How do you feel when you're in a large crowd?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Option 5 for me.......no concerts or sporting events, or any other maddening crowd scene.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

It depends. If I'm at a concert and have a small amount of space, I can deal with it. But if I'm compacted in and stuff...no. I panic.

[retromike22]

I love it. I have the opposite problem, that is I hate to be alone. I think it's because I grew up in a crowded house when I was a kid (and I now have a large immediate family) so I was always used to a place having a lot of people. I didn't even have my own room until I was 12. Another reason could be where you tend to grow up. I'm pretty sure rural people are more likely to feel that way with an urban location, but my area tends to be dense suburbs so no matter where you go, there's almost always a crowd.

Baseball stadiums are fun too, especially if your team is doing good.

I also notice it's the same situation with public speaking. If you ask me to go up to a random person, introduce myself and begin a conversation, that's very difficult for me. But if you ask me to give a long speech and/or lead a discussion in front of a hundred people where I interact with them as well, I can do that easily and I would actually enjoy it.

[Ebowed]

Unless I'm at the exact right level of intoxication, it tends to make me a bit uncomfortable.  It's one of the main reasons I don't really go to concerts anymore.  But for me, the absolute worst is rush hour train station maneuvering.  Sometimes there is nothing worse than being in a hurry when large crowds of slow-walking people are literally in every direction.  It still beats living in the middle of no where though (IMO).

[ilikeverin]

It depends on the situation.  I'm in a large, unfamiliar city, surrounded by milling, busy crowds of people?  Fun!  Stimulating!  I'm in a stadium or a concert where everyone around me is doing the exact same action, or cultishly chanting?  Weird, uncomfortable.  But I'm very happy being in front of a large crowd making a speech or presentation or whatever.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Option 3. Most country concerts have an awfully disturbing crowd and I much prefer the more intimate venuts played by indie artists though college basketball games are a blast in the student section. That's what I live for.

[Simfan34]

Somewhat downcast by it, all the people talking while I stand around awkwardly- it's rather off-putting.

[angus]

Somewhat downcast by it, all the people talking while I stand around awkwardly- it's rather off-putting.

It can depend upon the crowd.

really crowded elevator?  16 people in a 6 by 6 foot space.  I'm okay with it till the creepy old dude behind me gets wood in my direction.  Or when the fat woman who had boiled eggs for lunch farts.

nine inch nails show circa 1995?  very exhilarating.  At least till some big boys start banging into people on the floor, creating a spontaneous pit just behind me.

Black Hawk County GOP caucus January 2008?  Five thousand people in a hall built for five hundred.  AC/DC blaring on the loudspeakers.  Interesting and informative.  Great fun, as well.  At least till the Fred Thompson people start to intimidate the Ron Paul people.  Dude, change your vote; you know he's not gonna win!  What's with the isolationism?  Why are you even here?

Green line from North Station after the KISS Farewell Tour at the Garden 1998?  Awesome.  Train crowded beyond capacity.  Some dude spontaneously breaks into "I wanna rock'n'roll all night" and every one sings along, holding cigarette lighters in the air.  Surprisingly, given the tight pack and preponderance of long hair and hairspray, no hair caught fire.  Good crowd.

Waiting in the waiting room at a public charity hospital circa 1986 when your brother does something stupid and nearly wins a Darwin Award?  Not fun.  Standing room only.  Bad smells.  Depressed people.

[tik 🪀✨]

At a concert, play, hell even a movie theater.. I enjoy it.

Crowded streets, shopping centers, buildings, workplaces, homes, parties, traffic situations - the worst.

I especially hate going to anywhere where there is shopping at this time of year. So many people, all in a rush, all disgruntled, all rude, and oh my god screaming children everywhere. I'll wait until January, thank you.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

At a concert, play, hell even a movie theater.. I enjoy it.

Crowded streets, shopping centers, buildings, workplaces, homes, parties, traffic situations - the worst.

I especially hate going to anywhere where there is shopping at this time of year. So many people, all in a rush, all disgruntled, all rude, and oh my god screaming children everywhere. I'll wait until January, thank you.

FF.

[TDAS04]

Option 3.  It often makes me a little uncomfortable, but it's usually tolerable.

[°Leprechaun]

A crowd is whenever more than one person is talking at a time. It's not about the number of people who are there. It's not about large vs big. It's about being an introvert. I enjoy my own company. I enjoy it when I feel listened to and heard. One on one is usually better than more than two. However, a group of people getting together in silence or to listen to everyone is very nice.

[Lief 🗽]

Doesn't really affect me at all. I get annoyed when the sidewalk is crowded and the people ahead of me are slow, but that's about it.

[politicus]

Hate it.

[Boris]

Depends on the crowd! This was really fun:



As was this:



Political rallies sound really lame but the one I've been to was a great time, maybe because it was all young people:



Something like this sounds really horrifying though (are those riot police in the upper right corner?):

[Goldwater]

Unless it slows things down a lot, I don't have an issue with them.

[retromike22]

I think the fear of a political crowd completely depends on how far left or far right it is. The more to the center it is, the more I feel that the crowd will be orderly.

[politicallefty]

Pretty indifferent overall really, but it depends to a certain extent. If it were a political rally for a candidate or cause I support, I have to say I'd be pretty excited.

[justfollowingtheelections]

I don't really enjoy parties if that what you're asking.  I'm better in small groups.

[DemPGH]

Don't like big crowds, rallies, or crowded malls and restaurants. You will find me nowhere near a rally, in fact.

Don't mind speaking in front of a group of people and I don't mind a big party provided you can mill around. In fact, I rather like that.