Bad jobs are essential to growing as a person, right there next to your first heartbreak or having a teacher who won't listen to you. It happens to everyone so don't feel bad when you start working only to then realize this job is awful and you need to get the heck out. Everyone's limit may be different, but the reaction is the same:
I. Quit.
Reddit user, u/TheStrangestOfKings, wanted to know what caused you to quit Day One when they asked:
What job did you work at that was so bad, you quit on the same day you were hired?
Not Quite The Holy Ground
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When I was 14 I got a job at one of the few fast food places in town that hired kids under 16. I went to orientation, where they explained the positions different age groups could fill.
My job would be to take people's orders out to their cars. I wasn't allowed to touch money or work the fryer. I showed up on the first [day] and was told my whole shift would be on the fryer.
I told them I was 14 and not allowed to, plus I hadn't been trained on it. The guy basically said tough sh-t and tried to hand me a hair net. I just left.
Companies, Let's Up Our Production Costs! Come On, Now!
This was about 15 years ago. I got hired to be a host at IHOP, and went in for my first day of training. It sucked so bad, I was so bored watching all their cheesy videos.
On a break, Panera called me and asked me for an interview, so I left and went there immediately. Worked there for 5 years.
Coffee Is Kind Of Breakfast Staple
I got hired as the "breakfast girl" at a historic hotel in my town. Now I don't know if this was due to management, or laziness, or what, it that kitchen where I was to prepare breakfast was REPULSIVE. Everything was old, they saved batter for pastries for WEEKS, eggs were damn near spoiled, and they kind of just threw me into it with no warning at all as to what they wanted from me. Didn't really even show me where the coffee was. I quit at the end of the first shift.
No Pay Is Worth No Training
Zaxby's when I was 18. F-ck that place.
It was my first job. I hadn't had any before because of my anxiety problems.
The first red flag was when they asked me to come in the same day I was interviewed. I worked a 6 hour shift, but only about an hour and a half of it was me being trained. I was only taught how to bread & fry chicken and make grilled cheeses.
Then they threw me in the dish pit for 4 and a half hours. No one really came back there to check on me. The dishes kept piling up faster than I could clean them, and it made me really anxious. I called and quit the next day. They even offered to up my pay but I said no, it wasn't for me.
This Sounds...Truly Awful.
I was 17. It was for a small restaurant in a central area of my city where there were a lot of tourists. I had to stand on a busy street handing out flyers and trying to convince people to come eat at the restaurant even at hours where literally nobody would want to go to a restaurant. We got paid like an extra 50 cents for each person that we brought, and in the entire day I only managed to get one group of 4 to come for lunch.
I got there at 8am, and sometime in the afternoon I was told that I could either leave at 4pm and earn a ridiculous sum, or stay until 8pm and earn a ridiculous sum plus a few extra euros. We're talking something like 5€ for 8 hours of working on my feet, in the summer heat, being either ignored or insulted by the people that I had to stop. I was shy as hell and going up to strangers like that was awful. Oh, and at one point the owner passed by in a motorcycle and yelled at me because "I wasn't working" (I was taking a minute to recover from the heat).
I left shortly after because I couldn't take it anymore, I was bored as hell and people were more annoyed than interested by me. I went home and called them to quit. I also googled the restaurant and found reviews complaining about the food and prices, all basically saying that it was a tourist scam. I kinda felt bad for the nice Spanish family that I had convinced to go and eat there.
Oh, and they didn't even pay me. I was told that I'd only get paid after working there for a week, and I had no intention of ever going back so I was like f-ck it, they can keep their small change.
Falling Nails!
Retrieving used formwork. Ten guys throwing 20kg pieces of nail-infested timber down from five floors up. My job was to dodge the falling bits of timber and avoid stepping on nails while I did it for ten hours a day.
F-ck that.
No first aid guy on site, got a nail through each foot on my first day which I disinfected, bandaged and went back to work.
Deathly Peanuts
I was 18 and it was as a waitress for a fancy retirement home, where they made meals to order for the residents who all ate in a communal facility. Somehow we were responsible for knowing a person's dietary restrictions but there was no list of people with dietary restrictions as it's protected health info - we were just supposed to "figure it out." For example, if Grandma was allergic to peanuts, forgot and ordered a dish with peanuts, we were held responsible.
The men keep smacking my butt with their napkins and making inappropriate comments, which was fine with management because they were old/senile. My first shift was supposed to be covering breakfast/lunch (8 hrs) but because so many people quit mid-shift it became a mandated double. I lasted one day. Of the 15 people I trained with, only 1 made it 2 weeks.
Check The Eyes
Away at college, needed a job. Got hired on at a national pizza chain, with a table involved. Anyway, show up the first day and quickly notice every single person working there is tweaking. Everyone. No way I was going to deal with a bunch of tweakers, and quit after my first shift.
Manger asked why, and I told him because everyone here is tweaking. His response: How did you know?! Maybe it was the dialated eyes, the fact everyone here is sweating like it's 113 degrees out, yet I need a long sleeve shirt to stay warm?
Don't Want To Be Misled
As a teen, I applied for a standard teenage summer job picking berries on a farm. Thought id be with other people but turns out I was the only one hired and half of the first 12h day was also construction/helping the farm renovate their barn. Not worth it for minimum wage.
Nubs.
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Got a job at a sawmill right out of high school. It was probably opened in the 40's - dangerous as hell. First day One of the guys that worked there was bragging about how good the owner was to work for, held up his 2 fingered hand, touched the two nubs one at a time and said "I got $500 each when that happened!"
About an hour in I went to my car under the auspices of grabbing my thermos. Left and never went back.
Kids See Through Your Lies Pretty Quickly
Child playworker.
I mean, I don't like kids and I never plan on having any, but "how hard can be playing for 7 hours be?" I was a fool to think children were easy.
Yeah, no. I can't fake enthusiasm, or run around a table for 2 hours, or made a kid eat their lunch (which consists entirely of chocolate?), or stop a child from biting my ankle.
A Government Service That Was Ill-Maintained? You Don't Say...
I have two. The first was at a bpysenberry picking place where you got paid per container. $7 for 8I hours work.
Second was a place that tried to find employment for disabled people. If you were considered "unemployable " by their standards they would employ you in "sheltered employment" which was actually factory work. Some sold packaging to businesses, the area I was in refurbished headphones for a large airline for in flight entertainment.
This was all factory work and they had about 20-30 working on these headphones. They paid $50NZD (around 35USD) a week for 40 hours work. This worked out to be around $1.11/h. They also lied to the disabled people claiming that $40 a week was all they could have before it affected their benefit entitlement. This is a lie because you can earn up to $100 before tax. Then they take 30 cents to each dollar earned over that.
So yeah. Told then where to shove that. This service was also funded by the govt....
Seriously, Guys. Train Your New Employees! It's Not That Hard!
Cumberland Farms, a northeast convenience store/gas station chain. They trained me on everything but how to do anything having to do with lotto, and the manager kept leaving and said "you'll be fine." I was 17 and they left me alone in the store, only having started two hours before. I felt like I knew nothing, so of course you know what's next: every customer wants to buy lottery tickets. When I took my break, I got in my car and left.
Cotton Puff Joe
Being a weaver at an old textile mill, using old machines. My main function was to tie knots in the threads if they broke, and start the machine back up. I was too tall for the machine, and my back was killing me after one day. I wouldn't have stayed anyway. Too repetitive and mind-numbing. People were walking around with cotton puffs stuck in their hair.
...Nope. Got Nothing For This One.
A couple years ago I got hired at 1-800-GOT-JUNK, to be one of the truck loaders. The first training session I went to they explained for about 20 minutes, with an accompanying video, how to scrape dead rats off your boots after leaving the junkyard.
I quit at lunch time.
Maybe Not Day 1, But Not Long After.
I didn't but it was not uncommon at all to see new Amazon delivery drivers quit after 1-3 days. They picture it as driving and just sitting on their butt was my theory. Delivering 250 packages to 180 stops is hard work. Loading the van + walking some stupid a-- driveways/stairs with heavy packages + traffic can be overwhelming.
Don't Leave Until After The Shift Meal
it was a "brew house": code for independently owned applebee's with more beer options, usually local. the cooks smoked on the line, trash was thrown on the floor ankle-deep until the end of the night, the "confetti" in the ceiling light covers were bugs, the ceiling tiles were brown from having never been cleaned, the floor even with non-slip shoes felt like I was walking on ice from the oil and whatever else, the chimney of the fryer caught on fire and I was told that happened every 2-3 days.
I worked 4 hours, got my shift meal, told them I couldn't do it because I didn't want to be there the day they got a less lenient health inspector.
Do Your Own Research
I applied for a call center in my local area, interview went well, hired on the spot and introduced to coworkers (small rented space, less than 20 employees). Was left by manager to chat with future coworkers while I waited for my mom to pick me up (I was still 17 at the time, 3 months shy of 18) when one coworker let's slip some mumble about how he hopes "this young girl doesn't leave like the rest."
I couldn't get the guys words out of my head so when I got home I did some more research on this business and found out they've been hiring for months and constantly losing people, but primarily hiring females who then left the company pretty quickly after. Found a forum of such employees talking about being sexually harassed while working there, how they never got paid what they were promised, etc. Just really shady things, but immediately after learning about the sexual harrasment claims I called and said I would not be taking the position after all. They didn't even ask for a reason.
Yeah...No.
Worked at a recycling plant for medical supplies. My job was to get inside the compressing machines and clean them. The machines were filled with blood needles.
It was absolutely disgusting.
Plus the place was infested with rats.
...Yeah, You Need To Go.
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I was working at a restaurant.
- A co-worker told me the boss asked him if he would sell him his passport.
- Different co-worker said the boss asked him to be a guarantor in a totally blank passport application.
- Some customers came up to me to say they overheard some men on the patio talking about trafficking people. Like, in the way that they were discussing plans to do it. Unbeknownst to them, one of these men was the owner.
Owner was from Albania by the way. Not trying to generalize but they are known to be a one of the Human Trafficking hotspots.
I quit that day and called the RCMP. (Sort of like Canada's FBI)
When you know, you just gotta go! These folks saw the red flags for what they were.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.
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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.