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Cashiers Reveal The Moment That They Snapped And Yelled At A Customer

Listen, whoever said "the customer is always right" clearly NEVER worked in retail, or else they'd have taken that back and publicly apologized to everyone who ever heard the phrase.


My first job was at a very popular chain "discount fashion" store. I was 15. It was the holiday season. I was in no way ready for the f*ckery that I encountered those few months.

Why do people use fitting rooms as bathrooms? Why do people "try on" lingerie only to put their dirty panties back on the hangers like we wouldn't notice? Why would you assume you can leave your toddlers "playing" in the toy area of the store while you literally go to other stores in the mall without them? What would make you think you can return items you didn't even buy here?

Being young, I never worked up the proverbial spine to rip any of these people a new one (no matter how well-deserved it was) - but that doesn't mean it never happens.

Reddit user TheRoastedKing asked:

Cashiers of Reddit, what was the worst time you blew up on a customer?

... guys... things got glorious. Check these responses out.

Check Your Wallet

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At a pawn shop. The lady paid me with a $20 and I gave her change. She flipped up because she knew she'd given me a $100 bill. She screamed, cursed, and called me every name in the book. Just lost her mind. The whole time, she's saying she knew she paid with a $100 bill be she'd just put one in her wallet earlier.

I asked her repeatedly to just check her wallet then to see it the $100 bill was still there or not. She just kept yelling she didn't need to check because she knew she'd given it to me.

Eventually she checked and all the anger just blew out of her. She was mortified, the $100 bill was there. B*tch.

- I_Lost_My_Shoe_1983

B*tch Get Out! 

I was a bartender - which is like being a cashier, therapist, and janitor all at the same time. Right after we closed one night I was sent to sweep up a broken glass that happened to be next to a table where a couple of girls were still sat finishing their last drinks. The DJ had just stopped playing music and bouncers were in the process of asking everyone to leave.

A lot of the broken glass happened to be under where one of the girls was sitting so I politely said "Please can I ask you to move so I can sweep up this broken glass?"

She gave me a really dirty look, downed her drink, threw her glass on the floor next to her (so I now had twice as much to sweep up), and said "You can't make me move anywhere."

That's when I got mad and yelled at her:
"B*TCH GET OUT! WE'RE CLOSED AND I ALREADY ASKED YOU POLITELY."

My manager heard, came over and asked what happened, I told him and he just went "OK. You're barred" to the girl, it was so satisfying when she tried arguing with him and he got the bouncers to escort her from the building.

- Evilcockney

Sort Your Life Out

I was working at a coffee shop in a busy downtown area. There was a businessman that was notorious for being abusive with our staff. One morning he came in and ordered a coffee and a cranberry scone. We happened to be out of cranberry scones that day, and when I informed him of this he flew off the handle and started swearing at me.

I looked him square in the eye and said "You're a grown man throwing a temper tantrum over a cranberry scone. Sort your life out." I then calmly turned to the next customer.

The next day he apologized and was never a problem again.

- ListenToTheStooges

Subway

When I worked at Subway in high school there was this guy in his 30's that came in with his wife almost everyday. He was a d!ck and talked to you like an idiot. Not because he was in a bad mood either, because he thought it was funny to be a jerk to kids working fast-food jobs.

One day I had enough and took his sandwich I was in the middle of making and spiked it into the garbage can and told him to f*ck off. He told me I couldn't talk to customers that way and I told him "I just did you ret*rd."

He called the owner and dropped my name (we had name tags) and she told him that if I blew up on him like that then it was probably deserved. The owner asked him to not return.

I for sure thought I was fired. Lucky for me the owner knew exactly what customer she was talking to and knew me well enough to know it takes a lot to get me irritated and that I wouldn't do something like that for no reason.

- tyrshand90

Coffee Umbridge

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This woman who used to come into the coffee shop I managed was the real-world equivalent of Dolores Umbridge. She was smug, obnoxious and delighted in being a giant pain in the @ss. She came in daily and had a ridiculously complicated drink order which she was unnecessarily nitpicky about. She came in one day when our grinder was having issues (which I warned her about). I happened to be on register and not on bar and so my employee (who was my best employee at the time) made the drink. She took it and left.

The next day she came in and before she even hit the register she announced very rudely in my general direction, "You're making my drink, right?"

I switched places with the person on bar in order to make it. As her drink was so wildly complicated, it took several minutes to make, throughout which I was told how terrible her drink had been yesterday, how it had ruined her day, how she'd lost faith in the company, etc. I apologized profusely and offered to comp her drink. That was not good enough. She told me she wanted the person who had made her drink before fired.

I... lost my temper. I more or less told her that I was sorry that her drink was not up to par the day before, but that I had apologized, offered a free beverage and had actually warned her we were having an equipment issue the day before, which was the likely culprit and not my employee.

She told me I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

I said "No. Actually you are a giant pain in the @ss. Your order is obnoxious and we bend over backwards to accommodate you daily and if that's how you feel please take your business elsewhere."

For some context, she had a whole list of things aside from the crazy drink; it had to be served with a certain number of napkins, her sleeve had to be facing a specific way, etc.

Coffee Umbridge tut tutted her way out of my shop in a huff and I didn't even care if I got in trouble for telling her off (I didn't.)

- Kasparian

15 Free Meals

I was a server years ago and this woman (usually a pretty nice lady) comes in and apparently we had messed up her salmon a few days prior so the manager had given her a free meal card which is good for one single meal.

Well a few days later she comes in with at least fifteen people about an hour before we closed and they all order seafood and steak and wine and her whole party is awful to both me and the other server. One guest even threw his plate on the ground breaking it and throwing food all over because his steak was over cooked!

After all of this the other server went to take the woman her check and it was a couple hundred dollars and she WHIPS OUT THE FREE MEAL CARD. The server takes it to the register comps one of the meals off and comes back with the new total and the woman loses it.


"I have a free meal card! This was one meal for all of us! It should be free!"

The server just stiffens up and politely explains that that isn't how it works and stresses that she had to have known that she couldn't have brought fifteen people in here and expected free meals for everyone. The woman stands up and pours her red wine all over the server - who just goes "WHAT THE F*CK!?" and runs to the back to get the manager.

The server kept her calm, honestly - but the manager flipped out and told her to get the hell out and never come back. Technically they got away with it, which was a shame, but we were all so angry we just wanted them out. They were banned from that point on. That was a crazy night.

- dangit_chelsi

Dollar Store Dental Work

Not a cashier exactly, but a bartender.

There was a hotel next to the restaurant/bar I worked at, which often would bring in crews of construction workers and other types of traveling workers. Most behaved themselves just fine, and some of my favorite regulars were seasonal workers who stayed next door. There were crass, classless individuals from time to time, though. Usually a quick comment that they're in a restaurant, not a sports bar, was enough to calm them down, but not this group.

They came in on a Friday, were loud, rude and vulgar, making passes at waitresses and irritating other guests. I ended my shift while they were still there, and when I arrived the next day, was informed that they followed a waitress out to her car, and wouldn't let her leave. They blocked her from getting into her car, and when she finally was able to get past them, they stood in front of her car and jeered, making rude gestures and remarks. Eventually the kitchen guys came out, and they left.


They showed back up the next night, and I was instructed to deal with them if they came back after the GM went home, which of course they did.

So we started with the usual deal, "you're not welcome back due to your behavior, please leave" etc. The foreman (or whatever he was) insisted it was all a joke, and that I needed to get a sense of humor. His exact words were "You need to go to the dollar store and buy a sense of humor." Whatever that means. Remember that dollar store detail, it'll be important in a second.

So this goes on for a bit, he actually had the gall to ask for a refund for the previous night. I declined, and as this conversation continued, I began to lose my patience. The guy got more belligerent, and insulting, and repeated his weird dollar store comment multiple times. I finally lost my patience roughly the 400th time he said this, and said "The dollar store, huh? Is that where you get your dental work done? You have 10 seconds to get the hell out of this bar before I call the cops."

I could tell this was a sore spot for him, as he looks like he chewed rocks every day for breakfast. He deflated quickly, as several patrons and most of the waitstaff witnessing this laughed at him openly.

He left quietly and did not come back.

- DJNimbus2000

Tires and Racial Slurs

I was super busy trying to run my tire shop and the counter. I had already sold 14 sets of tires - not including the odd or individual tires - when this older guy came up and demanded I go get him a tire. He tells me the size and I inform him it will have to be ordered since we don't carry 13" tires on hand.

He blew up started calling me racial slurs I haven't heard since grade school. I told him to leave my shop. He got in my face and raised his hand to hit me.

That's when I lost my sh!t and dragged the old man off the property and called the cops on him.

The next day the dude came back in glasses and a hat (like a Scooby-Doo disguise) and asked politely to order the tire. Called the cops again and have him jailed for trespassing.

- AthenasPrayers

The Sweep

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When I was working as a stripper we had our usual amounts of assh*les that would come in. At least once a night you would have a complete jerk just be a complete jerk because he saw you as less than human. I have many stories but one that sticks out for me was the time I had a customer sit right up front by the stage and not tip any of us girls. Well, strip club etiquette says if you're sitting up front in the best seat in the house you bloody tip.

This guy and his bunch of buddies (about 8 of them) were taking up nearly the whole stage, not tipping, and blocking any would-be tippers from the stage. 2 dancers had already told the group to move, they wouldn't.


Then it was my turn on stage I'm up there doing my thing and go around for tips and they laugh saying we don't have to tip we already paid door fees. Us girls don't see any of that door money. Well, the main perp had just come back from the bar with 8 jaeger bombs with red bull (hideously over priced drinks) and puts them on the stage leaner that ran around the stage. There were signs clearly stating DO NOT put your drinks up there as the stage is tiny and chances are they could be spilled by a flying foot.

Well, I saw my time to shine and did a complete sweep with my foot of all the drinks in 1 swoop.

Nearly $100 bucks of drinks gone. Guy went nearly apoplectic screaming and yelling, I smiled and said "oops!" The bouncers come over now to see what the problem was and the guy starts nutting off saying that I did it on purpose. The bouncer showed him the multiple signs saying not to put any drinks there. Tough guy says he doesn't care; its still my fault. He had caused enough of a scene that bouncer picked him up and tossed him out of the bar - like literally tossed him. All his friends got escorted out.

- katchafire99

Call Of Duty

I was working one of the Call of Duty midnight launch events. We had about 300 people lined up outside. My boss was trying to give instructions to the customers using a small bullhorn that wasn't very loud. I stepped in with my "mom voice" and while explaining how the lines would move some kid starts yelling the names of women's private body parts at me.

I finally lost it on this kid and yelled back at him that if he didn't knock it off I'd send his @ss to the back of the line. All 300 people went dead silent but the kid never said another word.

I'm now standing there realizing that my boss is standing next to me and he heard all of that. Fast forward to the end of the night after we got all these people their games and my boss gives me a high five and we never spoke about the incident.

- Coffeenomnom

Change and Cigs

At a previous gas station gig, my coworker and I were prepping to shut down for the night. This woman walked in and demanded our cheapest pack of cigs, which came out to like $6.48 or something after taxes. My coworker rang her up and she drops this fistful of loose change on the counter and reaches for the pack. We both ask her for help counting it, and she insisted that it was all there. I told her that the cigarettes weren't leaving til all the money was accounted for, so she huffed and started counting it out. Lo and behold, she was over 2 bucks short, so we refused the sale. She ran out and came back with some more change, slapping it on the counter.

"There, now give me my cigarettes."

Once again we told her it needed to be counted, it was store policy, and she was clearly getting agitated. She counted again and was still short, so we refused the sale again. Then came the kicker.

"You're supposed to take what the customer gives you. Now give my my fucking cigarettes."

I was done at that point.

"Alright. Here's your change back. You're not getting your fucking cigarettes. Have a nice day."

She started screaming and hollering, demanding her cigs and to speak to a manager. There was none on shift and I wasn't about to waste his time with a stupid incident like this one. I lost my temper at that point, telling her to get the f*ck off of our property before I call the police.

She stormed out, vowing to sue the company, but nothing ever came of it.

- Tyrannosaur87

The Subway Couple

I worked front desk at a massive two story gym about 8 years back. The upstairs level was a full size "workout" gym only accessible to members - but the ground floor contained two indoor soccer fields and two full size basketball courts. We held huge intramural leagues of all age brackets for both soccer and basketball throughout the year so it wasn't uncommon for the ground floor to be full of "non-members" as you didn't have to be a member of the gym to play in the intramural leagues or to watch your kids play.

Inside the gym they also built a small cafe that would sell sandwiches, pizza, smoothies, salads, etc. (The gyms idea to get money out of "non-members".) But since the gym was located in a heavily populated restaurant area, people began bringing their own food in, Subway, Chipotle, etc. since it typically much cheaper than our own snack bar. So, the snack bar began losing money.

Long story short, since I was front desk, my manager made it my job to tell people "no outside food was allowed." The only exception was that we allowed outside drinks. (You can't really tell people not to bring in gatorade to a gym, plus we had a Starbucks and Jamba Juice next door that the owner had really good relations with, so drinks were allowed.)

ANYWAYS, intramural season started and of course no one wanted to be told they couldn't bring food in. Since anyone was allowed inside on the ground floor, whole families would stroll in just to watch "little Timmy" play some soccer and they would turn it into a picnic. So it was no surprise that people would get heated when I would stop them at the door and tell them "sorry my dude, no outside food". So eventually to make my life easier, the owner printed "No outside food, drinks OK" on the front door and life seemed to be alright. Until the subway couple showed up...

Started off as a normal day, checking people in, pointing people out to which field they would be playing on etc. Until a couple came strolling in holding two subway sandwiches and drinks. So I had to give them the bad news.

Me: "Hi there, I'm really sorry, we don't actually allow outside food, it says on the front door. You are completely welcome to have your drinks though."

Them: ....

They just kind of looked at me waiting for me to say "Just kidding, gottcha." So I nervously laughed, apologized again, and walked back to my station and watched as they walked outside. I figured it was over and was relieved it didn't escalate.

45 minutes pass and another couple walks in holding Starbucks, I smile and greet them and watch as they walk by to the soccer fields. But from somewhere off in the distance I hear: "They brought in STARBUCKS!!" It was the subway couple. The husband power walks up to the front desk and begins to lose it.

Subway Dad: "HOW DO YOU NOT LET US BRING IN SUBWAY BUT THEY CAN BRING IN STARBUCKS, THAT IS OUTSIDE FOOD."

Me: "Sir, I said you could bring in outside drinks."

SD: "Well it's not just drinks, I see all kinds of food, gatorade, pizza, donuts, etc."

Me: "Sir, we have a gatorade machine behind you and the snack bar serves both donuts and pizza."

SD: "NOT THESE DONUTS, they look different than what you guys sell!"

At this point the subway mom had run up and she begins to spout off nonsense.

SM: "I feel like we are being discriminated against, let me speak to the owner!"

I try to talk some sense into the couple but at this point they keep cutting me off, so I ring up to the office and ask my boss to come down"

SM: "I've never been treated so poorly by anyone who's worked here."

And then spouted off a bunch of nonsense about how much she pays for her kids to play on the intramural leagues, how she's going to pull her kids out of the leagues, and how she felt discriminated against and that she felt I was being racist.

(The couple is very clearly white, I'm very clearly white.)

AND lucky my boss just happened to enter the conversation just at this moment.

Me: "Uhhh ma'am, I'm white."

Boss: "Yea excuse me, why are you calling my employee racist?"

SM and SD both begin yelling about how they were "selected" out of the people in the gym and told they couldn't bring food in.

Boss: "You are having a tantrum and calling my employee racist because you couldn't bring subway inside the gym? I'm sorry you feel that way but rules are rules. No outside food."

This was not the response that SM and SD wanted. They lose it and erupt with an attack of F-bombs and how they were going to call corporate and get us fired. At this point, their kids game had ended and he had walked over and I could tell they were leaving.

My boss reached into his pocket: "Here you go, here is corporate's number, tell Dave "Hi", he is actually a good friend of mine."

SD: "F*ck off."

With that subway mom and subway dad left. They never showed up the next day. I figured they actually did go through with their threat about pulling their kid out of the intramural leagues.

All over a couple of subway sandwiches.

- Giloc

Pocket Dog

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Coffee shop. Saturday morning. Line out of the door. Lady barges through the entire line, throws her massive purse containing a small dog onto the counter knocking over both tip jars and several drinks (she's wearing thick sunglasses...you know the "it's fashion not that I'm an alcoholic/addict" kind of daytime ultra dark sunglasses) and then says she's been stuck in line for fifteen minutes and needs her drink now. Like barely even looking up from her phone. It was astounding.

To which I respond that, she hasn't been in line for fifteen minutes because the people she just cut in front of had been in line for far less than that. Meanwhile my co worker is scrambling to pick up all of the shit she spilled everywhere. I tell her: "Go to the back of the line or leave."

She's like "what?" looking up from her phone like, stunned she isn't getting what she wants, and then starts spouting off her order like I'm going to make it. I repeat:
"Again, go to the back of the line - also we are out of that."


She blows up and like "You don't even have what I want?!?!?!?How hard is your job?" Then she kind of laughs and looks around for backup...which was just, delusional. There was no way she was getting it. I f*cking lost it.

"You know what, that's not my f*cking problem, get the f*ck out of this cafe, you're lucky I don't use your stupid pocket dog as a f*cking mop to clean up all the shit you just spilled everywhere. Go call your daddy and have him take you to f*cking Dunkies you entitled piece of sh*t."

Yo the faces she made as she paced around for a few minute afterwards was priceless. She was absolutely stunned that someone had said something like this to her. Then she asked for my named and I was just like "go f*ck yourself." Then she said I was "classy."

She once again tried to get the other people in line to take her side by saying all kinds of shit, calling me a sexist etc. I also want to point out that she was clearly well off. Like, this was not a situation where she deserved anyone's sympathy for any reason.

I can't say the other people in line started clapping but, absolutely no one was against what I did and tips were good that day.

- iph0ne

The Okay To Go Off

This guy would come in all the time and complain about his wife, probably 2-3 times a week, grab a soda and say stuff like "This old c*nt, I tell ya what, b*tch this bItch that, I told her I was gonna beat her ass" always loud and annoying. Most times I would ignore him. This time he was in a line with a bunch of ladies with their kids and he was cussing up a storm, every dirty word he could think of came out.

I got the evil eye from one of the ladies like "wtf are you gonna do mister?!" Boom, it was like that lady gave me the okay to go off on this sexist piece of trash. I got right up in his grill, tore into him, told him to watch his mouth, ladies and children were present, he started to mumble some shit and leaned in at me.

I took it as a threat, grabbed him by his sweaty collar and drug him to the door. I told him he was banned and to never come back. I was the assistant manager at that time, just happened to be at the register. Was a good day

- Kurtisaurus-Rex

Large Popcorn

I was working at a movie theater and one night we had this group of 20 or 30 junior high kids come in, like they were there with some club.

I was working concessions. A guy and his girlfriend walked up to get something to eat. She asked for a large popcorn. He snapped:
"Nah I'm not paying for a large popcorn, bitch."

She didn't respond, just looked away. I was really shy usually, but it was sad that she put up with that. I told him to stop calling her a bitch, and that I was going to fill a cup of water up to throw on him.

He walked away while I filled the cup up.

- Delica

"Women Are Useless"

Not a cashier, but I worked inbound customer service for a small appliance company (mainly vacuums, steam mops, and a few kitchen products.) Buddy called in and heart my voice and immediately went
"Ugh. I need to speak to a MAN. Women are useless and my vacuum has no suction."

I offered our usual "oh I'm so sorry you're having that problem I have a few things we can try" he said:
"No I'm not wasting my time with a dumbass woman.. transfer me to a man NOW."

I gritted my teeth and said:
"Ok, well just humor this incompetent lady for one moment. Please remove the handle and hose from the machine completely and drop a coin through. Let me know if it comes out the other end."

It didnt. I saw my moment, so I said:
"So I'M the idiot because I'm a woman, yet you, a MAN didnt know enough to check for clogs when your vacuum stopped sucking..... ok then!"

He apologized and gave me a perfect 10 on my customer service survey.

- Ashleighbell032

No Books For You

I was working at the liquidation of a closing bookstore chain. People were waiting over an hour to check out. I had a woman start giving me a hard time because we had to manually change the price of each book. Her attitude increased with each one. I finally snapped, grabbed her whole basket and dumped it behind the counter, voided her sale, pointed at the door, and I said, "Get the f*ck out you're not getting any books today."

She screamed to get a manager who was already stressed standing one register over. My manager told her to leave. What were they expecting the manager to do? Fire me?

- SiegeWolf

Squinting

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I worked at walmart shortly after high school for a few years and I wasn't a cashier but I still worked around cutomers. I had broken my glasses and had to squint for a day till my prescription was ready.

As I was leaving the back room a guy decided I was giving him a dirty look and nothing I said would convince him otherwise. Of course they complained and I explained to the manager what was going on in front of them. They stood smugly watching and the dudes wife or girlfriend called me an assh*le and started going on about how my story was bullshit.

Of course the manager apologized to them because Wal-Mart. I didn't get in trouble but I was still pissed that they left thinking they were in the right.

Well I forgot about it - but a week or so later they were shopping there again and walked passed me and the guy gets all cocky like: "Oh no dirty ass looks today?"

At first I was confused, like what? Is this a joke, then it came back and I pointed at my glasses and said:
"NO, CAUSE I HAVE MY GLASSES BACK STUPID ASS!"

I got in trouble for that but I felt it was worth it.

- TheCarnanator

People Describe The Creepiest Things They Ever Witnessed As A Kid

"Reddit user -2sweetcaramel- asked: 'What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?'"

Four mistreated baby dolls are hung by barb wire
Photo by J Lopez

For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.

Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.

The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.

Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:

"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"

Serious Danger

"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."

"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."

oofboof2020

Waiting for Food

"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."

"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."

nowhereboy1964

Captain Hobo to the Rescue

"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."

"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"

"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."

FartAttack911

Survival

tsunami GIF Giphy

"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."

faithfulpoo

These Tsunami stories are just tragic.

On the Sand

Scared The Launch GIF by CTV Giphy

"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."

oyloff

Be Clever

"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."

OstneyPiz

Bad Jokes

"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."

Alegan239

YOU

Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN Giphy

"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"

PrettyLola2004

Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.

No one should talk to others in the dark though.

Woman stressed at work
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

When we hear about other people's jobs, we've surely all done that thing where we make assumptions about the work they do and maybe even judge them for having such an easy or unimportant job.

But some jobs are much harder than they look.

Redditor CeleryLover4U asked:

"What's a job or profession that seems easy but is incredibly challenging?"

Customer Service

"Anything customer-facing. The public is dumb and horrendous."

- gwarrior5

"My go-to explanation is, 'Anyone can do it, but few can do it for long.'"

- Conscious_Camel4830

"The further I get in my corporate career, the less I believe I will ever again be capable of working a public-facing job. I don’t know how I did it in the past. I couldn’t handle it in the present."

"I know people are only getting worse about how they treat workers. It is disturbing, embarrassing, and draining for everyone."

- First-Combination-12

High Stakes

"A pharmacist."

"You face the public. Your mistake can literally kill someone."

- VaeSapiens

"Yes, Pharmacist. So many people think their job is essentially the same as any other kind of retail worker and they just prepare prescriptions written by a doctor without having to know anything about them."

"They are very highly trained in, well, pharmacology; and it's not uncommon for a pharmacist to notice things like potentially dangerous drug interactions that the doctor hadn't."

- Worth_University_884

Teaching Woes

"Two nuggets of wisdom from my mentor teacher when I was younger:"

"'Teaching is the easiest job to do poorly and the hardest job to do well,' and 'You get to choose two of the following three: Friends, family, or being a good teacher. You don't have enough time to do all three.'"

"We all know colleagues or remember teachers who were lazy and chose the easy route, but any teacher who is trying to be a good teacher has probably sacrificed their friends and their sleep for little pay and a stressful work environment. There's a reason something like half quit the profession within the first five years."

- bq87

Creativity Is "Easy"

"Some creative professions, such as designers, are often perceived as 'easy' due to their creative nature. However, they may face the constant need to find inspiration, deal with criticism, and meet deadlines."

- rubberduckyis

"EVERYBODY thinks they are a designer, up until the point of having to do the work. But come critique time, mysteriously, EVERYBODY IS A F**KING DESIGNER AGAIN."

"The most important skill to have as a designer is THICK SKIN."

- whitepepper

Care Fatigue Is Real

"Care work."

"I wish it could be taken for granted that no one thinks it's easy. But unfortunately, many people still see it as an unskilled job and have no idea of the many emotional complexities, or of how much empathy, all the time, is needed to form the sorts of relationships with service users that they really need."

- MangoMatiLemonMelon

Physical Labor Generally Wins

"I’m going to say most types of unskilled labor and that’s because there’s such little (visible) reward and such a huge amount of bulls**t. I’ve done customer service, barista, sales, serving, etc; and it was all much harder than my cushy desk job that actually can be considered life or death."

- anachronistika

Their Memory Banks Must Be Wild

"I don't know if I'd call it incredibly challenging, but being one of those old school taxi drivers who know the city like the back of his hand and can literally just drive wherever being told nothing but an address is pretty impressively skilled."

"Not sure if it's still like this, but British cabbies used to be legendary for this. I'm 40 and I don't think most young people appreciate how much the quality of cab service has gone down since the advent of things like Uber."

"Nowadays it's just kind of expected that a rideshare/cab driver doesn't know exactly where you're trying to get and has to rely on GPS directions that they often f up. Back when I was in college, cabbies were complete experts on their city."

"More even than knowing how to get somewhere, they could also give you advice. You could just generally describe a type of bar/club/business you're looking for, and they'll take you right to one that was spot on. Especially in really big cities like NYC."

- Yak-Mak-5000

Professional Cooking

"Being a chef."

- Canadian_bro7

"I would love to meet the person who thinks being a chef is easy! I cook my own food and it’s not only OK to eat but I make a batch of it so I have some for later. So, to make food that is above good and portion it correctly many times a day and do it consistently with minimal wastage (so they make a profit), strikes me as extremely difficult."

- ChuckDeBongo

Team Leading, Oof

"Anything that involves a lot of people skills and socializing. I thought these positions were just the bulls**t of sitting in meetings all day and not a lot of work happening but having to be the one leading those meetings and doing public speaking is taxing in a way I didn’t realize."

- Counterboudd

Not a Pet Sitter At All

"Veterinary Technician."

"Do the job of an RN, anesthesiology tech, dental hygienist, radiology tech, phlebotomist, lab tech, and CNA, but probably don’t make a living wage and have people undervalue your career because you 'play with puppies and kittens all day.'"

- forthegoddessathena

Harder Than It Looks!

"Sometimes, when my brain is fried from thinking and my ego is shot from not fixing the problem, I want to be a garbage man... not a ton of thinking, just put the trash in the truck, and a lot of them have trucks that do it for you!"

"But if the robot either doesn't work or you don't have one on your truck, it smells really bad, the pay isn't what it used to be, you might find a dead body and certainly find dead animal carcasses... and people are id**ts, overfilling their bags, just to have them fall apart before you get to the truck, not putting their trash out and then blaming you, making you come back out."

"Your body probably is sore every day, and you have to take two baths before you can kiss your wife..."

"Ehh, maybe things are not so bad where I am."

- Joebroni1414

Twiddling Thumbs and Listening

"Therapist here. I’ve always said that it’s pretty easy to be an okay therapist—as in, it’s not that hard to listen to people’s problems and say, 'Oh wow, that’s so hard, poor you.'"

"But to be a good therapist? To know when your client is getting stuck in the same patterns, or to notice what your client isn’t saying? To realize that they’re only ever saying how amazing their spouse is, and to think, 'Hmm, nobody’s marriage is perfect, something’s going on there'?"

"To be able to ask questions like, 'Hey, we’ve been talking a lot about your job, but what’s going on with your family?' And then to be able to call them on their s**t, but with kindness and empathy? Balancing that s**t is hard."

"Anybody can have empathy, but knowing when to use empathy and when and how to challenge someone is so much harder. And that’s only one dimension of what makes being a therapist challenging."

- mylovelanguageiswine

Constant Updates

​"For the most part, my job is really easy (marketing tech). But having to constantly stay on top of new platforms, new tech, updates, etc etc is exhausting and overwhelming and I really hate it."

"Also, the constant responsibility to locate and execute opportunities to optimize things and increase value for higher-ups. Nobody in corporate roles can ever just reach a point of being 'good enough.' More and better is always required."

"Just some of the big reasons I’m considering a career change."

- GlizzyMcGuire_

Performing Is Not Easy

"Performing arts and other types of art. People think it’s a cakewalk or 'not a real job,' not realizing the literal lifetime of training, rejection, and perseverance that it takes to reach a professional level and how insanely competitive those spaces are."

- ThrowRA1r3a5

All About Perception

"I suspect everything fits this. Consider that someone whose job is stacking boxes in a warehouse has to know how to lift boxes, how many can be stacked, know if certain ones must be easily accessible, know how to use any equipment that is used to move boxes around."

"Not to mention if some have hazardous or fragile materials inside, if some HAVE to be stacked on the bottom, if a mistake is made and all the boxes have to be restacked, etc."

"But everyone else is like, 'They're just stacking boxes.'"

- DrHugh

It's easy to make assumptions about someone else's work and responsibilities when we haven't lived with performing those tasks ourselves.

This gave us some things to think about, and it certainly reminded us that nothing good comes of making assumptions, especially when it minimizes someone else's experiences.

Left-handed person holding a Sharpie
Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

Many of us who are right-handed never even think about how the world is designed to cater to us.

It probably doesn't even cross your mind that 10% of the world's population is left-handed.

Because of this, there tends to be a stigma for being left-handed since society tends to associate the left with negative things.

For example, the phrase "two left feet" applies to those who are clumsy and therefore, incapable of dancing.

Curious to hear more about the challenges facing those with the other dominant hand, Redditor johnnyportillo95 asked:

"What’s something left-handed people have to deal with that right-handed people wouldn’t even think about?"

If only manufacturers appealed to an ambidextrous world.

Furniture Obstacle

"Those desks or couch chairs that have a small desk attached. They do make left handed/sided ones but they are few and far between."

– Prussian__Princess

"And they’re only on one side of the lecture hall, and it’s never a good seat. There is ONE front row, lefty desk in the entire room and it’s in the far corner, obscured by an ancient overhead projector."

– earwighoney

Everyday Objects For Everyday People

"as a left-handed person myself, one thing we often deal with is finding left-handed tools or equipment. many everyday objects, like scissors or can openers, are designed with right-handed people in mind, which can make certain tasks a bit more challenging for us lefties. we also have to adapt to a right-handed world when it comes to writing on whiteboards or using certain computer mice."

– J0rdan_24

Dangerous Tools

"The biggest risk is power tools. I taught myself to use all power tools right handed because of risks using them left handed."

"Trivial, I love dry boards but they are super hard to write on."

– diegojones4

It's hard to play when you're born with a physical disadvantage.

Sports Disadvantage

"Allright, Sports when you are young. Every demonstration from PE teachers are right handed. You cant just copy the movements they teach you you need to flip them and your tiny brain struggoes to process it. As well, 98% of the cheap sports equipment the school uses is right handed."

– AjCheeze

No Future In Softball

"I tried to bat right handed for so long in gym class growing up because the gym teacher never asked me what my dominant side was and the thought never occurred to me as a child to mention it! Needless to say I never became a softball star."

– Leftover-Cheese

Find A Glove That Fits

"In softball and baseball we need a specific glove for our right hand that's often impossible to find unless you own one, and we have to bat on the other side of the plate."

– BowlerSea1569

"I was one of two left-handers in a 4-team Little League in the 1980s. Nobody could pitch to me. I got a lot of "hit by pitch" walks out of it."

– Jef_Wheaton

These examples are understandably annoying.

Shocking Observation

"Having right handed people make comments whenever they see us write, like we’re some kind of alien."

– UsefulIdiot85

"'Woah! You're left-handed????'"

"I find myself noticing when someone is a lefty, and sometimes I comment on it, but I try not to. I'm primarily left-handed (im a right handed wroter but do everything else left), and every single time I go to eat with my family, someone says, "Oh hey, give SilverGladiolus22 the left hand spot, they're left-handed," and inevitably someone says, 'Wait, really?' Lol."

– SilverGladiolus22

Can't Admire The Mug

"We never get to look at the cute graphics on coffee mugs while we’re drinking from them."

– vanetti

"I just realized…I always thought the graphics were made so someone else could read them while you drink. Hmmm."

– Bubbly-Anteater7345

"I'm right-handed and I often wondered why the graphics were turned towards the drinker instead of out for others to see."

– Material-Imagination

The Writing On The Wall

"Writing on whiteboards is a nightmare. I have to float my hand, which tires out my arm quickly, and I can't see what I've already written to keep the line straight."

– darkjedi39

"Also as a teacher, it means I'm standing to the left of where I'm writing, so I'm blocking everything I write. I have to frequently finish writing, then step out of the way so people can see, instead of just being able to stand on the right side the whole time."

– dancingbanana123

Immeasurable

"Rulers."

"How the f'k is no one talking about rulers? It's from 30cm to 0 cm to me, or I have to twist my arms to know the measure I want to trace over it."

– fourangers

Just Can't Win

"EVERYTHING. The world has always been based around people being right handed. As a Chef, my knife skills SUCKED until I worked with a Left Handed Chef. Then it all made sense."

"Literally, everything we do must be observed, then flipped around in our heads, then executed. This is why Lefties die sooner, on average, than Righties."

"I had to learn how to be ambidextrous, just to complete basic tasks (sports, driving a manual, using scissors, etc). I am used to it now, and do many things right handed out of necessity, as wall as parents and teachers 'forcing' it upon me."

"But, at least we are not put to death anymore, simply for using the wrong hand (look it up, it happened)."

"Ole Righty, always keeping us down."

– igenus44

The world doesn't need another demographic to feel "othered" for being different.

But if you're right-handed and tend to make assumptions about left-handed people, you may want to observe the following.

Ronald Yeo, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Texas-Austin told CNN:

"We shouldn’t assume much about people’s personalities or health just because of the hand they write with."
"And we certainly shouldn’t worry about lefties’ chances of success: After all (as of 2015), five of our last seven U.S. presidents have been either left- or mixed-handed."

Word.

Dog lying down on a bed
Photo by Conner Baker on Unsplash

Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.

While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.

Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.

Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.

For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.

Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:

"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"

The Tiny Issue Of Water...

"Absolutely not."

"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649

Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...

"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."

"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."

"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."

"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep

The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...

"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."

"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3

Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen Giphy

What Do You Mean Allow?

"I have no choice."

"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412

"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle

Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way

"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show

Hug GIF by The BarkPost Giphy

Who Needs An Alarm Clock?

"I let my two cats sleep with me."

"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."

"And so do I."

"We've all developed a lil routine."

"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_

Whose Bed Is It Anyway?

"Yes."

"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."

"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor

"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."

"Would not come out."

"Got some food and some water in dishes."

"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."

"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."

"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."

"She was too busy eating."

"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."

"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."

"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."

"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."

"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."

"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."

"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."

"She would not go."

"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."

"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588

sleepy kitten GIF Giphy

Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...

"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."

"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."

"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle

Saying No Just Isn't An Option...

"'Let'."

"Lol."

"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren

Felines Only!

"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz

Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official Giphy

Is That My Hair On That Pillow?

"My dog is perfect."

"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."

"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."

"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester

It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.

Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...