Karens always think they run the world—until karma comes along and humbles them right back down to Earth. Read on for some truly satisfying tales of the universe giving Karens a taste of their own medicine.
1. His Luck Ran Out
I used to work at a booth for check cashing and credit card withdrawals in a Native casino. There was this one guy who had quite a bit to drink, and he was really impatient with me. He was continually rude, intimidating to get me fired if I didn't give him his cash quicker.
So, I sped up and ended up depleting the funds on his five credit cards as he kept returning, losing at the gambling tables. Then, at some point, Visa noticed that this guy had spent around $10,000 at the casino in just a few hours, so they placed holds on all his cards.
There was only one thing left for me to do at that point: take all his cards away from him as per the company's rules. So, I did exactly that—took and held every single card he had on him. To say he wasn't pleased would be an understatement.
2. Shoe Swap
My girlfriend and I headed to the store, with her hoping to get a new pair of her favorite boots. She's been wearing this style for a decade plus, making her a real devotee.
But they weren't manufacturing it anymore, leaving her pretty upset. As her supporter and comforter, I also spotted a pair of boots that fit me perfectly in the discount pile, so I snapped them up.
She was genuinely happy for me, considering I didn't have any boots—but I felt like I was rubbing salt into her fresh wound. The objective was to cheer her up with a pair of her beloved boots, but instead, she left downhearted, while I landed an unexpected bargain.
Fast forward a month—I was at another store hoping to get my usual pair of sneakers. Sadly, their production had also ceased. But my girlfriend saw a pair of sneakers that enchanted her, and she ended up leaving with new shoes.
3. Good Samaritan
Today, I skipped my bus to lend a hand to an older lady with her shopping bags. Then, as luck would have it, a buddy of mine saw me and gave me a lift home.
4. Your Train Can Wait
I'm down in the NYC subway. Some guy nudges past me to get to the turnstile, muttering something about needing to catch a train. You don't say? Once he gets through the turnstile and turns the corner, he's met with an unexpected surprise—there's a group of uniformed officers waiting near a fold-out table.
They stop him to search his bag. Doesn't look like he made that train after all.
5. Don’t Speed Up
My stepdad, who happens to be a driving instructor, was once giving me a lesson on a potential test route. We were cruising through a quiet residential street when suddenly a guy started following too closely behind us.
Whenever I'd properly stop at a stop sign, he'd passionately gesture and holler. It was making me quite tense, but my stepdad calmly said, "Don't sweat it, watch this”. While we continued along, he instructed, "Alright, we're about 50 feet out.
Begin to slow down slightly, and right as we're in front of the school zone, pull over to the right”. I did as told, and the moment I pulled over, the tailgater raced past us.
But before he knew it, a law enforcement officer emerged from behind a tree and signalled him to pull over for wildly exceeding the speed limit in a school zone.
6. Emergency Repairs
This particular street in our town is often cluttered with parked cars on both sides, practically making it a one-way road. Everyone's been warned over and over to not do it as it wouldn't allow emergency vehicles to pass through.
But since there are no double yellow lines indicating a no-parking zone, the parking officer can't do much. The fire department got crafty one day. They took a stick with chalk rollers as wide as a fire truck, ran it down the street, and left a note on each car it touched.
The note said their car would block the road in case of an emergency. But sure enough, there was an emergency— a fire broke out, and the fire trucks couldn't squeeze through. They didn't waste much time. After knocking on a few doors, they plowed straight down the street.
They scraped almost every car and knocked off the side mirrors. In the UK, emergency vehicles aren't accountable for any damages caused to cars while responding to an emergency, so they got off scot-free.
I hope everyone paid more mind to their repair bills than they did to the parking notices.
7. Checking Out
Back when I used to work at Circuit City, I was new to selling computers. One day, I was the only one working because a colleague had called out sick. This was around the same time the iPod nano was released, and everyone was excited to see it.
I spent over an hour assisting a crowd of customers who were interested in them. Suddenly, a man approached me, implying his frustration about me 'ignoring' his wife. It turns out, the couple had been quietly waiting in a secluded corner of the store without communicating with anyone.
They wanted to purchase an expensive laptop but weren't keen on me earning a commission from their sale as they felt overlooked. Little did they know, we weren't on commission then, so it didn't bother me at all.
Still, I got the laptop for them and a manager handled the transaction. But then their check was declined. Personally, I admit, I felt a bit vindicated.
8. Basketball IRL
There's this guy I remember from high school who was trying to goad a student with special needs into doing things for a video, and it wasn't in good taste. He prodded him behind the gym while I sat in the car park, observing.
The special needs student proved smarter than expected, refusing to partake, so the guy had him hold the camera instead. A crowd gathered, fueling the scene with their suggestions. Nothing of note unfolded until someone came out with a basketball, placed it on the sidewalk, and indulged the guy to hit it with an aluminum baseball bat, much like one would chop wood.
The guy swung, giving it his all—and then I heard an unmistakable sound. His head snapped back, blood splattered everywhere. Sitting where I was, I even thought he'd shattered his skull. The bat flew about 20 feet behind him as he fell backward.
It bounced back, striking him in the eyebrow, splitting it open, and knocking him out. Turns out, he was alright but wore a scar and a significant black eye for weeks. But the best part is yet to come.
Throughout the entire ordeal, the student with special needs that the fellow had been intending to belittle on film was the one in charge of the camera. He laughed so hard, tears flowed down his cheeks. His glee was palpable.
When security came, they initially doubted that no one had hit the guy. But then, they saw the video. They discovered just how thoughtless the guy was.
9. Rated M
When I was in high school, I had a job at K-Mart. It was a small shop, so I got to experience working in all departments. Pretty much any job that needed doing, I did it.
One day, while helping customers on the shop floor, I approached a mother and her son, who was around 12 or 13, to see if they required assistance. The boy quickly voiced that I was bothering him.
Letting his comment slide, I continued with my duties, only to be called to the checkouts shortly afterward. Next thing I knew, the mother and her son rolled up to my checkout counter.
The kid had selected a number of items from the electronics section, including EA sports games and a Grand Theft Auto title. As I was scanning their products, a notification popped up about the age restriction for the mature-rated game.
I decided to go forth and share this information. So, I flipped the game case over and politely told the mom,"This game is rated M because of the following content," then proceeded to read from the warning on the back.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before the mother sternly told me her son had said the game was only a bit violent. Unfortunately, they weren't able to purchase anything on that visit.
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10. An Act Of Hubris
My first car may not have been the fanciest, but I saved up enough to buy it. It was a milestone I was proud of in my youth. One day, while running chores in a posh part of town, I stopped at a red light and two guys around my age in a high-end car pulled up next to me.
They seemed amused, snickering and glancing my way. I didn't mind. Suddenly, the driver rolls his window down and asks, "Hey, mate. Fancy a race?" Revving his engine in anticipation. Feeling a bit irked, I revved my engine back to their surprise.
They seemed surprised, "Ohhh", and started getting excited. The light turned green, and we both floored it. But, I was smart enough to stay within the speed limit. They tore off in a showy stunt and disappeared around a curve.
Little did they know I had a trick up my sleeve. You see, I was familiar with this road; authorities often set up speed traps here. Sure enough, as I rounded the curve, there they were. Their car was now parked roadside, with a cop car behind them, lights ablaze.
Their faces, when they saw my grin and wave as I calmly drove by, were priceless.
11. He Made His Bed
I used to work in a mattress store, and I know people often don't enjoy shopping for beds—they do it out of necessity. All of us working there understood this. So, one Saturday, we had this pretty bitter older man come in.
Even before anyone could welcome him properly, he started grumbling about everything. We tried to assist him, but he'd dismiss us every time. Then, ironically, he'd fuss about nobody aiding him. This guy was older and struggled with mobility.
We suggested he avoided lying on a foam mattress without having someone nearby to help him stand afterward. Ignoring our advice with a snide remark, he limped toward the foam mattress standing adjacent to a wall-mounted TV display, which protruded slightly, showcasing continuous advertisements.
The moment he laid down, he hated it. Sitting up, he realized his difficulty in getting off the bed on his own but remained too stubborn to seek help. Our customer decided to hurl himself off the mattress, resulting in a headfirst collision with the TV display.
My boss was beyond shocked. The man started to scold us, but we were all too busy suppressing our laughter for him to continue. Finally, he admitted defeat and shuffled out of our store, still grumpy.
12. Getting Trumped
Back in middle school, a kid would always pick on me while we waited for class to start. He'd snatch up my belongings, especially my trumpet for band class, and tease me relentlessly, probably just to kill time.
One day, I decided that enough was enough—and I was ready to stand up for myself. Without thinking, I swung my trumpet case right towards his head. I didn't think I hit him that hard, but I came to know later that he went into his class in tears.
The school sent us into some sort of counseling, but it was too late. I had my little victory, and he wasn't ready to let the incident go. From that day on, we stopped communicating with each other, and honestly, I was quite fine with that.
13. Free Ice
A few days back, I popped into a store to purchase a bag of ice. I set the bag up on the counter and stood patiently as the lady before me was wrapping up her transaction. Seeing the ice reminded her that she needed one too, so I offered her my bag and fetched another one for myself. What she did next was surprisingly touching. She turned around and asked me, "Is that the only thing you're getting?" All I could say was, "Yes." Then she smiled at me and said, "Well, consider it taken care of... see you," and before I could make sense of her words, she instructed the cashier to add my bag of ice to her bill.
14. Burning Bridges
I'm a recruiter at a staffing agency, and I have a story about a fellow I once helped find a job. He was a smart programmer whose company was facing layoffs, though he was initially told he'd keep his job.
My colleague approached him about exploring new work opportunities, and he seemed open to the idea. Recently, we'd just bagged a new client who happened to need someone with his exact skills. We quickly set up an interview and, fortunately, he landed the job!
It even came with a small pay raise and was a permanent position—no contract work needed. He started working and everything seemed fine for the first week. However, when the next Monday rolled around, he didn't show up. That's when things started to go downhill.
Our client reached out to us, confused about his sudden disappearance. My colleague then called him directly and asked if everything was okay since he hadn't shown up at work. And much to our surprise, he casually revealed that he never actually quit his old job.
He said he merely took a week off as a kind of trial run at the new job and then decided to stick to his former role. My colleague, desperate to resolve the situation, asked, "Is there anything I can do? We're in a pickle here. This is a very important new client for us."
But his response threw us off, "Honestly, your problem is none of my concern, and I don't care how new your client is. I'm not leaving my current job. Please don't contact me again". And just like that, he ended the call. But karma quickly caught up with him.
Frankly, the universe seemed to have a lesson for him. He was laid off from his old job just a week later.
15. Pitching A Fit
During my college days, I used to work at a local RadioShack, typically manning the fort alone on quieter Sundays. One Sunday morning, after a late night, I was less than thrilled to be heading to work, especially knowing it wouldn’t be a busy day.
My irritation grew when, as I arrived, a man immediately started berating me in the parking lot. With a strained customer service smile, I inquired about the issue. He complained about having waited for half an hour and accused me of being late when, in fact, I was 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
Ignoring his complaint, he followed me to the store entrance, shouting the whole way, with sentiments along the lines of: "I'm never shopping here again." Upon opening the store, I explained that I needed to deactivate the alarm and balance the registers before assisting him.
Unsurprisingly, this didn't sit well with him, but I was past caring at this point. I'd thought it was courteous to help him 15 minutes before opening hours, even though he was being rather unpleasant. Eventually, I was able to attend to him, and he wanted information about batteries.
A simple task, I thought. I proceeded to explain our assortment and pricing. This further enraged him. He began to rant about the 'ridiculous' prices, our lack of brand-name batteries (we had them), and even accused us, and me, of treating him poorly.
Outraged, he banged his fist on the counter and likened RadioShack's marketing of their batteries to communism. I calmly told him there was nothing further I could do and asked if he needed help with anything else. He responded by storming out, punching a battery display on his way.
Then came the satisfying moment, as he walked straight into the door which, due to his incessant yelling, I'd forgotten to unlock. Trying to play it cool, he nervously checked if I'd noticed. All I did was wave him off, wishing him a delightful day as he hastily drove away, never to be seen again.
16. Knot Today
Over in the UK, it's common for school kids to dress in blazers and ties. It's also an unfortunate habit of some tormentors to rush at their peers and tighten their ties into unyielding knots.
One day, I found myself face to face with one such tormentor on an unusually crowded bus ride home. Just as the bus had to take a sharp brake, the tormentor reached for my tie, clutching it as if it were his lifeline.
However, he made a critical error—he grabbed the wrong part; the un-knotted bit. I calmly loosened my tie, causing him to lose his balance and tumble onto the bus floor amidst a sea of surprised faces.
From that day onward, no one dared to mess with my tie again, making it a triumph to remember. Absolutely splendid, really.
17. Bad Boss
For two years while I was in school, I spent my weekends working at a nationwide shoe store. Unfortunately, my boss never considered giving me a raise or entrusting me with the responsibility of opening the store.
There was no acknowledgment for my efforts. When I asked to take on more duties, I was dismissed, as they were bringing in two new bosses from the outside. One had experience managing a section at PetSmart, while the other came in without any past experience.
I decided to submit my resignation with two weeks' notice. On my final day, both new managers were present. I took the opportunity to pass on everything I had learned and shared details about our inventory's unique aspects.
Surprisingly, both quit within a week. The store ended up closing down within four months.
18. First Class Dummy
As we were getting on a flight from the US back to the UK, our plane had nine seats spread across the width in groups of three. My siblings and I took the first three seats, while my parents sat in the next two.
An unrelated family of five occupied the remaining seats in our row and another in the row behind. The father of this family was irate. He wanted my dad's seat for his son in the row behind.
He had chosen the front row with extra legroom instead of seating his family together during check-in, and was now trying to frighten the flight attendant into giving him both.
My dad tried to butt in to say he was willing to swap seats, wanting to avoid sharing a row with such a demanding person for a long eight-hour flight. However, the man cut him off, telling my dad to keep to himself before my dad could get his offer out.
Tensions were high, so the flight attendant requested everyone to be patient and said she'd return in a moment. When she came back, she led my parents to vacant first-class seats. Then she returned to tell the disgruntled father, "Problem solved.
Your son can now sit here." She wore a huge smile, and the man was left bewildered. He got what he initially wanted yet felt defeated. He just couldn't figure out why.
19. Drive On By
I'm employed at Starbucks where I work the drive-thru. One particular day, we were experiencing longer wait times as we were understaffed. There was this one man who reached the window rather frustrated and started aggressively voicing his concerns about the delay.
I offered an apology and gave him his bill. In his tantrum, he impulsively threw his credit card at me, which ended up bouncing off the bottom of the window and landed under his truck. We share a momentarily awkward silence, then, he sends his daughter to fetch the card.
I pointed out that the card was directly below their vehicle, so he had to inch his truck forward, get out, and retrieve it. He gave it back to me, avoiding eye contact as he had to awkwardly squeeze between his truck and the building wall.
His embarrassment was evident, especially with a queue of onlookers behind him. To be honest, it was rather vindicating to witness.
20. Make Your Own Karma
After finishing high school, my friend Brett and I started living in a modest apartment without any lease agreement. The rent was manageable, but being 19, our minds were preoccupied with things other than bills.
Consequently, we invited one of Brett's colleagues to share the apartment—a decision we soon regretted. In simple terms, the guy turned out to be not only incredibly foolish but also slightly dangerous.
After two stressful months of tolerating his nonsense, a massive argument broke out where he damaged the wall and my computer. The following morning, the moment the apartment management office opened, Brett and I stepped in. Enough was enough.
We formalized our status by signing a lease that now listed only the two of us as tenants. We couldn't bear to live with our troublesome roommate any longer. Once the paperwork was done, we reported him to the local authorities and wound up having him evicted for trespassing.
The officers woke him and his equally unpleasant girlfriend from their sleep to inform them about their expulsion. It was, indeed, a moment of immense satisfaction.
21. Change In Exchange For Life
While I was waiting at a red light in my little Dodge Neon, I decided to give all the spare change I had in my ashtray to a homeless individual. As soon as the light flicked to green, I went ahead and made my left turn.
Just a few moments later, I got into a horrible head-on collision with a massive truck. As they were hoisting my damaged vehicle onto the tow truck, the driver inquired, "How's the person who was driving?" Calmly, I answered, "I'm okay."
His response left me speechless. Initially shocked, he then grasped that I was being serious. Remarkably, after two decades of towing, he'd never encountered someone who'd lived through such a severe accident—let alone someone who could stand there and chat with him as they loaded the wrecked car.
22. A Good Deed
During high school, I was returning from lunch and noticed an elderly man on crutches having a hard time getting off the road since the curb was pretty high, and he seemed to have leg injuries. Most school kids just walked right by him.
But I decided to step in and lend him a hand, just like anyone decent would do. Just after, I was stopped by a lady in a car who had seen everything. Turns out, she was the principal of a nearby school and had been at a meeting at my school.
She called my school and relayed the whole incident to my principal. So, once I returned from lunch, my principal called me in.
They expressed their appreciation for promoting the school in a positive light and rewarded me with an extra hour for lunch and a certificate during the school award ceremony.
23. Read The Room
I found myself in a queue at the hardware store, where the cashier at the counter had a sign indicating that she was deaf. The muscly guy behind me was trying to draw her attention, grumbling and disrespectfully complaining about her pace.
It's worth mentioning that the customer she was currently serving had a full cart of items. Suddenly, his frustration peaked, and he shrieked at the cashier. His choice of words backfired spectacularly. "What on earth is your problem? Are you deaf?"
In the blink of an eye, almost everyone in the store had spun around to glare at him, judgment in their eyes. My mom, who was with me, decided to intervene, pointing out the sign on the register. She responded, "What's your problem? Can't you read?"
The man turned more crimson than I've ever seen and scurried out, avoiding everyone's gaze. Following this, he was sent off with a hearty round of applause from those around the registers, including the other cashiers.
24. A Move-Worthy Mistake
Once in middle school, a guy who hadn't been at our school long started teasing a girl in my class for falling in the hallway during a change of classes. As it happens, I had a soft spot for this girl.
The guy loved being the center of attention and was ridiculing her, making her seem goofy and awkward. It didn't work out too well for him. Surprisingly, he misstepped while mimicking her fall as a joke and wound up falling flat on his back for real, right in front of everyone.
He even broke his arm in the tumble. Walking past him in the hall, I saw him lying there surrounded by teachers, staring blankly at the ceiling. I heard he moved away not long after that. I can't blame him; I would've done the same.
25. Victory Is Sweet
I found myself on the chopping block and it had nothing to do with the quality of my work, but everything to do with my boss who, for some reason, had taken an issue with me. I kept my head high, doing everything flawlessly for about a month until I landed another job.
That's when I gave them my two weeks' notice. That felt like a triumphant moment for sure, but I had more tricks up my sleeve. I managed to recruit about six of their employees and helped them get jobs in my new company. That was my second triumph.
Maybe, you could argue that the third triumph was the sudden departure of 30 or 40 employees from their team over the next year. I won't take full credit for that, though.
But this goes to show that when you've got a team of people with skills in high demand, like software engineering, it's necessary to treat them well.
26. Sometimes It’s Okay To Follow The Crowd
We were cruising down an icy path in our 4-wheel-drive, after a massive snowstorm hit. We drove at a cautious pace, as fast as we deemed safe, with the roads almost like skating rinks from the melted, then refrozen, slush.
We've handled icy roads our entire lives. We've learned the tips and tricks, what works and what could lead to disaster, and let's just say today's conditions aren't great. Every other driver was moving at our slow pace, if not slower.
Suddenly, a flashy, modern, red Dodge pickup zooms up behind us, riding our bumper, and revving, clearly saying, "Big guy, big truck, too good to wait behind a small, slow car in the snow!" When the road straightens out, we give him room to overtake.
He gears up and zooms past. BIG MISTAKE. A mere 400 feet ahead there's a turn to the left. He swerves to turn, but the road's an ice rink, and the pickup just skates straight into a stationary car and guardrail, all under the watch of several bystanders.
We continue on at our reduced speed, making the turn without any issues. His pickup's front is a wreck, perhaps not written off, but I'd be surprised if he could even drive it to the garage.We were cruising down an icy path in our 4-wheel-drive, after a massive snowstorm hit.
We drove at a cautious pace, as fast as we deemed safe, with the roads almost like skating rinks from the melted, then refrozen, slush. We've handled icy roads our entire lives. We've learned the tips and tricks, what works and what could lead to disaster, and let's just say today's conditions aren't great.
Every other driver was moving at our slow pace, if not slower. Suddenly, a flashy, modern, red Dodge pickup zooms up behind us, riding our bumper, and revving, clearly saying, "Big guy, big truck, too good to wait behind a small, slow car in the snow!"
When the road straightens out, we give him room to overtake. He gears up and zooms past. BIG MISTAKE. A mere 400 feet ahead there's a turn to the left.
He swerves to turn, but the road's an ice rink, and the pickup just skates straight into a stationary car and guardrail, all under the watch of several bystanders.
We continue on at our reduced speed, making the turn without any issues. His pickup's front is a wreck, perhaps not written off, but I'd be surprised if he could even drive it to the garage.
27. You Won’t Get Away With This
Back when I was working in electronics retail, we often encountered individuals attempting to take DVDs. They would cleverly cut off barcodes to disable the security sensors and prevent alarm when exiting. My manager was quick to notice this.
He would casually send store associates to check on them, subtly implying that we were aware of their shenanigans. Eventually, my manager approached them and gave them an empty basket, hinting that we were onto their tricks.
Startled, they began meandering around the shop, abandoning the DVDs they intended to take. Our employees were quick to retrieve these dropped items. A sense of panic set in amongst them, leading them to dump all their remaining items and make a dash for the exit.
We didn't feel the need to give chase as they had returned all the stolen goods. As they fled, one of them paused to rudely gesture at us. In the midst of this, he stepped off the sidewalk and into the adjacent parking lot, only to be knocked over by a moving vehicle.
It wasn't a heavy hit, but it was enough to floor him. He quickly got up and resumed his escape.
28. Getting Lit Quick
One day, I was strolling down a crowded street when a man bumped into me roughly as he walked by. He didn't realize that I had a lit smoke in my hand. Then, the worst happened—accidentally, the lit end grazed him, resulting in a nasty burn.
I was a short distance away when I heard him cry out, but due to the crowd, I lost sight of him and never saw him again. Well, perhaps he'll think twice next time.
29. Caught Red-Handed…By Karma
About once a year, I make a trip to New York City to see my family. Every visit arouses this urge for "Grandma's Sicilian" pizza, especially the one from a pizzeria near my cousin's house. It's right in New York, so this place is always buzzing with patrons.
You can pick up drinks by the cash register, and it's mostly an honor system. The cashier has eyes on you, but they're usually too busy serving someone else. Before, I'd never nicked anything, but on this day, my cousin confidently picked up a drink without paying, and no one seemed to notice!
Spotting my favorite Peach Snapple, temptation got the better of me, and I snagged not one but two bottles. We paid for our food and scooted out, leaving my heart pounding. Did I tell you how strong my pizza craving was?
I enjoyed it so much that I bought an entire pizza instead of just a slice or two! We were strolling back to the subway and as it turns out, I missed a step off a curb and had a bad fall! I landed right on the pizza, making a mess of my clothes with all the sauce.
The Snapple bottles broke, flinging shards of glass into my hands and legs. My brand-new jeans from the day before were ruined too—torn by the glass and stained with blood. Although I thoroughly cleaned my cuts, my hand didn't fare well and even got infected overnight.
Well, you can bet I haven't swiped anything since then.
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30. Above His Own Rules
So, I found myself in this introductory French class, and our first examination included translating the word "singe" which means "monkey". The thing was, most of us hadn't learned that word yet. I went through all our past lessons, and even in our session on animals, "monkey" wasn't part of it.
Interestingly, those who knew didn’t learn it in class, but from an Eddie Izzard comedy show about learning French. We raised the issue with the teacher and they agreed to give back a point to those who missed it.
But, there was this self-satisfied student from Quebec who hinted that we shouldn’t expect to have everything handed to us on a plate. He went on about the importance of "global knowledge", arguing that knowing words beyond what’s taught in class was important for success.
Now, I totally agree with this concept. If you want to be fluent in a language, you really need to explore beyond the syllabus. However, we were just a month into class, so it seemed unreasonable to expect us to know words outside of the lesson plan just yet.
Switch to getting our next test scores, and this same student was causing quite a scene as he lost a point for not knowing the word "dehors", which means "outside". Sure enough, he was now arguing that he wasn’t taught that word in class.
31. The Time Is Right
A woman was buying a Nintendo 3DS for her son from me. I handed the box to the boy as I was sorting out the bill, simply because he was brimming with joy about his new gadget.
Although, when we started discussing the accidental damage protection plan, she reacted badly, assuming I was suggesting that her son was careless with toys.
Talk about perfect timing! Just as she expressed her annoyance, her son flung the box straight across the store, crashing into shelves and causing a heap of games to tumble down. She ended up opting for the four-year plan.
32. Daughter Privilege
In high school, my first job was at a popular coffee shop. I worked hard and the customers really liked me. Unfortunately, the place was managed by a rather unpleasant General Manager who favored her two daughters working there.
One was a regular employee, always pampered and given her preferred shifts, and the other, a not-so-skilled shift supervisor, was treated similarly. One day, the regular employee asked me to swap two of our shifts because she had forgotten about her mom's birthday.
Wanting to help, I agreed. To my surprise, the following week, my manager had scheduled me for only one shift! When I questioned her, she replied, "If you don't like the shifts I give you, then you won't get any".
It was shocking that she had no consideration for our original shift swap, which was for her own birthday! That's when I decided I'd had enough—and I knew I had to quit. I handed in my two-week notice immediately. My last shift was to be on a busy Saturday morning.
If even one person is absent, it can throw the whole morning into chaos. As fate would have it, I was out late the night before and completely forgot about work. I decided to just let it slide and didn't show up at all.
My phone was blowing up with calls and texts from them, desperately trying to figure out where I was. I didn't bother to respond. It was an oddly satisfying feeling, and I keep looking for that thrill again.
33. Read The Fine Print
During my law school years, I worked part-time in a bar. The boss wasn't the most pleasant guy to work under. As I was about to sign my job contract, my law student instincts kicked in, and I read through it thoroughly. Since I was on the clock, I took the luxury of time.
I noticed a clause stating that if we, the employees, damaged any stock, we'd cover the cost. As a guy, I was always put on stocking duty, hauling grape beverage cases from the cellar. Given this, I was certain it was only a matter of time before I broke something, especially with the pressure from my boss.
So, in the contracts—both his copy and mine—I crossed off the financial liability for damaged stock. After modifying it, I went ahead and signed both copies of the contract. My boss, unfortunately for him, overlooked my alterations and signed the contracts without scrutinizing them.
A few weeks rolled by and he somehow caused me to drop 16 grape beverage bottles. He went straight for the "you'll have to pay for this" bit, expecting me to fall in line according to the contract. I countered him, confidently saying that wasn't in my contract.
He scrambled for a blank contract, but that wasn't going to fool me. I asked him to bring out my signed copy. Seeing the crossed-out clause on the official contract was priceless. His face was a picture I wish I could have captured.
The following day, I didn't show up for work. I had all the satisfaction I needed from witnessing his shock.
34. He Needed To Cool Off
After a major sports event, it started to drizzle a bit. One impatient driver didn't want to wait for people to get to their cars in the rain, almost hitting a kid in the process. To make matters worse, he starts yelling at those in his path, and to bypass the crowd and traffic, he decides to take a prohibited exit.
That's when the downpour begins. In full view of everyone, this flustered driver steps out of his vehicle, determined to move the barrier blocking the off-limits exit. He wants to ignore the queue of cars and flurry of pedestrians, all thanks to his impatience.
However, in his haste, he mistakenly shuts his car door, unknowingly locking himself out of his running vehicle just as a downpour begins.
35. Sad Violin Sound
I used to work at a store that sold specialized musical instruments for bands, like fancy clarinets and tubas. Every year, we'd have a rare sale for two weeks and this incident took place just as that sale was winding down.
One day, an older gentleman walked in, eyeing our priciest trumpet. He spent significant time pondering over it. My colleague kindly offered his help, or to let him try it.
Instead, the man started to decrease the value of this elite trumpet, saying it wasn't that great and no way could it be worth $3400. Just as he was finishing up his rant, we received a call where a customer requested that exact model and was ready to pay the entire amount over the phone to secure it.
Usually, we'd have a few to spare but our sale was so popular, this was our last one, the one the elder man had been belittling. Another colleague casually walked behind the man and grabbed the trumpet. This set the man off! He started to yell and insult us.
Apparently, he genuinely wanted the trumpet and had planned to devalue it to get us to discount it. Sadly for him, our sale policy was only for in-store items. Finally, he purchased one—but with a few hundred dollars more than he initially would have paid.
This incident became a constant source of laughter for us, that's for sure!
36. Not So Fast
A few years back, my friend and I headed to a concert but we got stuck in a terrible traffic jam. The only access point to the venue was across a busy junction which was making matters worse.
My friend tried to cross it but got blocked by another car coming from the opposite direction, leaving us stuck in the middle of the intersection. Suddenly, some angry guy raced from the stop light, stopping just an inch short of our car. It sure looked like he'd smash into us—and we braced ourselves for the worst.
He was shouting and gesturing rudely, looking as if he was ready to leave his car. My friend was panicked and did her best to move slowly into the parking lot of the concert venue. By good fortune, a law enforcement officer saw what was happening just in time.
He put on his lights, aggressively stepped out of his car and started confronting the rude driver. By the time we managed to clear the intersection, he was issuing the rude driver a ticket for his reckless behavior—all for moving a mere ten feet.
That definitely gave us an unexpected highlight!
37. Most Deserving Of A Tackle
On the final day of my sixth-grade year, I proudly received the "most improved" award. On my way to the bus, engrossed in my new accomplishment, the school tormentor suddenly dashed up, nabbed my award, and took off.
Although I tried to catch him, he was much quicker on his feet. Our chase led us around to the school's entrance where the award-giving teacher spotted us. He knew about the tormenting I'd been facing and rushed to my defense when he saw the scene—me chasing the tormentor who had stolen my award.
He promptly chased down the tormentor, tackling him to the ground and holding him there. It may seem hard-hitting, but it was acceptable in our special ed context. Teachers have the discretion to use a certain amount of force to handle disruptive behavior.
In the end, I got my award back, and the tormentor got a suspension at the onset of the following school year.
38. The Perils Of Winter
I was heading home from my parents' Easter celebration during a heavy snowstorm, with the roads layered in a dangerous mix of ice and snow. Driving in such conditions is something I always dread, and that day was no different, heightening my anxiety levels.
I had to shift to the leftmost lane, generally reserved for overtaking or speedy drivers, even though I was driving quite cautiously. Numerous cars sped past me, sticking to the usual high speed despite the harsh weather. Among them, one car just zipped by as if they were in a life-or-end situation.
A short while later, I stumbled upon a recent car crash. Unexpectedly, it was that speed racer from before, now with their car oddly placed across the road. My best guess is that the fast-moving car might've attempted a sudden lane change or accidentally hit the car in front, causing this mishap.
I always encourage people to drive carefully in such risky weather conditions. No task is so urgent that it necessitates jeopardizing safety by overspeeding and disregarding fellow drivers. In case of emergencies, always contact the relevant authorities!
39. Boy’s Night Out
A bunch of guys walked into my eatery, throwing a party for their buddy who’d just gotten divorced – a pretty round guy. It was obvious that any attractive waitress was about to endure an awkward encounter.
Having their table under my watch, I tried not to be overly attentive as to not give away that I was essentially keeping an eye on them, rather than my crew. I rushed to the kitchen to catch up with the cooks.
Only absent for about 15 seconds when a waitress approached me, saying I needed to stop serving the recently divorced guy because he'd inappropriately touched her. Not cool, man. I walked up to the table, handed them the bill, and asked them nicely to leave.
I informed them of a complaint from one of our staff and that no more drinks would be served. They had to pay up and exit. Though I'm no pushover myself, this group of six could easily stir up trouble.
As the reality of the situation dawned upon their intoxicated faces, the divorced guy puffily challenged, "And what will you do if we don't?" His ensuing stunt couldn't have been timed any better. Attempting to rise up, his size failed him.
His gut didn't make it over the table edge, causing him to tip over two full pitchers and six nearly empty glasses onto himself and his buddies. He then awkwardly slipped back into his seat with a loud bump. I didn't have to utter a single word more.
One of his pals flung down a 100-dollar bill, apologized, and reluctantly hauled his drenched, sticky friend out through the side exit.
40. The Post Beckons
During grade school, we'd all walk to the bus stop together. On one of these walks, a second-grader accidentally bumped into a lamp post. A friend of mine found it so funny that he couldn't contain his laughter.
As we crossed the street, he was still laughing so hard he wasn't watching his step. You can guess what happened next—he walked straight into a lamp post too, much to everyone's amusement.
41. No Tip, No Treats
I used my final bucks to buy a donut rather than giving it as a tip to the guy who pumped my gas. But as I drove away from the gas station, I accidentally let my donut slip from my hand.
42. A Small Price To Pay
So, I was stopped at a traffic light when I inexplicably felt compelled to give all my spare change to a homeless person. As soon as the light changed to green and I turned left, I was shockingly hit by a big truck.
When the tow truck came to pick up my wrecked car, the operator asked me, "How's the driver?" and I responded, saying, "I'm doing okay."
His surprised face quickly turned into one of disbelief. He told me he'd been in the towing business for two decades and this was the first time he'd seen someone walk away from such a severe crash, let alone carry on a conversation while the wrecked car was being towed away.
43. From Sad Story To Most Wanted
I'm employed at a store that specializes in fixing mobiles and computers. A woman we'll just call Wanda walked in one day. We buy used phones and tiny electronics, but we only purchase what we are confident we can resell.
An old iPhone 4 is a hard pass for us, and regardless of how sparkling new your gadget may be, you're not getting $600 for it. Before stopping by, Wanda called us to get price quotes for three phones and a laptop.
Two of the phones were a bit outdated and the laptop was a well-worn Compaq. This is the reason I declined it. Ignoring my advice, she showed up at our store an hour later, claiming our adjacent store had previously promised to buy all her stuff for $200.
This was hard to believe, considering those managers over there are quite savvy. I offered her $30 for the best phone among her stack, and firmly declined to purchase the other two phones and the decrepit Compaq, which was slow and had visible damage.
Wanda responded with a litany of complaints about our low offers and insisted we absolutely had to buy her devices. Inside our store, the temperature was 80 degrees. Our comfort had been compromised due to a broken AC, adding to our irritation.
Eventually, I agreed to offer her $50 for her phone simply to put an end to the prattle. She accepted the deal, promising to sell her remaining items at the other store. About half an hour later, Wanda returned, this time trying to touch the soft spot of my colleague with a tale of her ailing daughter.
She nagged my colleague until he gave in and purchased the laptop for a token $10. At long last, she left our store, but the saga didn't end. Upon examining the phone and laptop for resale, we discovered a text message on the phone demanding the return of the laptop along with all the other stolen items.
Turns out, Wanda had a history of theft in our area dating back to 2010. We contacted the authorities and the rightful owner of the laptop.
Eventually, the laptop was returned and Wanda now has a fresh warrant for her arrest, all because two short-tempered, overheated store assistants paid her $60 to finally leave them alone.
44. Make Like a Tree…
When my friend and I were 13, we were strolling to the store. Suddenly, we heard shouts from behind us. Turning, we spotted a boy around 50 feet away, hurling all sorts of insults at us that a 13-year-old would know.
We began to approach him, ready to confront his outburst, but to our surprise, he spun on his heels to run. The consequence was unexpected—he ended up ramming straight into a tree. The impact was so severe that it knocked him off his feet.
We couldn't help but burst into laughter at this unexpected event. We hoped that this embarrassing moment made him rethink his actions.
45. Don’t Mess With The IT Guy
I got a job as the in-house tech whiz and took care of pretty much every electronic aspect of the office. One day, a customer nicked my boss's brand new phone. I'd obviously readied it for this very scenario, setting it up to be traced and its data erased remotely.
But my boss jumped to conclusions and thought I had swiped the phone even though I wasn't around that day. He hid this suspicion from me for three days until someone finally told him I wasn't the thief.
I attempted to erase the phone's data only to find out my boss had already spoken to the service provider and had the number disconnected. With no number, GPS, or cell data, I couldn't reach the phone to wipe it. On top of that, we had security cameras in the office.
My boss tried to access the footage from the day his phone was stolen, but messed up the process and ended up corrupting the file instead. He blamed me for it all and showed me the door, claiming I wasn't doing the job I was hired for—although my duties had never been clearly laid out.
Soon afterward, he was swamped with tech problems—forgotten passwords, no clue how to set up his new phone, and mystery surrounding recording video footage.
46. Safety In Waiting
I live in Colorado and often see risky driving on our mountain roads. One day, a long line of traffic was making its way down a two-lane mountain pass. Out of nowhere, a guy driving a brand-new BMW decided he didn't want to wait and darted past the line of cars using the lane for oncoming traffic.
Just as he rounded a blind corner, he found himself facing an oncoming truck. Panicked, he swerved left and smacked his car headfirst into a concrete divider. The force of the impact crumbled the front of his BMW, making it look no better than a squashed soda can.
It presented an immediate and harsh lesson, and thankfully, no one else was involved. The driver walked away unharmed, but his car was definitely beyond repair.
Pixabay
47. No Backup Plan
A customer bought a phone from me, behaving incredibly disrespectfully throughout the entire transaction. Just as they stepped out of my shop, they accidentally dropped their new purchase and it broke into pieces.
They were upset, of course. Then, they had the audacity to request me to add a warranty, which they previously declined labeling as "unnecessary expense". I took delight in informing them that it couldn't be done.
They responded with a tantrum, even tossing their damaged phone at me, prompting us to call in security. Thankfully, I haven't seen them since that incident.
48. Broken & Dumped
For some time, I was in a relationship with this really challenging girl—let's just say, I wasn't using my best judgment. She had a quick temper and was prone to overreactions. She was one of those people who just never seemed happy and found problems with everything.
We had even argued that morning over her explosive temper. Later that day, I gave her a call to inform her that I would be working late. As soon as our call ended, she lost control. She threw a punch at the wall.
However, she accidentally hit a solid part behind the drywall, resulting in a shattered hand. Shortly after that event, we broke up.
49. Watch Out For That Tree!
About four years ago, I was skiing locally and this snowboarder whizzed past me, almost knocking over a small child near me. However, as I continued downhill, I saw he had encountered some misfortune.
He was lying unconscious in the forest, having collided with a tree.
50. A Great Exchange
A while ago, a friend and I were exploring Germany and made a spontaneous decision to visit Amsterdam. Getting there, however, was a disaster. To cut a long story short, we ended up on a late-night bus ride around 11 pm when the trains broke down.
We had not eaten since the crack of dawn, and it seemed all other passengers were in the same boat as us. As we waited to depart, we heard chatter from behind us. It was an elderly German lady's birthday, and the bus filled with birthday wishes and songs.
However, she said something I couldn't quite understand. Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked the person behind me to translate. They explained that the birthday lady had simply wished for some water. Coincidentally, I always carried a water bottle with me.
I lifted my water bottle, shook it, and said, "Wasser". Much to our surprise, a hand reached forward and presented us with two sandwiches. We were overwhelmed with relief and gratitude to have something to eat at last.
51. Holding All The Strings
I'm an advisor at a big auto firm. I spoke with an incredibly impolite client on the call who required her vehicle to be serviced. I informed her that the sole available slot was on a Monday morning at 7:30 am, even though I was aware it was a quick, ten-minute task.
I felt like a fair balance was struck.
52. A Little Something
Once, while working at a grocery store, a flustered shopper approached me saying he'd accidentally left his cash at the ATM. He anxiously asked me if anyone had turned it in.
As I was about to say no, another shopper appeared, saying he'd picked up the cash and was trying to find him. He had been next in line and saw what had happened. The forgotten cash totaled a valuable £200.
The relieved customer was very appreciative and offered a reward, but the kind stranger declined any form of pay. Interestingly, he then purchased a lottery scratch card, scratched off the coating, and discovered he'd won £5! It was a refreshing taste of immediate karma.
53. My Name Is…
My friend recently began a new role as a pizza delivery driver. She's transgender and very open about it, kindly requesting that people use her chosen name. Even so, she never reprimanded anyone for using her former name.
Regardless, her boss wasn't on board with this approach and was planning to end her employment, accusing her of being "too confrontational about her name."
The manager intended to dismiss my friend the following day but was herself let go after she inappropriately addressed another team member in the presence of a customer. My friend tells me the new supervisor is extremely understanding and she's more content than ever.
54. He Was Rubber, She Was Glue
There used to be a girl at school who enjoyed pranking everyone, which often came across as irritating. One day, she was playing around with a stress ball and decided to aim it straight at a boy's head. Someone yelled, "Watch out!"
The boy looked up just in the time to see the ball flying toward him and raised his arms to block it. The ball ricocheted off his arms and flew right back at the girl, hitting her smack in the mouth.
Even though the stress ball was soft and didn't hurt her, we all couldn't help but laugh at her startled expression. Clearly embarrassed, she quietly took a seat. Although she continued to ruffle feathers here and there, she stopped tossing things at people's heads after that incident.
55. A Helping Hand
One day, when I was talking to the attractive Starbucks barista next door, I saw someone grab a coat and start heading for the store's door. Unable to chase thieves once they leave the store, I signaled to the barista, and we positioned ourselves by the exit.
Realizing our plan, the thief turned and sprinted towards the other exit instead. "I wish we could chase them once they leave the store," I complained to the barista. Her eyes sparkled as she replied, "Well, I can!"
Without wasting a moment, she dashed off and tackled the thief. Unbelievably, during the tussle, the hanger twisted around in his hand, resulting in four of his fingers being broken. Surprisingly, just his middle finger escaped unscathed.
So that's what you get for sticky fingers—a badly damaged hand. Karma's beautiful sometimes.
56. Moving to the Dark Side
I used to put in 60-hour weeks, basically on standby every hour of every weekend, all for a mere 12k a year. One night, feeling drained from working by myself until 11pm, I decided enough was enough. I locked the office, dropped my keys through the mail slot, penned a quick resignation email, and powered down my phone.
I slept in the next morning—then I woke up to a BARRAGE of calls, texts and emails from my boss. He was pleading with me to return. No rush to respond, I moseyed on over to gather my belongings and lay out what he still owed me.
Fast-forward a few months, and after my former colleagues left their jobs due to the pressure from my shared workload, our boss was down to a single employee. With no other option, he had to shift from his top-notch office space to a less than ideal office park.
57. Paying It Forward
While I was having sushi at a neighborhood joint, I spotted a $20 note slip out of a nearby man's pocket. I grabbed the cash, gently touched his shoulder, and returned it.
Seeing this, another man decided to cover the cost of my lunch and my date's, which ended up being more than $20.
58. An Entertaining View
Back when I was struggling to make ends meet as a college student, some teens from my neighborhood accidentally damaged my car pretty badly. They hit it in such a way that not only could I not fully open my front door, but my mirror was also completely broken off.
When I took up the issue with them, I couldn't make any proof stick. I was left with a damaged car and no finances to repair it. However, fortune had a funny way of evening the score. Fast forward to the following week, I was just doing some studying by my second-floor window when I noticed a wild commotion.
These same reckless high schoolers sped out of the area, lost control and smashed their car into a tree. From my elevated vantage point, I saw the four of them climb out of their wrecked car. The driver, shirtless and crying uncontrollably, remained sprawled out on the road until his mother arrived.
She proceeded to loudly berate him, her voice echoing through the whole neighborhood.
59. No Such Thing As A Free Drink
A customer was insistent on receiving a complimentary birthday drink, a request that was outside our usual offerings, particularly for less-than-friendly individuals. In the friendliest manner, I informed him this wasn't possible.
His girlfriend understood the situation and offered to foot the bill, but he brushed her off insisting on a free beverage. Being the person I am, I reiterated that we wouldn't be able to accommodate his request.
He became infuriated, calling his girlfriend names, and shoved her slightly as he made his way to the exit. However, it had rained earlier and the pavement was still slick. His push backfired and he slipped and fell. A divine comeuppance, I'd say.
After his depart, I offered his girlfriend the drink on the house while her boyfriend trudged away in disarray.
60. A Hero Is Made
I once worked as a lifeguard at a prominent indoor waterpark hotel chain in the US. One day, I noticed a woman who was engrossed in a magazine while her toddler daughter was swimming unsupervised in the shallow end.
Concerned, I approached the woman to discuss the safety risk of her child being left alone in the water. Her reaction made me raise. my eyebrows—she was angry, openly scolding me and declaring that her parenting was not my business.
Undeterred by the commotion she stirred, she then went back to her magazine. Suddenly, her toddler daughter stumbled and fell face-first into the water, unable to lift herself back up. Without hesitation, I sprang into action, scooped up her daughter, and brought her safely to her mother.
The surrounding onlookers, who had earlier watched the spectacle unfold, now broke into appreciative applause.
61. Nothing To Me
In college, I was in a long-term relationship with this girl. The plan was to propose to her the day we graduated and moved in together. But just two days before that, I discovered she was having an affair. Even though we split up, circumstances forced us to share an apartment.
It created a lot of awkwardness, her seeing the other guy while I was right there. A few months down the line, she started getting flirty with me again. It came to a point where one night, she invited me to her room, leading us into a secret affair that her boyfriend was oblivious about.
One day, she told me she regretted what she had done, wanted to leave her boyfriend and asked me if we could get back together. But the satisfaction I got from denying her request was tremendous. I told her bluntly that she didn't mean anything to me anymore.
Shortly after, I began dating her former roommate, whom I was always interested in. This definitely didn't help her emotions. Fast forward to the present, and life is good. I'm successful, married to a wonderful person, and a proud parent of two children.
On the contrary, she's stuck in a trailer park, married to the same guy she cheated on me with, who doesn’t have a job.
62. A Balancing Act
One day, I noticed a man juggling five shoe boxes on one arm while he was busy on a phone call with his other hand. I thought it would be considerate to possibly disrupt his call and offer to store his shoes behind the counter for him while he continued his shopping.
I kindly signalled that I could assist him, but he just shot me a scornful look. Unfazed, I turned my attention to another customer who required something from our storeroom.
When I returned with her item, she was in the middle of assisting the man I had just interacted with, as he'd dropped all his shoe boxes all over the floor. Shoes were scattered everywhere, and once we had gathered them up, he hurried off without acknowledging me.
63. Moving On Up
I was standing in queue behind a difficult customer, a "Karen", if you will. The cashier was busy scanning her items until Karen stopped her saying, "No, you're wrong. That’s not how it should be, it's actually different."
So, the cashier fixed it for her... and turned out the new total was more than the initial one. Surprised, Karen said, "I should've kept quiet, shouldn’t I?" It was the quickest dose of karma I’ve ever witnessed.
64. Ice for an Ice
A few days back, I stopped by a store to pick up a bag of ice. Placing the bag on the counter, I waited patiently as the lady before me finished her transaction. Seeing my ice triggered her—she needed ice too. "Here, have this bag,"
I told her, reaching for another. She glanced at me and inquired if that was all I's purchasing. I nodded and confirmed, "Yes". Offering a look, she simply stated, "That's it for you...see ya".
Before I could even comprehend her statement, she addressed the cashier, instructing him to include my ice bag in her bill. What a wonderful act of kindness!
65. Keep On Waiting
I work in customer service, which often includes playing the role of cashier during busy times or when someone's on a break. One day, I was on the fast-lane checkout and had a line of four customers.
Each of them had about five items in total. I was quite fast at my job, especially with little orders like these. I spotted a woman from across the floral section, approaching with a bundle of balloons.
Seeing my queue, she must have assumed she was entitled to skip the wait and headed straight to the customer service desk. It's one of my pet peeves, to be honest.
That desk is meant for specific services like exchanges or lottery purchases, not for those who think they can cut the line. It was also frustrating because, if we start to get backed up, it hinders me from opening a full checkout to serve those who've been queuing politely.
I looked over and saw my colleague already assisting a regular customer, who, despite not being rude, always meticulously checks her receipt after her purchase. Any interaction with her usually takes some time regardless of the specifics.
So, I carried on serving my line at my usual speed. I noticed the balloon lady having a glance back, likely realizing her mistake. I served roughly two to three more customers before the previous woman at the desk was done.
Although it was a minor incident in the grand scheme of things, it was just the right amount of consequence the impatient woman deserved, and that felt oddly satisfying!
66. Problematic Attitude
One day, I was in Florida, patiently waiting to launch my boat from a single ramp. The poor fellow in front of me was having a hard time navigating his trailer out of the water. His presumed wife and two children were standing by on the dock.
Suddenly, another guy, who was also waiting to exit the water, started shouting and berating the first guy. Despite the commotion, the man managed to finally get his trailer down the ramp.
As this was happening, the agitated man had moored his boat and began storming up the dock, still yelling furiously. This hothead unexpectedly punched the first guy, causing him to topple off the dock and into the water.
Immediately, two muscular guys, who until then had gone unnoticed, stepped up. They seized the angry man just as the first guy was plunging into the water, threw him onto the dock and swiftly handcuffed him after flashing their badges.
Turns out, they'd been undercover, keeping an eye on the boat ramp. A round of applause and cheers broke out among those waiting to launch or retrieve their boats.
67. Getting Sassed Back
I manage a store in Baltimore that sells plus-size clothing for women. Although you may find it surprising, many of our customers are what you might call "unconventional."
Men shopping for dresses for charity events, cross-dressers, genderfluid individuals, transgender women, and drag queens often drop by. One day, a drag queen comes in to pick up a pair of shoes that she ordered online.
I think she must have been heading to or from a performance because she was fully done up in glamorous makeup. As I ask for her details, another customer walks into the store. I quickly acknowledge the new individual, letting them know "I'll be right with you".
I head to the back to check the pile of online orders. After a while, I locate the pair of shoes I need and am heading back to the counter when the fresh customer intercepted me, gesturing for me to stop.
She begins complaining, "I'm a new customer and I've been waiting here 20 minutes without anyone attending to me". Firstly, I did greet her when she entered the store. Secondly, it had only been five minutes since she came in, not 20.
As the complaint caught me off-guard, I was about to apologize, but before I could gather my thoughts, the drag queen strode over. With a pointed glare, she corrected the new customer, “Sweetie, she did greet you when you got here".
She added some flair with a sassy snap of her fingers. She then dramatically thanked me for processing her order, even planting a kiss on my cheek before swanning off.
The other customer, looking a little embarrassed now, quietly paid for her Spanx, avoiding my gaze when I wished her a good day.
68. Asking Too Much
At my previous place of work, we got a new senior boss who was in charge of both my team and another parallel team. After about half a year of working with him, I was at my wit's end. He'd phone up right at the end of the workday just to check if I was there.
He'd send me stingingly early morning emails, thanks to my company-provided Blackberry, wanting changes in the presentations scheduled for his morning meetings about our department.
Incredibly, he even got my receptionist to keep tabs on my office activities, despite the fact we shared a small office space, and his own office was just down the corridor.
He was hands down the most unsatisfactory superior I've ever reported to, but jobs were hard to find, and it was enough to cover my living costs. But there was a tipping point—it was when I got back from a week off. He came up to me and asked why I was resigning.
I'd neither given a notice nor told anyone I planned on quitting. I informed him as much and assured him that he'd be the first to know whenever I decided to quit. He responded by calling me dishonest then stormed off.
Later that day, I sent him an email giving him my resignation and a three-week notice. I laid out every single one of his misdeeds during my exit interview with the HR team. A month after I left, I heard he got let go, along with my receptionist.
69. Not-So-Sweet Kisses
The washing machines and dryers in my flat building are operated by an app on my phone using Bluetooth. I discovered a loophole: if I hit "start" on the app with my phone in airplane mode, the washer started without charging me. I was quite pleased with my discovery.
I attempted the same trick with the dryer and it worked as well—though I had a swift reality check. When I went to fetch my laundry from the dryer an hour later, I found all my clothes smothered in melted Hershey's Kisses.
70. In A Hurry To Get Nowhere
A guy was wildly speeding down the street, frequently veering onto the shoulder to overtake anyone who wasn't fast enough for his liking—which was basically everyone.
Even though the road's speed limit was pretty high, this guy was exceeding it by a fair amount, especially considering it was a residential area. Not long after, about half a mile up the road, I noticed a cloud of smoke.
As I got closer, I realized it was the speedster whose car was now a complete wreck, with the engine crushed flat. It appeared that a bus taking a broad turn across both lanes had tripped him up.
He’d clearly been going too fast to react and had tried to speed past the bus as it was making its turn.
71. Double Whammy
A young man came into our shop, acting out and behaving rudely. He refused to show his ID for an beverage purchase, even though he didn't look any older than 20. He was also raising his voice and using harsh language consistently.
Moreover, he had parked his car in a handicap parking spot, although there were no disability tags or plates on his vehicle. But it all came full circle for him. One of our regulars—who happens to be a sheriff's deputy—was also in the store that day.
He observed the man's unruly behavior and noticed his vehicle parked illegally. Our regular customer went outside, reached for his citation pad, and wrote the man a breach ticket.
Once the young man noticed he wasn't getting his beverage and went outside, he found himself being issued with a parking citation. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
72. Ignored No More
For two years during my school days, I worked part-time selling shoes at a well-known chain, but was never given a raise, a chance to open the store, or any recognition.
When I sought more responsibilities, I was disregarded as two new managers, one from PetSmart and another with no prior experience, were set to join us. Upon deciding to quit, I made sure to provide a two-week notice. That's when things got annoying.
On my last day, both new managers were present. I took the opportunity to share with them all the ins-and-outs I had picked up over time, including the subtler details about our inventory. Yet, within a week, they both quit, and after just four months, the store shut down.
73. Overheard The Compliments
I tuned into my friend's Twitch stream and we started having a chat. Soon enough, our conversation drifted towards one of our shared pals. I took a moment to sing the praises of this friend, lauding his incredibly cool personality.
At the onset of the stream, I was the only one tuned in. Little did I know, our mutual friend had also joined quietly as a silent observer. I discovered his presence when he acknowledged my compliments.
Initially, I felt a bit awkward, but quickly recovered and admitted, "Well, that's a bit embarrassing, but I meant every word." Even though we're all mature guys nearing our 40s, this situation was a poignant dose of instant positive karma for my streaming friend.
For me, it served as a great reminder to constantly express my affection towards my loved ones.
74. Know Your Luck
It was late into the night and the roads were practically vacant. I was careful not to run any red lights though, as I just knew that a law enforcement officer might appear out of nowhere and served me with a ticket.
Suddenly, as I approached a red light, another vehicle pulled up beside me, the loud revving of its engine suggesting an impromptu race. However, I had no desire to participate, so I ignored the car's actions.
The car, which was obviously luxurious, seemed poised for a race that I knew I couldn't possibly win even if I had considered joining. As the light turned green, the other driver accelerated rapidly, leaving a trail of burnt rubber behind.
But not long afterwards, I observed him swerve in the distance and crash into a light pole. I continued driving, passing the scene while chuckling to myself as I watched him exit his car, his face filled with a mix of shock and rage.
75. Playing The Short Game
I may not work in a store or restaurant, but as a public defender standing up for clients who can't afford their own attorney, I would definitely say my job is oriented around service. I once represented a woman deeply involved in substances who had severely endangered her daughter.
She was accused of child endangerment and unpermitted medicine possession and was looking at a three-year penal institution sentence—with a plea deal. But when I explained this was the best offer I could get from the prosecutor and the only alternative was to go to court, she freaked out.
I tried to stress the heavy amount of evidence against her, including the troubling reality that her daughter would testify against her in court. Instead of seeing reason, she hurled insults at me, labeled me an ineffective public defender, and fired me, somehow finding $8,000 to hire a private lawyer.
How she gathered that amount is beyond me, although I can make some educated guesses. Her new lawyer promised he would get her off, leading her to ignore my advice and take the case to trail.
In the end, it was clear the lawyer hadn't prepared properly: the trial wrapped up within three hours, the jury took just five minutes to reach their verdict, and the judge gave her a 10-year sentence. Let's just say I considered it a day well spent.
76. The Principle of the Thing
During one summer at university, I worked as a database administrator at a community center. My role consisted of developing a database to help them monitor their donors, donations, volunteers, and volunteer hours.
It wasn't too complex, and even though I was the youngest team member, I fit in pretty well with everyone except, unfortunately, my direct superior. Fast forward to the next spring, while I was job hunting, I reached out to this superior requesting a letter of recommendation.
To my astonishment, she replied saying that she didn't provide recommendation letters as a "matter of principle". This news frustrated me immensely as I was having a tough time securing employment. But karma would come back around.
When my most recent boss declined to vouch for me, it certainly put a dent in my job application. Nevertheless, I somehow secured a fair job, and as luck would have it, I was presented with an unexpected opportunity for a comeback on my first day at the new job.
My old boss contacted me regarding an issue with the database I had created. She had rearranged some files, and therefore was unable to access the database. She requested that I come in and assist.
In response, I flatly explained to her that I had a new job and unfortunately, couldn't help her out, as a "matter of principle". This predicament led the community center to deem my summer's work useless. But oh well, such is life, right?
77. Guardian Angels
A few months ago, I enjoyed a vacation in San Francisco and had a pretty fantastic experience one night. After hanging out at a potluck party, my buddy dropped me off at a local BART metro station to catch a ride back to my hotel.
I paid my fare and made my way underground, only to discover that I'd just missed the final train. Luckily, my friend came to the rescue with some helpful bus directions. At the same time, I noticed another guy who'd also missed the same train.
In a bit of a pickle himself—with grocery bags, a bit tipsy, and no way to book an Uber for his lengthy journey back to Richmond—I decided to help him out. Despite his insistence that he only had 3 dollars to pay me back, I didn't mind.
I called him an Uber and we shared great conversation until his ride arrived. Happy and quite tipsy, he headed home, and I set off to catch my bus. Once I stepped onto the bus, I realized it was run by MUNI, not BART.
My BART fare couldn't be transferred, which meant I'd have to pay again. Problem was, I was out of dollar bills. In a desperate attempt to scrape together the needed $2.50 fare, I checked my back pocket where I occasionally stash spare change.
Much to my surprise, I stumbled upon the $3 the guy had given me earlier. It was a heartwarming moment and made me feel like we'd somehow been each other's guardian angels that evening.
78. Check Yourself
This affluent young man pulled up beside me at a stoplight, driving the latest model of Porsche, which gave me the impression he is wealthy. He loudly declares he will run the red light, claiming, "Rules are only for less fortunate folks like you!"
I suspect his inflated self-importance was obscuring his rear-view mirror because I noticed what he seemingly missed. A law enforcement officer was casually parked behind us, one eyebrow arched at the young man's boast.
I quietly let the sight slide and provocatively retorted to the spoiled youngster, "You wouldn't dare run that red light! You're too much of a scaredy-cat!"
The youngster took off as the light was still red, and I watched as the law enforcement officer swiftly got into action, changing lanes onto the one the youngster was on, and subsequently pulling him over.
79. Doggone It
As a warehouse employee, our policy is that shoppers must present a card to make purchases. Despite not being a traditional grocery store, we don't permit pets. One gentleman attempted to bypass the door greeter while leading a sizable pit bull puppy on a leash.
We halted him, explaining that dogs weren't allowed inside, but he wasn't too pleased. He argued that he's our top shopper, visiting us five times a week, and even invests in our company. He demanded an explanation for our no-dog rule.
We cited food safety concerns, particularly when dealing with an untrained puppy. Despite this, our manager opted to let him pass, showcasing a lack of resolve on his part. The aftermath was honestly comedic.
In less than five minutes, the dog stopped in the middle of the primary aisle and urinated, subsequently defecating. The owner blushed heavily, hastily dragging his pet towards the exit and leaving his shopping items behind.
We gently reminded him to clean up his dog's mess, with a pointed mention of our rule's rationale. "This, sir, is why we do not allow pets."
80. Paying Time
I had a job that was taking up 90 hours of my week but my paycheck only covered 40-45 hours. One day, my boss lost his temper and yelled at me on the phone. That's when I decided to call it quits—I promised promising to wrap up by the end of the day.
I completed all my pending work and despite my boss trying to persuade me to stay, I stood my ground. Ultimately, he ended up working nearly 18-hour days for the following two weeks just to find someone to fill my position.
81. Free Fruit
I used to love stopping by a family-owned fruit stall near my previous workplace. Once, a kiddo was manning the cash register and mistakenly gave me extra change. I returned the surplus, saying it was no big deal and promising to keep it under wraps.
It seems like the child told their family. Around two weeks later, they started letting me have my fruit for free. This went on for a month until I switched jobs. I guess what goes around, comes around!
82. A Slippery Slope
My hubby was moving our pet's newly topped-up water dish from the sink to its dining spot when our dog bumped into him, causing a water mess all over the floor. Unable to contain my laughter, I teasingly called him clumsy.
But in the short span it took him to locate the mop, I forgot about the water puddle and slipped on it as I headed towards the dryer. I took quite a tumble onto the hard granite tile. The fall left me with a fractured arm, a slight concussion, and eight stitches on my head.
83. An Act Of God Indeed
It wasn't a customer causing problems, it was the manager. She was terrible. She openly favoured certain employees, even showering them with gifts in front of others who actively tried to avoid her.
She purposely messed up the schedules of those she didn't like, among countless other issues. She was far from an ideal manager. A big storm was brewing, causing concern among everyone, with warnings to stay at home and other businesses shutting down.
It fell upon her to decide whether to keep our store open or close. Needless to say, she opted to remain open. With schools closing down, only half of our staff were able to make it to work, and the other half called in unavailable.
Yet, she kindly exempted her favourite staff from reporting to work. However, karma had a lesson in store for her that day. The few of us who managed to show up stood at the front windows, observing the storm and the empty store, as work had been completed.
All the while, we were anxious about our safety and how we would get home. The storm was so powerful it was bending trees in half. Despite all this, she started screaming at us, intimidating to penalize us all.
Amidst this chaos, we heard a thunderous crashing sound. The industrial air conditioner on the rooftop had been blown off the building and it rolled along the roof before flying right into the parking lot...landing directly on her parked car.
The air conditioner crushed her car right down the middle. She was lucky she wasn't in it; she would have perished. What made it more interesting was that she had parked close to the building even though we had been expressly informed not to.
Meanwhile, the rest of us had parked far away from the building. We later discovered that her car was a pricey BMW that she hadn't paid off yet. Worse yet, her insurance didn't cover the damage since it was categorized as an "act of god".
84. Not Your Guy Anymore
I work professionally in IT as a consultant. Over the years, I've become quite proficient, especially in handling Microsoft Exchange Server. A few years back, I looked at a job but missed out on it.
Despite my expertise, the company hired a firm that quoted far below my rate, which I found unreasonably low. The firm that won the job was filled with tech generalists rather than Exchange Server specialists, but they believed they could handle it.
I warned the client—a company I had worked with before and had a solid relationship with—that it wouldn't end well. They dismissed my warning as bitterness over not getting the job. It didn't take long before my prediction came true.
After setting the situation aside and focusing on other work, I was shocked to receive a call from the other firm just two weeks later. Their inexperience had led to a catastrophic failure — their whole email system went down.
They were in a panic and asked urgently for my help, but I politely declined. Things escalated when the owner of the troubled firm showed up at my house late that night. Despite his insistence, I refused to help.
Suddenly, he lost his temper and started yelling at me. Concerned for my safety, I called the authorities, who took him to custody for disorderly behavior. His car, parked inconveniently in my driveway, had to be towed, costing me money.
After spending a day locked up, he was released, but by then the damage had been done. The client asked me to assist again in fixing their problem, but I chose not to wade into the chaos.
Instead, the client sued the firm, which ended up declaring bankruptcy and closing down to avoid the lawful mess.
85. Big Burritos
One night, as I was walking into a gas station, a homeless man stopped me to see if I had any spare change he could use to buy a frozen burrito. I politely asked him which kind he liked best, and he told me he wanted the biggest one they sold!
I asked him to wait right there, went inside, and picked up one of their largest burritos for him. The brilliant smile he gave me when I came back was one of the most touching things I'd seen in ages.
86. Honesty Is The Best Policy
One day, my wife and I decided to grab some sandwiches. At the register, I saw that the total was roughly half of what we expected. I simply thought there must've been a promotion that day.
However, when we reached our car, my wife checked the receipt and realized we only got charged for one sandwich, not two. I returned to the store to explain what happened, and they kindly responded by charging me only half the cost for the second sandwich, and even gifted us a pair of free cookies.
87. You Got Told
I used to work at a bustling brunch spot, with Mother's Day as arguably the busiest day of the year. One evening, a pretty unpleasant customer phoned and requested a six-seat table reservation for the following day. He didn't take it too well when I told him it was simply not feasible.
After multiple attempts to speak to my manager while getting increasingly agitated, I eventually handed the phone over. Initially, I was hesitant to involve my manager, Mac, given his rather stern demeanor, especially in the midst of a demanding dinner service.
But seeing Mac hovering and questioning why the call was taking so long, I thought to myself, "Well, this customer clearly won't listen to me anyway" and passed him the phone. Mac politely asked how he could assist, and calmly listened for a brief period.
Quickly thereafter, he explained to the customer something along the lines of, "You're keeping my hostess occupied during a busy dinner service, even though she has already politely informed you that we're unable to accommodate your party on the eve of our peak day of the year?
I'm sorry, but that can't happen!" With that, he hung up.
88. Kindness: The Ultimate Repellant
I was traveling across the country with a flexible plane ticket, and had a stop in Chicago. I was strolling around to find a nearby eatery from my hotel when I came across a man on the streets begging for money for food.
Now, normally, I've seen those people with cardboard signs, but actually being asked directly was new to me. In my mind, I thought, "This guy might just want some cash for beverage and I'm going to challenge him".
So, I approached him and offered, "How about this: Instead of giving you cash, I'll get you something to eat from where I'm heading. You can order whatever you want". His response was a shocker.
I was feeling rather confident, expecting him to make up a reason to decline. But he replied, "Sure, why not!" He then grabbed his things, and off we went. We picked some casual diner, like a Ruby Tuesday or an Applebee's.
When he couldn't choose between a steak and ribs, I reassured him that he could have both. But things took a weird turn at this point. Mid-meal, he brandished the largest cutter I've ever seen. Laying it on the table, he admitted, "I was seriously starving.
Everyone just walked past me, some glaring, some being rude. I'd decided the next irritating comment would be met with this blade." I was stunned silent. We eventually resumed our chat, finished our meal, and I even coaxed him into a dessert.
Meanwhile, I expressed an interest in his cutter, saying I was shopping for one. I then offered him $250 for it, which he gladly accepted. I had felt that such a blade was unnecessary for him. I thought he could benefit from the cash more than the cutter.
After buying it, I handed it over to an on-duty law enforcement officer, saying I'd found it on the street. Maybe it ended up preventing harm, who really knows. That day, I learned a few important things about life: Never make assumptions about people, and always be kind.
89. He’s Gotta Go
For a couple of years, I ran a steakhouse. During this period, there was one worker who thought he knew it all and was constantly talking back when we asked him to do specific tasks. Eventually, I reached my limit with his attitude and began to document his misconduct at every opportunity.
Interestingly, the manager at the time had a soft spot for this irritable fellow, so I wasn't able to dismiss him as I had hoped. One day, this problematic employee showed up late and then announced he didn't feel like working.
The manager agreed to cover his shift, and sent him home, making it clear that he must show up for his morning shift the next day, as the current substitute agreed to cover under the condition that he'd take her shift in the morning.
This is where things took a turn. After about an hour, a tow truck driver arrived, looking for our troublemaking employee and asking for his home address. I explained that I couldn't give out personal details of our staff, but then the driver, who was actually a debt collector, offered me $200 to change my mind.
Without any hesitation, I accepted the cash and shared the employee’s address. To my utter amusement, about two hours later, the tow truck driver rolled up with the employee’s truck attached. He further handed me $100 as a token of thanks.
Unsurprisingly, the guy didn't make it to work the following morning and rightfully lost his job. So in the end, I had the final chuckle.
90. Stuck In Her Ways
During my high school years, I worked for the city's road maintenance team. One day, we were repairing a street, blocking one lane with a concrete patch. This woman, in quite a rush and driving a swanky car, totally ignored my sign.
Although "STOP" side was clearly visible to her, she drove past me, ignoring my warnings to halt. She even cursed me as she sped off! What happened next was nothing short of a spectacle.
She ended up driving straight into the freshly poured concrete, which reached as far as the bottoms of her car doors! Leaving her vehicle stuck, she tried stepping out in her stilettos, to no avail. We watched her struggle, swearing at us while demanding assistance, and ruining her pricey shoes in the process.
She finally had to walk off barefoot and fuming. As for her car, let's just say it needed a tow.
91. Babies Know Best
I work at a second-hand furniture store, which spans two floors. The merchandise we carry comes from individuals who want us to sell their items on their behalf, and we split the proceeds.
One day, a woman walked in with her young son in tow and after browsing for a while, she spotted a pair of bar stools she liked. She approached me at the counter, requesting, "I'd like two additional stools like these".
I responded with a smile, "Unfortunately, we cannot make that happen. These stools were brought in by someone to be sold, it's all they had to give us." In return, she questioned, "Why on earth can't you source similar stools?!
Surely, they can be found online!" Maintaining my composure and smile, I replied, "I'm sorry, but we truly can't do that. You're absolutely free to look online yourself but, regrettably, I can't assist you further".
Her response was an angry rant about getting me fired, tarnishing the store's reputation – literally everything. It still tickles me to recall what transpired next. As she was storming out, she ran smack into our front door, which is a push door and was locked.
Puzzled, she shouts at me "WHY IS THIS LOCKED?!" I was clueless. Then, her son turns to her and admonishes, "Mommy you were rude to that lady. I refuse to leave until you apologize." That kid was a class act.
92. You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone
Right after high school, I started my first job at a well-known guitar store chain. It initially seemed exciting—I'd be surrounded by guitars and chat about music with others sharing the same passion. But the reality turned out to be exhausting with relentless 10-hour shifts, five to six days a week, and repetitive loud music.
Still, I held on, partly because I needed the money and also due to my never-give-up mindset. The store was going through a rough phase when I joined; they had just fired a large part of their staff for illicit activities.
Sales were plummeting and pressure from the higher-ups was intense. I had to step it up—but I had an advantage. Yet, surprisingly, selling turned out to be my forte, especially when it came to items I had a good knowledge of.
As the accessories guy, I was really pulling in the customers with sales easily crossing $30,000 almost every month, despite the least expensive item in my section being only $500. I even had a collection of letters from satisfied customers praising my help.
With time, the overall sales in the store started to pick up—my department even became the best in our district and third best in the West Coast. Regardless, the store's General Manager and the corporate bosses only demanded more.
If I didn't surpass the previous month's figures, I was berated. I even got penalized once for a drop in sales because I went on vacation in January. Daily calls and emails from regional and district managers kept pouring in, questioning me about not reaching a certain sales target.
My life became a continuous cycle of working, eating, and sleeping. I had no time for social activities; my girlfriend and I could barely meet. The immense pressure led me to develop an ulcer, prompting me to decide to resign.
I gave my all during the final month, December, which is typically the busiest and most stressful for retail workers. Despite the pressure, I rallied and made nearly $80,000 in sales. The response from my boss was not what I expected at all—it was lukewarm at best, implying that I was doing a 'good' job.
I demanded a raise, explaining how I had been instrumental in turning around the sales and the strong positive feedback from customers. His response was a cold-blooded laugh and rejection.
Disgusted, I handed over my resignation letter. I took up a college course I had been delaying due to work commitments. A few months after I quit, a former colleague informed me about a jacket I had left behind in the store.
Upon my visit to pick it up, I learned that the General Manager was fired as he had failed to keep me at the store, which corporate had taken note of. Sales had plummeted with my department plummeting from 1st to 9th in the district out of 11 stores.
As I learned about the scramble to improve the sales, I felt a sense of validation.
93. Her Spot
My cousin left her car parked on a roadside near my home. My neighbor showed up, upset, saying it was her place. Rather than debating, my cousin just relocated her car.
Later in the day, one local kid accidentally banged his bike into my neighbor's car parked right where my cousin's car was before.
94. Expensive Trash
There's been a persisting problem of people unlawfully throwing trash into my dumpster, located behind my business. Just to clarify, it's surprisingly costly to maintain a commercial dumpster.
It's a shared resource between my business and two others, requiring emptying three times a week at a hefty cost of $400 monthly. So, imagine my frustration when it fills up with trash unrelated to our businesses.
I couldn't catch the culprits in the act, so I decided to install a camera. During the installation, I saw someone discarding a carpet and yard waste into our dumpster. I chose not to confront the offender immediately.
Instead, I called the non-emergency hotline, providing the car's license plate number and a physical description. An officer came to confirm the details, and while inside my store, we noticed the same person backing his truck up to my dumpster for round two.
His lack of attention missed the law enforcement car parked in front of my shop, or he simply didn't care. The officer ordered him to remove all the trash he had dumped, including what was left from his previous visit.
The guy had to climb into the dumpster and ended up covered in yard waste. Once he'd filled his truck from the cab up, he was slapped with a $500 fine for unpermitted dumping. His reaction? Absolutely priceless.
95. What He Does In The Shadows
I once managed customer queries for an online banking help desk. One day, an 18-year-old lad called up. He was concerned about a $7 transaction to "allpay" that he didn't recognize. He jumped to the conclusion that the bank, and by extension, I, was swindling him out of his $7.
He called me a "meddling lowlife." To add to it, his father came on the line, backing his son's misplaced allegation, calling me a foolish thief exploiting an 18-year-old, even when I was just assisting people with their online banking, and the charge in question originated from a debit card transaction.
Regardless, I called our debit card service team to secure more specifics. They didn't disappoint. Now, the ball was in my court and I got to inform this young dude’s equally ill-mannered dad about their discovery. "Sir, appreciate your patience.
I spoke to our debit card team and now we have a clear picture as to why your son didn't recognize the payment to “allpay”. It's actually a deliberately vague descriptor for privacy reasons when a customer subscribes to adult content online.
That's the real reason behind this charge. Your son has subscribed to adult video content. Would you like to hand over the phone to him so I can explain, or would you prefer to relay the information?"
With that, the father muttered no more investigation was needed, thanked me for my help, and ended the call.
96. Get Mature, Kid
Back in high school, I had a job at a small Kmart store. I did a bit of everything—from working in electronics to stocking shelves and operating the cash register. One day, I saw a woman and her pre-teen son shopping and offered them assistance.
Unexpectedly, the boy was quite rude to me. Despite being taken aback, I moved on and just shrugged it off, though I felt the kid was quite rude. Shortly after, I was summoned to the checkout counter, and guess who shows up? The same mother and son.
The boy had picked up a bunch of EA sports games along with a GTA game from the electronics section. As I was scanning their items, the system alerted me to check for age restrictions on the M-rated GTA game.
I decided this was a perfect opportunity to give the rather obnoxious boy a little lesson in karma. Turning the game to its back, I calmly told the mom, "This video game has received an M-rating due to the following factors," and I read aloud the list of reasons from the package.
The store suddenly went very quiet. The mother was shocked and told me her son had simply described it as “slightly violent". When she realized he had misled her, she was not amused. Needless to say, the boy didn’t get to take any video game home that day.
97. Going, Going, Gone
One day while I was in Florida visiting a friend, I popped into a Circle K to buy some drinks. Suddenly, a group of tourists muscled their way in front of us in line. They were grumbling loudly about everything—stuff like the high prices, the packed beach, and the unbearable heat.
On top of that, they were super impolite to the cashier and took ages haggling over the cost of the hotdogs they had chosen. After they finally left and we exited the store, we saw a seagull swoop in and snatch the guy's hot dog right from his grip.
His wife let out a scream and accidentally dropped her own hot dog in shock. It might not seem like much, but the sight was so funny that it's stayed with me for over five years.
98. Left With Nothing But Her Own Company
One time, I was flying back home from a vacation in Hawaii. I got to my seat only to find a sour-faced lady sitting there. Telling her gently that she's occupying my seat, she checked her boarding pass to find she had to sit across the aisle.
She started bickering about needing to sit with her husband but refused to move. Choosing not to get into an argument, I just took her seat. What was surprising was that she didn't even bother to say thank you.
As soon as we were up in the air, the in-flight entertainment, including free movies and shows, was turned on. That's when the priceless moment arrived. I noticed her arguing with a flight attendant over her TV not working.
The flight attendant, regretfully, told her that there were no other available seats as the flight was jam-packed. Left without a TV, she had to endure a five-hour flight without any entertainment.
99. Feeling Blue
A lady with blue hair approached me to express her dissatisfaction about a dessert she purchased from our eatery, claiming it contained a hair.
She showed it to me, and unsurprisingly, it was a blue hair. I kindly informed her, "Miss, none of our staff members have blue hair."
100. Two Lanes, One Winner
A couple of years back, I found myself grabbing a quick meal at a McDonald's close to my workplace, right before starting my shift. This particular drive-thru had two lanes. Clearly, I finished ordering before the car in the other lane.
But then I got caught off-guard—the guy raced ahead to cut me off. I couldn't stop chuckling when I saw what happened next. His car conked out right there, allowing me to proceed with my turn as intended.
101. Have A Care
Once when I was employed at a telecommunications company in Canada, a woman came in with her damaged iPhone, insistently asking for a replacement at no cost.
She was quite determined to achieve her goal, going as far as calling our loyalty team right there in the store and spending a couple of hours loudly pleading her case.
In the end, they conceded and agreed to give her a free replacement. As she collected her new phone, she brashly told me she didn't want a protective case and claimed AppleCare was a rip-off.
Since our income is commission-based, this meant that I would earn nothing from this transaction, which would negatively impact my sales record.
To top it off, she kept rushing me to complete the setup process as I was trying to ensure her new phone was fully operational before she left.
In her haste, she snatched the phone from me, declared that I was an inferior employee, and stormed out of the store. Three steps outside and down goes her brand new phone, resulting in a cracked screen and a non-responsive device.
Panicked, she dashed back into the store, asking if there was anything I could do. All I could do was shrug and say, "Regrettably, AppleCare would have been pretty useful right about now, wouldn't it?"
102. Just Stop
My neighbor chased after me down my driveway, berating me for not making a complete stop at the stop sign. I said I was sorry, even though I felt his reaction was a bit much given we live at the quiet end of the street.
He wasn't done, though—he shouted and swore at me while he was reversing out of my driveway and, ironically, he backed right into my tree. His car's side was seriously dented, and his mirror got torn off.
And then, ignoring the very rule he had accused me of breaking, he sped off down the road without stopping at the sign.
103. The Evil Twin
My mom's identical twin sister, my aunt, hasn't been the best. She often manipulated, tormented, and scared my cousin. She did things like destroying her prom dress the day before the event, forcing us to scramble for a last-minute replacement.
She even concocted false accusations against my cousin's boyfriend—it only escalated from there. Then, she attempted to send my cousin off to a dreadful wilderness camp. Ironically, that's the only time her normally passive father intervened for her.
She also swindled my cousin by stealing her scholarship money and selling her car to fund a vacation. Eventually, my cousin managed to break free by enlisting in the Coast Guard and pursuing online academic studies.
When my aunt was diagnosed with cancer, she tried to persuade my cousin into caring for her but her response was epic. My cousin agreed to help select her grave and a nursing home but nothing more. Currently, my aunt is merely a shadow of her earlier self, both physically and mentally.
My cousin has instructed the nursing home to only communicate with her after my aunt's passing. She even lodged a complaint against one of their nursing staff for violating this rule as my aunt’s a master manipulator, adept at playing the frail elderly woman card.
More than often, my aunt tries to reach out to other family members, searching for pity or a place to stay. However, she hasn't had any luck so far.
Sources: Reddit, , , , , , , , , ,
