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These Entitled Jerks Made Us Rage

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The Pettiest Workplace Revenges Ever

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People Share The Worst Adult Tantrum They've Ever Witnessed

Federal Employees Reveal How They're Handling The Shutdown

Federal Employees Reveal How They're Handling The Shutdown
Photo by Chris Kleponis - Pool/Getty Images

The current government shutdown is the fourth longest in U.S. history, and there is no end in sight, despite assurances from Democrats that they will pass funding bills as soon as they take office. The inauguration of the 116th Congress last week marks the first time ever that a federal shutdown will extend into two different Congresses.

President Donald Trump has claimed he can "relate" to the plight of federal workers who are struggling to get by without their paychecks, but these stories provide a window into a world that couldn't be more foreign.


(1/25)

Excepted worker, but I'm only allowed to work on excepted activities. I have to consider whether every email/meeting/phone call/report/whatever is vital for national security, protects life or property, or is related to shutdown operations before I can do the thing.

Not a whole lot is happening.

kiipii

(2/25)

I'm a government contractor and consider myself lucky to be in one of the agencies that are funded so I don't need to worry until September.

My company's policy is that when a shutdown occurs contractors either burn our PTO or are forced into unpaid leave. Which is what I had to deal with the last 2 shutdowns.

No one in my office is happy with the current situation even though we are unaffected.

gibbousm

(3/25)

As someone who lives in a town with a heavy National Park contingent and tourism influence (Jackson, Wyoming), the government shutdown always influences us more than most know. Even during the winter. It's tough.

jubersax11

(4/25)

Our sister agency that refers customers to us shut down mid-last week. We have funding and did not get shut down, but are entirely dependent on customer referrals. IT is furloughed and we are now at three computers that are blue-screened. We have a Wii in the break room and now play smash brothers because we can't go home and only one person has a working computer at this point. Other games include Guitar Hero III, a Call of Duty game, and a rally car racing game.

indigoassassin

(5/25)

Still going to work, although my motivation is falling to 'malicious compliance', which means, I do only what is directly asked of me and nothing more.

Meaning, I sit next to the door, someone rings the doorbell. I later get asked, "did the doorbell ring?" My answer is yes. And that's it.

timmaywi

(6/25)

Government contractor here. I burned through through my PTO last week. My company was great enough to let me go in the hole and even gave each employee 16 hours PTO. so I'll get a full paycheck this week. I filed for unemployment today. Other than that it's been lots of time hanging out with my 5 year old. Mostly just bored and stressed.

cantimprovethekindle

(7/25)

Essential here. It is frustrating to go to work for an IOU but all in all I feel like I am one of the more fortunate ones and can probably float all the way until April or so before desperation sets in.

That said, it is incredibly irritating to see people that act as though this is something federal employees should just accept as being part of the job. Using people's livelihoods as a bargaining chip to push one's own political agenda is disgusting.

If this shutdown is like previous shutdowns, I could call in sick everyday and get paid after the shutdown AND not be charged the leave I took during the shutdown. I do not do this because I have a sense of duty to provide my essential services to the flying public. I just wish everyone at the top of the executive and legislative branches shared in this sense of duty.

Deathbysexay

(8/25)

People don't seem to understand that government is a chunk of an interconnected economy and any interruption has real big effects on everyone. Its not just federal employees, there are thousands of private companies and nonprofits that get a large percentage of income from government contracts and grants. Higher education? Local and state government? Millions of employees. Do you work for a construction company on a transportation project? You bet there's federal funding involved. Do you rent to Section 8 voucher holders? Are you a farmer seeking a government loan? A tour guide near a national monument? In a matter of weeks we'll see ripple effects on banking, technology, and retail. The longer this goes on the higher percentage of Americans will feel the effects.

kids-these-days

(9/25)

I'm a full-time nursing student, part-time CNA living with my parents at well-below-market rent until graduation...and I'm currently the only earner in our household. It's stressful. Dad has the attitude that it'll all work out okay in the end since they do have savings and that they should be counting their blessings for that. Mom is more realistic/pessimistic and keeps accusing him of being a pollyanna with his head in the clouds. (It's worth noting that Mom handles the bills). The last time they argued this much was when my sister was about to flunk out of high school.

In short, there's a lot of uncertainty in the near-term, and it's straining relationships.

Crazycatlover

(10/25)

The shutdown, for me, has not been particularly good timing.

A few weeks prior to the shutdown, we put in an offer on a house that was accepted.

About one week before the shutdown, I set up 3 experiments with live specimens. Now they're all probably dead (I work with insects).

Personally, I've been trying to get things done, doctor's appointments and the like. If there's time, I'll try to konmari my clothes.

shenuhcide

(11/25)

Just graduated in June and got my federal government job right after. Moved to a new state, essentially broke, just barely recovering from moving expenses and about to start paying off my massive student loans. The thought that this will last much longer and force me into further debt scares me but honestly the lack of work is what is getting to me the most. I absolutely love my job and I've always been the type to commit myself 100% to my main focus. Without that I've been wandering around my apartment, in a mostly unknown city where I haven't made any significant friendships with way to much time to think about every dark thought constant activity usually wards off. Also I bought a cheap ukele and have been learning a handful of songs so there's that.

Eco_Bitch

(12/25)

Currently enjoying a planned vacation that I didn't have to use any leave for so that's a plus.

This following week I plan on ramping up my job search that I've only been able to put a mediocre effort towards while working full-time so also another plus.

As a newer and non-permanent employee, I don't have nearly as much invested in staying a federal worker as many of my co-workers. The shutdown is one thing but the freeze on the cost of living increase I find even more disrespectful and is the proverbial "straw that broke the camels back". Private job sector, here I come!

Bryleetch

(13/25)

I keep telling myself that it'll get fixed soon. That maybe I'll fall behind only slightly, but in the end it'll be ok because we've danced this dance before and always bounced back. But this time with Trump, there is so much uncertainty that I just try not to think about it because if I did I'd be a wreck of nerves. We got this last paycheck, but once next payday comes and nothing gets deposited, shit will get real, super fast. I've already called my representatives, for all the good that's done.

In short, I'm worried, but not in panic mode. Yet. After 2 pay periods, I will be in panic mode.

wally3791

(14/25)

I am currently being required to work without pay and it is horrible. I work for an agency that is tasked with law enforcement and morale is the lowest it has ever been. We do not have the manpower or resources to be able to effectively do our jobs and, on top of the stress of our work, we now have to worry about how make mortgage payments, bill payments, arrange for child care, pay student loan debt, etc. We are all angry and frustrated, and I can say with certainty that no one in my office supports this shut down, despite what Trump says.

jtoddleeson

(15/25)

I'm essential and rather pissed off because my vacation has been cancelled and now I have to go back to work. So I bust my ass off working OT constantly all year, I have my vacation time scheduled months in advance, theres coverage but for some reason all vacations were pulled. It doesn't make sense, so I'm forced to go to work while other workers get to stay home and will most likely get paid anyway. On the one hand at least I know I'm getting back pay unlike the non essentials but it still pisses me off that I can't use my leave that I earned while the govt is shutdown. Our agency also has guidance to screen call offs, which has never been done. And of course none of us are getting paid anytime soon so theres guys I work with who are going to be in trouble real soon if they don't get paid. On too of that I gotta read all the asshole comments from people not affected by the shutdown saying govt workers make too much. Like bro I'm just a regular guy like you trying to make the best life I can. It's all rather frustrating and I hope it ends soon so people can go back to having some stability in there lives.

zoanemesis

(16/25)

I was supposed to start a job with a federal agency this coming Monday, but that obviously won't happen. I assume I will never get paid for the time between when I was supposed to start and when I actually do. I can't even talk to HR about it since they are on furlough. Financially I can handle it since my wife works, but the uncertainty is super frustrating.

interestingNerd

(17/25)

Coast guard member here; we gotta show up and work regardless. The service is tremendously helpful, thanks to special conditions we were paid on the first but were told we most likely we won't be paid on the 15th. We're kinda the outlier branch because we are part of DHS and not DOD so it's frustrating not knowing what will happen.

USAA and other banks have set low interest loans for service members during this time with a 50/50 satisfaction because its 0.01 percent. Where in the past USAA would place the money in your account and just receive the money from the government after the shenanigans is settled. For the more financially stable members it's easy to go along with this but members who have kids or low ranking that go paycheck to paycheck may struggle.

SoySauce_McGiggles

(18/25)

Well, it's a great moment for some introspective thought. Like why am I risking my life for a government that gives zero f**ks about me? Why did I choose this path that is full of suck and sees me sleeping in an abandoned Russian theatre. What I'm I gonna do with my life when I finally get out of here? Will I ever get a retro check for these weeks of deployment during the shut down?

Oh you mean this shut down? Hahaha no, I peaced the f**k out of those gigs after learning my lesson the first time.

And the answer is no, I never got paid for those weeks, nor that entire 16 month period of my life that they took from me. Thanks Congress! Thumbs up!

SaltyJake

(19/25)

Federal contractor, self-employed/sole-proprietor. I provide services to museums in the area.

It f**king sucks, I can't go to work because the museums are closed. I get paid hourly, so I'm not getting this pay back either. Thankfully I have enough in savings to hold me over. People sometimes forget about the self-employed contractors with shutdowns-- we usually get hit hard the most since we don't have retroactive pay or benefits through our clients. If it goes on for more than a month, I'll be looking for another line of work.

AudibleGuffaw

(20/25)

Essential employee here. Have an emergency fund so financially okay for a few months; however, honestly it still causes worry. Not knowing when your next paycheck will come forces you to reevaluate all purchases.

You also really have a dilemma when under the weather - come in sick or risk furlough hoping that they will backpay. Sure they always have, but times have changed so you don't think you can rely on it.

Not being able to take any time off is a pain. Any pre-approved leave was cancelled.

More concerned for some out there who are furloughed and generally lower paid. They miss a check and they will be in serious jeopardy.

For most people I think missing 2 checks would be the tipping point.

KnightroUCF

(21/25)

Research has grinded to a stand still. People are freaking out about their timelines for projects. Some people have to go back to square 1.

Even if this only last a few weeks, people have very limited windows for their research projects and this just adds variables and ruins data. It's not just TSA and contractors, it's also researchers who are feeling this.

Murdock07

(22/25)

Husband and I are both federal employees. We're good until mid February at least. We're some of the lucky few that have the ability to hold out that long. He's not worried at all but I stress about everything so it's been fun. He's considered essential and has to work for no pay. I work for a branch of government that won't run out of money until January 11th or 18th so I've yet to hear whether I'm essential or furloughed. I really hope the shutdown ends before then.

Endlessthoughtbubble

(23/25)

FAA ATC here, we're all still working, including mandatory OT shifts (due to historically low staffing numbers) until the shutdown ends.

We don't know when the next check is coming, we're not getting a cost of living raise, we can't strike, and we're turning in scheduled leave so we don't lose it.

Personally, I'm okay. Wife and I save, live within our means, and we can hold out for a bit on what we have. It's not great, if it goes on a while it'll be different, but for now it is what it is.

the_lima_zulu

(24/25)

I work at the immigration courts and my coworkers and I are really stressed of the mountain of work we will have to deal with when we return. Also, all the cases we now have to reschedule. With every single day that passes by the more work that is piling up. The court is already understaffed as it is so we're all going to be scrambling even more than usual...In the meantime, I'm doing door dash and I just signed up for uber so I have that going for me. Luckily, I have my husband who is also a federal worker but he is still getting paid because his work is fee based (USCIS). However, other people aren't so lucky so they're in a scarier situation of how they are going to pay their bills, food, rent, mortgages, loans, etc.

jabbahutt66

(25/25)

I work for NPS and it's pretty terrible. Although, much more worse for the Law enforcement rangers who are required to be working right now, without pay. The park I work for is being completely destroyed and with ~10 (most of the time less) LE's for the whole park, they can essentially do a whole lot of nothing. Being broke is terrible and I've had to ask family for money, but seeing this park that I love so much, being destroyed, is much worse. We were all able to apply for unemployment, but would have to repay it once we get our backpay.

kchac

Infamous Internet Rumors That Ended Up Being True

Reddit user strakerak asked: 'What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?'

boy playing at laptop inside room
Photo by Ludovic Toinel on Unsplash

In 2017, I returned to my office after my lunch break to hear my supervisors discussing Tom Petty. This seemed like a random topic to me until one of my supervisors told me Tom Petty had passed away. He was a huge fan of Petty and spent the next hour or so combing through the internet to get more information.

He came back into the room my other supervisor and I were working in and announced that Tom Petty wasn't dead after all. News outlets had jumped the gun to announce his death, but he was actually still alive.

The next day, I came in to find out that Tom Petty was dead; the news may have been premature, but true.

This is a classic example of the rumor being started on the internet. Sometimes, like with the news of Tom Petty's death, the rumor can run wild and appear everywhere. Other times, the rumor can be seen by just a few people and dismissed. However, a lot of times, these rumors turn out to be true.

Redditors know a lot of internet rumors that turned out to be true, and are eager to share.

It all started when Redditor strakerak asked:

"What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?"

The King Of Pop

"Michael Jackson writing the music for Sonic 3."

"He actually did, but was never credited on the game because it would breach his contract with his record label."

– -WigglyLine-

"He did the same when he appeared on The Simpsons. He appeared under a pseudonym, and the Producers said it was an impersonator."

"Only years later they confirmed it really was Michael."

"His singing voice was actually done by an impersonator, though."

– given2fly_

The Truth Comes Out

"In 1998, US Men’s National Team captain John Harkes was shockingly cut from the team right before the World Cup. The coach claimed it was because Harkes wouldn’t fit into his new preferred formation, but rumors flew on the early internet that it was actually because he had slept with his teammate Eric Wynalda’s wife. The rumor was so well-known in soccer circles that Harkes expressly denied it in his autobiography the next year."

"Fast forward 12 years to 2010 and Wynalda admits it’s true. The coach then came out and admitted it was why he dropped Harkes, but that he’d planned to keep the secret as long as Wynalda did."

– guyfromsoccer

Video Evidence

"The Tim Burton Hansel and Gretel that aired once on halloween in the 80's."

"I heard for years that it was fake but I knew it was real because my dad recorded everything in the 80s and he recorded that. We let a good friend of ours borrow it and switch it over from VHS to DVD and soon after that it made its way on to the internet , and there it is now. I know it's our copy because the tracking in the beginning is screwed up. Still have the VHS."

– Frozenthickness

"There was a similar story with a Nickelodeon movie called Cry Baby Lane. It was supposed to be so scary that Nickelodeon got complaints and denied its existence for years. Someone uploaded a taped copy to youtube about a decade ago."

– PattiAllen

The Movie Business

"That North Korea hacked Sony Pictures because of The Interview movie."

"I worked in the movie business at the time and the account managers at Sony all basically needed to get new identities as all of their personal information got leaked online."

– OldMastodon5363

"My partner worked on that movie and the production bought all the crew 1 year of an identity theft tracking service."

– CMV_Viremia

Keep Away From The Ears Of Kids

"Some banned episodes or scenes of cartoons."

"For example, I remember there was a Dexter’s Lab cartoon where he clones evil versions of DeDe and himself and they swear like every other word (censored of course), and people debated whether it even existed cause they only aired it like once. Now it’s pretty accessible online."

– Spledidlife

Yes, It's True

"Echelon, a massive electronic espionage system by the US and allies to intercept all electronic messages, especially emails."

"In the mid-nineties it was a topic on conspiracy BBS boards. A lot of people in my bubble at the time (mainly uni students in Europe) were including fake threats to the US in the their email signatures as a way to "protest" and "fill the system with false alarms" (obviously useless)."

"Then, in 1999-2000 came out to be true and a lot of security service agencies from UK and other US allies started to admit they were part of the espionage network."

– latflickr

How The Mighty Fell

"John Edward’s love child."

– ACam574

"A reminder that he was cheating on his wife while she was hospitalized for cancer treatment."

– Fanclock314

Ugh...

"Carrie Fisher's heart attack. Some a**hole who was on the same flight was livetweeting the whole medical emergency and justified it by insisting she was just making sure the family was informed."

– everylastlight

It Actually Happened

"Every year around her birthday there was a rumor that Betty White died. When I heard she died, I scoffed, saying that dumb rumor is back.... then saw it on the news. I was in shock."

– Known-Committee8679

"The fact that Betty died literally right before she turned 100 is such a Betty White way to go out."

– Paganigsegg

Big Actor, Small Roles

"I distinctly remember some rumors about the reason why Bruce Willis was taking so many roles in sh*tty movies before it was announced he has dementia."

– KampferMann

"RedLetterMedia did a deep dive on his recent movie activity to try and work out why exactly he was taking part in basically scam-movies. They noticed he had an earpiece in one of the scenes and joked that the director was feeding him lines. I remember they even disclaimed over the rumours at the time, and possible made a follow-up vid when it was revealed to the public."

– CardinalCreepia

What To Do Next?

"That the writer of LOST were making it up as they went."

"Turned out to be absolutely true."

– homarjr

That last one was kind of obvious!

Do you have any to add? Let us know in the comment below.

internet rumors

People Share Their Best 'Don't Ask How I Know That' Fun Facts

Person holding large stack of books
Photo by Jay Lamm on Unsplash

Whether you're naturally interested in fun facts and trivia or not, it's always nice to know a few that you can pull out of your pocket at a moment's notice as a nice conversation starter.

But there are some fun facts out there that are so weird, people become more preoccupied with how the teller found out that information rather than the information itself.

Redditor Dry_Bus_935 asked:

"What is your 'don't ask me how I know' random fact?"

Nuclear Fail Safe

"You have quite a lot of time, certainly more than ten seconds, to turn back on the main pumps of a nuclear reactor once you have accidentally turned them off."

- egorf

"I'm not surprised. The amount of fail safes, redundancies, and emergency scenario planning for nuclear power plants is insane."

"I toured a nuclear plant and wrote my high school senior thesis on the plans put in place to ensure the Fukushima disaster would not happen at that plant."

"I'm sure the secondary pumps are plenty capable of handling the reactor until the main pumps are repaired or just turned back on."

- Borderlandsman

Happy Cat

"If your cat chews on fresh eucalyptus, they might start hallucinating and fall over repeatedly, leading to a $400 emergency vet bill just to be told she’s just kinda high."

- oddidealstronghold

"And, that's part of why koalas love it. Little stoners."

- littlebluefoxy

Archaeology: Do Not Lick

"Old human bones are very porous, so if you lick them, they’ll stick to your tongue."

- clanculcarius

Sharing is Caring

"A pigeon will only eat a Starburst if you chew it up a little bit first. Just to clarify: chew the Starburst, not the pigeon."

- OhTheHueManatee

"Instructions unclear. Pigeon unhappy."

- Wild-Lychee-3312

Intriguing Anatomy

"Everyone is here with the creepy crime stuff, and I'm just like, 'A soft fur rat has 22 nipples.'"

- horroscoblue

"Okay, so either they have really small nipples, their nipples overlap, or they have nipples in places where there shouldn't be nipples."

"(I've never written the word 'nipples' so many times in a singular sentence before.)"

- GdeGraaf

'Don't Ask Me,' Indeed!

"Turmeric can be used as clothes dye. It is capable of permanently dyeing cotton cloth even after it has passed through the digestive tract of an adult male."

- SlefeMcDichael

"You s**t your pants, didn't you?"

- PMmecrossstitch

"I'd prefer not to answer that question."

- SlefeMcDichael

High-Risk Survival Skills

"If you ever trying to survive in the Arctic, don’t eat polar bear liver. It is so high in vitamin A, it will kill you."

- WrongWayCorrigan-361

"It's also surrounded by a lethal amount of angry polar bear."

- horanc2

Real-Life Spies

"TV shows and movies go out of their way to make military/intelligence officers look bada**."

"But real-life 'spies,' by design and training, are boring. They have regular houses and standard second-hand cars, they dress down, and they have vague, boring job titles (accounts receivable) as cover, and they do not draw attention to themselves. Most come from specialized academia."

- Ok_Worth_1093

Haunting Reality

"Your muscles can keep twitching for several hours after you die."

- JustDave62

"Also, beards can appear to grow. This is however not because the beard itself grows but because the skin shrinks."

- RRautamaa

"I worked at a morgue for over eight years. If you grasp the hand of a dead body to move the arm, the hand will grasp back, but that's just muscles and tendons reacting to the tension."

- goneferalinid

The Sneakiness of Drowning

"When a drowning victim is revived, get them to a hospital as soon as possible. Drowning is the leading cause of death of kids from the age of one to seven and is ruled as accidental drowning when it comes to secondary drowning or dry drowning."

"Basically, your lungs are full of water despite being revived. Your lungs will absorb the liquid, but not before your body acidifies from high levels of carbon dioxide. The only chance to survive is to have the lungs pumped with oxygen via CPAP machine and time."

"Also, drowning is extremely quiet. You don’t hear the victim go under. And if you see flailing, do not attempt to save the victim otherwise you’ll become another drowning victim. Throw them a lifeline and hope their amygdala realizes that a rope or something is floating near them and grabs on it."

- Dfiggsmeister

Not Everyone's Favorite Chocolate

"Hershey’s chocolate has the strong smell of vomit or feces to some people (me), and that’s because they use butyric acid as a preservative. Butyric acid is the compound that makes vomit smell so bad."

"Edit: Digging further into it, there are some claims that they may not be “adding” the butyric acid, but rather it is occurring from essentially spoiling the milk in their milk chocolate. Either way, the butyric acid and putrid smell remains a part of their product."

- hefewiseman1

"That explains the weird aftertaste I always get! I don’t smell it but their chocolate always has this super unpleasant sharp/acidic aftertaste that I find repulsive. I assume this is why!!"

- PomegranateNo975

Do Not Lick the Asbestos

"Asbestos tastes like chalk. And if you lick it, it has the texture of extremely gritty sandpaper. Which is actually the feeling of microscopic asbestos needles piercing your flesh!"

- TooYoungToBeThisOld1

Mapping Out the War

"Beginning in 1911 in anticipation of the outbreak of WW1 in 1914, two statesmen, one from England and one from France, began visiting locations in France that they believed would be the settings for a number of major battles that would occur during the great war."

"Long bike rides through these future battle zones in the countryside and weeks spent building a foundation for a French-Anglo codebook that would later prove important in helping win the war."

- fjordperfect123

Avoiding Lawsuits > Protecting Patients

"Doctors, or surgeons more specifically, that make too many mistakes during surgery, ie, leaving instruments in patients, frequently gets ‘quietly traded’ to other hospitals where they continue their path of destruction with the patients not being aware of their past record. Hospitals tend to keep quiet about the matter to avoid lawsuits."

- Kittytigris

Bonus Points: Do This While Having Lunch in Your Car

"If you overfill a fast food gravy cup and then put a lid on, it will create a pressurized gravy stream that sprays all over your face and uniform while your coworker looks on in horror."

- thechaosjester776

This subReddit thread was so a roller-coaster of random facts, we've surely all walked away learning something.

But the biggest takeaway might just be: Maybe don't lick so many things.

dont ask

People Break Down The Times They Had To Sober Up Real Fast

Shocked woman covering her mouth
vaitheeswaran Nataraj/Unsplash

When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.

But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.

Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.

It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.

Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:

"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"

These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.

Bleeding Out

"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."

"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."

– DongLaiCha

Tragic News

"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."

– accountnameredacted

Bottom Of The Barrel

"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."

– Crotch-Monster

A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.

Like Father, Like Son

"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."

– psycospaz

Busted

"Flashing blue lights."

– FiddleOfGold

"This sobered me up just thinking about it."

– redmaple_syrup

Losing Sight

"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."

– MissHibernia

Quitting The Bottle

"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."

– omgtater

These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.

Unplanned House Guests

"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."

– Oneinsevenbillion75

Serious Health Warning

"Elevated liver enzymes."

"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."

"So I opted for recovery, instead."

"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."

– Far_Meal8674

The Joyride

"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."

– foxfood9116

The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?

How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.

But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.

Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.

The Most Ridiculous 'First World Problems' People Have Heard Someone Complain About

Woman holding multiple shopping bags
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.

Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.

These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.

From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.

Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:

"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"

"Tale As Old As Time..."

"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","

"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."

"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."

"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."

"Lol!"

"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom

"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."

"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."

"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."

"I think he was a germaphobe."

"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."

"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."

"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.

"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."

"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."

"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000

Money Burn GIF by nog Giphy

Who Wore It Better?

"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."

"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."

"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."

"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'

"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"

"No."- mertsey627

Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...

"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."

"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."

"It was very low key."

"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."

"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."

"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."

"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."

"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa

south park wedding GIF Giphy

See You In Court!

"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."

'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."

"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."

"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."

"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."

"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin

It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!

"I work in a public library."

"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."

"A popular book that just came out."

"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."

"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten

A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!

"My own."

"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"

"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."

"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"

"Unacceptable!"

"This shall not stand!"

"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."

"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."

"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."

"I got over it."- DeathGrover

homer simpson episode 23 GIF Giphy

Holy Matrimony!

"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."

"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."

"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."

"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."

"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."

"It's just a party."

"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree

When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...

"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore

In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...

"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."

"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."

"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."

"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."

"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."

"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."

"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."

"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."

"We don’t offer wrapping services."

"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."

'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae

Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso Giphy

Happiest Place On Earth!

"I used to work for Disney."

"That in itself should tell you everything."

"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."

"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."

"Suddenly got worse huh?"

"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."

"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."

"I'm not kidding."

"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."

"My wife worked booking."

"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."

"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."

"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."

"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."

"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."

"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong

Disney World GIF Giphy

The horror!

Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!

It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...

Said absolutely no one.


problems