Social vertigo.

Not sure about me in this respect but at events where name badges are required I always want to swop mine or give myself another name. Either that or I just don't wear it.

I prefer to stand on the sidelines and watch others -making-- an exhibition of their selves entertain me

yes

Now now Downtoearth you can't leave it there. What did you do?

Where shall I start....do you know the feeling the next day .....oh I didn't..did I

Many times

I do this (didn't know there was a name for it).

I have (both times at work conferences):

Left a queue for food to crawl to the buffet table on all fours and "collapsed", hand outstretched.

Also: gone up to random people and offered a fist-bump.

When I am out with husband, I am able to control it.

Oh dear, in the past, many times. I rather think my vertigo was alcohol fuelled though, so perhaps doesn't count?

Yep, been there, done that. Had a boob accident with alcohol involved when I was drunk at a party, fell about laughing, literally,lying on the floor laughing, my boobs fell out of my alter neck top. No bra on. It was a few years ago so less droopy than now. I don't know who saw, but I probably had blushes the day after!

Probably not quite the same thing, but I became fed up with people asking me what I did – meaning what was my job as if that labelled the sort of person I was. So I told themI was a traffic warden. That shut them up.

To a man boasting about his tax evasion deals when on a cruise. His wife was an intrusive conversationalist. She asked me what DH did . I told her he was a tax inspector. He never left the cabin after that.

Teehee. My husband trained as an electrician. He always gives that as his job (it isn't) and we giggle at people's reactions - either their faces drop and they "write him off", or, they ask him to come and fix their lights at home!

(I'm always dead sober by the way, when I do social vertigo stuff).

I knew a former soldier who, when asked what he did for the umpteenth time at a prestigious event, replied that he was a trained killer

My DH was a scaffolder and took great delight (mental age 18) in telling people he guaranteed his erections, he is such a child at times

My H was a Chartered surveyor and he first qualified as a mine surveyor. He always told stuffy people who judged by their occupation that he worked "down the pit" we must have lost many posh friends that way.

It is amazing the different social response you get from people when you tell them your job. I got fed up with the response to mine so I would,in new situations, say I was a Chief Exec of a small business.

It is even worse when you say you don't work. I didn't work after I had my children, well not outside of the home.
The reaction I got was amazing sometimes. I was once asked if I felt like a second class citizen.

Love it!

I enjoy telling people that I work in a school. they always assume you are a teacher, then totally lose interest if you tell them you are a teaching assistant.

grannyknot I love the idea of you crawling up to the buffet table. the responses to being asked what you do are wonderful. I particularly enjoy telling people (usually Lady Golfers) I'm a Marxist and as I live in Toryland their faces are a picture. I have stopped the more bizarre things I used to do when I had had a few often involving men on dance floors - it was a long while ago.DH used to cart me home in silence!

I've had many a strange look from people when I used to say ' When I was in the prison ' This had to be followed by worked as librarian at HMP so and so.

Like others I detest people who judge you by your job. After reading some of your comments I'm going to make up a few new ones up!

OK you people who seem to feel judged so often, how would you start up a conversation with someone you don't know? Asking someone what they do seems to be a reasonable opening conversational gambit which can open up conversation having found some point of interest. Its better than 'so who are you' or other more personal types of question. Don't be so paranoid that you assume you're being judged!

Jane10 it's all very well being asked what you do but working for HMRC is always a bit of a conversation stopper I always said "I am a Civil Servant" & if asked further I would say "I worked for the Treasury".

Try to restrain myself in Social situations, no longer a drinker watching others is great fun