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Aggravated People Rant About Social Customs We Need To Stop Immediately

Aggravated People Rant About Social Customs We Need To Stop Immediately

Society has some weird, outdated customs.

In several states, for instance, it is illegal for more than three women to live in a house together because it is then considered a brothel. And we all know that's outdated and kind of misogynistic, but for some reason, nobody seems in any hurry to change those laws. So when ruj00 took to the internet to ask:

What social custom needs to be retired?

We were excited when it forced us to take a look at some of the dumb things we do as a society.

Work Yourself Hard

I quit a warehouse job recently due to sh-t pay and terrible working conditions. $10/hr after taxes and union fees are taken out brings it down to around $8/hr. Only scheduled for 10-15 hours a week despite me being promised 30. Running around in a 100° F warehouse while covered in dirt and dust. Sweat + dirt + dust = constantly runny nose, sneezing out black stuff, breaking out in acne from touching your face, not to mention how it ruins most of your clothes.

My dad gave me sooo much shit for it. "You're f-cking pathetic. You're always looking for the easy way out. You don't know how to work hard."

You're g-d damned right! If I can earn the same amount of money doing an easier job in an air conditioned environment you bet your -ss I will. My dad is so old school it hurts. He told me he wouldn't work for a different company even if he was offered a 40% raise, as leaving would be "disloyal" to the company he currently works for. The same man that complains about how much he hates most of the people he works with.

"When I was your age I was working in a factory doing the same sh-t you were doing."

Cool, but like shouldn't you be glad that it isn't necessary for me to do that in order to live?

Repeat After Me: I Need A Vacation

Being shamed for turning down overtime at work.

Sorry, but if I only have one day off this entire week, I'm f-cking taking it. If you ask me to come in on that day and I say no, asking "Are you sure? Think of the money" over and over won't change anything. It normally ends up so that they keep badgering me until I flat out give a made up excuse. Now I feel bad for lying, you clearly KNOW I'm bullsh-tting, but it's the only way to get you to stop.

I just need a day to myself. Gimme a break.

Solitude

People not getting that sometimes you want some alone time and there is nothing wrong with that.

Proof

Having to post yourself doing something good on social media or it never happened mentality. I just went through the scariest storm of my life here in Houston with Hurricane Harvey. Tons of people were posting pictures of them helping demo walls in houses which is totally fine and dandy. But people were actually complaining about how others "waited too long to start helping" as if just because I didn't post the DAY after the hurricane that I was inside a house busting down walls that I never helped. Sorry I just dont need to film myself or document myself to prove that I was helping, not everyone needs to give themselves the ol' social media pat on the back. It's so f-cking annoying the type of society we live in now.

Prom Costs

Extremely expensive prom dresses.

I built a $1200 Computer few months back and people where like you spent 1200 on a computer you crazy. Then my sister spent well my Dad spent $800 on my sisters prom dress and no one bats a eye.

Honestly she only used that dress once and a computer i can use for years to come.

Private Presents

Opening gifts in front of the gifter.

I was exposed to the opposite custom while in Asia, where gifts are opened in private. It's so refreshing. You don't have to feign delight over something unwanted, unneeded, or that you're just going to return or regift later.

Need Experience To Get Experience

Having experience for entry level jobs. If I'm applying for a job at Mickey D's, a cart associate, or anything that is going to pay me minimum wage, require nothing of me customer service wise, I should never lose an opportunity to get a job because I don't have enough experience. I had to deal with this, and my brother is dealing with it. I shouldn't have to know people to get a job at fast food joints. Service industry, low pay jobs, exist because you can literally hire people who have no experience for them, yet my brother hears he doesn't have work experience and that they're hiring a person with one more job worth of experience before him.

Toxic Masculinity

Men are too tough to have feelings. Everyone has feelings, it's part of being human.

Let's Talk About Checks, Baby

Not discussing your wages/salary with co-workers. The only reason this custom exists is to keep people getting screwed from knowing they're being screwed.

It's too late to 'pologize

Public apologies that mean nothing. A company/public figure would be forced to release an apology and it would just be the most passive agressive and non-apologetic letter.

In The Chopper

Helicopter parenting. This is not a healthy parenting style, but is sadly becoming the norm.

Since not everyone knows this term, a helicopter parent is a common parenting style (in the U.S., and I believe other western countries) were a parent is overly involved in their child's life, makes the child the center of the universe, and shelters the kid from any negative life experiences or consequences. Examples: older children not allowed to play anywhere unsupervised; parents applying for jobs on behalf of their kids and attending interviews with them; parents making teens download an app that tells the parent where they are at all times; parents flipping their shit when their kid gets a single bad grade, blaming the teacher vs. the kid. Then, these kids are magically supposed to grow up to be competent, well-adjusted adults, but have never experienced consequences and have been spoiled and sheltered their whole lives. Parents who don't helicopter are accused of child abuse and neglect, in extreme cases.

Souvenirs

The expectation that if you go on vacation that you need to bring back gifts. I was on vacation. I enjoyed myself and spent my hard earned money doing it. Why should I bring a gift back for people? They are more than welcome to go on their own vacation.

The Media Ruined My Life

The CNN effect.

We are bombarded with information about everything that happens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have no time to process what happens and understand it before the next story breaks. We don't have time to make our own opinions and just accept what our preferred media tells us, assuming they are non bias.

Unwanted Physical Contact

Might just be local, but forcing kids to hug people they don't like/aren't comfortable with.

"Oh, honey! That's your great-aunt's cousin's daughter's mom! Give her a hug!"

"Hug your grandma, you'll hurt her feelings if you don't."

I HATED this as a kid, i hate seeing it pushed on other kids now. I'll flat out tell the kid, "You will NOT hurt my feelings and i won't be upset if you don't want a hug." My nephew is on the spectrum, and as a kid we'd high five because that's what he was okay with.

Seriously, my son is going to grow up being told that it doesn't matter if it's his cousin, grandma, mom or dad, future wife-NOBODY gets to guilt or threaten yoi into physical contact.

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Diamond engagement jewelry.

The entire mined diamond industry is filthy.

Artificial diamonds have a much nicer sheen because better purity (just like cultured pearls) and can be made for a few bucks a pop.

The fact that "mined" natural diamonds still command a premium is entirely based on perception and deceit. This too will pass though.

Shiva?

Funerals. $10k to see a corpse. It's so odd and a bit morbid IMO. Why not just get together and reminisce at a house or restaurant?

Clean Sweep

Having to have every room in your house spotless for people coming to visit during holidays. I don't mind sweeping and vacuuming common areas, but why does my room need to be spotless. We aren't selling the house. Since I was away at college my mother decided to clean my room since relatives are visiting next week and now doesn't know where she put my coin collection, my german crystal whiskey decanter that was a gift, or half of my vinyl records.

College Alternatives

Schools telling kids that college is for everyone and acting like trade school and community college aren't legitimate.

When I was in high school a couple years ago, not only did they require teachers to devote a full day to pressuring people to go to a university, but we had an assembly where everyone who's been accepted to college got called up individually to walk to the center of the gym and be applauded.

I'm sorry if this is taboo, but some people are not emotionally prepared for college at 18, and some people simply don't have what it takes. I sure wasn't, and I'm naturally pretty Intelligent.

There's no reason my slacker best friend who counted his sick days so he could take the maximum allowed every year, and challenged himself to never read a single book for English his entire scholastic career, should be pressured in to taking $20,000 in debt simply because our culture says to before he decides it's too hard and drops out, or knocks a girl up and drops out, or any number of permutations thereof.

That said, we really need to teach civics in high school to create an environment where someone can leave high school ready to go in to a trade or whatever and be prepared to be a citizen of our country.

Gender Norms Are Dead

Guys always having to make the first move in a relationship. Women (at least most I personally know) complain so often that men are horrible at picking up signals. Well then why don't they make the first move and be up front? It's too scary? Afraid you'll look creepy? Afraid of rejection? Yeah, welcome to our lives, shits terrifying, but give us a break pleaaaase

My girlfriend made the first move when I was taking it too slow. That was 3 years ago. Just go for it. Having someone openly and blatantly express interest in a guy is so rare it will likely make their week

Let Me Frown In Peace

Someone telling you to smile. I surprised no one has mention this yet. There this one annoying front desk lady at my gym that constantly ask me to smile when I'm coming in to scan my ID. I don't want to smile, so stop asking. It's pretty rude to tell others to?

College Professors Share Their Funniest 'I Don't Know How You Made It Out Of High School' Experiences

Image by Foundry Co from Pixabay

Now that college has become a standard requirement for so many jobs and careers, there is a massive push by high schools to get their graduating students accepted and enrolled at an undergraduate college.

On the whole, that's undoubtedly a great thing. A more educated workforce will be prepared to solve the most complex issues facing human beings in the next several decades.

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college

911 Operators Describe The Most Unnerving Calls They've Ever Received

Image by Gianni Crestani from Pixabay

*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.

The person on the other end of a 911 call has a truly remarkable job.

For those who don't play that professional role, we hope to never encounter the 911 call interaction. But if we do find ourselves making that call, the moment is an anomaly in our lives.

The chaos, the panic, the racing heart, and the desperation are all emotions we, ideally, don't experience on a regular basis.

But for the operator on the other end, our call is one in a long line of calls they've received all day, and all the workdays before that one.

It's difficult to imagine being embedded in those uniquely urgent, emergency moments all the time.

Some Redditors who are on the other end of that call shared their experiences on the job.

WhimsicalxxButcher asked, "911 dispatchers what has been your most creepy/unnerving call?"

For a few, the most unnerving moments were the calm callers.

There was something just so eerie about how level-headed the faceless human being on the other end could be through such a desperate, tragic moment.

Almost Clinical 

"I had a friend who worked as a 911 dispatcher and he always said the worst call he ever had was a ~20 year old kid who committed suicide by mixing a bunch of chemicals together in his car to produce hydrogen sulfide gas."

"He said that the most unnerving part was hearing him calmly listing off the chemicals, the type of gas produced, and the effects of hydrogen sulfide on the body (namely the almost instant death it causes at high concentrations)."

"He ended the call by providing the address of the parking lot he was in and saying that nobody should approach the vehicle without hazmat equipment."

"Apparently after that there was a whooshing sound as he dumped the last chemical into the mix, and then the line went dead silent aside for a quiet fizzing noise."

"I know that call screwed him up because he almost never talks about stuff that happens to him on the job. He quit a few months later to go into construction management, and frankly I can't blame him."

-- iunoyou

Planned Out 

"A woman called me, saying she was going to kill herself. She was gassing herself. Gave me her name & address then said she was just going to lie down and 'go to sleep.' And stopped responding to me."

"I kept the line open, trying to get her to speak to me, and eventually heard officers forcing their way in to find her body. I guess she just wanted someone to find her body."

-- mozgw4

Before It Set In 

"When I got a call from a 6 year old who got home from school and laid down to take a nap with his dad. His dad never woke up."

"The kid was so calm when calling it broke my heart."

"I ended up leaving dispatch shortly after. I was good at compartmentalizing the job for the year I was doing it, but it would've broken me in the long run."

-- tasha7712

Other 911 operators were unfortunate enough to receive a call from the very last person they wanted to hear from: a loved one.

These dispatchers' unique position gave them the unexpected access to a family member or friend at their most dire moments.

No More of That 

"My family member is a long time first responder, and 'retired' into doing dispatch. He heard the address (someone else was taking the call) and realized it was his daughter's house."

"He rushed over there just in time to see them wheeling her body out. Overdose."

"Five months later, he was called to his ex-wife's place because his grandson (son of the daughter who recently passed) had his door locked, lights on, but wasn't responding to his grandma."

"He broke the door down and found him deceased in bed. Overdose."

"He's very stoic after years of all sorts of traumatic situations but my heart hurts whenever I think of what all of this must have felt like. Like sand through your fingers."

-- bitchyhouseplant

Knowing the Address

"Not me, but my grandma. I was sitting in the dispatch office, (very small one only 2 dispatchers including my grandma) but she put out a dispatch that there was a gun shot from my best friends address."

"My heart sank to my stomach and broke later that day. He committed suicide."

-- OntaiSenpuu

When it Happened 

"My uncle passing away. Worked as a small town dispatcher for a year or so. Had a bunch of messed up stuff happen on shift, but this call came in in the still hours of the night. Small town, so not many calls after midnight."

"I answered and recognized the name and address on caller id. Aunt was in a frenzy so didn't recognize my voice. I remained calm and got ems and fire rolling to them, but by my aunt's own words he was already blue."

"I went thru debriefing and mandated therapy for a couple other things that happened, but never really talked to anyone about this. I just try not to think about it."

"That was the call I figured out I needed to find a different job."

-- dangitjon

Finally, some simply had a front row seat to sudden tragedy.

These operators were flies on the wall when disaster struck. They never asked to witness what they witnessed, but sometimes that came with the territory.

A Holiday Tragedy 

"My mom is a 911 dispatcher. Early on she said one Christmas Eve while working she got a call from an elderly lady who's husband had just collapsed(and died) from a heart attack and in the background Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas music was playing on blast."

"The lady was screaming and crying and begging for her husband to wake up but my mom could hear his gurgling in his last breathes. She doesn't listen to or watch Alvin and the chipmunks since."

-- Blueflowerbluehair

What is it About Christmas?

"Christmas night. 911 call with crying child on the other end. A neighbor had run her car over her mom during a domestic."

"The mom crawled to the porch bleeding and the child saw the car coming back. I had her hide quietly in a closet with the cordless phone."

"The 10 year old child was crying and screamed that she hated Christmas. She was afraid of the police when they got there."

"I kept her on the phone until she felt safe enough to give the phone to an officer. I almost fainted after that call was over. Had nightmares for a while."

-- 2FunBoofer

Close to Home 

"Not a dispatcher but I handle radio communications for the Coast Guard. One night I was on the radio and got a call from an 11 year old kid whose boat had started to sink. He was out with his dad and 6 year old brother."

"They had been hit by another boat and his father got knocked unconscious. I remember the entire conversation up until the radio had gone underwater."

"They ended up finding his dad floating on his back alive but the two boys didn't make it. That one really fu**ed with me because my two littlest brothers were around the same age as the youngest."

-- HIRSH2243

A Horrible Clock 

"Another one that stays with me was the man who called in. It was the anniversary of his adult son having hanged himself. He'd now come home to find his wife had done the same."

"That date is always going to be a black day for him."

-- mozgw4


If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Again, we hope you never have to use the 911 call in your life. Nobody wants to be involved in a sudden emergency or a tragic incident.

But hopefully, if you do, an operator like one of these thoughtful, sensitive Redditors is on the other end.

emergency

Former 'Gifted' Students Explain Where They Ended Up In Life

Image by Nguyen Dinh Lich from Pixabay

When I was moving on from middle school to high school my parents had me tested for the "gifted" program. By some miracle I passed and was accepted. And then I turned it down. Everyone was irritated. "This will pave the way for any college you want! You'll learn so much!" his path will set you up for life!" Every adult tried valiantly to sell me this merchandise but in my gut I just wasn't buying it. So I "settled" a level below, merely advanced classes. And upon reflection... it was the best choice I ever made.

Redditor u/dauntlessdaisy was wondering how far some in life got by asking... For those of you who were considered "gifted" in school, what are you doing with your life now?
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former gifted students

People Explain Which Things Should Always Be Kept In A Car In Case Of Emergency

Image by Markus Spiske from Pixabay

There's a million things that can happen to you while out on on the road.

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