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People Share Facts That Absolutely Blew Their Minds

People Share Facts That Absolutely Blew Their Minds
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As a "high achieving" student, the biggest mind-blowing fact I have ever learned has been the sheer amount of straight-up lying that happens in formal education.

It's a lot. Like a lot a lot. History class lied so hard.


Like to this day the amount of lies we were fed leaves me angry and stunned - and not just in history class. Did you know several states are legally allowed to straight-up lie in the curriculum of sex ed classes? There is no requirement that the information taught in multiple states has to be medically accurate.

One Reddit user asked:

What's a fact that absolutely blew your mind?

My one fact is that the educational system is a whole ass purposeful lying liarpants. Let's see what Reddit had to say.

Oxford

Oxford University was founded in 1096 and is several hundred years older than Machu Picchu.

- GParkerG93

Oxford was founded 300 years before the Aztec empire

- AnduBandu

Wai..wah wai wai wiai, WHAT?

- CosmicSnowball14

On Trial

pet sleeping GIFGiphy

In the Middle Ages, European countries would put on real trials for animals. They were legitimate, with real defense attorneys.

A sow and her piglets were put on trial for killing a five-year-old kid. The sow was found guilty and put to death, but her piglets were acquitted because there was no evidence they took part.

- natsugreyzera

They did this in Tennessee in the 1900's where an elephant was tried and hanged for murder.

- TheoryPlane

Sharks

Sharks have existed 100 million years before the first trees.

Sharks first showed up on the scene 350 million years ago and 250 million years ago. Also, sharks have survived 4 of the 5 mass extinctions. They didn't exist for the first one.

- Stayathomedadof6

Room To Spare

All the planets in our solar system can fit between the Earth and the Moon, with a little room to spare.

- Imajica0921

Whaaaa? Oddly this one hurts my brain the most.

- dmbf

There's a lot of space in space.

- madgietoyousir

Clean Bones 

That when you brush your teeth you're actually cleaning your skeleton

- maidenHELL6669

Gotta keep your bone mech clean. That flesh armor only guards so much.

- Shumatsuu

Gross, thanks!

- ppity_pangolin

Light Horizon

There is a light horizon in the universe, and we will never know what's beyond it

- Money_Display_5389

The funny thing, (or maybe just terrifying thing), is that at some point in the far future, the light horizon will actually get smaller over time.

This is because the universe is expanding faster then light can travel, and so that light will never make it to us no matter how much time passes, and this phenomenon will only become more relevant.

- ZanyThings

The Beatles

the beatles GIF by US National ArchivesGiphy

The Beatles were only together for 7 years. Well, technically for 8 but they released all of their albums in a seven year stretch, releasing two albums a year for many of those years.

- VikingWithGuns

Even crazier- when they broke up, Paul McCartney was 28.

Think about it- all that genius, the music, the success, the greatest band ever to exist- and he wasn't even 30.

- YourlocalTitanicGuy

They Have To Die For My Survival

Diseases are caused by micro organisms.

Organisms. Germs are organisms.

It totally blew my mind that the thing screwing my internal organs was a group of sentient living beings that have to die for my survival.

- CrimsonMarksman

Ice Age

Cleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iphone than the completion of the Great Pyramid

- jfaissalesmfe5

Woolly Mammoths still walked the earth when the Great Pyramid was being built.

- Volkspanzerisme

So by correlation, Cleopatra lived closer to the release of the movie Ice Age, than the actual ice age.

- BurritoBandito5

Flaunt It

Jumping spiders have basically the same vision we do, they can see us and know when we're looking at them and like to show off!

- kikaf32645

Ugh I hate those spiders. We had one in the house once and it kept waving its arms around.'

- Cyannotsus

Jumping spiders are the only kind of spider, that I as an arachnophobe like.

They're fluffy, cute and this fact cements that.

- HelluhTrill420

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As Queen Victoria's grandson, King George V never had a chance to escape the drama that hounded his family. From the tragedy that thrust him into the spotlight, to his complicated relationship with his despicable elder son, the Sailor Prince barely saw a moment's rest in his seven decades on Earth.

1. He Had A Big Family

His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales was born on June 3, 1865, at Marlborough House, right in the heart of London. His parents were Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The couple went on to have six children in total, filling their luxurious mansion with little princes and princesses—but George's parents were no ordinary royal couple.

These two hid a scandalous secret.

2. His Dad Had Too Much Time On His Hands

George's grandmother, Queen Victoria, had a...complicated relationship with George's father. She callously blamed him for the loss of her husband, and could barely stand to look at him. For that reason, she gave him absolutely nothing to do. Of course, George's father spent some of that time with his mother—they had six kids after all—but the rest of his time was spent somewhere far seedier...

3. He Adored His Father

George VGeorge V grew up adoring his father—aside from Queen Victoria, most people who met Prince Albert Edward loved him—but George likely didn't know about his parents' secret: They lived a double life. The first life was the one that George saw: The happy royal family. However, George must have noticed that his father was gone from home for long periods of time.

He likely figured his dad was just off performing his royal duties. Yeah...something like that...

4. His Dad Slept Around

Prince Albert Edward eventually succeeded his mother and became King Edward VII—but before that, he had another name: Dirty Bertie. You see, Edward VII was a man of massive appetites, and we're not just talking about his bulging waistline. Edward's favorite place on Earth was Paris, where he frittered away the hours in the finest brothels the city could offer.

But how did George's mother feel about this? Well, like everything else in the royal family, it's complicated.

5. His Mother Put Up With It

File:King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra - Wedding -1863.jpg ...commons.wikimedia.org

By all accounts, Alexandra of Denmark loved her husband, and at the very least put up with his philandering. She couldn't keep up with his ravenous desires, and at least he still spent some of his time at home performing his marital duties. So, she simply turned a blind eye to Edward VII's Parisian adventures and spent her time raising George and his siblings—and boy, did she have her hands full.

6. He Grew Up With His Brother

An important note: The young Prince George was never supposed to be the King of England at all. That role was supposed to fall to his older brother, Prince Albert Victor. Born only a year apart, the two boys spent nearly their entire childhoods together. They received the same education, but neither of them was what you would call a "star student."

The classroom obviously wasn't working out for them—so when they were old enough, their father shipped them both away from home.

7. His Dad Wanted To Make Men Of Them

The Prince of Wales thought there was only one proper way to turn a boy into a man: The Royal Navy. George's father sent both him and his brother off for training when he was just 12 years old. By the time George was 15, the pair of them entered service on the HMS Bacchante. But don't go thinking the boys were off seeing active combat. Their time on the Bacchante was more holiday than boot camp.

8. He Got A Tattoo

Aboard the Bacchante, George and his brother traveled the world, visiting the furthest reaches of the British Empire, from the Caribbean to South Africa to Australia. In 1881, they visited Japan, where George made a scandalous decision. Like so many teens after him, he got a tattoo: a blue and red dragon on his arm, to be specific (though of course he never allowed anyone to photograph it).

George would fondly remember his teenage years on the high seas for the rest of his life—but his magical childhood was coming to a close.

9. He Split Up With His Brother

George grew up with his older brother Albert Victor, but they had to part ways eventually. Albert Victor was to be king, after all. Eventually, their parents sent Albert Victor to Trinity College to study, while George stayed with the Navy. But he wouldn't be alone for long—he was about to meet his first love. Unfortunately, she was...let's say a little too close for comfort...

10. He Fell In Love

File:Queen Marie of Romania, née Princess Marie of Edinburgh.jpg ...commons.wikimedia.org

Once he and Albert Victor parted ways, George began serving with his uncle, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, in Malta. It made perfect sense: Like him, Alfred was a second son. Who better to show him the strange duties of a royal prince? But Alfred wasn't alone on Malta. He had his daughter, Princess Marie of Edinburgh, with him. George quickly fell in love with her, and she with him.

But, wait...doesn't that mean...?

11. She Was His Cousin

You read that right: Prince George's first love was...his cousin. And no "second cousin twice removed" business. She was his cousin. He quickly decided she was the one for him, and planned to pop the question. And even stranger, his grandmother, father, and uncle all approved. For the royal family, it seemed like a match made in heaven—at least, it did for most of them.

Others weren't so happy about it—and that's when the scheming began.

12. It Wasn't Meant To Be

Even with so many people in favor of these kissing cousins, some in the family despised the idea. George's mother and aunt were both against it—though not because of the cousin thing. They both disliked the political implications of the match. In the end, George's aunt convinced Princess Marie to refuse George's proposal, and she later went on to become the Queen of Romania.

George was heartbroken—but there was far worse pain right on the horizon.

13. He Fell Horribly Ill

Not even the royal family's resources could protect Prince George from everything. Around 1891, George fell ill with typhoid—the same disease that biographers believe killed his grandfather. For six excruciating weeks, George lay confined to a bed, praying for the fever to break. When it did, the entire royal family rejoiced. It seemed as though they'd evaded the Reaper—little did they know, George wasn't the prince he was looking for.

14. His Brother Was A Mess

George's older brother Albert Victor had started spiraling almost the instant the two of them parted ways. In England, rumors of his scandalous exploits were on everyone's lips. Whether it was secret affairs with chorus girls or controversy at a gay brothel, the name "Prince Albert Victor" seemed to just keep coming up where it shouldn't.

When he announced his engagement to Princess Mary of Teck, it seemed like he might finally settle down. Tragically, he never got the chance.

15. He Lost His Best Friend

File:Albert Victor late 1880s.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org

Prince Albert Victor and Princess Mary of Teck got to enjoy their engagement for all of six weeks. This entire time, an influenza pandemic had ravaged the empire—and it finally came for a member of the royal family in 1892. Prince Albert Victor succumbed to pneumonia on January 14, 1892, at just 28 years old. George's closest friend in the world was gone—but that wasn't all.

His entire life, George never thought he'd have to become king. Well, that had changed.

16. His Grandma Matched Him Up

Is marrying your dead brother's fiancée weird? At least it's better than first cousins, I suppose. Queen Victoria had worked hard to choose the perfect bride for her grandson—so why let such a great match go to waste? She suggested that George, now in line to become king, marry Princess Mary instead! Now, we've all had grandparents meddle in our lives—but in a bizarre twist, this one actually worked out for the best.

17. He Fell For His Brother's Girl

Things must have been awkward between George and Mary of Teck at first, but over the months, their shared grief and loss brought them together. Though Victoria undoubtedly pushed them into it, the two of them soon grew to care for each other. About one year after losing Albert Victor, George asked for Mary's hand, and she said yes.

18. He Couldn't Express Himself

George V and Mary of Teck had a surprisingly devoted and tender relationship. Though they might have seemed slightly cold and distant in public, that was just because George struggled to express himself. However, both he and his wife frequently wrote each other love letters. Despite the strange way they got together, they were a team, and that was a good thing.

Pretty soon, they would both need all the help they could get.

19. He Ruled Through Fear

George and Mary had five sons and a daughter. George allegedly gave a simple explanation of his fatherhood style: "My father was frightened of his mother, I was frightened of my father, and I am [darn] well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me." That would certainly line up with what his son Henry would later say about him, calling George V a "terrible father."

Maybe the kids resented the fact that George didn't give them the life most royal families expected...

20. He Liked The "Simple" Life

File:King George V (1865-1936), when Duke of York.jpg - Wikimedia ...commons.wikimedia.org

George's blood was as blue as it gets, and he could have lived in any number of extravagant palaces or castles. But that wasn't George V's style. He raised his family mainly at York Cottage, a relatively small house in Norfolk. They looked more like an upper-middle-class family than anything else, even though George was now directly in line to be the King of England.

So what did George do with all that time out in the country? Simple: He shot things.

21. He Loved His Hobbies

Queen Victoria was still alive, so the crown was still quite far off—and that meant George didn't actually have that much to do. He had plenty of time to kill, and he took that literally. As his official biographer put it, "when he was the Duke of York...he didn't nothing at all but kill animals and stick in stamps." George's two great loves were hunting and stamp collecting—though one of those pastimes got a little bloodier than the other.

22. He Loved Big Game Hunting

Later in his life, when he became Emperor of India, George and his wife took a trip through the Indian subcontinent. And while George was in India, you just know he was going to buck wild. Over 10 days, he shot 21 tigers, eight rhinos, and a bear. He may have been rich, but you did not want to mess with George while he had a gun in his hand.

23. He Went Too Far

The peak of George V's hunting obsession came on December 18, 1913. That day, he went hunting for about six hours. In that time, he shot one thousand pheasants. That's one bird every 20 seconds. By the time he had finished, likely because there was no ammo left in sight, even George had to admit "we went a little too far." You don't say, Georgie!

24. He Moved Up In The World

When Queen Victoria finally passed, George's father became King Edward VII, and George became the Prince of Wales. He spent the next several years having children, traveling the world, and learning about the business of being king from his father. Well, he was going to need all the help he could get: While Queen Victoria had seemingly lived forever, his dad was not long for this world...

25. He Became The King

File:KingGeorgeV QueenMary Coronation1911.png - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org

Years of debaucherous eating, drinking, and sleeping around took their toll on Edward VII. Victoria's reign lasted 63 years; Edward's only lasted nine. He succumbed to illness on May 6, 1910. The loss devastated George—soon to be King George V. Numb, he wrote: "I have lost my best friend and the best of fathers...I am heart-broken and overwhelmed with grief..."

But George didn't have long to mourn. At the time, Europe was a powder keg—and it was about to explode.

26. He Ruled Through WWI

On 4 August 1914, four years after George V became king, he wrote a frank entry in his diary: "I held a council at 10.45 to declare war with Germany. It is a terrible catastrophe but it is not our fault....Please to God it may soon be over." WWI would prove the most horrifying conflict that the world had ever seen—but not many people realize just how close to home it hit for George.

27. His Cousin Was Public Enemy #1

During WWI, the British public saw Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II as the figurehead for all the horror taking place on the continent. To them, he was little more than a monster—but he was George's first cousin. King George V was quite literally fighting with his own family—and the nightmare would only get worse as it got better.

28. He Sounded Too German

George tried his best to remain a beacon of strength and national pride during WWI. That meant making a decision that changed the royal family forever. Technically, George's house—the ruling house of England—was German. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, to be exact. Britons had to watch as thousands upon thousands of their fathers, sons, and brothers went off to fight Germans, while a German ruled them.

It was a terrible look, and George knew it. So he decided to do something about it.

29. He Invented A New Name

I don't expect you to know the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, but I bet you've heard of the House of Windsor. Well, turns out they're the same thing. In 1917, George V released a royal proclamation, changing the British royal house's name to Windsor. He also made his German relatives change their names too. Prince Louis of Battenberg became Louis Mountbatten, for instance.

The royal family as we know it was born that day—but changing your name can't solve all your problems, as George was about to learn.

30. His Cousin Lost His Crown

File:Tsar Nicholas II -1898.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org

As if he didn't have enough on his plate, later in 1917, George received truly harrowing news: His first cousin and near-doppelganger, Tsar Nicholas II, had been overthrown, and the Bolsheviks had taken over the nation. The British government acted fast and planned to offer asylum to the Russian imperial family—but in a surprisingly heartless turn, George stepped in the way.

31. He Betrayed His Family

Kings must have to make countless hard decisions, but this one was particularly harsh. George feared that the Romanov family might inspire revolution in Britain. So, he abandoned his own cousin to a chilling fate. George blocked the offer of asylum: The Romanovs were not welcome in Britain. They remained in Russia where, after several grueling months in captivity, the Bolsheviks executed the entire family, then dumped their bodies down an abandoned mineshaft.

32. His Youngest Child Was Sickly

Finally, in 1918, King George V got some good news: WWI was finally over! George rejoiced along with his nation—but his happiness would be short-lived. Prince John, George's youngest child, was born in 1905, but from the moment of his birth, he was a sickly and frail boy. Little "Johnnie" was the baby of the family, but no matter how much anyone spoiled him, his health just never improved.

Finally, just two months after Armistice Day, George's worst fear came true.

33. He Suffered Every Parent's Nightmare

On January 18, 1919, Prince George had a severe seizure, and this time, he would never recover. He passed in his sleep at 13 years old. George and his wife Mary were both devastated, but part of them was relieved. John's entire life had been filled with sickness and pain. In a letter, George painfully described John's passing as "the greatest mercy possible."

34. He Started A Tradition

If you've ever watched Queen Elizabeth II's address on Christmas Day, you've got George V to thank. In 1932, he delivered the first-ever Royal Christmas Speech on the radio. He didn't want to do it, but his advisors reminded him that his people wanted to hear from him. And it turns out they were right! George became a beloved king—even if he didn't see it.

35. He Didn't Know Why They Loved Him

File:George V(GN09264).jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org

In 1935, George celebrated his Silver Jubilee, and he could not believe the crowd that came out for the occasion. His radio addresses had allowed him to reach his people unlike any monarch who came before him. When he heard the crowd's adulation, he exclaimed, "I cannot understand it, after all I am only a very ordinary sort of fellow."

Well George, not everyone liked you—and at the top of the list was your own son.

36. He Was Disappointed In His Son

When George was young, his older brother was the problem child. When it came to his kids, the story was the same. Though they had once been close, George's relationship with his eldest son Edward grew more and more strained as the years went on. Now, oftentimes, fathers expect too much of their sons. In this case, I side with George 100%.

Prince Edward was not the kind of guy to make a father proud...

37. Edward Was Not A Good Guy

While he traveled the world, George had noted the prejudices of the British Empire with disgust. Edward had a...different reaction. His world travels only confirmed his belief that whites were superior to everyone on Earth. His writings about the indigenous people he encountered are truly despicable—yet that was just one way he disappointed George.

Edward's scandalous affairs might have been even worse.

38. His Son Slept Around Too

Edward VIIIdefinitely would have had more in common with his grandfather than with his father. He refused to settle down, embarking on affairs with married women, courtesans, and whoever else happened to catch his eye. Edward's antics horrified George and the other royals, but at least to this point, they had mostly stayed under wraps.

Then a scandal broke out that threatened to drag the entire royal family into Edward's mess.

39. He Found A Scandalous Mistress

Her name was Marguerite Alibert, and she was not the kind of person George wanted his son sleeping around with. A one-time working girl, she caught Edward's eye, and he upgraded her lifestyle to "courtesan." Edward met her while on leave from the front during WWI, and she gave him whatever he needed. But his grandfather was the one who loved working girls—not the current king.

When George found out about his son's new mistress, he was horrified.

40. She Shot A Man

King George V | George V's reign began amid the continuing c… | Flickrwww.flickr.com

George and the rest of the royal family heaved a sigh of relief when Edward broke things off with his Parisian courtesan—but that wasn't the last they'd hear of Marguerite Alibert. Just a few years later, she visited London with a new lover...and she shot him in the back several times. This upper-class murder shocked England—but for George, the stakes were so much higher.

41. He Kept It Buried

George V did everything he could to make sure that his son's name never appeared in the press surrounding the Marguerite Alibert. He mostly succeeded, and though there were rumors, the public never learned that the Prince of Wales had an affair with a working girl, who then shot her new lover. George eventually tracked down every last letter that Edward had written to Alibert and had them destroyed.

But the damage was done: George would never truly trust his son again.

42. He Adored His Son And Granddaughter

The members of George's family weren't all as exhausting as his eldest son. He thought extremely highly of his second son, the future King George VI, and adored his precocious granddaughter "Lilibet" (you might know her as Queen Elizabeth II). She loved him in turn, affectionately calling him "Grandpa England." He thought both of them would make excellent monarchs—if only they got the chance.

43. He Feared His Son Would Ruin Himself

By 1935, George's faith in his son and heir had all but evaporated. He said, "After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself within 12 months...I pray to God my eldest son will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne." He must have sensed that the end was near—and he would have been right.

44. His Health Failed

Back in the days when people called him the Sailor Prince, George V was the picture of health—but he'd seen hard miles in his time as king. During WWI, his horse bucked and threw him to the ground, causing serious injury from which he never fully recovered. The fact that he smoked like a chimney his entire adult life didn't help matters either.

The once hale and hearty king grew frail and sickly—and a painful tragedy only made things worse.

45. He Lost His Favorite Sister

File:Victoria de Gales.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org

George V's brother Albert Victor had been his closest companion growing up, but he still held a soft spot for his little sister Victoria. In December of 1935, when George was already at death's door, Victoria suffered a hemorrhage and suddenly passed. Her loss sent the king into a spiraling depression from which he would never recover.

46. He Went In His Sleep

By January 1936, George barely clung to life. He retired to a country estate at Sandringham House, but pretty soon he was too weak to leave his bedroom. Finally, his doctors released a statement: "The King's life is moving peacefully towards its close." And that it did. George V passed quietly in his sleep on January 20, 1936—only, that wasn't the whole story.

47. His Doctor Had A Secret Diary

Lord Dawson of Penn was George V's chief physician in his final days. He kept a detailed diary from that time, but he kept them a closely guarded secret for the rest of his life. Finally, in 1986, his diaries were made public. They revealed the king's last words, a mumbled "God damn you!" to his nurse. But that's not all they revealed.

It turns out, Dawson had not been entirely honest about that final night.

48. His Doctor Euthanized Him

The entire world thought that George V had passed from natural causes. In truth, Dawson had actively ended the king's life. A believer in euthanasia, Dawson knew that George's end might take hours or even days, and he saw the toll that it was taking on the king's family. So, he made the decision to kill a king. He injected King George V with morphine and cocaine.

15 minutes later, George's breath slowed...then stopped.

49. His Son Gave Up The Crown

George's son Edward became King Edward VIII—but it turns out that George's fears about him were baseless. Sure, George thought he'd make a terrible king, but apparently so did Edward! Before the year was out, Edward abdicated his throne so he could marry his divorcee partner Wallis Simpson. He was then free to live a life of high fashion, German sympathies, and extreme prejudice while his younger brother became King George VI.

So at least our guy King George V got what he wanted in the end.

50. His Son Really Was The Worst

File:HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg - Wikimedia ...commons.wikimedia.org

It's hard to pinpoint when exactly George V's relationship with Edward went south—but it certainly could have been around the time the family lost young Prince John. While George and his wife experienced mixed relief and sorrow, Edward's response was truly disturbing. Despite being a 24-year-old man, Edward called his brother's loss "little more than a regrettable nuisance." I, for one, am happy this guy gave up his crown.

When we're dining out, we're generally excited, because it's meant to be a positive experience. Good food with someone we love, or as our me-time, what's not to love?

The last thing we want to think about is the possibility that something is going wrong in the kitchen, but as some Redditors have witnessed, sometimes one of the kitchens we can't eat from... is one of the professional ones.

Redditor stevesmd asked:

"What's the most disgusting thing you have seen in a restaurant?"

Contaminated Food

"Condensation above a buffet turning brown and dripping back down on the food..."

- MountainHipie

Nah, That Was Just Super Rat

​"I saw a napkin run across a floor. It was really a rat that somehow had a napkin draped over it but it was surreal and super funny to watch."

"We'd joke about eating at the place that held napkin races any time no one could come up with a place to eat, and then usually someone would be like, 'Naww, let's just hit up another restaurant.'"

- Sleestak714

Something Off About Those Smoothies

"While working at a restaurant, I pulled back the slushie machine because I smelled something off coming from behind."

"The smell was black mold. I quit on the spot and reported the restaurant to the health authority."

- Magic_a**1

Cleaning Up After the Baby

"A woman changing her baby's diaper on one of the tables. Before you throw hate at me, there were changing tables in both bathrooms."

- nanspud

Intimate Plating Habits

"As a waiter: watching the 'chef'/owner scooping spaghetti out of the steam table with bare hands and plopping it on a plate. We didn't call the resort 'S**thole' (Chateau) [name redacted] for nothing."

- calnuck

Build Your Own Germs

"This was one of those build-your-own frozen yogurt places with 100 different toppings."

"I watched a kid take a spoonful of cookie dough, eat it, and then put the spoon back in the container."

- moparguy_alec

Ill-Garnished Drinks

"The owner was snacking out of the garnish tray for the bartenders. She was just snacking on the lemon wedges and sugar sticks meant for the drinks."

"She was putting her fingers in her mouth and then diving back in for another cherry or orange wedge right there at the bar in front of me and a friend."

"I looked at her and said, 'What you're doing is f**king disgusting, those go in people's drinks, and you're putting your gross fingers in there.'"

"She scoffed and walked away. The bartender came over and thanked me for saying something and explained the staff tells her that all the time, but she doesn't listen because she's the owner."

- GrimWoldMcTheesbyIV

Sharing a Cutting Board

"They were cutting raw and cooked chicken on the same cutting board at the same time. The kitchen is open and you can see what's going on from the dining area."

"Everything comes pre-packaged, and they don't have anything fresh. I haven't eaten there ever since."

- Content-Wing-5015

A Misused Band-Aid

"Buddy ordered a burger. Took two bites then tasted something strange. It was a band-aid. A used band-aid.

- NeverGoneTooFar

"My mom and her sisters found a band-aid in a pizza once. The manager wouldn't refund them so they stood outside the door and told everyone who walked in."

"They got their refund."

- rahyveshachr

A Shocking Moment

"In-N-Out in SoCal, I saw a man chow down on his double-double, then immediately throw up into his red tray. He just kind of sat there shocked, and nobody else seemed to notice but me. It was surreal honestly."

- DarkPhalanxSet

One of Super Rat's Family Members

"A rat ran out from the kitchen and jumped on a table people were eating at. They all screamed, the rat ran along the table on the booth/table trying to find a way out but essentially took the worst route possible."

"This wasn't a high-end place and none of the wait stuff seemed that bothered, they had a similar attitude to if they had brought you the wrong meal. Like apologetic, but it's not a big deal. Which gave the impression this happens all the time and it was just another day for them."

"So we stopped going there."

- Cody6781

Questionable Feminine Hygiene

"I used to work at an Italian restaurant where there was a used tampon sitting around in the back of the kitchen. Of course, no one wanted to touch it so it sat there for the entire time I worked there. They never cleaned the back of the kitchen."

- Mighty_Meatball

Nothing Wrong with Dogs, But...

"I guess Starbucks counts as a restaurant, so a couple of Christmases ago, I stopped in for some coffee after getting a couple of gifts."

"I immediately saw multiple baristas petting a dog I assumed to be their manager's, but they went back to handling the food and drink without washing their hands, so I walked back out."

- ScorpionX-123

New Residents

"One of the creepier pandemic/lockdown stories I've heard involved a prosperous neighborhood in suburban Maryland."

"A guy who bought the house of a friend had lived there. He'd been just down the road from a strip mall with quite a few casual but upscale restaurants and bars."

"During the time, these places were shut down or limited to carryout, and the amount of trash put out dropped hugely. The guy's neighborhood was then overrun with rats looking for food."

"He couldn't even let his smallish dog hang out in the yard anymore. That was partly why he moved."

- 2PlasticLobsters

An Unhinged First Date

​"In a very posh restaurant, a man in his early 60s with a smart suit was on what looked like a first date. They chatted happily and ordered wine and steak."

"But when the meal was served, he cut his steak while chatting, looked into her eyes, and dipped his steak into her red wine up to his knuckles, opened his mouth wide, and threw it in."

"Then he picked up a chip and repeatedly dunked that in her drink while she looked on, shocked."

"Then he wiped his fingers on his tie and drank his drink. She looked visibly shocked."

"Then she went to the toilet and snuck out the back and away into the night. He got a call and spoke loudly to, I assume, a friend about how a steak meal guarantees a booty call, so it's on tonight."

"I ate slowly, waiting to watch him realize she had left. One hour later, he got madder and madder, screaming into the phone at her number, calling her horrid things... That lass had a very lucky escape."

- Plus_Data_1099

It's easy to see why these were the most disgusting things that some people had witnessed, and it's even worse to think about all of the stories there are in the world that were not included on this Reddit thread...

KFC menu items
Aleks Dorohovich/Unsplash

Restaurants, whether they are part of a major chain or a beloved local establishment, offer dishes that have become favorites by repeat customers.

But in order for some of them to thrive in a competitive dining industry, owners of your favorite places for dinner are constantly updating their menus to attract newer customers and to stay relevant in the culinary scene.

Unfortunately, the changes come at the cost of banishing your favorite entrees to the past.

Keep reading...Show less

No one chooses to live in poverty.

It's one of the great injustices of the world that people find themselves in, often through no fault of their own.

Sadly, for the majority of people, poverty is permanent.

There are those, however, who have managed to defy the odds and climb up out of poverty.

If these people don't necessarily become millionaires, they still manage to have food in their refrigerators, and a roof over their heads.

A luxury they at one point never dreamed of having.

Redditor fromTheYear3969 was curious to hear the stories of people who achieved this remarkable accomplishment, leading them to ask:

"How did you come out of poverty/being broke?"

Hard Work And Dedication

"I was homeless, bouncing from shelter to shelter."

"One day my cousin took me with him to a place called Labor-Ready."

"It's just a place where construction companies etc. pick up a day laborer, and at the end of the day you go back to the office and they cut you a cheque for the day's work."

"Well when I got to that jobsite, the other punks I was working with from the agency were lazy and slow and complaining all day, barely doing anything."

"It pissed me off."

"We were hired to work."

"So I worked my absolute guts out."

"We were digging mud out of the basement of an abandoned farm house that was being restored."

'The boss came during the day and saw me carrying 2 steel 5 gallon pails filled to the top with mud up the stairs and out the back door constantly."

"While the other two were barely filling one 2 gallon drywall mud pail."

"He took me aside and said 'You're not going back to the agency tomorrow, you're hired'."

"From there I continued to work my guts out for him and eventually was promoted from laborer to a carpenters apprentice."

"I learned a few trades there since they were a general contractor."

"From there I moved on to other companies and continued learning new trades."

"Today I'm a jack of all trades, making good pay."

"I do everything. Windows and doors, flooring, brick and concrete repair, drywall, mud and tape, tile, siding and aluminum, you name it."

"I've got my own brand new van, fully kitted out with all the best tools I could possibly need to do any job."

"And my work is appreciated because I am meticulous and hard working."

"And that's how I went from pinching out of weed bags and sleeping at a mission to owning a house and vehicles with a good job."- Response-Cheap

Act Like Nothing Changed

"Finished grad school, got a decent paying job, but continued to largely live as if I was broke."- AgingLemon

"live like I'm still paycheck to paycheck."- Enshu

For Love AND Money

"Married my way out of it."

"I had no idea her family were doing well because they live so frugally, but when I moved in with them to 'save money' after marrying her as they put it, I was put in charge of managing everyone's bills and credit cards."

'When I saw my father and mother in laws bank accounts, I at first thought it was a mistake, but when I raised it with my wife she was like like no that sounds normal."

"I nearly fainted."

"I know for bloody sure that their grandkids are going to want for nothing."- An_Draoidh_Uaine

Wasn't Afraid To Ask For Help

"Sacrificed comfort and focused on getting the bare minimum of what I need and how to get more money."

"I at ramen and bread, slept outside, and took a shower when I could."

"I got a job at Wal-Mart, then Ross, the clothing store."

"Found a cheap motel to stay at with the girlfriend and we scrimped and saved."

"But $33 a night on a $50 a day salary eats at you and it was impossible to save."

"Like it would have been years before I could have afforded just a car to make sure I got to work on time."

"So I moved into my fathers place and could save up for a car."

'They paid for my TESOL and I used a lifetime of miles from flying between my mother and father to get a ticket to Poland, sold the car and found myself eating potatoes in Polska till i got a job teaching English."

"Then the gold(PLN) was steady."

"Moral of this story is that poverty is a scary f*cking thing and its really hard to get out of it without friends and family."

"There's no easy way out and the longer you're there the deeper the holes get especially if you start borrowing money."

"I still like to travel on nothing sometimes though."

"Hitch-hike, couchsurf, and eat nothing but bread for months."- Mixedstereotype

Never Underestimate The Importance Of Social Skills

"Being at the right place, at the right time, talking to the right people."

"You can be the most talented person in the world, but if you don't know how to play the social game, and have a lot of luck it sadly isn't going to happen."- ClearRefrigerator519

Strived For Something Better

"I grew up with drug addicted/alcoholic parents."

"I've worked every day since I was 16 and stay far away from my family."

"My wife and kids are my rock and keep me working hard and pushing to be better."

"Pro tip: leave your small town and never look back."

"Take control and grab life by the horns."- ForlornCouple

Never Took One Day For Granted

"Read, learned, exercised, went to night school, got a GED went to university (got a loan for that) learned to live on beans and rice for 6 years got a contract job in my industry worked, studied, learned took every minute of work that came my way."

"Gained the trust of the middle class people around me, made them believe I wasn't some white trash loser, read learned exercised, saved up $10,000 started my own buisness, struggled for years, failed many times and finally got here."

"I am 52 and still working 6 days a week 12 hours a day."

"Sad but true."

"No easy options for me, unfortunately."- lostinKansai

Work, Work Work...

"I went back to school at 24 to get a degree in cs, got an internship at a big tech company and converted it to a full time offer at the end of the internship."

"Now I make insane money."

"I worked full time with a lot of mandatory over time during the entire period I was in college.'

"It was brutal, but ended up being worth it."- Pwnskies

Took Advantage Of Opporuntiy

"Grew up poor."

"I am good at learning and my country has affordable education."

"Getting into university is a matter of getting a diploma from the right level high school, which I did."

'I then went to university and got a good job."

"I now pay more in taxes than my education cost the government."

"It should be that simple anywhere."- Xaphhire

Figured Out Who Their Real Friends Were.

"Might sound harsh, but I dropped the group of people I was hanging with."

"They all had no aspirations or drive to do anything or get out of the small town we grew up in."

"I knew that if I stayed in that circle of people, I wouldn’t go or do anything with my life."

"That was 8 years ago now."

"I got a college degree, have my own house, and make $120k a year."

"Everyone back at home that I left still isn’t doing anything."- HackJarlow23

One sobering thought after reading all these inspiring stories.

If all the world's billionaires each donated a small percentage of their massive fortunes, they could actually end world hunger.

And yet...