You've likely jaywalked at least once in your life, and if you've ever lived in New York, you do it all the time. You've probably never been ticketed for it, either, and you've likely not been conscious of the act to begin with, and most people don't even know the rules against it to begin with.
Other people have done worse––significantly worse. That's what we learned after Redditor atticushoi asked the online community: "What's a crime you committed by accident?"
"When I was 7 or 8..."
When I was 7 or 8, my father was driving my sister and I somewhere. He ended up getting a flat so he pulled into a gas station to change the tire. Bored, my sister and I started to mess around with the pay phone. We kept calling 911 and hanging up, not knowing you didn't need any quarters to call 911. Probably 20 min later, the gas station was swarming with cops, firetrucks and an ambulance. Nobody was happy.
"One time in college..."
One time in college, I opted to go grocery shopping with my roommates. I didn't need anything, but wanted to hang with them rather be bored by myself at our house.
I wasn't planning on getting anything, but saw a sale on beef sticks so I picked some up to snack on later. After awhile, I got tired of carrying them around... and since I didn't have a cart or basket, I just put them in my hoodie pocket to get them out of my hands.
They took a LONG time shopping, and it wasn't until I got out to the car that I found (and remembered about) the beef sticks.
Saving the embarrassment, I just kept them and didn't go back in to pay for them.
This was over 10 years ago and it still bothers me.
"When I was like 3..."
When I was like 3, I asked my mom if I carry around this doll set I really liked while we were shopping. She said yes, but only after reminding me she wouldn't get it for me. 3 year old me got tired of carrying the set, and put it in the bottom of the stroller, intent on taking it out later.
And then we left the store, and I forgot I had it in the bottom of the stroller, until my mom found it shortly after we left and asked me what it was. Cue innocent apologizing, and my mom ended up just bringing it back to the store.
So yeah, my first crime didn't go too well.
"Very young age..."
Very young age (like 6-8 years old). The elementary school that I attended was right next to a busy main street. We had tall metal fences all around the playground. That playground contained sand. Decided that it'd be hilarious to throw a hand full of sand at the cars below. Needless to say, they were mad. Cops were called.
What can I say? Kids are dumb as hell, I was definitely no exception to that.
"My friends and I..."
My friends and I were getting high at one of their houses. The owner of the house was drinking pretty heavily as well - though we all had drunk to varying degrees. The owner walks into the room, trips, and puts his arm through a glass coffee table. There's blood going everywhere, as a minor artery had been severed. He told us not to call an ambulance, so I stemmed the bleeding at well as I could (thank god for first aid training), grabbed his keys, put him in the car, and drove him to the nearby hospital (I live in Australia, so free care). I helped him get in there, and waited with him while he got patched up (I think he had something like 12 stitches), and then we left and went back to his house - where we continued to smoke.
It wasn't until later on in the night that we realised that I was driving half-drunk, and high, to the hospital. My licence had expired, to boot, so it was pretty illegal. I didn't think, I just reacted to the situation.
"So I envelope up $300..."
GiphyXmas shopping time. Our liquor store is VERY busy. Every time we get $300 in cash we are supposed to "post" it into the safe (safe has a letterbox opening) that way none of our stores are worth robbing (that's the theory anyway).
So I envelope up $300 but there's a rush of people and i put it in my pocket and forget about it and hgo home.
It's not until I'm about to get in the shower and take of f my clothes that I feel something weird in my pocket and pull out....$300 in a clear plastic envelope.
Oh Shit. What do I do?
I went to work the next day and just quietly posted it onto the safe. I figured even just talking to people about it wasn't a good idea; better to just fix it silently.
"I accidentally..."
I accidentally smuggled alcohol and weapons into Canada once. My ex decided to surprise me with a trip to Niagara Falls, had the car packed and my passport ready but didn't tell me where we were going. She wanted me to drive so she was giving me directions as we went. We get to the border and the guy asks if I have any alcohol in the vehicle, to which I reply no. Then he asks if I have any weapons, again, no. After we get through she tells me that my present is a bow and arrow in the trunk and there is a case of beer back there.
"When we were really young..."
When we were really young my sister and I had the cops called on us (by our parents) because we didn't know that smearing peanut butter on random bike seats was a crime.
"I was in IKEA..."
I accidentally stole a bookcase from IKEA.
I was in IKEA with my uncle picking up a few things, then we got to the seconds and returns place right near the checkouts. There was a bookcase that was pretty beat up, but perfect for what I needed. In the seconds section, the manager has some discretion on the pricing. It was marked as half off, around $60. I offered $10. He thought for a second and said 'what the hell, sure' and printed off a new label. Going through the checkout with my uncle, getting everything scanned, I asked him if we had scanned everything to which he said yes. It wasn't until we were half way home that I looked at the receipt and didn't see a charge for $10, and the bookcase wasn't listed anywhere!
"When I was younger..."
Piracy.
When I was younger, I received a Fire Card (or whatever) for the DS that had a ton of games on that we didn't pay for
"A friend and I..."
A friend and I used to hide and smoke in an abandoned graveyard.
This place hadn't been used in a long time and people used to throw trash inside.
I remember putting out a cigarette and saw a small piece of tissue burn. I made sure to burn it off and left the place.
Went to a mall nearby and it was only about 20 minutes later that we saw the firebrigade and a couple of police cars going in the direction of the graveyard.
All that trash caught fire. They made sure to permanently lock the gate after that.
"Driving around..."
Driving around in places I'm not familiar with. Speeding. So. Much. Speeding.
"I once went..."
I once went into a local coffee shop, and ended up walking out without paying. I realised I didn't pay until I got home.
"I thought the salad dressing packets..."
I stole salad dressing. At a salad bar, I thought the salad dressing packets were free so I grabbed one and put it in my pocket. No one said anything, I paid for the salad and left. Only the next time I was there, did I notice the sign saying "dressing, $1.00"
"Fully unfolded it..."
Clothes shopping and found a funny shirt I liked (Colorado: How's Your Aspen?), picked it up, and took it to checkout. Scanned, bagged, and took it home. Fully unfolded it to find it was a thin shirt and actually two of them and was only charged for one.
"After a trip..."
After a trip to the grocery store I realized I rang up my organic vegetables... as regular vegetables.
"I realized..."
I bought 2 identical makeup brushes (one for my sister one for me) at Target. I realized I needed to exchange something else from that trip so I went back and while I was looking at the receipt I saw the double charged makeup brush and forgot I had in fact bought two, so I showed it to the customer service lady and she refunded me for one basically no questions asked. I didn't realize my mistake til way later.
"After two years..."
After two years of fairly frequent flying, I realized that my wallet had a mini swiss knife in the side pocket all along. Somehow, the airport scans never picked it up and i didn't realize I was sneaking a weapon on board several times a year.
"In second grade..."
In second grade I had to get a signature from my mom for something, but she wasn't awake yet so I signed her signature myself. She gave me a lecture on how that was illegal and I was so sure the cops were gonna break into my house that day.
Curious to hear examples of these, Redditor lilac_cup asked:
"Which tv series has aged like milk?"
The handling of these controversial TV story lines seem so careless in retrospect.
Addressing Child Abuse
"The very first episode of Hill Street Blues has two cops breaking up a domestic disturbance caused by a woman finding her man f'king her 15yo daughter. The man is told not to be sh**ty, the woman is told to put out more and the child is told not to be so tempting. Then the cops leave, patting themselves on the back for a job well done."
– kifferella
The Teacher's Secret Relationship
"Pretty Little Liars. I think even at the time, the teacher dating his 16 year old student storyline was considered creepy, but in 2022 it’s honestly unbelievable that was ever portrayed in any kind of positive light. Also that her parents didn’t immediately just report him to the police."
– ColdFIREBaker
Forbidden Attraction
"Not the whole series but Ally McBeal. In one episode Ally found out her bf is bi and her reason breaking up with him was she afraid that one day her bf would be attracted to their son."
– thrussie
These reality shows would never fly in a "woke" world.
Racist Cringe
"There was a reality show on Fox called 'Black. White.' Where they put a white family in blackface and a black family in whiteface."
"Just reading about it, it turns out the white family wasn't even a real family. They were unrelated actors."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black._White.
– MichaelJAwesome
Extreme Makeover
"Extreme makeover. I remember watching this show as a kid and being like oh wow they’re fixing all these ugly people with plastic surgery and making them happy. I just think that caused a whole generation to think they could change their body with money. Show lasted like 4 seasons. Couldn’t imagine that show today."
– thenightshifters
Teen Exploitation
"Secret life of an American teenager."
"Just what…."
– carlirodriguez8
A Critique
"My god this show was terrible. My wife’s sister was into it and we ended up watching a lot of it when we were dating. I think they tried to make the banter like Gilmore Girls, but it ended up being the characters repeating their current plots and arcs over and over. I don’t remember the characters at all, but the main character was such a horrible person, and the audience is supposed to root for her."
"The main things I remember about it were the religious girl claiming she killed her dad by having sex with her boyfriend, and apparently you go to Bologna to get bjs."
– MachFighterG
So-Called Expert
"You Are What You Eat."
"Host Gillian McKeith (or to use her full medical title, Gillian McKeith) was an absolute quack with an online medical qualification from a Mickey Mouse university. She pretended to be a scientist by being recorded standing around in a lab wearing a white coat, spouted unscientific nonsense that anyone who had done a GCSE in science could see through, and was obsessed with getting people to shit in Tupperware boxes."
"It got cancelled after the final series when you had to have her move in with you. In the last few years she popped up again as a prominent anti-vaxxer once COVID vaccines became available."
– MattBD
These pageant shows glorifying good looks and talent would never be greenlit today.
Performing Pressure
"Dance moms- used to be entertaining, now all I can see is the psychological effects it must’ve had on those girls."
– KE789
"Americas Next Top Model has to be #1."
"From all the behind the scenes sh*t that went on in production to what the show actually shows. It’s all just horrendous."
– Nickster1619
From Ugly To Beautiful
"The Swan, was 2 women who are considered 'ugly ducklings' participating in a pageant against each other after undergoing a three-month transformative process aka having heaps of plastic surgery."
– twozedzed
Psychological Downer
"Right?! How were they allowed to do so many procedures in such a short time while completely isolating these women from their families? Making them diet and exercise while healing from a tummy tuck, breast implants, and veneers?! The 'therapy' sessions were a joke and were just for show while these poor women with low self esteem were preyed upon for entertainment. Just out of a safety and medical prospective…wow."
– Snoo-8746
Judging The Reflection
"Didn't they also not allow the contestants/patients to have mirrors the whole time so they were surprised when they saw themselves? Psychologically having massive changes like that and it being sudden is extremely bad for your brain, you can end up rejecting the reflection because it's not 'you.'"
– Delouest
As audiences evolve, so does the writing and development of all forms of entertainment.
But because the changes are gradual, it is jarring when looking back and noticing how offensive and isolating some of these shows can be.
Times sure have changed in the world of entertainment–mostly for the better.
Curious to hear experiences from strangers online, Redditor WallStreetDoesntBet asked:
"People who moved out of the parent’s house before 30, how?"
Most people can't afford to live on their own.
Roommate Is Key
"yeah this exactly. I've never lived by myself, was roommates until I got a serious girlfriend and now fiance. There's exactly 0% chance of me being in the same position I'm in financially if I had been paying full rent all those years."
– lick_me_where_I_fart
Not A Care In The World
"I was 17, we had 4 of us in a ghetto 2bd apt (bunkbeds) we had a beer bong on a lanyard screwed to the ceiling. We'd have keggers, party's every weekend and always had randoms crashing on the floor. Could barely afford to feed myself and pay bills but still not a worry in the world and it was the best time of my life."
– ApprehensiveAd6006
One inconvenience shared by many was the sacrifice of a good, home-cooked meal.
Change Of Scenery
"Just needed a little R&R."
"Roommates and Ramen."
– SudoPuff
The "Wild" Years
"This, lol. I was kicked out at 16 and after couch-surfing for a few months I moved into a studio apartment with 4 other people."
"When I say we were poor, I mean poor - most of us didn’t have jobs. I lived off the worst of the worst food. Knockoff ramen. Dollar store canned veg. Rice and terrible year old pasta."
"It was a wild few years."
– Vetiversailles
Rice For Life
"Or rice. I lived off rice for a full year. Fancied it up by adding some salsa, and then extra fancy by also adding ranch dressing."
"Those were hard times."
– Ok_Opinion_
Having work definitely makes things easier.
Saving Up To Leave
"Started working while I was in school. Got out as soon as I could."
– ReallyIdleBones
Not Much Fanfare
"Yep, moved out for college in 2006. Came back for the summer in 2007, but thereafter I got an internship so I just stayed in the city. Got a job at the same place after I graduated."
"It was never some big moment for me (my parents are fine, just annoying), just a natural progression for me."
– Zerole00
Building A Life
"At 18. Worked in construction. Lived on a couch with 6 buddies in one house paying for college. Bought cheap land during the recession. Then built my own house."
– ReubenZWeiner
Not moving out by choice seemed to be a common shared experience.
High Turnover Rate
"Got kicked out at 14. Finished high school sleeping on friends couches while serving tables. Had a ton of roommates for the next 10 years. At any given time I was living with like 3 or 4 people, it was never boring haha"
– herriotact
Different Parenting
"I am hearing that so many people are actually kicked out in the really young age is well."
"But i am not getting that why parents are so tough because in my country they try to keep them under their wings."
– wowoao
Tough Love
"My friends parents were going to kick him out immediately after he graduated high school simply because 'That's what their parents did when they were his age.' His Dad fully expected him to go out at 18 and buy a house because 'he was able to.'"
"Then his Dad got pissed when my friend did not buy a house and went to live with his uncle instead. Even after his uncle broke down the whole 'Your mortgage is $2200/month with taxes and you expect your son, who works part time at $7.25 an hour to afford a mortgage? With no credit history?'"
"Some parents do it out of tough love. Some parents do it because they shouldn't have had children. Some parents still think the world is the same as it was in the 70s-80s and think minimum wage part time employees can thrive."
– bangersnmash13
Placed Expectations
"My parents didn't kick me out, but there was definitely an expectation for me to be moved out and financially independent at 18. My mother walked into a job as a radio DJ at the age of 18 and then became a journalist with only a high school education a few years later (early 1970s), so she had this expectation that I could do the same. The thought of me being able to do anything like that in the 2000s was laughable."
– pie12345678
I moved out of my parents' house because I booked my first professional gig on a cruise ship.
It couldn't have worked out better. I was paid to perform on board in the shows while my rent was already taken care of since I lived and worked on the ship.
I packed one suitcase and traveled the world doing what I loved for about two years. It was the best way to transition into an exciting new chapter in my adolescent life.
What's your moving out story?