In an era where social media amplifies the costume competition for Halloween, the stakes are high.
And it is often the parents who get carried away trying to outdo one another, turning a fun aspect of the holiday for children into one that is mean-spirited.
Imgur user Ashontez, who runs a small business on Etsy making costumes, was criticized by an unreasonable and very angry customer.
Apparently, $25 an hour was an exorbitant amount of money to pay for a custom-made, 3D printed Optimus Prime costume.
The surly customer whined, "I'll pay you for materials and that's it!," according to Bored Panda.
Below is the text exchange of a prospective business request that quickly went south.
The vendor was attacked for the price after explaining it would be to pay for their time custom modeling the costume only if the customer had not purchased the 3D blueprint.
"All you do is sit at a computer," the customer fumed.
The customer continued being belligerent.
The irate customer would not be ignored.
They even hurled a few D-bombs, er, F-bombs, to demonstrate just how angry they were.
And a threat to shut down the business was made.
Not cool.
Ashontez later posted a breakdown of the numbers to justify the cost for making the costume.
"For those that are curious as to how I got those numbers here is the general breakdown: It would be a rush job, plus I charge about $3-4/hr plus double the cost of materials."
"it would take about 36-48 hours to print the helmet alone. Add in about another 24 hours per piece (4 leg pieces, 4 arm pieces, two hands, helmet, chest, back. that would take (ballparking here) 13 pieces x 24 each is 312 hours. 312 x 3 = $936 thats also before the cost of material which I can't really guestimate, and doesn't even consider painting the damn thing."
Someone on Imgur vouched for the legitimacy of the pricing.
"In switzerland there is easily charged 150$/hr modelling fee plus material. Plus 90$per printing hour at least... So your prize is good." - Vivec88
People sympathized with Ashontez and gave their assessments on the situation.
"Reminds me of the dude who tried to commission a quilt from a freelancer for the price of materials. Time is money numbskulls" - Tacocatisapalindrom
"I don't get these people that seem to have no understanding of how any business operates... value must be added or else the shop closes down" - Rhythmaster
"Why do I have to pay you to build my house if I provide all the bricks!?" - pfsar
"Wonder how he is at the supermarket? "That much for milk? You wholesale it for half that! I'll give you half that." - FilthyRaider
"What a twat. "Ok guy, then go buy a full custom suit of plastic armor for your kid at the place that will sell it to you for $50." Unreal." - FistfulOfAssholes
"I feel this pain. I love when someone tells me that I just "click a button" when I show up w $20k worth of photography gear to a job.Riiight" - djbigley
"Tell him to ask a machine shop what they charge for modelling. And then when he's not happy, tell him to ask an engineering consultancy next" - DavidBrooker
"Artists takes years to learn their craft, blows my mind that people think artists should be paid less then nothing for work that they do." - Kightzeareau
According to Boredpanda, the complaint actually boosted Ashantez's business.
"I'm sure he's just going to report my profile to Facebook and post a few rants on his timeline about how terrible I am and to never use me. Which, ironically, has helped more people ask for commissions, the traffic to my etsy shop has jumped up quite a bit since posting this yesterday."
Artists and craftspeople deserve to be paid for their time and expertise, just like any other professionals. If you can't afford their services, demanding they change their pricing to accommodate you is not a good look.
H/T - Boredpanda, Imgur
People who've had bad encounters with someone they've never met shared their experiences when Redditor Jemuzu8304 asked:
"Whats the most f'ked up thing a complete stranger has done to you?"
Drivers and passengers recall their rude interactions.
The Prank
"One time I was in south Philly and a car pulled up with two guys in it. They called out to me asking for directions so I walked over. As I was explaining where to go the dude in the passenger seat spit in my face and they sped off."
– the_humbL_lion
Willing Victim
"You just reminded me of a similarly gross interaction:"
"Years ago after a doctor's appointment, I got into my car and turned it on, at which point a small child started leaning/sitting on the hood. His heavily pregnant mother stood by doing nothing, apparently distracted by her phone. I rolled down my window, and asked if she would mind getting her child off of my car, as I needed to leave, and was concerned he could get hurt."
"She asked if I had insurance. Confused, I answered '...yes?', to which she said 'Well I hope you DO hit him so I can get some MONEY!' She proceeded to lean in through my passenger window, and started spitting on me. The kid was no longer on my car, and I desperately wanted to get away from her, so I put my car in reverse. She then hurled her pregnant belly into my sideview mirror, and shrieked in such an exaggerated way, as if I had hit her."
"I eventually found a new doctor."
– TheHaydnPorter
Unwanted Car Wash
"Stopped at a red light one time. Someone from a building adjacent to the light threw a bag of ice and water on my car, from a few stories up. Dented the roof and shattered the windshield."
"Wasn't even a nice car, I was driving a Dodge neon sh*tbox."
– IAmPandaKerman
You never know the capabilities of strangers you encounter.
The Violent Thief
"I got held up at gun point 2 weeks ago in philly 10 feet from the door to my friends apartment. They stole both our watches. My watch was given to me by my dead uncle. https://imgur.com/a/V59aebW"
– xcpain93
Hit By A Hard Object
"Reminds me of something. Some a**hole tossed a lock, like the combination type out of a car at me and hit me in the knee. I had trouble walking correctly for damn near a month."
"I always thought if they'd have stopped at a light I'd have hurled that b*tch right back."
"Good thing they didn't. I wasn't in any condition for a fight."
– Ok_Relationship_705
Moving Targets
"I also have a drive-by experience but it was with a f'king paintball gun. My friend and I were in freshmen year, just walking to the park to play some ball and with no warning he suddenly recoils and shouts in pain. I had no clue what happened. He reaches at his back and when he turns around I see a bright red paint splat on his white shirt. I look up and see the car that just passed us turns around, pulls up next to us with the kid in the passenger seat hanging the gun out window saying 'Sorry bro, I’m just so surgical with this thing,' and speeds off. Pretty hilarious story in hindsight within our friend group now, but at the time we were pissed. Luckily we got their plates and the cops showed up at their house and they got in trouble. F'kers."
– zakxk
Wrong Target
"I was about 11 and me and some friends were standing on a small bridge over a lake. All of a sudden I was picked up and thrown over the railing into the lake below. I tried to grab onto anything I could as I fell and scrapped my arms up pretty good. I still have scars 30 years later. So I swim to the side and some older kid comes up to me and just say - sorry, I thought you were someone else."
– discostud1515
Attacks happen when you least expect it.
Random Attack
"Punched me, for no reason. I was standing. Waiting for the community bus. A stranger got out of the car and punched me. I filed the Police report but nothing happen."
– Hallo-Mapskollegen
Hitting The Elderly
"My grandmother was at the movies and a guy walking up the aisle punched her in the side of the head. He told the cops he was mad because he was on a bad blind date."
"Like...great excuse to wallop a 75-year-old woman minding her own business."
– BarracudaImpossible4
The Ferrari Guys
"Had a similar thing happen when I was in Downtown Los Angeles. I was crossing the street and just came up onto the sidewalk. Some dude in a Ferrari steps out of the car, walks up to me and tries to swing on me in broad daylight. I sidestepped this dude, and he then spun to try to hit me again, calling me a motherf**ker and not to dodge. I caught him with a nut shot with my foot and doubled him over."
"His buddy hops out of the car, and another of his buddies (I assume) gets up from the side of the sidewalk and both are yelling at me, and I'm like, 'ah, f'k, I'm not ready for this.'"
"These absolute legends who had been watching all this sh*t go down just appear out of nowhere and jump these guys for me. Like, six different people from out of the woodwork. Nutshot and Scrub (Ferrari guys) hop in the car and just take off, scraping the car and taking the right side view mirror off. Their (assumedly) other homeboy gets left behind, but he tries to stumblef'k his a** away after having taken a couple of hits to the head. One of the guys who helped me jogs up and punts this dude in the side right after he falls over, doubling him up. Meanwhile, everybody else is checking on me and making sure I'm good."
"Cops show up, detain us, figure out what's going on, let us go, and arrest homie that couldn't get away. Come to find out, these guys have been doing this for weeks, and the people who helped me were local residents who had been on the lookout for Nutshot. Arrested homie later squealed, and all the guys involved got a couple of years for aggravated assault."
– feronen
My bad interactions with strangers were all random but definitely premeditated assaults.
I was mugged twice in New York City while I was typically minding my own business.
Also, while I was in Barcelona, I had a team of youths pick-pocket me and run off with my wallet containing my passport and credit cards. Fortunately, the friend I was with saw what happened and ran off after them. She sucker-punched the young lady who had my wallet, causing her to drop it.
Be careful out there, folks!
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But What Did They Want To Do With Those Cobras?
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The Truth Lies Between The Lines...
"Barcode scanners scan the white lines, not the black ones."- the_blast_radius
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