day, she will never admit to saying it,
#5
We were in Rocky Mountain National Park. People had left their cars to look at a moose, and had it surrounded on three sides. We were standing back when my mother heard someone say they were going to put their child on the moose’s back for a photo. She hustled us out of there saying “we’re not watching a child get trampled, get in the car RIGHT NOW!”
#6
As a freshman in HS, my friends and I walked from school to the house where students were decorating a homecoming float. The parents were not home. It was 3:30pm. They had kegs of beer. My friend and I were 13 years old. We all looked at each other and said, “Let’s leave now!” Several people called us nerds as we walked away. One of our friends lives about a mile away. We walked to her house. On Monday, we heard rumors a girl had been SA’d. Never been so happy to be labeled a nerd.
#7
We were on a hike in the woods. Suddenly, just a few steps away, some young wild boars ran across the path, and a little further back, something large rustled in the bushes. “Let’s turn back. Right now!” was apparently so convincing that my husband just went along with it.
#8
I was at an outdoor dog show, with my boyfriend, our 7 children and his out of town family. I live in a city known for sudden intense summer storms.
I noticed the air got still and the clouds in the north started building up, and stacking on top of each other. We still had clear blue sky above us, but I insisted we leave. Everyone was mad at me. The wind started picking up as we made it to our cars. 15 minutes later the hail and torrential downpour started.
KatWitch57 7 minutes ago
Being weather-aware is a talent that is becoming increasingly necessary.
#9
I was driving home for Christmas, stopped at the usual stop, about halfway, and got the worst feeling and booted it out of there.
Less than 10 minutes later there was a domestic confrontation in the same store, and he then chased her and her friends up the highway and sh*t them all.
I was shown leaving on surveillance during the court proceedings as they fast forwarded through footage.
#10
Was at a church party with pastors and elders. We sat down to eat and they all started telling horrible racist jokes! I looked at my husband in horror and we left. I never hang out with religious people anymore.
#11
A fire alarm went off again. We didn’t go outside right away. Most of them have been false alarms at all hours. Then I smelled smoke. I told my fiancé we should step outside this time. As soon as I open the patio door, a small amount of smoke started wafting in. We got out immediately. Once we stepped out we saw the flames from the top floor of our building. Our unit had smoke damage and water in the walls. We were displaced two weeks ago🙃
Daniel Atkins 13 hours ago
I see how ignoring fire alarms can happen. In college I lived in the apartments on campus. The residents would often set off the fire alarms cooking even I did it a time or two. The apartment alarm would sound and after a minute or so the building alarm would go off. This happened often because if you set it off by burning something on the stove you had to call the front desk to have them shut it off. This took time so the building alarm would sound. No one would leave. To do a fire drill they had to go door to door knocking to let people know it was a drill.
#12
On a hunting trip with two friends, the one guy hiked up to the car, but then he didn’t come back and then suddenly I hear a car horn honking three times.
We were in Gunnison, Colorado late November the end of elk season, and a storm is coming in. I continue to hear the horn honking three times and I said to the other guy we’re leaving and we’re leaving right now!
Turned out that the other guy was in the car with hypothermia and if we hadn’t hiked up there when we did, he would’ve died.
#13
So I am Chinese-American. I took a cross country trip and stopped in this small, affluent town and went to explore its antique shop. I was casually browsing when I saw a large wooden plaque with six carved Chinese figures. When I looked, the plaque said “Six Little Ch****. My mouth dropped open. I noticed the rest of the display cabinet was filled with racist memorabilia. I then looke around and realized I was the only non-white person in the shop so I speed walked/ran away.
#14
I went to a coworker’s house. He and his lover were probably swingers but I didn’t know that at the time. We were in the living room having cocktails & hors d’oeuvres. My coworker came out and leaned over and started pinching the nipples of another guest. And then another guest laughed and joined in. I got the hell out of there.
#15
We were driving home from my FIL funeral, I was driving in 2nd lane from left. A pickup truck got in front of us with an open bed and huge monster tire in the back. I suddenly got as far over as I could and that tire flew out of the truck, hit car that had been behind me. K**led them.
ABC NrEleven FCK CENSORISM 1 hour ago
KILLED them. It KILLED them. FUCK your HORRIBLE censorist BULLSHIT, BP.
#16
My family was visiting my dad before his unit deployed. They were doing a training deep in the woods a few miles from us. The tornado sirens started going off. My mom called my dad just in case they hadn’t heard it. They hadn’t and started to pack up. While they were doing that a soldier was struck by lightning. A tornado did touch down near where they were. But they were gone. No one else was hurt.
#17
My mom’s big dog jumped on us in the water and I almost drowned trying to save my small child from drowning. We tried to scream help but the dog pulled us under. My instinct was to pull my kid up but the dog pulled me deeper. My mom nor my sister came to help but my ex did. When we got out of the water coughing and crying, my sister was screaming ”why tf they need to be so loud and scream there, it’s embarassing and the neighbours hear” and my mom said nothing.
We left immediatly.
#18
I was walking home from the midnight shift at a drug store (20yrs old) and sensed someone following me. He yelled What’s up sl*t? over and over. I said f*ck it and walked into oncoming traffic. A car stopped and a dude got out. His girlfriend made him stop. Dropped me off safely. That was next to a huge construction pit. Weeks later they found the bodies of girls m*rdered and dumped there.
#19
Back in 1973 I was with a group of Vietnam War protesters trying to walk at the end of Nixon’s inaugural parade with our signs. The police suddenly ran towards us with billy clubs and people were knocked down and running in all directions. My friend immediately grabbed me and directed me away and we ran back to our car. Over 30 people were arrested.
Chrystina Sumpter 1 hour ago
My Mom was visiting a friend in Mexico City in the 1950’s and they turned a corner and found themselves in the middle of a riot that was being violently put down by police. Her friend immediately hooked her arm with my mother’s, pulled her close and started yelling at the top of her voice who she was and who her parents were and how well-connected her family was. My Mom said all around them people were being beaten and thrown into police vans but no one came near them. Her friend continued yelling until she managed to maneuver free of the riot. My Mom said something bad would have happened if not for her friend’s quick thinking.
#20
Hurricane Floyd 1999. Eastern NC. Naive, but only worried about wind, not water. But when the power went out ,thought I should head elsewhere. If I had stayed,by myself, no phone, I would’ve awakened to 3 feet of water in my house in the dark @2:30 in the morning. I probably would’ve panicked bc nowhere to go. I know others have had similar or worse in storms.
#21
Was at abparty as a teenager when we got told the Stepdad had pulled a knife on someone inside. Everyone left in seconds. I was so desperate for a ride I had to jump in the boot lol
#22
The summer before I went to college my house was the party house.
The last party I had got way out of hand. I knew like half the people there 😭 we were like 17-19 years old and caught wind the cops were coming.
I couldn’t leave cause it was my house, but every one shuffled out the windows to escape through my backyard. Like 50+ teenagers leaving expeditiously.
By the time the cops got there there was nothing to see but a big mess and me and my bestie standing there like 🧍♀️🧍♀️
#23
My ex husband was at the bank and getting frustrated because of issues with the card. He wanted me to call TD BANK while he was there. I told him to forget about it and I’ll handle it later. 10 minutes later I get a citizen app notification that there was a sh**ting in front of the bank. Whenever I feel strange or like things will go wrong if I continue, I stop and leave.
Chich the witch 38 minutes ago
I don't know why but each time I see sh**ting I read it as sh itting.
#24
Spent my teenage years with one rule. If you see someone coming towards you with religion pamplets run. it might bethe Cult that had moved in 2 blocks down the street. There were afew rumors that swirled around about the Cult and young girls, but it was never proven until the leader got caught in a sting trying to traffic an underage girl. The leader ended up in prison and the church compound they built got raided. The Cult, Tony Alamo Christian Ministries
#25
When the husband of the couple we were out with started hitting on me.
#26
A dozen years ago i was camping with 3 of my kids while the other one attended a leadership camp next to the state park. At 2am it was still 90⁰F at 6 I got up and started packing up. 7am we left for home 3 hours away instead of staying all weekend. Later that day, the state park and leadership camp were direct hit from a massive derecho that affected Ohio through the Virginia's. Kid at camp was OK. But no power to half the state.
The destruction we saw when we picked her up was insane.
#27
I was seven or eight years old and I was spending the night at my friends house for the first time. This was about 1987. No cell phones.
I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I turned on the light and saw 100s of roaches scatter off of the toilet.
I made that girl wake her parents up and made them wake my parents up to come pick me up because I told them I was uncontrollably vomiting. I still have nightmares.
#28
I was invited to a party when I was 17 by a 21 year old guy who claimed all our friends were coming to his place (including the guy I liked). I didn’t have a car so he picked me up. When we got to his house there was only one other guy there and he was like “why are you here?” Cus he knew I liked their other friend and (shocker) there was no party. 21 yr old went to get me a “drink” and the other friend immediately was like “want me to take you home?” And we booked it out of there
#29
I walked into a very crowded ice cream parlor with my family on a Saturday. We walked in and the whole place went dead silent and turned to us. We backed out and left
#30
In a crowded elevator in Chicago. Two rough looking guys got in as the door closed, turned and faced everyone, and smirked menacingly. I got off at the next floor. Later we heard that they had g*ns and robbed the people who stayed on the elevator.
#31
I was with an ex and we went to another couples house they got us both very high off of 🍃 and put on rango with Johnny depp; they then started to get closer and giving us those kinda vibes we got tf outta there
#32
Me and my boyfriend were at the uptown McDonald’s in Chicago. If you know its lore. We were about to get our food when a man began walking up to the parking lot. There was nothing outwardly menacing or off putting about him but me and my boyfriend both got this feeling of abject horror and just drove off no food. He ended up sh**ting someone minutes later. There's a reason it’s the m*rder McDonalds.
#33
went to a frat party held in a disgusting, dim lit basement with only a bunch of strobe lights, 1 table and sheets covering the back with the kegs. The only way out was a really narrow set of stairs to the back door. I went to the back of the basement to get a drink when I smelled gas. Looked down & saw a propane tank just sitting on the floor, looked around at the amount of people smoking in this basement & quickly ushered everyone I was with towards the door
#34
I was driving down a rural county highway home (late night) and suddenly headlights came into view in my rear view mirror, I realized they weren’t slowing down and at the last minute I got into the opposite lane and a split second the car went zooming by, then ultimately wrecked—flipped, driver was having a medical emergency. It was lucky he didn’t get injured & I reacted so quickly to get over.
#35
NM state fair in Albuquerque, on the midway with my young daughters. A random guy told me "y'all need to get out of here". We left immediately. Later that day, a huge gang fight occurred on the midway.
Brandi VanSteenwyk 2 hours ago
I don't necessarily think this situation is exceedingly uncommon. Fact is, even thugs and gangsters, with a few exceptions like any other "profession", have hearts. And many times there is an internal edict to not harm women and children.
#36
I attended a Disney College Program informantional seminar at my university as a favor for a friend since they were in the program. I quickly realized the cult aspect of the program and slipped out the moment I could and never looked back
#37
He pulled and broke the handbrake on my car in a temper tantrum because I had no money for him to buy cigarettes. If it hadn’t literally broken we would have flipped, I was on a curvy 80kmph country road. Our kids were in the back. I stopped the car. He spat on my face, threatened to slit my throat. There were justified “we need to leave now” moments before this, so I still feel guilty that it took him endangering the kids for me to actually do it.
#38
Fourth of July and we were in a large crowd for fireworks. A firework went off into the crowd and hit the ground close to us. I grabbed my daughter and my husband ran. We didn’t even look at eachother. The fire was put out and no one was injured, but intuition took over for both of us.
Display Name 12 hours ago
What? Running from a stray firework is not intuition? Boom! Oh I have a bad feeling about this!! Then no one was hurt even...
#39
Very large party out in the cornfield, party was really amping up, friend and I looked at each other and started the long walk back to our car, we agreed something felt way off, arrived back to the car and every city and county cop were gearing up for arrests, we froze until one of them finally yelled at us to go home, they even moved their cruisers to let our car out, 101 ppl were arrested and all cars were impounded, except the last ones leaving, us
#40
In 2015, a game of “knock out” started at my local State Fair. and by “game”, I mean that a handful of people started randomly walking up to people and punching them. Fights broke out. At 15, I picked up my 9 y/o sister on my hip and grabbed my 10 y/o sister and absolutely booked it while a crowd was starting to panic. I didn’t even know what I was running from, I just knew we had to gtfo of there RIGHT THEN. My middle sister is legally blind, man. I just wasn’t willing to take a chance.
#41
Dinner party at the house of a couple we had just met. Our Kids were school friends. Couple suggested an after dinner hot tub. No suits no problem apparently. Noped out of there quickly. Did I mention the school was a Catholic elementary school....
#42
New Orleans. The Golden State Warriors were at the Smoothie King Center to play the Pelicans. Members of my SF krewe and I scored tickets for the game. We all had our Warrior gear on and were taunted by the crowd. Warriors had a
horrible first half. I said we had to leave at halftime because Steph will come back and destroy them in the fourth. We went back to our B&B where we had TV and cold Abitas waiting. Sure enough Warriors came back and won. We’re sure we escaped death that night.
#43
My dad was a truck driver. He always stopped at a certain truck stop to eat. That day he was eating and had a feeling he needed to leave. Tornado hit the truck stop about 15 minutes after he left and injured a bunch of folks.
#44
My son and I was at an amusement park in Sweden called Gröna Lund, we were going on the rollercoasters etc and I had a bad feeling all day, even on my favourite coaster called Jetline, I refused to ride it after the first go. Normally would have gone on it multiple times. Day after two carriages flew off and a woman died, and several were injured.
#45
My mom and I were in this small town, antique shopping. The front of this building looked like a shop, but it was clearly someone’s house, filled with junk to sell. I immediately get skin-crawling vibes. I’m rushing my mom through, but she’s trying to look like she’s browsing to be polite. We turn a corner and there’s a creepy guy sitting by an open door, total darkness beyond. “There’s more stuff to look at in the basement.” NOPE. We left and suddenly saw dozens of posters for a missing woman.
#46
I was part of a Christian Summer camp as a councilor at the ripe age of 19.
We had the weekend off between sessions and we all wanted to go to some hot springs but they were far and gas was expensive (2008, lol sob).
Someone knew if an abandoned estate that had a hot spring that we could go check out if we didn't mind trespassing.
We got there and we literally all got the worst feeling and left. I have no idea what would have happened if we had stayed but I was bad
#47
My now husband, but boyfriend at the time went to see one of The Purge movies during the day on the weekend. There wasn’t many people there, but this middle aged guy on our row was alone and had a backpack. He had it on his lap and kept reaching into it. I looked at my husband and said we’re leaving. I’m not dying today.
#48
At this hole in a wall and young man that I knew spoke to me and then pulled out this AR and said, yeah this is a robbery. Then turned around and told me and my friends that we could go. I’m pretty sure I ran out my shoes that night
#49
A few times where we were-went or party- and the vibe changed & I said let’s go now. And heard later things were not great there. One time at a cafe in Europe I had to slowly tell my friend to get her bag and get ready to stand up & walk out. I put money on the table for the lunch and said go. I had noticed that the family that walked in before us & Everyone else had cleared out and we’d just ordered. Weird vibe & not everyone had finished eating. We just ran once we left
What do you think ?
A girl 5 hours ago
My son in law. Minnesota State Fair. We'd gone to the Grandstand concert (Cheap Trick, ZzTop). When it was over, we were heading to the beer garden when SIL said he "felt weird" and we should just go. A brawl, complete with gunfire, broke out near the entrance as we were leaving.
Fred 9 hours ago
It would help if the tales were told in an understandable way.
Load More Replies... Brandi VanSteenwyk 2 hours ago
I really want to add 'Getting the H out of the car dealership ASAP' to this list. Quite certain that there are many stories supporting it.
A girl 5 hours ago
My son in law. Minnesota State Fair. We'd gone to the Grandstand concert (Cheap Trick, ZzTop). When it was over, we were heading to the beer garden when SIL said he "felt weird" and we should just go. A brawl, complete with gunfire, broke out near the entrance as we were leaving.
Fred 9 hours ago
It would help if the tales were told in an understandable way.
Load More Replies... Brandi VanSteenwyk 2 hours ago
I really want to add 'Getting the H out of the car dealership ASAP' to this list. Quite certain that there are many stories supporting it.
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