Casino Employees Share The Worst Reactions To Gamblers Losing Everything
Most people know that gambling is a sure path to loss. Most casinos play games where the odds are never in the favor of the player, and always in favor of the casino taking every last cent you have. That being said... some find it very difficult to rip themselves away from the table and won't stop until they literally have no more to give.
Redditor Rilerific was curious to hear those stories
Casino Employees of reddit, what is the worst you have ever seen someone handle a loss?
Here were some of the most difficult to watch.
25. Pee-ker
A gentleman at a poker table in the five seat urinated on the dealer.
I never caught the signal the dealer used but it was effective as all the guys who normally collect boxes from the tables show up out of nowhere and removed him from the table like they were taking out the trash (well, they were...).
Table broke up so they could clean, dealer showered and put on a new uniform and I saw her on the floor again a few hours later.
24. Phoning It In
GiphyI work in I.T. for a Casino and just had to replace a phone that was ripped off the wall and thrown at one of our pit bosses over a bad loss.
23. Pocket Vomit
Dealer for 10 years. 3rd DAY DEALING, fresh out of dealer school I am dealing Pai Gow Tiles. (Asian domino game, try to get pairs and tiles to add up as close to 9 as possible). On a $25 minimum game. Guy bets $25-$75 for a good 2 hours. He then slides his whole stack on one hand for 3k.
For those who know the game, he gets Teen-Dai Bo. I pull Ji-Jun. For those who do not know the game, its like he got pocket kings and I got pocket Aces. Or he pulled a 20 in blackjack and I just pulled 11 cards to make 21. The odds are ASTRONOMICAL. It's the ONLY hand that beats him.
He slams his fist on the table swearing in Chinese, chips fly everywhere, and begins to shove his finger down his throat. He throws up all over my game... Close the table and pit down for clean-up. 3rd day dealing...
Money/benefits are great though. Highly recommend the industry. Made 30-40 an hr.
22. Plane Loss
GiphyI actually did work in a casino in Las Vegas a few years back, in VIP services. One of our high rollers, who visited frequently, had a very bad gambling problem that his wife was divorcing him over. He lost everything at the tables and couldn't even afford his plane ticket back home -- the casino felt so sorry for him, we ended up buying a ticket back home for him.
Never heard from him again after that.
21. Vegas Lights
Former table dealer here.
I've had drunk guys tell me I'm the worst dealer ever, I suck, etc. I would just reply "have a nice day!" The other people at the table were generally on my side. I've higher rollers slam the table with their fist or not react at all to losing thousands.
The worst and the saddest one that sticks in my mind is a guy who was around $2,000 down on blackjack. He was nice. He was tipping pretty well. I was rooting for him, as a I tended to do. I knocked his tens for good luck. Then he lost a big one and just yelled so loud that the entire casino must've heard it. It was the kind of desperation in his voice and everything about him that told me he could not afford to lose as much as he just lost. He went to the atm, and I rotated to another table.
It was stuff like that, the smoke in my face, sleep deprivation from the late nights that led me to get out of there. A lot of other unpleasant moments too, but they all blur together. Money was nice, but it wasn't for me.
20. For Luck
GiphyTable games dealer here.
I work at a casino in New Zealand. Had a Thai woman a few months ago betting 300k a hand. She lost 12 million at my table in less than an hour. The casino then paid for her private charter jet to Melbourne and back ($70,000) so she could get more money. Not exactly sure why she had to go to Melbourne to get more money, but I was doing a 16 hour shift and she came back to my table after her trip and dropped another 15 million.
Haven't had anyone close to spending that much money ever.
19. Revenge On The Slots
One guy was so angry at his losses that he took 200 quarters, cut them in half, taped one side, and proceeded to put them in various slot machines. Once they entered the machine, it would jam it up.
18. It's Only A Game
Was a waitress in casino establishment 10 years ago. Suicides were not common there but they did happen.
Saddest was an asian woman who hung herself . She lost 20k or so from memory and was not a high roller type.
3-4 days later her car was to be towed from the underground carpark. Sadly she had left her two fluffy dogs in there and nobody knew. Poor things were dead.
The establishment then put on parking patrol officers who check cars every few hours. They would find (alive) dogs and kids in there far too often.
[username deleted]
17. Revenge Of The Slots
GiphyI used to be a Casino Host on Cruise Ships casinos. Seen many people lose it, but there is one woman that I'll never forget... She was gambling A LOT. Towards the end of the cruise I would find her on the slots she was crying and playing. I asked her whats wrong and she said I cannot afford to play anymore, this is all on my credit card...talking/playing/crying at the same time. I banned her from the Casino but it was already too late.
16. Tricked
Worked in the cage before becoming a dealer, saddest thing I used to commonly see is people getting cash advances of $15 and paying a $7.99 fee to do it. (It was $7.99 to get up to $100, with $15 being the minimum). They would pay a 50% vig to piddle away $15....I guess they thought that big jackpot was just around the corner, sad.
15. After The Fall
GiphyHaven't been in the gaming biz since the 1990's, but I've seen everything from tantrums on the floor to attacks on workers. The worst one though was some moron right out of prison with his homies lost his money on the blackjack table, took it personally, went out to his car, waited for the dealer to get off work, followed him, and then tried to beat him when he stopped for gas.
14. Backwards Logic
Not a casino employee, but just the other day my Father in law (security) watched an elderly lady lose everything at a poker table, and then go around and steal a couple people's purses/wallets.
When they confronted her and asked for ID, she wouldn't give it to them because they weren't the police. When the police arrived, she still wouldn't give them her ID or even her name, saying they couldn't arrest her if they didn't know who she was. Needless to say, they arrested her anyways. The last thing the cop asked her was, are you at least going to cooperate and walk out with us to the car, or are you going to do it the hard way.
They had to carry her out and she was kicking the windows in the back of the car the entire time.
13. Winning and Losing
My girlfriend's grandfather won it big one night and then was followed home by 4 People and killed for the money. So that's the worst way I've seen someone handle a win.
[deleted username]
12. Ridiculous Time
GiphyMy friend just started at the new Catskill Resort Worldwide Casino, and has already said one guy got naked in the bathroom and started washing his clothes. They have been open 2 weeks.
11. Off The Wall
Drove a car into the casino wall... Not the doors.. the WALL. The driver had a traumatic brain injury and luckily didn't injure anyone else.
10. Be Very Careful
I was a security guard at a native american casino for just under 2 years. I worked the graveyard shift the entire time before i had to leave for my own mental health due to how depressing this job could be. A few of the things i saw just in the category of losses were as follows.
• elderly people who would spend their entire social security checks in one night and be forced to use food banks for the remainder of the month.
• many couples getting into fights (sometimes physical) over the other "giving them bad luck"
• anyone who would win a lot in the first 20 mins they were there then "chasing losses" after they gave it back to the house often emptying their entire savings accounts.
• lots every month losing their entire paycheck, then savings, then taking out cash advances (that of course could be done in house) attempting to win back their lost paycheck.
The worst one i ever saw was a known local business owner losing what he called " over half my life's savings " in under 8 hours at $2,000 a hand on a blackjack table then attempting to strangle the dealer, I had to tackle him and put him in handcuffs he left the property in a sheriff's car and attempted to enter the building 3 times in the next 2 weeks.
9. The Vultures Circle
GiphyNot an employee but stuff. my mum's friend won a slot machine jackpot. Security had to swoop in and save her because she was a very casual gambler and would use like 5 coins then leave, but that night on one of her first coins she won the jackpot. The people around her were gambling addicts and some of them had been working that machine for hours before and felt it should have been their win. So they tried to attack her for the money but she did get it. This wouldn't have been a big win either because it was a small place but scary
8. Know Your Limit
This lady with a serious gambling problem was asked to leave as she'd been in the building for over her limit... as a protest, she pissed her pants and dripped it into the machine she was at and refused to stand up or walk out. Had to be dragged with pee running down her legs dripping onto the carpet, down an escalator and onto the street.
7. Fees Add Up
I worked in banking for a bit and being able to see people's accounts who are gamblers backs up this statement.
They don't go in and get say 500 out of an atm and then lose it, get upset, and go home. They get 100. Then 80. Then 140. On my end, I would see the transactions with the 3 dollar fee attached all on the same night within minutes of each other sometimes.
It seems like they are in some trance and probably have almost no idea how much money they lost.
[username deleted]
6. A Packed Day
GiphyI sat next to a guy. He drove a Pepsi truck. He said his mom died and left him $30,000. He'd never seem this much money before so he thought he could turn it into $100,000. We're at the blackjack table. He's getting wasted and crying inconsistently bc of his mom, talking about her dying. In 2 hours he loses everything. He has this look of nervousness on his face and said his wife is going to kill him if she finds out about this, bc they have 4 kids and wanted to buy a house.
He walked out, 10 minutes later I go to my car and see that he got a DUI.
In 24 hours, his mom died, he gets a ton of money, loses it all, will probably get divorced, gets a DUI, and is sitting in the back of a cop car.
5. Death Knell
I was security at a Casino for a few years, saddest story for me was this older gentleman let's call him "Tom" for privacy sake, Tom would frequent the Casino every day spending anywhere from $200-$300, I had striked up lots of conversations with him because he was a regular and he was genuinely kind person who I enjoyed seeing.
One day Tom comes in and I can tell he is upset, I don't make anything of it, but after seeing the guy for a few years almost everyday, that day he looked really "off" so a couple hours go by and I track him down and ask how's the day going? Any big wins? Just general chit chat, he starts sobbing, tears running down his face, his wife had passed away from "sudden cardiac death" is what I believe he called it, the night before, and he was devastated, we talked for quite awhile, I tried comforting him while he played the machines, I had noticed he was betting EXTREMELY large, $200-$300 per spin on the slot machine, I knew that was a lot for him, but I didn't saying anything because it's not my business and I was sure it's a coping mechanism for him at the moment, doing something he loved when he just lost the love of his life.
Hours later I see him heading out the door, I run up to him, catch him and wish him all the best and that I'll see him soon, he smiled, said thanks for the chat and thank you for the condolences and left.
[username deleted]
4. Pants Play
GiphyI watched my uncle lose everything at a blackjack table, so he proceeded to the bathroom came out with his pants off and throw them on the table and say pants plays. The dealer said "we can't take your pants sir". He said "Why not? You've taken everything else" Needless to say he was escorted out of the casino very upset.
3. Vacancy
Have worked in casinos for nearly a decade and the saddest ones are the players who lose and show no aggression or sadness at all.
I had a player who was down US$1 million at the end of a night of roulette and he had a completely vacant, 1,000 yard stare look on his face as he quietly left.
2. Clearly, He Could Lose
Not an employee but my girlfriend and I were at a local casino for dinner on Saturday so we decided to take a lap around the playing floor afterwards. We are walking by the blackjack tables and notice a small crowd around a guy who had a pile of chips in front of him. After it's clear he lost it all to the dealer he starts screaming that he couldn't lose and begins to slam his head into the table. Ends up leaving in handcuffs
1. Bemused Gambling
GiphyI do have a good story about the worst I saw someone handle a win.
This older gentleman was a regular and a total jerk. Never tipped, never smiled or said hello, and was always in a foul mood. I was watching him play a fifty cent machine one night when he hit 3 jackpot symbols and won five grand.
I went up to him and congratulated him and I'll never forget the bemused look on his face. When the machine hits a single payout of over $1,200, the machine locks up and won't spin again until an attendant resets it. He just kept hitting the button in vain trying to keep playing like a child who's toy stopped working.
When I told him that the machine was not going to spin until we paid him his hand pay, his only words were "can I play this one?" And motioned to the machine next to his. I told him that he could and he moved over and went straight back into his zombie trance.
When we brought his jackpot winnings to him he huffed and puffed because we asked him to stop playing for a minute while we counted out his $5,000. It's like the money didn't even matter.
The Best Examples Of 'They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To'
Reddit user Texasraised420 asked: 'What is the best example of ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to’?'
Growing up we used a can opener, toaster and hand mixer that my Mother received as wedding gifts. She was married in 1966 and those small appliances were still working well into the 1990s.
When Mum sold her house and downsized, she decided to get new small appliances that matched. The old but still functioning ones were avocado green, stainless and harvest gold.
Since then I've gone through countless electric can openers, toasters and hand mixers and none worked as well or as long as those ones from the 1960s.
The ones with moving parts don't have the same power as the old ones and the toasters all lose heating coils in just a few years.
My complaints about small appliances are mirrored by many.
Reddit user Texasraised420 asked:
"What is the best example of ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to’?"
Dr. Martens
"Boots, specifically Doc Martens."
"They used to be made as actual worker's boots and were very sturdy, could last you decades."
"Now even the leather ones still somehow get holes in them."
~ mythsofthevalley
"They were better quality boots until about a decade ago, and now they're just trash."
"Not repairable, terrible quality leather, plastic finish."
~ kv4268
HP Printers
"HP Printers."
"The old grey bricks that you saw 20 years ago in every office that connect via the old parallel printer port were amazing workhorses."
"Anything from the last 15 years is the epitome of cheap garbage."
~ LotusCSGO
Clothes
"Clothes."
"In 2001 or 2002, I got a pair of pajama pants from Walgreens, of all places."
"I wore them pretty regularly for around 15 years and finally threw them out due to them getting threadbare are forming a few holes near the knees. All the seams were mostly still fine."
"The pair I got to replace them began tearing at the seams after six months. Like, not just the seams ripping, but the FABRIC ripping near the seams."
"It's infuriating."
~ tastyprawn
Shoes
"Shoes."
"Cobblers weren't as niche of a profession in the past as they are now... all shoes were repairable."
"Now you need to buy expensive, heritage shoes for them to be worth repairing."
"Otherwise you're happy if they last 2 years."
~ tjrdnyr
Movie Theaters
"Movie theaters."
"They used to say 'the show starts at the sidewalk' and dazzle patrons with unique architecture meant to transport them to another world, with neon and statues and murals and more; sensational displays and activities to promote different movies; constant diligent attention to the picture and sound; and 'complete presentations' packed with the feature film plus shorts, organ music, a prize giveaway, and sometimes even a live stage show."
"It's tough to understand the extent of this style of showmanship because even the 'nice historic theater' that survives in many towns and cities was often a low- or mid-tier example in its prime, and very few places have the resources to offer all the trimmings even if they wanted to."
"Instead, now it seems many theaters are just dirty shoeboxes with a high schooler trying to do their best to ensure a fair presentation on 10 screens, there are 20 minutes of previews, and you're hustled out before the credits are over—but at least there are recliners?"
~ 853fisher
Refrigerators
"Refrigerators."
"I've gone through about a half dozen refrigerators in my adult lifetime—all built after 2000—and none lasted more than five years."
"But the one my parents had in the basement was older than God and ran no matter what we did to it."
"It was the size of a small car, weighed as much, and apparently was armor plated."
"Pretty sure it would have laughed at any gun we owned."
~ Kiyohara
"In 2018, my family's old fridge finally gave up after 59 years of service."
"In that time, it never broke down."
"Earlier this year, the replacement fridge we bought broke down."
"59 years versus 5 years."
~ ThePeasantKingM
Corning Ware
"Corning Ware."
"The new ones chip and scratch so easy."
"You can find people with ones from the 60's that they still use."
~ Bawkalor
Jeans
"I feel like jeans aren't made as well as they once were."
"When I was younger a pair of jeans were sturdy and would last 2 years at the minimum."
"Now I'm lucky if I get a year without them getting ratty, plus the material is thin and flimsy as f*ck."
~ severaltalkingducks
Chocolate
"The kind of chocolate you give out at Halloween."
"When I was younger Snickers and Reeses and all of that type of stuff was delicious."
"Now it just taste like manufactured plastic."
~ Scarlaymama0721
Sewing Machines
"Sewing machines."
"All the interior parts used to be metal. My mom's 50 year old machine (Kenmore) is still going."
"My 20 yearokld machine is a f*cking tank (Husqvarna)."
"New ones wear out so stupid quick. Even the new Husqvarnas aren't nearly as good as mine and they're still stupid expensive."
"I spent $800 on mine, but I got an $800 machine, ya feel me?"
~ GreenOnionCrusader
Washers
"A repair technician told me that the new HE washers are meant to last about 7 years."
"It’s literally a metal tube that agitates clothes and soapy water at various speeds."
"And why would an $800 circuit board give out so quickly?
"Meanwhile, my parents’ Kenmore from 1987 is still going strong."
~ PaperbackBuddha
Dryers
"I've gotten very good at repairing our mid-80s Kennmore dryer via YouTube videos and Amazon replacement parts."
"Neighbors up the way have been through 2 HE dryers in the past 10 years."
~ RicardoMultiball
Dehumidifiers
"Dehumidifiers."
"I’m on my 3rd since buying a house in early 2018."
"Everything is made to break."
~ sonofthenation
Video Games
"Video games, at least in some respect."
"It feels so common nowadays for games to be released in an unfinished, unacceptably buggy state because companies want to rush it out. They know people will buy it, and they can just finish it later."
"Plus there's still the issue of DLC that feels like 15-ish years ago would have been a part of the base game. Now you gotta cough up extra money for it."
"And the preorder bonuses and different editions that can come with different preorder bonuses."
"Either with a super omega deluxe version that's twice the cost of the game and comes with everything, or the lack thereof so you can't possibly get all the content being offered."
~ NathanHavokx
I switched to manual can openers about a decade ago, but now even those don't last.
Pull tops are my friend now.
What things do you think were better in the past?
Double standards are an unfortunate part of society.
A double standard is when two or more individuals or sets of people are treated differently when they should be treated the same.
A good example is the difference in the way my brother and I are treated when we cook. I'm big on baking and have a natural talent for it. Whenever I bake anything, even something complicated, like cheesecake, I'm given minimal praise, if any at all. This is because I'm a woman, and in my family culture, women are expected to be able to bake.
My brother isn't as good a baker as me and rarely does it, but when he does, he is praised for subpar brownies because he's a man and it's amazing he can even cook as well as he does.
I'm not the only one who has experience with this.
Redditors have identified many double standards in society and are eager to share.
It all started when Redditor Extreme-Minute-4746 asked:
"What double standards make you angry?"
Civil Service
"As a federal government employee, why do I have to follow all kinds of ethics rules, but politicians and judges don’t?"
– mittychix
"F**k, right? I have to spend six weeks reviewing documentation and hearing out dozens of random companies to award a £100k contract but the minister who runs my department can give his mate's company a multi-million£ contract to run ferries without even getting quotes - DESPITE THAT COMPANY NOT HAVING AND FERRIES AND THE PORT IN QUESTION NOT HAVING CAPACITY FOR THEM."
"I left the civil service after that one."
– Disco_is_Death
"This. Yeah I could get in trouble for accepting a gift over $50 (like I have that much influence anyway) but politicians and judges get lobbied millions..it's infuriating."
– gtbeam3r
"Yes. And they get to keep their jobs for being completely dysfunctional, but if I pulled a fraction that garbage, I’d be fired."
– TrekJaneway
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
"That some people expect you to respect their no, whilst they will most definitely not respect yours."
– IvyBloodroot
"On that note, respecting someone as an authority is often equated to respecting someone as an individual."
"Eg. Teachers who say if you don't respect me (as a superior), I won't respect you (as a person), when they're really not the same thing."
– Paperonia
The Bullied
"School bullying."
"The kid getting picked on has essentially no power. Go to a teacher? Get labeled a snitch and tattle tale. Don't do anything? You're just made an easier target. The moment they fight back, they're the ones who end up dealing with detention, suspension, expulsion, etc. You have more power as a bully in the schools than the victim."
– FriskeCrisps
"It's because bullied people are usually rule followers, and the school wants the problem dealt with as quickly as possible. Best way to do that is to expect the rule follower to follow rules, rather than the rule breaker to suddenly change their ways."
"Fairness ends up on the chopping block."
– darsynia
Services Cliff
"I'm 41 years old and have Cerebral Palsy. If I try to find anything related to the disease - how to deal with it, any kind of ongoing care - it is virtually impossible because all the care is just for children with CP. It's like once you turn 18 the world just doesn't care anymore."
– Zechnophobe
"I’m autistic and in the same boat. “How to deal with a child who…” I'M ASKING FOR ME."
– aroaceautistic
A Two-Way Street
"People who are obsessed with the idea of kids being respectful towards adults, but don't treat kids with respect in turn."
"Edit for example: I went to a very old-fashioned school where the rule was that when an adult entered the room, even in the library and break/lunch, every student in the room had to immediately fall silent - mid sentence, mid word, didn't matter - and stand up until we were given permission to sit back down again. If we didn't, we were chewed out and sometimes even given detentions. The argument was that it trained us into respect, but I was also brought up to believe it's rude to interrupt, and it felt like the teachers were constantly interrupting us."
– MerylSquirrel
"My father in law is like that. He’s “kids should be seen and not heard” type of old school."
"But then he wonders why the children in the family all steer clear of him and why they disregard most things he says."
– Macintosh0211
Doctor, Doctor
"This might be a bit controversial, but I’ve come across a couple of doctors who demand special treatment away from work but preach and practice treating all their patients equally."
– kimchi-pancake
"They charge you a fee or cancel if you’re 5 minutes late but have no problem leaving you waiting for hours. I’ve waited an hour in the lobby and another in the actual examination room."
– SadComfort8692
"Same! i can understand if it’s out of their control but i could hear her, clear as day, giggling with her coworkers about her weekend. i waited 20 in the lobby and 20 in the exam room. i love a good gab but, for f**k’s sake, do it later! if i yapped outside for 20 minutes, it would be a $50 fee and another 4 month long wait to be seen again."
"I suddenly had a $50 i-can-hear-you-nattering-through-the-wall fee. she laughed but it’s been collecting interest ever since…"
– manyfeetball
Alcohol Is Alcohol
"Beer drinkers act like they aren’t alcoholics because they don’t drink hard liquor. Ok sir you just drank 25 beers and then looked at me sideways for drinking a g&t at the family reunion."
– Brainfog_shishkabob
"Same goes for the “sophisticated” wine drinkers..."
"Stop judging me for enjoying a drink on the terrace a few times a year, when you empty 1-2 bottles each evening..."
– 2Madam_Mimmm
"That’s definitely the way it is. I’ve got a snotty alcoholic family member, that THINKS she’s sophisticated, because she drinks high dollar wine, out of very expensive glasses."
"Yeah, pissing yourself and passing out, in front of the mailbox, are definitely the traits of a sophisticated person."
– sweathogbrooklyn
Mr. Mom
"Fathers taking care of their kids."
"I take my kids to doctor appointments, dentist appointments, take them to school, and pick them up. I do all that stuff."
"Every single f**king time, it's, “Dad’s babysitting today?” Or some stupid comment like that. No, I’m not babysitting. I’m being a f**king parent!"
"I hate the double standard that dads can’t do stuff like that with their kids."
"I can’t take my daughter to the park without being questioned or looked at funny either."
"People need to give dads more respect. A lot of us bust our a**es too. I work hard. I take care of my kids, I play with my kids. I clean the house. I do laundry. I don’t stop. I don’t rest, I don’t relax."
– moms-sphaghetti
"Give us changing tables in the men's room!"
– Da1UHideFrom
"Nothing bugs me more than when a place only has changing tables in the women's bathroom."
"It's 2023, I take my son to the aquarium by myself sometimes... Looking at you London SeaLife centre 🤨"
– AstonVanilla
Household Split
"The laundry is always a wierd one. My wife is a much better cook than me. And she hates me cooking when she's in the house. So to compensate I do all the laundry, including ironing before someone mentions it, and all the washing of dishes."
"But even at work, this doesn't seem to be understood as possible. I complained my washing machine had broken and the comment was 'Oh no, what's wife's name going to do?'"
"To which the answer was 'Wonder why I haven't done the washing this week.'"
"But it's infuriating."
– RelativeStranger
Justice Is Bought
"The American justice system. You can afford the best and many more lawyers when you have money."
– TooAfraidToAsk814
"Justice is blind, but the b*tch sure can smell money."
– burgher89
Worship
"I am supposed to respect people's religion, but people aren't supposed to respect my non-religion."
"Particularly when their religion instructs them to not respect my non-religion."
– GeebusNZ
"It kinda makes my head spin that there are people who I get along well with who, per their religion, think I deserve to be tortured in agony for all eternity."
– Daztur
Yup, me and my non-religious self have personal experience with that last one!
Expensive Purchases People Have Absolutely No Regrets About Buying
Money is tight for many people.
But sometimes paying more is better than pinching pennies.
Reddit user sir_nams asked:
"What is an item you spent way too much money on but have no regrets buying?"
Home
"My house."
"I pay a lot as my mortgage, but every time I come into the house the immense peace I feel is just under the roof."
"My friends are worried why I stay in the house too much and I keep on telling them I’m fine, I’m just enjoying my house."
~ Not-The-Delulu
Clothes
"Investing in more expensive clothing that doesn’t fall apart in a year."
~ rainbowlettuce76
Alaska
"Not an item, but a trip to Alaska this summer."
"I never sat down and added everything up, but I probably spent about $3,000 on a 10-day trip (solo)."
"But it was an incredible trip, worth every dollar."
~ rob_s_458
GiphyMental Health
"My kid’s therapist."
"She’s the head of the practice, and came highly, highly recommended. And she costs a goddamn arm and a leg."
"However, my kid is thriving."
"Do I wish she was less expensive? Of course!"
"Would I dream of switching her out for someone new? Not on your life."
~ strangled_spaghetti
Bed
"My new TemperPedic king bed."
"By God was it expensive but I’ve never slept better!"
~ Expensive-System-762
Dogs
"My dog."
"She's almost 7 and since I got her she's either wearing my money, chewing my money, or eating my money."
"Don't regret it one bit."
~ PsychologicalSense41
GiphyComfy Chair
"A quality desk chair."
"Working from home, I spend more time in the chair than in bed."
"Paid about the cost of a mattress for my chair and have zero regret."
~ mattkoz
D-I-V-O-R-C-E
"My divorce."
"At a certain point I just said, 'it’s only money, I can make more. But I can’t get back those days I lost being with him, and I miss those days and chances to be happy more than I miss the money'.”
~ newwriter365
Japan
"My recent trip to Japan. I've been wanting to go since I was at school (I'm 40 now), and after saving most of my adult life, I finally managed to go."
"I've never spent that much money on anything. Even though I've been dreaming about it and building it up in my head my whole life, it still far exceeded my expectations."
"Absolutely no regrets."
~ -Satsujinn-
GiphyBidet
"Toto toilet with Toto washlet (electric bidet)."
~ Mr_Auric_Goldfinger
Straight Teeth
"Invisalign."
Cost? Expensive."
"Having straight teeth for the first time in my life in my 40s? Priceless."
~ Disraeli_Ears
Cats
"My cats."
"The cats I had when I was younger, I got for free. Got spayed/neutered at low income clinics, then it was food and litter."
I got kittens several years back from a shelter. Expensive city, so even shelter kittens are a couple hundred dollars each."
"And they were absolutely worth every penny. Every vet appointment, every emergency appointment, toys, high quality food."
"I would give them even more if I could."
~ StinkyKittyBreath
GiphyComfy Shoes
"I bought a pair of New Balance shoes for $240."
"They are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn and owned. My wife is getting sick of the weird noises and constant 'Man these shoes are comfortable!' whenever I wear them."
"No regrets."
~ StressSad6439
Art
"One time I decided not to go to a party because after 9 PM there was a $10 cover and I wasn’t gonna be able to make it before then."
"While walking back to my apartment I noticed an art opening. I went in and fell in love with the artist’s work."
"I bought a $500 painting on the spot. This was a huge amount of money for me at the time, the most I had ever spent on one single thing."
"Not sure what came over me, but I still love the painting."
~ OKsurewhynotyep
Family Photos
"Many years ago I decided to do a family photo shoot. I BEGGED my sister to do it with us, said I'd pay for her family's separate ones also."
"She refused, it wasn't convenient for her husband. It included my dogs, my mom, and my husband."
"My thoughts were we've never done them and mom wouldn't be around much longer. We did some shots of my mom with my dogs (who she loved) and us as a whole."
"About two months later my husband died unexpectedly. About a year later my mom was diagnosed with cancer and my sister's husband died unexpectedly. My dogs gave my mom happiness in her last days."
"My lesson was, it is 100000% worth doing it because you never know if tomorrow will come or not."
~ nickygirl19
What expensive purchase have you made that you’ll never regret?
People tend to have a lot of opinions about other people's workplaces, whether or not they've ever worked in that industry themselves.
There are some professions, like teaching and retail, where people will assume they know all there is to know, even if they've never set foot in that position, and there are others, like the CIA, where people view these positions as elusive and awe-inspiring.
But there are beliefs that people share that frustrates those who are actually in the industry.
Redditor Madalyn_Robert asked:
"What's a myth about your profession that you want to debunk?"
Veterinarian Secrets
"Veterinary medicine is not a happy-go-lucky career choice where you get to deal with cute animals rather than people. Most of your patients are sick or scared, and every case involves a fraught negotiation with their stressed-out human."
- Drabby
The Truth Behind Anesthesia
"Anesthesiologist: you're not asleep you are anesthetized. When you're asleep and someone stabs you, you wake up."
- Drsuprane
"Even more terrifying, anesthesia doesn’t exactly prevent you from feeling what’s happening, it (in effect) disrupts the timing clock that allows different parts of the brain to talk to each other. You won’t be able to remember it or be conscious to experience it, but somewhere some part of your brain is receiving those pain signals and is trying desperately to tell the rest of your brain what’s happening."
- Steaveee
Preventative > Reactive
"Maintenance is worth doing and is definitely worth paying for."
"People say, 'I don't know why we pay those maintenance guys, nothing ever breaks around here!'"
"The reason Germany and Japan (and South Korea) became and remain such manufacturing powerhouses is because they know the value of maintenence. If you keep everything in clean good working order, you end up with minimum down time. Working maintenance into manufacturing schedules keeps output level, because you have no unexpected downtime."
"It's the same for your car or your home. Setting aside time and resources for maintenance means you won't lose unexpected time and resources when things break. Good maintenance will spot things before they break and switch them out. That's worth paying for."
- TriviaBanal
The Power of a Reboot
"IT. Rebooting is NOT a waste of time and solves a remarkable number of problems."
- gfhggdssgg
"Instead of using shutdown, use restart."
"Modern versions of windows have something called fast startup, which basically hibernates when you shut down. You don't get the benefit of a reboot."
- gerwen
Giant, Flying Puzzles
"Commercial aircraft are built almost entirely by hand. Like 96%. There's very little automation in the process."
- Kalepsis
"Authentic, handcrafted commercial airliners."
- Keyspam102
"Free range, GRASS FED, Authentic, handcrafted commercial airliners!"
- Wiggly96
Doing Library Things
"I am a public librarian. While curating books is still a portion of the job, much of it these days is taken up by database assistance and training, program development and teaching, and public education. It’s much closer to school teaching, but for adults and without grading homework, than it was in the past."
- SmallDarkCloud
Rate the Emergency
"If you go to the ER via ambulance, it does NOT mean you will be seen quicker."
"ERs take the sickest people first, definitely not the ones who come in by ambulance first."
- DoIHaveDementia
Not in Charge
"Teachers have very little say in anything. We advocate the best we can but most of the time, it’s out of our hands, including holding children back who desperately need help."
- chasindreams22
Define "Recycled"
"Print industry. Your paper isn’t as recycled as you think it is."
- mullett
True Lawyers
"That all lawyers make absurd amounts of money. The ones that won't sell their entire life for big bucks tend to make pretty average money."
- dudeblackhawk
"Yes! Some months I barely make enough for all my expenses. Some months I make a lot of money. Some months I make absolutely nothing. Having a private practice in my country means financial instability. The Estate does pay me to represent people who can't afford a lawyer but it pays very bad and takes forever to get that money."
"Also, we're not all like in the movies. Most of us actually care about the people we represent and we try our best to help them."
- ZucchiniAnxious
Not Everything Is Memorized
"I can write code. I cannot debug most of your Windows problems without googling them."
- Resies
Underpaid and Overworked
"School Custodian here and we are NOT overpaid cleaners. What would you pay someone that can paint, Sheetrock, tape/mud, patch concrete/asphalt, operate/repair commercial landscaping/snow removal equipment, operate/repair commercial custodial equipment, restore various types of floors including vct/hardwood/carpet/tile, replace toilets/faucets, air filters, belts, trim/fell trees, shovel roofs, etc?"
"Not all of us are cleaners/janitors, which are vital and underpaid as well. Some of us are Jack/Jill of all trades and you want to pay us peanuts?"
"All employees of a school are important and administrators shouldn't try to balance their budgets on the backs of workers when I've seen an exponential amount of administrative salary and stupid purchasing decisions, not to mention unfunded mandates from the state."
- Nutella_Zamboni
Speech-to-Language Complexity
"There is sooooo much more to the speech-language pathologist scope of practice than working with kids who stutter or can't say their 'r's."
"An entire half of the field is in the adult medical setting working with people who have dementia, swallowing disorders, oral cancer, strokes, Parkinson's disease, and voice disorders, plus some other niche areas like transgender voice or accent modification."
"The pediatric half of the field also works with AAC devices, social skills, literacy development, syntax, executive functioning, writing, feeding, and more."
- bibliophile222
Realistic Therapy
"Therapist here, specifically a couples therapist."
"Therapy is not just about venting or having someone agree with you all the time to make you feel better. Yes, we validate and listen and venting happens at times. But we also challenge you, encourage you to set goals and make change, and sometimes give 'homework.'"
"Therapy is an active process and if you want to see change you have to be willing to make change. I think the media has really warped people's ideas and they expect miracles to happen by showing up without any effort. I wish I could do that for you! But I need you to partner with me to make things happen."
"Also, very few therapists actually have you lay on a couch."
- Dependent-Citron4444
Well, Then.
"Scientist (more specifically, molecular biologist in biotech)."
"I am not hiding the cure for cancer, and I don't know s**t about actual medicine."
- DaOleRazzleDazzle
It's surprising how much we often think we know about other people's professions, and it's probably annoying to them to hear misconceptions day in and day out from the general public.
This is a great reminder of how much we can learn from each other, even just in the workplace.