Ah, the joys of being an awkward human being. The constant overthinking, the creeping, ever-present feeling that you've done something wrong even though you didn't—the majority of us know these feelings all too well. No wonder threads like this are trending on various social media platforms. Both Reddit and Twitter users have been sharing what makes them feel like criminals even though they're not doing anything illegal. The list includes such gems as calling in sick when you're *actually* sick or asking someone to return your money that they borrowed. It all feels so. damn. illegal. Why, you may ask? Well, let's leave that question for psychologists to answer because our task is to deliver the most relatable answers to the question what feels illegal but isn't? Scroll down below to read 45 answers that people have shared and don't forget to leave votes for the ones that you find the most relatable! Even more so, if you feel like it, comment down below what makes *you* feel like a perfect criminal even though we know you're a perfect, law-abiding citizen!
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I wish BP wasn't so political. All politics do is make everyone angry and spark heated argument and it's all so dumb... can't we just agree to disagree and get along?
So much political arguments. Sad....... :( guess we can't avoid them. Btw I do agree with the people who do not like Trump's way as president.
Pulling into a convenience store even though you don't want anything.
Load More Replies...My sister (an attorney) was once stopped at a red light when she noticed a police car behind her. Her knee-jerk reaction was to start cussing and saying to herself, "oh, he's not going to dare pull me over for nothing." She then proceeded to drive through the intersection , not noticing that the light was still red. **sigh**
Yes, there are some who fall into that category. And there are some who became cops for other reasons that have nothing to do with helping or protecting.
Load More Replies...Literally! Every time I leave a gas station or store without buying anything I always freak out thinking that something magically showed up in my pocket and the alarm is gonna go off
I make sure my receipt is practically in their face, still sweat!
Load More Replies...Showing the security your receipt and for some reason fellingnlike you are the least trustworthy person in the world.
I went back out through the in door of a Lidl because I didn't find anything I wanted and a security guard chased after me to ask why and check my bag! Technically I could have told him to F off as he hadn't seen me take anything (because I hadn't) but I let him look in my bag anyway. Guess I'm too much of a wimp.
Oh hell yes! Or going into a clothes shop wearing an item from the same store. "I haven't stolen it!"
And then THEY apologize and try to pacify YOU because they think you punished them for something. :'-(
Load More Replies...I was getting out of my car one day and it was dark. I shut the car door and the next thing I hear is this screeching noise that sounds like a dying cat. I then realize that I accidentally shut my cat's tail in the car door! She was fine but I cried. I should have gone to jail.
SAME!! Can you imagine something 4 times larger than you stepping on your foot! One of my dogs (the bigger one) is extra dramatic about it which makes me feel much worse.
My dog doesn't yelp, she just limps off on silence. I feel like a monster.
I step on my cat now and then. If only cats would learn thay they shouldn't play Kitty Be Underfoot!
When your pet is a rescue and they don't even complain... This to the millionth power.
or the opposite, I once went to a friend and said that I was forgiving the debt and she whipped out her checkbook and wrote me a bunch of post-dated checks.
Nope. I made it, I spent it, and if your stuff is s****y, I want what is mine back.
If they get it wrong I'm like "I'd rather die because I was allergic to something in the food, than look like an a*****e and return this"
Load More Replies...Eh, I don't feel bad about this. I do feel bad that the waiter or waitress tends to catch the brunt of complaints when most of the time it was the cooks....so don't do that! But the fact is you are paying for food, and cooked to the level you asked for (IE: medium rare instead of well done) and it is part of the cost of running a business to correct what was incorrect, to right the wrongs. So ask for it to be made correctly! (ESPECIALLY important for allergies! One peanut in the wrong place can mean death). Just don't take it out on the person who did not make the mistake.
I never did , but I had a lot of friends that cooked in chain restaurant kitchens, and OH GOD ! Don't f**k with people that touch your food.
Not my fault the waitress or cook is an idiot. If I have to pay for it, then bring me what I want.
Right!? It's like, "no, I need an adult to come supervise this transaction. Wait, I'M supposed to be the adult here!?"
When you look round for an adult and realise it's you so you start looking for someone adultier than you to take over... 🤯
Load More Replies...Mine are 19. I got that feeling with everything. Signing them up for school, or activities. But especially when I brought them home. Oh, and I have twins by the way, thus the whole them thing.
Not if you're Chelsea Grammar, they don't. His wife just held the poor kid and didn't even buckle herself in.
Load More Replies...My sister-in-law caught our cousin cheating this way... large family gathering with his wife in the room and a sexy message pops up on his phone.
Awww man I need to hear what happened next, care to share kind stranger
Load More Replies...if your relationship ended because you glanced at a lit up phone screen it obviously wasn't meant to be anyway.
Load More Replies...Especially if they take it off the mannequin so you can try it on (jail time lol)
Did this at the fish store. "What plants are betta safe?" "I suggest these" pulls flat plastic one off shelf. Me thinking "this is plastic not silk" and put it back when he wasn't looking baught the silk one and left before he saw me.
Or going into a store, which is empty besides you and the person working there, saying hello and then leave without buying anything.
Our USA experience. Had a road trip from Chicago to New-Orleans. Somewhere between got into small grocery store, that has ice-cream stand. We did not know any of flavors available, so we asked - witch we should try. Then the sales person started to give us to taste a spoon of every flavor. At the end we were already full, but could not leave the store without buying ice-cream. This was a long-story-short. But that was one of best US and A experiences we had on our trips to USA.
Oh yeah, it’s like a test. Do they know the speed limit? Did it change and no one told you?? IS THIS A TRAP??
Doing anything to attempt to trick you into breaking the law, like challenging you to a race, is entrapment. But one ALWAYS second guesses for sure!
Load More Replies...How about when you are doing the speed limit and they are tail gating you?
they are trying to trick you into going much faster so they can then pull you over... this is evil
Load More Replies...Had this happen after a cop had stopped and lectured us about holding up traffic, we weren't. but we were from out of state and pulling a trailer with a station wagon. We passed him going up a mountain and we were doing the speed limit. The look on his face was so worth it, though!
I hate it when cops allow you to pass them. It's like " Am I going to get pulled over or not?"
Once, there was a box next to a church, and I looked very suspicious while trying to find it.
the recreational activity of hunting for and finding a hidden object by means of GPS coordinates posted on a website. To be honest it sounds super fun to do
Load More Replies...Omg it’s sooo sneaky sometimes and you really do feel so weird when people see you standing by a random light pole or stop sign!!!
Yeah that one is a real pain, especially when I have a longer beard and get "randomly selected" for a search.
I always think a gun will magically appear in my carry-on. Then, TSA will tackle me and rip my a*s apart.
Well, there was the time they pulled me aside because the X-Ray came up with something that looked suspicious. They asked if I knew why they were pulling me aside; I hadn't a clue. Then they dug up my climbing shoes and I was like "Oh yeeeah" because I remembered casually throwing my little partially-metal belay device inside one of them. They had to compare it to the X-Ray and in hindsight I could see how much it looked like a tiny handgun. Haha, oops. They still let me through but with a caution to put that thing out in the open on the tray next time!
Load More Replies...I hate airport security - governments have played straight into terrorists hands by treating regular citizens like terrorists.
This feeling does take a long time to go away, like I was in my 30’s and still thinking “Am I really over 18? I guess I am” every time I clicked it. At this point I’m in my 40’s and don’t have a moment’s hesitation. “Over 18? Yep, and wish I could shave off a few years.”
At first I thought you had bathrooms that had like bathroom merch in them
Wait....I thought that too until I read your comment, and then I realized what it actually meant! 😅
Load More Replies...No guilt ever. Medically I need one more often. It should be illegal to have the customers must buy something to use the bathroom signs. There's a million reasons people might need one.
My dad just buys a bag of chips and then dumps them a month later because no one in my family likes chips.
I try to buy something small, so it doesn't seem like I was just using the bathroom.
Well...I don't care about that. BUT: if they have like one of those toilet-ladies, that sit there and collect 50 cents for using the toilet and you actually never have change with you. It's maybe not the feeling of illegality but more of feeling like an a*s...but on the other hand: F**K YOU CAPITALISM AND LET ME POOP WHEREVER AND WHENEVER I WANT!
Like on a road trip, a gas station or roadside chain restaurant.
Load More Replies...Awww, c'mon. I'm still struggling to accept grammar like "That bell ain't gone ring..." via text. I'm trying, Ringo. I'm trying really hard. Don't throw that at me when the user has a keyboard. I know, I'm coming off as some antiquated grammar nazi. FWIW I'm sorry, but at least meet me halfway!
You got all the way to "that bell ain't gone ring?" I was stopped by, "I be doing breathing techniques."
Load More Replies...It’s fasscinating that everyone in His thread decided to attack her for her speech rather than what she just said. This didn’t happen with any of the other statements! Is it illegal for her to speak in AAVE? Will she be arrested?
For the people all upset about "I be doing breathing techniques", you know what's interesting? "I be doing breathing techniques" is a legitimate verb tense in some other languages, but English doesn't have it. Or, wait, yes it does! See the sentence "I be doing breathing techniques" as an example.
That's the thing. I do think they should make sure you can handle it. Had my stepdad (drives a 05 escape) rent one of the smaller ones. Literally smallest cube you can get. I thought we were going to die. He sucks at driving anything new
I had the 25' uhaul with a trailer and my truck on it. Felt like I was driving an actual train, think I sweated out 3000 gallons on that trip. Is the truck still there? Did the whole trailer and truck detach 50 miles back and kill a bus full of kids ? Who knows ?
It's an interesting thing to drive. I missed having a rear view mirror.
You need a special licence in South Africa to drive anything bigger than about 2t
Other countries as well, apparently not in US (depending on the state I guess)
Load More Replies...as for me, almost crashed the backside of truck because of the hype *good thing it didn't happen
Load More Replies...I am such a bad drive I couldn't believe it when I passed my test. It made me paranoid, wondering how many other hopeless drivers were out there.
My daughter tore through 12 feet of our fence the first day she drove with her father after getting her learners permit. It was just nerves and she hit the gas instead of the brake coming into the driveway... Massive damage to the fence, only a few scratches on the car. I took pictures and couldn't stop laughing (to myself) after being sure she was ok. She is a wonderful driver now.
That makes me sad to hear why can't we all be colourblind? Its high levels of pigment that's all how can someone hate pigment? It baffles me. Each race has there own uniqueness nothing to hate plenty to celebrate and enjoy
I wish we could be colorblind as well, but there are some groups who don't want that.
Load More Replies...Am upvoting this, in solidarity, and with the desire that this changes in the very very very near future. No-one should feel guilty for something as elementary as melanin levels. The fact that people do feel this way - is heartbreaking.
Here in Germany it‘s very unusual to take your food home after not finishing it. I always feel weird when I do that.
Load More Replies...It should be illegal to not finish food - only order or make as much as you can eat or give it to someone else if you can't finish it. This also might be a culture thing, a lot of culture don't accept people not finishing their food.
Especially when you cook it. I cook too much I feel so guilty throwing it out. If I made less (eyes bigger than my stomach) I'd have more later.
It's so scary that people feel it's wrong to buy condoms. It's about public health, really.
or you could be like a woman in Britain who forgot her glasses and bought a huge box of condoms instead of her favorite tea.
Ha ha! That's brill! (not at the moment of realising the mistake obviously)
Load More Replies...Zero guilt about this, whatsover!!! Why on earth would anyone feel guilty about ensuring their own health & safety, and being able to CHOOSE when to conceive. Male or female - there is zero guilt about doing the right thing by you and your partner. <3
Why? Be proud! You are being safe and everyone (mostly) has had will have or is currently having sex. The boyfriend just puts them in the cart right with my tampons and shampoo and any other basic health need.
As opposed to going in to get checked for STD's or unintentional pregnancy? Or if your a man getting an STD and 18 years of child support. Its not that big of a deal.
It still feels like a weird thing to be displaying in the public forum of a supermarket though. At least the first few times
Load More Replies...Not when it's accidental, like they didn't lock the door or something
Load More Replies...I once walked in on an elderly woman in the changing room and she was thankfully so kind and actually apologized, like, no I feel bad!
I was in the bathroom in 4th grade and the lock broke and I didn't notice and one of my friends walked in on me. We both got really red lol
I'm still using my student Adobe Suite 4 years after graduating. No guilt what so ever.
Haha! That's not illegal, that's just savvy! I'm still using my student Photoshop CS5 from 11 years ago! Well worth the £200 investment!
We all have our opinions, and it's not my intention to get into a big thing with you on this because I'm sure I won't change your mind - but for everyone else out there I just have to point out the simple math. If you increase costs/expenses for the retailer (return stuff, track mud into the store) there is exactly one way those costs must be recouped. And retailers are already waging an unwinnable war vs online sales. If you want 'em to stick around, tread lightly.
Load More Replies...I'm still amazed that US stores have such generous return policies. I know we're paying for it in the form of higher prices, but still...
I have some PTSD over this ever since I returned a PS2 machine that didn't work as well as expected.
On the internet, I'm never 100% sure I can tell the difference between sarcasm and dumbassery.
Load More Replies...Don't feel guilt! I am in a wheelchair, and I never even notice! Or I am just as fast as most walking people? Don't know which of the 2 it is. But I wouldn't mind if someone walked past me a lot faster. We are just like you, only can't use our legs (at all, or some not as well as you). You don't feel guilty passing a slow walking person.. Don't feel guilty passing someone in a wheelchair! Seriously, I can't speak for all wheelchair users, but most of us get it, we understand. No worries!!
Or, as an electric wheelchair user, speeding up to pass a rather slow human, especially an elderly person!
Well, I don't know about other countries but in the UK, while there's no law against driving with interior lights on, if a police officer pulls you over and deems that your interior light to be a driving distraction they can ask you to turn it off or charge you with careless driving. ☹
When my husband was still pretty new at driving, one night, as we were going back home from hanging out, he forgot to turn off the light inside the car before starting to drive it. Then he turned it off and said something like "oh, I was wondering why couldn't I see anything outside". Basically, the glass on the windshields is made in a way that, if it's dark outside and light inside, you will have trouble seeing the road. So, yes, it makes sense.
Why would you even have the lights on while driving? You can't see anything if it's dark outside...
I'm pretty sure here in nz you cant be driving with ur interior light on...but it's a long time since I read the road rules and sat my learners lol
I go to Costco on Sunday for this exact reason!! Samples are samples enjoy them
I always feel bad when I'm like "this tastes pretty good but I'm not gonna buy it right now"
You should feel guilty. Take one and allow others to take one. Free samples are not free meals. Don't be greedy.
Now this is funny and relatable, and while it might not be illegal... “I DISMISS YOU NOT THE BELL!”
If the bell doesn't dismiss us, it doesn't tell us when to arrive.
Load More Replies...And the teacher is all like, "That bell don't dismiss you I do!" And I just sit there thinking, 'why do we have a bell?.......'
the bell is used, so you don't have to keep looking at your watch.
Load More Replies...I DISMISS YOU NOT THE BELL! Then the bell doesn't decide when I get to class!
Had a teacher do that once, and MULTIPLE people then demanded a note to excuse them from being tardy for the next class since of course she was cutting into our time to get there. She refused...once. The school board found out and she never held us past the bell again...but I can only assume that it was b/c of the school board, just an educated guess.
this must be specific to the OP's school (possibly country?), because no teacher, no class, and no teaching institution I've ever attended, been part of, or heard of, ever had students just get up and walk out when the bell rang. It was just considered RUDE! When the bell rang, the teacher would finish their sentence, make sure that everyone knew what was happening next class (homework due etc)... and said goodbye. People don't just walk out while the teacher is still talking. Jeez!!
You wait to be dismissed so that the teacher can check that items have been returned, room is left tidy etc. it's more of an incentive to do the right thing if you have to wait after the bell to leave if you haven't. Also........teacher can keep the naughty kids behind and slowly cut into their lunch as payback for the horrible s**t they did in class.
About 160km/h. Yeah, that's a common speed on the left lane... What scares me are the ones zipping by at noticeably more than 200km/h... that's so fast, they just turn up behind you, flash their lights (illegal!), drive up far too close (super dangerous at those speeds) and vanish ones you give them way (because you aren't ready to die yet). And politicians still insist that it doesn't contribute to accidents... sure, if people drove carefully and kept appropriate distance to other cars. And also if the speed differences weren't so crazy - trucks have to stick to 80km/h by law! And on the neighboring lane, some cars might come at 200km/h. I don't drive THAT fast, but I've had a few close calls where a car or truck switched lanes and didn't notice I was driving nearly twice as fast. And in the end, your average speed isn't nearly as impressive - you have to break hard when someone switches lanes. Plus more accidents and therefore traffic jams. The cost of going fast is going slow...
130 km/h or 120 km/h limit will come. Sooner or later. I can't wait for it. Besides Afghanistan Germany is the only country w/out speedlimit. And one of the most crowded.
Load More Replies...Can't do that around other people. If I can avoid it. That's just me though
I agree with you that and I eat a lot of pasta and don't exercise.
Load More Replies...I truly don't think it's allowed. I'm sure that's why most doors on restaurants say no outside food or drinks.
My brother once ace ate fast food chips in fancy café. I pretended not to know him.
That’s just rude and you can, and should, be kicked out for that. Don’t do it.
I did this once after I became vegetarian and my brother thought that I was going to go to jail for it.
I was once trying to park my boyfriend's car orthogonally to a very small one way street with him drunkenly sitting next to me. Since I am only driving like twice a year if at all for the last ten years, I needed some time and attempts to get into the spot. Meanwhile a car turned into the street and had to wait, since I blocked the whole street. I was very self-confident to not get nervous and possibly hit the other cars around me.... until the car turned on its blue light. Still tried to stay confident while feeling the utter horror of blocking a police car in need to get to a crime scene. So when I was finished and the police car went by, my boyfriend got out, looked at the car and seriously started to complain that it wasn't precisely parked (it was, drunk boy).
For if you get arrested but you didn't do anything wrong, or if they handled you wrong. Also to prove if the officer shot his/her firearm without a reasonable reason
Load More Replies...What would you say instead, filming? Recording? (but that's audio)
Load More Replies..."I just shook his hand with the same hand I did that thing to her with.... oh god"
Reminds me of one of my fave jokes. Fellow stops at the drug store to make a "hasty" purchase and regales the pharmacist about his plans for the evening. He arrives at his date's home, meets her parents and says "oh, why don't we join your folks at the opera?" She pulls him aside and says "you didn't tell me you liked opera". And he replies "and you didn't tell me your father was a pharmacist either".
The illegal thing should be when you try to help them "find" them afterwards 🤐🤫🤐
i'm like this anytime i know my father is following in his car years later. it feels like the cops are watching, but worse cause he has my cell number
Accidentally opening someone's browser history while fixing their PC.
Pre-paying for your gas at the pump, filling up then just leaving. More awkward when everyone else getting gas is heading inside the store to pay.
Yes! I stopped using prepay I couldn't handle the stress Lol! They should have a big "not stealing petrol" light come on if you prepay XD
Load More Replies...What is not funny are all the ridiculous laws that are still on the books. A Crime a Day @CrimeADay has a Twitter account with a stupid law posted every day. ·Feb 12 7 USC §7734(a)(1)(B) & 7 CFR §301.80(b)(13) make it a federal crime to leave the Carolinas with a pickling cucumber.
Some are silly and ridiculous. Some are atrocious and ridiculous, like the fact that the Lakota (indigenous people of Minnesota) are still legally banned from the state of Minnesota. It's as if the Chinese took over Minnesota, then legally banned all Minnesotans from coming to the state.
Load More Replies...Accidentally opening someone's browser history while fixing their PC.
Pre-paying for your gas at the pump, filling up then just leaving. More awkward when everyone else getting gas is heading inside the store to pay.
Yes! I stopped using prepay I couldn't handle the stress Lol! They should have a big "not stealing petrol" light come on if you prepay XD
Load More Replies...What is not funny are all the ridiculous laws that are still on the books. A Crime a Day @CrimeADay has a Twitter account with a stupid law posted every day. ·Feb 12 7 USC §7734(a)(1)(B) & 7 CFR §301.80(b)(13) make it a federal crime to leave the Carolinas with a pickling cucumber.
Some are silly and ridiculous. Some are atrocious and ridiculous, like the fact that the Lakota (indigenous people of Minnesota) are still legally banned from the state of Minnesota. It's as if the Chinese took over Minnesota, then legally banned all Minnesotans from coming to the state.
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