The people in our lives can have a pretty big impact on us, but sometimes it's the strangers we only meet once who make the biggest difference.
It's those strangers, and our interactions with them, that we remember for the rest of our lives
Reddit user u/mahaslays asked:
"Who's one stranger you will always remember?"
After a series of bad choices I found myself barefoot, without my purse, and lost in a city I didn't know. I sat in front of a gas station for awhile and the cops were called. I begged for help, to use a phone to call someone, anything. After 20 minutes of back and forth cop 1 called me a whore and cop 2 just shook his head and got in his car. Given the area, yeah I fit the bill.
A cab driver had been parked near me and had been in the car while this exchange was going on. He stepped out shortly after the cops left and sat a few feet away. He offered his cell phone and said he would drive me home at no cost. I called a family member that hung up shortly into my call asking for help. I chose to trust him, to get in that cab, and give him my address. It went against everything I've EVER known but ultimately he got me home safe. His name was Mustafa (he made a joke about being older than the Lion King). He said to me "You will someday find someone who will treat you like a Queen but you must think of yourself as a Queen first". It was one of the nicest things someone has done for me. I tried giving him money when I got through my front window (again, no purse) and he said it was okay..that he needed to be on this side of town..25 miles away.
When i was a kid we had to go around the neighbourhood and ask people to sponsor us for a charity something at school. When we ringed the doorbell, we could look into the hallway. There was a man covered in bandages and blood from head to toe, screaming at is. I never ran that hard again in my life. And I'll never forget the image.
Wife and I took our honeymoon to Disney World 13 years ago. We were young, dumb, and broke.
Rather than have an expensive wedding, our parents helped pay for the honeymoon.
Leaving EPCOT one night, we got to ride at the front of the monorail. In the car with us were some man and his young daughter.
My wife and I were wearing our chintzy Mickey and Minnie honeymoon ears. The man asked us how long we had been married. We told him only a few days. He said congratulations, reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet, and gave us a $100 bill.
I tried to refuse, but he said it was ok. "I own a couple of banks."
It likely didn't make much of a difference to him, but to us, it meant that we got to eat at an amazing restaurant for dinner on our last night there.
I remember when I was like 4-6 I was walking with my dad through a very crowded street and I looked at a kinda normal man (mustache and brown jacket) and thinking I'll remember him. He didn't even look at me or seemed creepy, he was just walking.
15 later I still remember the mustache man.
My wife and I were on our late honeymoon in Saint Croix. There was an old hippie couple at the lounge at our resort and we spent an evening with them. The husband played the trumpet and the wife played the guitar. They played a song called "Mr. RV." and it was so good I asked them to play it twice. It was about an old man driving an RV who was inadvertently delaying traffic. I don't remember the song anymore. But I'll always remember those two. Really nice people.
When my grandmother (who had cancer) was having a dangerous procedure done, my mom and I were in the waiting room and this older man looked at us and told us everything would be alright and quoted some scripture. My mom swears that she immediately felt at peace when he said that. Once the procedure was done, we realized we had forgotten a blanket in there and went back to get it. The man had it draped around him and was asleep so we just left it with him. We saw him several times after that in different areas of the hospital. It was very strange because he told us he wasn't there for anyone. A few days before my grandmother died, she kept describing a man sitting in the room with her. She described him exactly like how this man looked.
I was at a local burger joint in my home town about a decade ago when I was 16 or 17 years old. It was around lunch time on a Saturday and the place was super busy. It was a five guys type ordering system so after placing my order I found went stand towards the back of the restaurant to wait for my number to be called. All the tables were full except one table with a single old black man sitting there. He was eating so nobody joined him, but he waved me over to sit down. He proceeding to talk to me for damn near 45 minutes in between bites as I waited for my food. He gave me all kinds of unsolicited advice on life and love and just about anything. Things that I still carry with me to this day. About 5 years late my mom dragged me to church with her one weekend I was home, and I saw him walking down an aisle through a very crowded conjugation, he winked at me. No way in hell he could have recognized me after all those years, going from 17-22ish I looked totally different. I couldn't find him after church and never saw him again. I'm half convinced he was an angel don't @ me
The nice lady I met on the Amtrak from Klamath Falls who found out I was into collecting coins and shipped me her entire collection. Thank you, Connie! It's been over 30 years and I still have those coins.
My husband & I were on vacation in Banff celebrating our second wedding anniversary when we were caught in an avalanche on a mountain road. Our car was completely buried and we made the decision to get out of the car through the window (we had no food or supplies and had no idea if we'd suffocate or how long it would take to be dug out). We started running and more avalanches started to fall down but thankfully we outran them. Finally when we got to a safer area, a park warden and two cars drove up. In one car was a father & daughter who lived locally. They had been ice climbing in the area when the road closed so they had to stay with the warden until he could escort them back to another city. The man saw how traumatized and upset I was and immediately opened a bottle of tea and gave me some and asked if I was ok. The warden left us all for a while as another warden was stuck and needed help so we stayed in their car for around 2 hours.
They were SO NICE. They kept offering us food & drinks. But mostly, they really just helped us get our minds off the fact we had just been in a very scary situation (and were potentially still) and were in a bad situation as our car was buried, the road was closed so we couldn't go back to our hotel, we didn't have any stuff, etc. We talked about a lot of different things in the span of two hours and really, it was just comforting to be with other people and it was cool to get to know some locals. Crazy to think how strangers can just be thrown together like that. I know they had to miss work & school the next day due to the avalanches. I hope they have many more safe ice climbing adventures!
This was several years ago. I was in a horrible place in my life. Within a 6 month time frame my dad died, my grandma died, my sister had a massive stroke, I got shingles (I was 31) and I found out I had the onset of the same heart condition my father passed away from. I was very depressed and it was a struggle just to get up most days and take care of my family. I had taken the day off work, dropped my daughter off at school and was just sitting in a coffee house. This older woman came up to me and just hugged me for a few minutes. I totally lost it, I ugly cried while this complete stranger held me and patted my back like I was a child. Once I calmed down it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I guess she could just sense that I just needed a shoulder to cry on. I thanked her and she looked at me and told me to keep my head up, that things would work out and get better. She left the coffee shop and I've never seen her again.
still have the heart problem, but it hasn't progressed since my diagnosis. My sister has regained some of her mobility and is doing surprisingly well. So I guess she wasn't wrong.
A couple of years ago, I was standing in line at the grocery store, minding my own business, waiting to check out. I notice the lady in front of me (older woman, maybe 50s, I was 21 at the time) is buying a cake. She put it on the belt and when she did she kind of looked at me looking at the cake and I cracked a joke, something like "man that looks good!" She laughed a bit and told me it was her sons birthday.. After I acknowledged that, she then shared with me that he would have been about my age.. he had passed away. She told me every year she has a piece of cake on his birthday just to celebrate. She began to tear up and cry, admittedly I kind of did too. She asked for a hug, which I agreed to. A very random interaction that was deeply filled with emotions.. I will never forget that.
I was at a bad point in my life. I barely had any money and no set home. All I had was one duffel bag full of my clothes and a small backpack. I moved around to different states sleeping on friends couches. This went on for almost a year. I was going to fly out on my next destination and they would not let me bring my duffle bag as a carry on. I went back to the check in area. I had no money to check it in and they wouldn't do it for free. At the moment I was quickly taking out what clothes I could fit in my backpack and just toss the rest of my clothes before I was late for my flight. (This was all going on in at the check in) Then a random stranger puts $35 on the counter and walks away. Didn't catch how he looked but I will always remember his kind act.
Years ago I was married to an abusive addict. I went to the bank and opened a separate account trying to prepare a way out. I asked a lot of questions about whether my husband would see it online or any mail would come to the house, etc. The bank rep helping me figured out what my questions meant. She wrote down her first name and personal phone number and gave it to me. She said if I ever needed a place to hide all I had to do was call. With no connections between us he would not be able to find me. I never called her, but her number is still in my phone, only because when I see it, it makes me smile to know that a stranger cared and was willing to help, and also as a reminder of how free I am now. I wish she knew how much that meant to me.
i was moving out of a terrible living situation and had to pay rent for two places during a single month because the only decent place i could find was only available starting the month prior to my old lease being up. it was a saturday and i was using Lyft to transport empty boxes/suitcases to my old place so i could pack them and get a second Lyft to my new house (the idea was to make the actual moving day easier). the Lyft driver that picked me up was this older gentleman in an SUV who was like "what's with all the boxes?" and didn't get into the situation about having a sh!tty living situation, i just said i was in the process of moving.
this guy then offered to turn off his Lyft app, let me pack the SUV full of as many boxes as would fit, and then drive me to the new house. i told him i didn't have money to pay him and he said it was okay, he didn't want money. He said his reasoning was that he was "so blessed in his life and wanted to pay it forward".
and NO, he wasn't a creeper (i'm very good at picking up on that kind of behavior, and i wouldn't have been down if he was being weird/creepy about it).
This guy helped me pack the SUV (and not just the trunk like I was originally planning--I'm talking the entire backseat and trunk), drove me to the new house for free, and helped me unpack the SUV and put the boxes in the garage. and he didn't want anything but a 5 star rating for the initial ride. i thanked him profusely, gave him 5 stars and as much of a tip as the app would let me (which is about $12). i posted about it on Facebook and a friend of mine who worked for Lyft helped me get the guy recognized in their internal monthly newspaper, so there's that.
I will never forget Gary, or his kindness.
Between 16-18, I had a lot of trips to A&E. I was really mentally ill, undiagnosed, and nobody would take responsibility for my care because I was too old for child services, but too young for adult care. Most A&E staff aren't trained in complex mental health, and their only job is to keep you alive in a room until an on call psych can get to you.
One trip, there was a student nurse in triage. She was probably only a year or two older than me. I was at hospital on my own and frankly quite terrified after a bad bout of mania and psychosis. She took me to a quiet room, made me tea, and sat with me and made sure I was okay. I never got her name and I never saw her at that hospital again, but she is the single most compassionate person that I met in all of my hospital trips. She's probably qualified by now, and I'm sure she's an incredible nurse.
At 16 I ended up homeless for a few months. This dude showed me the ropes to survive. He had a PhD in history and a seriously addictive personality. I owe that stranger my life.
I worked in chemo room cleaning and stocking supplies. One day after a particular gentleman had finished his "maintenance treatment" for his terminal diagnosis. He went out if his way to come over to me and out of all the staff and other patients in the room he gave me the biggest hug and said, "I think you need that more then anyone else here ever will." He then grabbed my hand and gave me a rock with a happy face on it. I carry it in my pocket everyday. He was not wrong either, I definitely needed the hug.
I was walking into a Wawa one morning before work to get coffee. I have a beard and my typical work outfit was a SnapBack hat worn backwards, with a black company shirt and tan shorts. I had gray shoes too. As I hold the door for a dude who was leaving, I caught a glimpse of him. He looked exactly like me, beard, backwards SnapBack, black shirt, and tan shorts. He looks st me and then looks away and then does a double take. He stops before walking completely out and we make eye contact. We both shake our heads and let a small exertion of air through our nose and walk our own ways. I still, to this day, think I have a long lost twin that my parents never told me about. This was 8 years ago and I think about it randomly from time to time.
There are few things more satisfying than a crisp $20 bill. Well, maybe a crisp $100 bill.
But twenty big ones can get you pretty far nonetheless.
Whether it's tucked firmly in a birthday card, passing from hand to hand after a knee-jerk sports bet, or going toward a useful tool, the old twenty dollar bill has been used for countless purposes.
Breaking Even
<p>"I got a jacket and a pair of jeans at goodwill for about $20. My first time wearing the jacket I found a tiny zipper inside a pocket."</p><p>"There was a secret inner pocket with a twenty in it."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdv70q?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">TheBrontosaurus</a></p>Keeps On Giving
<p>"23 Years ago I was in the US for some work and was not prepared for the cold of Chicago. Went to wal-mart and bought myself a cheap, warm jacket."</p><p>"I'm wearing that jacket right now - still looks fine, still keeps me warm."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe41xv?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">TastyEnd</a></p>As Good As They Come
<p>"Wool pinstripe double breasted suit from Goodwill, fit perfectly and was brand new. Ended up wearing it to get married the next year." -- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdw6mx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">verminiusrex</a></p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"God I love Goodwill!!" -- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe5aee?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Neverthelilacqueen</a></p>The Socks She Needed
<p>"I work at a thrift shop. A homeless lady came in and asked us where the socks were. We only sell new socks, so I directed her towards the new socks and she was... shocked and disappointed by the price tag, surely."<br></p><p>"I gave her a moment as she looked, and she moved to some kids' socks and picked them up, and I... just couldn't let that happen. I told her that I would help her, and told her to get herself some socks and a jacket."</p><p>"She kind of just... held out the children's socks, so I took them, put them back, and grabbed the extra fluffy socks that were hanging."</p><p>"She grabs a jacket and some pants, and I pay for it. My coworker looks the other way since we're not supposed to purchase anything while on the clock. The lady is in tears as she walks out."</p><p>"I notice that she's still outside a minute later putting them on, and ask her if they fit her or if she needed something else; and she told me they were perfect and proceeded to cry. I cried in return."</p><p>"It was a good day."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpen3w1?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Snowodin</a></p>Not Forgotten
<p>"A guy came into my work when I managed a mom and pop Pizza Place. He said he was stranded with no phone, and no money, but that the people at the Verizon store next door to us said they could get him a cheap phone with some minutes on it for 20 bucks."</p><p>"He offered to do dishes for a few hours to make some money so he could get this phone. I told him not to worry about it and gave him a 20 from my wallet. He thanked me, asked me for my name, and then he left and I never saw him again."</p><p>"Skip forward about 5 months, and when I get into work the owner was there and said she had gotten a letter addressed to me. 'Weird,' I thought."</p><p>"But when I opened it there was a 50 dollar bill and a short note from the guy I gave 20 dollars to thanking me for my kindness and for not turning him away."</p><p>"Turns out he was in a bad way (addicted to hard drugs and homeless) and really was stranded there. He was trying to get a phone so he could contact his parents (who lived in another state) for help."</p><p>"From what it sounded like, he seemed to really turn his life around. He was clean and working a stable job while still living with his parents."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpem2xc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Mixmaster-McGuire</a></p>The Best Finale
<p>"It was the day before payday. My wife came to see me at work. My break was in an hour, so I asked for her to wait a bit, so we could enjoy it together. She did."</p><p>"I bought her some lunch, because it was what I could afford. I bought her a ham and cheese sub sandwich and two iced teas. These were her favorite. I bought gas with the rest of the twenty so she could get home. She dropped me back off at work."</p><p>"That night, she passed away. It brings me comfort to know that I bought her favorite sandwich and drink for her that afternoon. It was likely the last thing she ate, since it was near dinner. I'll never forget it. Best $20 I ever spent, because it was for her."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe9c6d?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">LollipopDreamscape</a></p>Leaning Into the Nerdery
<p>"It was my ninth or tenth birthday. My grandparents gave me $20. The first $20 bill I ever held in my hand! I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it."</p><p>"A week later, we went into the city and Toys R Us. I went straight to the Transformers aisle. And there he was. My favourite Transformer. The one I always wanted...Soundwave."</p><p>"He's the one who turned into a Walkman and he could eject cassettes that turned into robot animals. The price tag said $19.99. It was meant to be."</p><p>"I took Soundwave to the clerk and gave her my $20 bill. "And here's your change!" she said, as she gave me a single penny."</p><p>"Ah, Soundwave. The best friend a lonely little nerd could have."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdzzxe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">originalchaosinabox</a></p>Different Time
<p>"I went to a Rush concert in 1982. The ticket was $9.50 and the t-shirt was $10." -- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdyr0k?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">PaulsRedditUsername</a></p>Motivational Spending
<p>"My then six year old niece had a loose tooth she loved to show off and had resisted pulling out for two weeks. We were all at my parents and I was getting ready to leave, I pulled out a $20 and said 'I'll give you this right now if you pull out your tooth.' "</p><p>"She was already crying because her little sister had did something so when she ran into the bathroom none of us had no idea in what she was about to do."</p><p>"So she comes out crying still, but a little bit of blood I'm her mouth because of course, she pulled out her tooth. But the now removed tooth fell down the drain to the sink and she was crying because she lost her proof!"</p><p>"After she calmed down she was happy as a clam with a brand new $20 and everyone was quite proud of her. My sister told me she spent it on candy and shared with her little sister."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpdxi4k?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">themasimumdorkus</a></p>For the Story
<p>"It was actually to a scammer in Rome. There was this guy right outside of Colosseum who started tying strings around my wrist and told me to make a wish. I knew it was going to cost but I thought what the hell, last day in Rome so might as well go with it. </p><p>"My wish was to find love."</p><p>"I spent rest of the day getting lost in the city and stumbled across two weddings and one baptism ceremony. So I did find love, just not for myself."</p><p>-- <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lvu5aq/whats_the_best_20_you_ever_spent/gpe7b2w?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">FatalFinn</a></p>I realize that school safety has been severely compromised and has been under dire scrutiny over the past decade and of course, it should be. And when I was a student, my safety was one of my greatest priorities but, some implemented rules under the guise of "safety" were and are... just plain ludicrous. Like who thinks up some of these ideas?
Redditor u/Animeking1108 wanted to discuss how the education system has ideas that sometimes are just more a pain in the butt than a daily enhancement... What was the dumbest rule your school enforced?Don't Peek
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDc4OS9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDE0Mzc2OH0.Y1Lzy1MTqxyVqOCe9xjeHTRZsKnbyVjYzdb4-Heldyo/img.gif?width=980" id="78b19" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e14a90be026b734830e7661f776ba4a8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="475" data-height="475" />schitts creek wtf GIF by CBCGiphy<p>Took all the doors off the men's room bathroom stalls because of vandalism for 2 months.</p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphrfce?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> Endless_Vanity</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Endless_Vanity/" target="_blank"></a></p>Scanned
<p>School added thumb print scanners at gates of school which counted as registration - needless to say I would just walk to school scan my thumb and walk back home with them none the wiser. Was a great few months until they noticed. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpidnou?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">richpianofan5</a></p>Age of Empires...
<p>Conservative Christian College. A group of us played Age of Empires one weekend. They didn't like it and called a meeting. Everyone involved got misdemeanors on their records. There was nothing in the handbook about it being against the rules. The only person that didn't get any punishment was the son of the president even though he was just as involved as the rest of us. <span></span></p>"Genius"
<p>In my freshman year of high school we had a terrible vandalism problem, the bathrooms would be broken in various ways almost constantly. In a stroke of pure genius, the staff decided that any bathroom that was vandalized would be closed for the week on first offense, the quarter for second, and permanently on the third offense.</p><p>They took back the rule after closing every bathroom on day one. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpi77co?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> Samus388</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Samus388/" target="_blank"></a></p>Is this Footloose?
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDc5Ny9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzg0MjU2M30.PeBUt-YWZeeRStaD_RZlGPQzo29E9t733yqZbIiJlYs/img.gif?width=980" id="3a5bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="102730e3b1b90ba9cb393561c702c9af" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="500" data-height="500" />kevin bacon dancing GIF by STARZGiphy<p>Prom was a mandatory lockdown for the night in order to avoid students going to parties after prom.</p><p>Prom was held at various house parties across town instead. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpi37x7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Coffee-spree</a></p>HOLDEN FOREVER!!!
<p>My high school mascot was Daniel Boone holding a musket. A kid wore a Guns 'n Roses shirt to school and was told he had to change shirts because of the pistols on the shirt. He pointed out the hypocrisy of the school mascot and they changed EVERYTHING. The mascot was switched to holding a flag pole instead. <span></span></p>No Dots
<p>You couldn't wear ANY kind of head items that were "gang colours" (red or blue) - this No included hair bands, scrunchies, beads in your hair, ribbons - ANYTHING. I got in trouble for wearing a blue hair band with white polka dots. </p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphzpyf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Pleasant-Flamingo344</a></p>Clothes Check
<p>We had to wear belts. Someone snitched that people weren't wearing belts under their sweaters, and they actually checked and a bunch of people got detentions. Stupid. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphz3y6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ooo-ooo-oooyea</a></p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gphz3y6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a>We had belt raids at my school where the dean would burst into classes, completely interrupting any education, to check that everyone was wearing a belt. </p><p><span></span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpia8pp?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">GuinnessMicrodose</a></p>Chase the Flat
<p>We weren't allowed to play tag football at lunch, only frisbee. When I asked the principal what the difference was, he responded with a sarcastic tone, "A football is round and a frisbee is a flat disk."</p><p>He left the school later that year, went to another school, and a few years later was brought up on charges for failing to report the abuse of a student by a teacher. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpi6lh3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">uninc4life2010</a></p>Poke-Thief
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDgwMy9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODg5MzY2Nn0.5LMPk1suou6U2SvAURKP-sHEuK7Izpkbxm0PWqvx95E/img.gif?width=980" id="b6e9f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="92383d30e34aa92fd74cf6c1374ec294" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="480" />hotline bling pokemon GIFGiphy<p>Pokemon cards got banned in middle school because someone stole the vice principal's kid's cards. Yep. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpiapym?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank"> Skadoosh_it</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Skadoosh_it/" target="_blank"></a></p>In the Face...
<p>If you were involved in a fight, you got suspended. While it sounds reasonable, context didn't matter.</p><p>I got suspended once not for throwing a single punch, kick, whatever. I got suspended because someone knocked the books out of my hand and when I reached down to grab them they punched me in the face.</p><p>I got suspended for walking down the hallway and unprovoked getting punched in the face.</p><p>Forget Brandon Valley Middle School. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lwjlif/what_was_the_dumbest_rule_your_school_enforced/gpicbyx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">CLG_MianBao</a></p>One of the golden rules of life? Doctors are merely human. They don't know everything and they make mistakes. That is why you always want to get another opinion. Things are constantly missed. That doesn't mean docs don't know what they're doing, they just aren't infallible. So make sure to ask questions, lots of them.
Redditor u/Gorgon_the_Dragon wanted to hear from doctors about why it is imperative we always get second and maybe third opinions by asking... Doctors of Reddit, what was the worse thing you've seen for a patient that another Doctor overlooked?Grandma Wins
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDcxOC9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTQxNTgzOX0.n9IaFGgHwnULMlI2kg7RUftxDg6lyWvdM9CnhvptCRY/img.gif?width=980" id="a0857" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9762f97a23c27ccf6b75974caa854361" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="480" data-height="270" />Old Lady Wine GIF by MattielGiphy<p>Not a doctor, but my grandmother saved my father's eyesight because she didn't listen to their doctor. </p>The Mummy Appendage
<p>When I was a resident, an 80yo female was admitted from the nursing home for confusion. Workup showed some mild UTI and we were giving her antibiotics. The nurse mentioned that her toe looked dark and asked me to look at it. The toe wasn't just dark, it was mummified. It looked like dry beef jerky. I touched it and pieces flaked off. So the patient from a nursing home, had a mummified toe, probably for months, that no one knew about. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lw2g2z/doctors_of_reddit_what_was_the_worse_thing_youve/gpg00qn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">Dr2ray</a></p>The CT Save
<p>Here's my story:</p><p>A guy came in to our ICU and was very septic but still talking. He had visited his primary care MD with complaints of a sore throat for a couple of days. Dismissed without any intervention since he didn't appear to have strep throat or the flu. At this point he was having pretty severe abdominal discomfort, so we sent him for a CT scan. As the scan was finishing, he coded and had to be intubated, multi-organ failure, etc. </p>Patches
<p>When I was an ER nurse we got an elderly lady in for altered mental status from a nursing home, when we undressed her to put her in a gown and hook her up to the monitor, I noticed no less than 5 fentanyl patches on her, guess I discovered the cause of the AMS. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lw2g2z/doctors_of_reddit_what_was_the_worse_thing_youve/gpg1lml?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">ChewbaccaSlim426</a></p>Use your Words
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcxNDcyMi9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDA1NjI0MH0.WtyCdxL1vRZwD2-jpKZXMOEakwhiBaJIkp1YPnOzlvo/img.gif?width=980" id="e45ca" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f5b98e6a4605a587dbd97579468a51d8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="498" data-height="367" />Communication GIF by memecandyGiphy<p>Neurologist sent patient to our ED without informing her that imaging showed a glioblastoma assuring her impending death. He didn't overlook the disease, he overlooked the communication. </p><p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/lw2g2z/doctors_of_reddit_what_was_the_worse_thing_youve/gpfl5t5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3" target="_blank">AzureSkye27</a></p>Mad Cow Realty
<p>During my residency we had this lady in her 60s who was getting progressively more forgetful, just overall declining and getting less and less able to take care of herself. She had been seeing her pcp who diagnosed her with dementia. And she saw a neurologist who agreed. She was not really able to provide an accurate history. <span></span></p>After Birth...
<p>I used to work in maternal-fetal medicine, and every single week, we would have women referred to us "because the doctor couldn't see something clearly with the baby and wanted to double check." Nope, they just didn't want to have to be the ones to tell you that your baby had a complex cardiac defect or multiple anomalies indicative of a genetic syndrome or any other of a large number of horrible things that can happen during fetal development. Still pisses me off when I think about how many women waited weeks for more information because their doctors were cowards who couldn't tell them, "There's something seriously wrong here." <span></span></p>bad doctors
<p>I'm not a doctor, but a RN. This happened to me, but isn't nearly as bad as most of the stories on here.</p><p>When I was in college, I got to where I couldn't swallow. It started with difficulty swallowing, progressed to me having to swallow bites of food multiple times/regurgitating it, and then got to where all I could swallow was broths and mashed potatoes with no chunks. I went to the doctor multiple times, and was told every time it was acid reflux and part of my anxiety disorder. <span></span></p>The Valve...
<p>He put the pacemaker lead in the subclavian artery (and across the aortic valve into the left ventricle). The proper approach is: subclavian vein to right ventricle). And then he didn't notice it for over a year. I saw the patient (a 25 yo woman who didn't need the pacemaker in the first place) when she was in congestive heart failure. <span></span><br></p>Bitten
<p>Rattlesnake bite. On a 2 year old. Patient and dad out in the fields near a small town that is several hours away from the nearest big city, where I work.</p>When we think about learning history, our first thought is usually sitting in our high school history class (or AP World History class if you're a nerd like me) being bored out of our minds. Unless again, you're a huge freaking nerd like me. But I think we all have the memory of the moment where we realized learning about history was kinda cool. And they usually start from one weird fact.
Here are a few examples of turning points in learning about history, straight from the keyboards of the people at AskReddit.
U/Tynoa2 asked: What's your favourite historical fact?