Some random dude walked up to me while I was waiting outside a food place for my food and asked me this question.
I said “no, I dont give out random favors” and something along the lines of that’s sus.
Is it rude to say no to random dude that asks for a favor?
He walked away. Said something about it’s not for money or something, I’m very suspicious of random humans.
Since he walked away i assume he meant no harm. I thought it strange shrug.
Sometimes people use that question rhetorically because it feels polite, viewing it as a small talk precursor to ease in to actually just saying what they want.
I don’t like when people use it as such, because it is insincere, poor consent practice, and low-key manipulative due to the foot in the door phenomenon .
There are tons of legitimate reasons to not be comfortable with the question. Don’t have time, bad headspace, don’t feel comfortable… If they can’t understand that, I try not to care what they think of me.
This is part of my fear.
There’s beggers all around in my area. I say no all the time. You get tired of all the same begging bs very quickly.
At least he didn’t continue asking you and following you.
You think it’s strange to ask a stranger for help? That sounds like a cold world to me
You weren’t there.
He walked up and said hi and wanted to shake my hand (red flags germaphobe)
Hey, can I ask you a favor? (As he tries to set stuff down next to me on the table, red flags what do you want from me, money, theft, drugs)
I stood up and was like like “no, you can’t ask me a favor.”
Like, seriously I guess I am rude for wanting to sit in peace and waiting for food from place.
You’re mixing up two very different things. In your post you asked how you should respond in the general situation of someone asking if you could do them a favor, and so that’s the question that people answered on this page. But then in your replies you try to apply those answers to a totally different situation.
Here’s the answer to the question you asked, and then the answer to the question you were trying to ask:
BUT
Seeing your more description here:
TBH I would not know how to reply. I think your response sounds a bit rude, but not bad - and the other guy ought to take it in his stride and get over it.
The trick - apparently - is to be somehow quick-witted and articulate at the same time as you’re feeling anxious and crowded. Something like, “sorry, I’m not in a good space for strangers right now.” …But then, some strangers would take that as a cue of openness and enthusiastically start strangersplaining to you how they’re a good’un and it’s all alright and anyway you should be more open to people because society’s better that way…
So maybe your response isn’t all that bad, in the end.
Or, “not at the moment, sorry.”
See, eventually I can come up with a good response!