Top Stories

People Share The Saddest Thing They've Ever Witnessed

People Share The Saddest Thing They've Ever Witnessed

[rebelmouse-image 18357231 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Think of the saddest thing you've ever seen. Does it still choke you up? If so, you'll enjoy these stories of super upsetting events people have witnessed.

mythirdreddit asked, Reddit, what's the saddest thing you have ever witnessed?

Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.

When the loneliness is palpable...

[rebelmouse-image 18357232 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

My math teacher's last class before retirement. Nobody showed up except me and some friends, we literally did nothing for 1 hour straight. The bell rings, he let out the saddest " goodbye" I ever heard in my life. I almost cried for real.

Even a grown man needs his mother. It never goes away.

[rebelmouse-image 18357233 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

A few months before my grandma died, I was in her bedroom with my dad, to say hi. She was sleeping, and my dad sat down on her bed, softly saying "mom? Mom?". He, a 55 years old man, sounded like a little kid and it broke my heart.

Imagine how helpless the bank employee must have felt, too...

[rebelmouse-image 18357234 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

An elderly woman crying at the bank because her son stole her life savings from her and went missing.

Had something similar happen to me in second grade. Kids are jerks.

[rebelmouse-image 18357235 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

My daughter was being bullied on the bus by some kids.

Her class had a project where they grew a small plant in her class that they would present to their mothers for Mother's Day.

She told me about it but asked me to keep it a secret from mom. I agreed.

Every day she would come home and tell me when the plant sprouted and she was so excited as it grew and grew. As Mother's Day rolled around she would ask me over and over again if I thought mom would love it. I always reassured her that yes her mom would absolutely love it because she has worked so hard to take care of it and help it grow...just like she had done with you.

Mother's Day rolls around and even I'm excited to see the plant. I happen to be home from work that day and she comes home looking extremely sad.

I asked her what was wrong and I could tell she was on the verge of tears.

She reached out her small hand and held out half of a broke styrofoam cup with some dirt in it. The cup had been crushed and half of the words "I love you mommy" were written on what was left of it.

The dam broke as she said "Happy Mother's Day momma" and she crumpled to the ground balling.

My daughter, so proud of her plant, decided to show the other kids on her way home the gift she was going to give her mom. A boy promptly snatched it out of her hand and threw it to the ground. Everyone laughed as he stomped on it and then grabbed the plant and threw it out the window.

My daughter said she didn't cry because she wanted them to think she didn't care about the plant and that it didn't affect her. She was always the last stop on the way home and she grabbed what she could of the cup and some dirt and tried to salvage anything left. To add insult to injury the bus driver yelled at her that she was going to clean it up in the morning.

I don't know if I mentioned this...but she was in the first grade at the time. She was 6 years old.

I killed me to write that remembering how upset I was about that. We bought a kit from the hardware store to build our own garden in the backyard since it seemed like she was interested in that sort of thing. It wasn't really the same though.

Watching your kids see just how awful people can be for the first time is crushing.

When you miss the final moments of someone's life due to flight delays.

[rebelmouse-image 18357236 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

About to take a flight to Florida. It was supposed to leave around 7 PM, but it kept getting delayed. Then it got delayed some more, then a bit more. Hours later, the flight eventually got canceled. Turned out, they never had a pilot, and they spent all that time trying to get another one, and instead of canceling the flight earlier so we can all get new flights, they kept delaying the decision until there was no other option.

On the line to get a new flight (around midnight at this point), suddenly we can all hear this woman getting louder, saying "what? He's gone? No!". Apparently, this woman was going to Florida to see her nephew who was terminally ill and didn't have long. He passed away before she could get there. If the flight was even an hour late, she would have made it in time.

Grief-stricken, the woman throws her drink. It goes behind the counter, but a couple feet away from any ticket agent. The head agent has the police called and has her arrested (or at least taken away)

Shock from trauma can be really confusing.

[rebelmouse-image 18357237 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

When I was 12 years old my brother, then 15, died of a sudden heart attack in front of me and my cousins. My aunt was a med in the military and she didn't stop giving him CPR until 2 EMT pulled her off. But what hurt me the most that night is how I couldn't cry. I knew what happened, and I knew how I should be feeling, but the tears never came. I didn't cry until I saw my dad break down at the viewing before his funeral.

Struggling animals in pain - too much for me.

[rebelmouse-image 18357238 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I saw a dirty, skinny kitten picking around in a pile of trash bags. He tried to eat a Cheeto and made a tiny depression in the dirt to poop but nothing came out. He was clearly starving.

I took him home with me that day six years ago because I started to cry thinking about leaving him there to die. Now he's a giant goofball who rules my house.

Edit: Apparently people like Melvin. Here's a ton of pictures of my special kitty. Oh, also, he's named Melvin after Melvindale, Michigan, which is where I found him.

I uh... yikes.

[rebelmouse-image 18357241 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

My coworker's good friend was pregnant when she found out her husband was killed in an car accident. She had the baby a few weeks later but her mental anguish was taking a toll on her. One night, she fell asleep while breastfeeding the baby and the poor baby got smothered to death.

My coworker came to work and was so distraught that she couldn't even talk to customers. She just sat in her office, crying, and I felt so horrible that I couldn't do anything to make it better for her or her friend. Here I am, worrying about stupid atuff, and seeing this kind of pain puts things back into perspective for you.

This is pretty sad. What terrible parents.

[rebelmouse-image 18357242 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

When I was a funeral director, I used to run the firm I worked for's mortuary at one stage in my career so I looked after the deceased who came into us primarily.

We had a 10-week old baby girl who died due to neglect come into us and we were waiting for her scummy disgusting parents to arrange the funeral, or at least give the local council authority to arrange the funeral if they couldn't afford it or didn't want to.

Sadly, it was a good 9/10 months she was with us and the family avoided all contact (calls to them were ignored or buttoned) and the poor angel just lays there in the funeral home mortuary in her tiny coffin. I had to see her and check her every morning and watched her getting more fragile and decompose every day.

Even the local bereavement office at the hospital got involved and tried to get social services to get some sort of court ruling so they could lay her at rest.

In the end, the family answered their phone and grudgingly let the council take care of the funeral. At the last minute, the dad tried to see her (the same child he and his Mrs let starve and waste away to death) but he couldn't as she was sadly unviewable (not to me sadly, I will have the images of her every day to remember) and the parents didn't even go to the funeral.

Every time I saw her little coffin, I died a bit inside. Not all funeral directors are emotionless, we very much feel it especially things like that.

Seeing her little coffin leave the home in the back of a limo with no family or flowers was just the saddest thing you can see.

The baby ducks got washed away :(

[rebelmouse-image 18357243 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Probably not the saddest, but the most recent: I was driving and a female mallard duck was standing in the road, refusing to move. Cars were honking and having to drive around her, but she stayed. I parked and walked over to get her out of the road and saw that she was standing near a storm drain grate. I assume she was crossing the road with her ducklings and they all fell in. I looked into it thinking they might be just inside but the water was fast-moving like a river. It just made me so sad to think that she was a mother one minute and then wasn't the next, and she couldn't understand why. She just stayed where she last saw her babies and waited for them. I chased her from the road into the park but when I drive off I could still see her lurking nearby.

Hug your kids.

[rebelmouse-image 18357244 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

It happened to me yesterday. I'm a stay-at-home dad and I was dropping my son off at kindergarten. One of the other moms there has 4 kids, and her second one is in my sons class.

As we were about to leave, I saw the mom of 4 with her baby strapped to her, and her 2-year-old son was having a tantrum about walking home. I gave her the "we've all been there, stay strong" look that parents give each other.

So the mom says to the kid, "why don't you go home with him, he looks like he wants you!"

My initial reaction was "hey, don't drag me into your drama" but I understand her frustration. I bent down to be eye level with the kid and I said, "yeah, for sure. I've got some dryer vents I can use some small arms to help me clean."

The joke was obviously lost on the kid but the mom thought it was hilarious. Anyway, the kid opens his arm like he wants a hug, so whatever, I give him a hug.

Then he clings to me, for like 5 minutes. I've said maybe 5 words to this kid in my life, and he's holding on to me like he's afraid of falling down.

His mom says, "I think he misses his dad." I'm like, "Aww is he away?" And she says, "No, he's just not a hugger. Neither am I!"

So this poor kid would go willingly into the arms of a stranger because his parents don't hug him enough. That was sad as hell.

Ignoring your kids and telling them to shut up is abuse.

[rebelmouse-image 18357245 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Was in a restaurant, a small boy was trying to ask his mum a question. She just kept ignoring him, and when she finally turned to him she told him to "shut up, play on your tablet". His face after that was the saddest thing, kinda broke my heart tbf.

Gambling is an ugly addiction. It's sad to watch, especially at a casino.

[rebelmouse-image 18357246 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I was hanging out with a friend of mine while he was working at a gas station store.

Someone came in, bought a bunch of scratch tickets, went to a nearby counter to scratch them, cashed out the winners, used winnings to buy more, and he kept doing it until all the money was gone.

My friend said that sort of thing is pretty normal. I don't think I could work at a gas station.

Accidents happen and poor grandma has to live with this. Horrible.

[rebelmouse-image 18357247 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I work in a hospital so I see lots of sad stuff but nothing compared to what I saw just a few months ago.

A little boy who was being babysat by his grandmother ran out into the street and was hit by a car and killed while he and Grandma were in the front yard. His grandmother was unable to do anything to stop him or intervene in any way because she was in her 70s and had to use a walker.

I remember being in the ICU waiting room after the news was broken to his parents and grandmother and his parents were screaming and cussing at Grandma, saying how could she let this happen, they never wanted to see her again, they hated her, she would never see her any of her grandchildren again, and hoped that she would burn in hell. It got so bad that security had to come in and intervene before it got too far.

The look on that old lady's face while her daughter and son-in-law were screaming at her is something I will never, ever forget.

This thread is getting to be too much.

[rebelmouse-image 18357248 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Was sitting at a bus stop and a dog came running around the corner of a busy intersection, saw me and started running across the road towards me. It got hit. I bawled and still do when I think about it.

imagine having no one to call when you're literally on the ground dying...

[rebelmouse-image 18357249 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Saw a guy I worked with have a heart attack. He was holding his arm and gasping for air. I sat him down and coached him to breathe while someone else called 911. He was hyperventilating and crying. He told me he was scared. I barely knew him. Someone asked him if there was anyone we should call, he said no. This man...absolutely scared of dying...had no one to call at a time he was knocking on death's door. I was so sad for him. The ambulance came and he was okay. But that one moment where he was so alone and scared was really, really sad.

Acceptance of death doesn't come right away...

[rebelmouse-image 18357250 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

My grandfather died after a long fight with ALS. In the end, he could pretty much only move his eyes under his eyelids, and sometimes not even that.

After he passed I sat with my mom and grandma for a long time. Every ten minutes my grandma checked his nose with a mirror, hoping to find him still breathing, hoping it wasn't true.

Easily the saddest thing I've ever seen.

Throwing a party and having no one show up is devastating.

[rebelmouse-image 18357251 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Several years ago I was at a bar/club that had a small lounge upstairs. My friends and I were on our way upstairs to the lounge when a bouncer told us the room was reserved for a private event. We thought he was joking because there was only one guy in the entire lounge and it was rest of the place was packed. We didn't think much of it and went back downstairs. After leaving the bar my friends and I went to Tim Horton's for coffee and ran into the guy who was in the lounge. We asked him how his party went. He told us that it was his college graduation party / going away party and nobody came. You could see the pain behind his eyes. I hope he made better friends since then.

I'd say the woman's reaction was warranted.

[rebelmouse-image 18357252 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

A woman kicking her deceased husband's coffin, spitting on it, and saying, "I hope you're burning in hell, you son of a bitch."

He had committed suicide and left her with five kids to raise alone.

People Reveal The Pettiest Reason They Ever Refused To Date Somebody

Reddit user bigdawgcat asked: 'What is the pettiest reason why you wouldn’t date somebody?'

Anyone who has gone on a few dates knows a few things that they like and don't like to see in a relationship, and they definitely know what some of their dealbreakers are.

But there are some dealbreakers that, when looked at from the outside, are totally petty in nature.

Redditor bigdawgcat asked:

"What is the pettiest reason why you wouldn't date somebody?"

Food Allergies

"I have a friend who stopped dating someone because he found out they were lactose intolerant."

"His example of why was, what if I taste a really great dessert, and I want to share the experience with her, and she can’t even taste it."

- Horknut1

"I know someone who is allergic to alliums (garlic, onions, etc.). I could never date this person as there is no meal I could make which doesn't include them in some amount."

- Fixes_Computers

"Same with peanut allergies. I love peanut butter too much to start a relationship with someone who couldn't be in the same room with it, not when there are plenty of other wonderful people who can. If the allergy suddenly developed long into the relationship, that would be a different case."

- cottagecheeseobesity

The Ups and Downs of Physical Fitness

"A college friend of mine was dating a girl who was amazing, smart, and funny, and she had put on a few extra pounds recently, which bothered him (don’t shoot the messenger)."

"We were driving at night down a big hill on a hot summer night and saw a young woman running up the hill toward us, really sweating, face purple, and looking pretty haggard, huffing and puffing."

"He made a comment like, 'Holy s**t, this girl is struggling.' We got closer and realized it was her."

"Long awkward pause. 'Well, I’m going to have to break up with her,' he said."

"Fast forward six months, and we ran into her at a pub, and she was in absolutely perfect shape."

"When he tried to make a move, she told him aloud, in front of a table full of her friends, 'That she wasn’t interested in him, and that he had dumped her for getting fat.' Top five funniest takedowns I’ve ever seen."

"Fast forward 10 years, he’s been divorced twice and has had a long list of s**tty relationships. The end."

- Much_Progress_4745

Conspiracy Theory Investment

"If they’re into conspiracy theories. I dated a guy who was and it consumed his life. It’s all he talked about."

"I couldn’t even watch a movie with him because he would talk through the whole thing about how it relates to certain conspiracy theories…"

"I also could never enjoy my food. We would make a big dinner on Friday nights to start the weekend, we both had a long day at work... we’d sit down to finally eat and he’d pull out his phone and put on conspiracy videos, and he’d make me watch them sooo loudly while I ate. And he’d talk through all of them too."

"I could never tell him that I wasn’t interested or I just wanted to eat because he’d get mad. It ruined my whole meal... I think most people like to eat in peace.. also he’d spend hundreds of items he needed in case we ever got attacked by 'skin walkers'... Never again."

- Low-Sky-4812

Eating Noises

"They slurp when they drink or smack when they eat."

- just-say-it-

"Soup should be seen and not heard."

- Playful-Profession-2

Same Names, Same Problems

"I will never date or f**k another Anthony ever again. I’ve dated or had a relationship with three different Anthonys at three different ages and they all turned out badly."

- SylphofBlood

"I had a friend years back that had three bad boyfriends, one after the other, each more of a D-bag than the last. Each one was named Rob."

"When talking to her one night, having a few beers, she complained that she always attracts d**kheads and then she asked what she should do. So having had a drink or six, I just blurted out, 'Maybe don't date anymore Robs.'"

"Anyway, the next guy she dated was Steve... they got married."

- vejbok

Love for Animals

"My cat said hello to her and she didn't say hi back."

- StephenHawkings_Legs

"I had a one-night stand kick my cat off of the bed. First, never ever have I kicked a cat. But I did kick that guy out of my house and my life. Instantly. GET THE F**K OUT. NOW."

- e11spark

"Not petty. If someone ignored my dog greeting them, I would be put off, too."

- A-Yandere-Succubus

Unexpected Sleeping Arrangements

"He slept in those tiny no-show socks. Let me be clear, he didn't wear them any other time than when he went to bed."

"There were some other, more real, red flags, but when I saw him whip them out and put them on the second time we slept together, I legitimately thought to myself: 'Actually, I don't think I can fix this one.'"

- Potential-Plastic-66

Matching Clothes

"He wore the same shirt on both of our dates.

Get this, years later, I get into the elevator at work and he's there. IN THE SAME SHIRT."

"I wanted so badly to demand to know if he has multiples or just one! Or find out which department he was in and stalk him. Unfortunately, I had given in my two weeks and didn't work in that building often."

- SunflowerSeed33

Different Interests

"If a woman has a horse in her dating profile, you will never be more important than that horse."

"(It may be petty, but it's backed up by personal experience)."

- No-Hat-689

"Horse girls do really love their horses, so I believe you. And I can't blame you."

- dumpster_cherries

"Worst of all, if you break up with the girl you won't be able to see the horse again! Imagine how heartbreaking that would be."

- one-eye-fox

Social Media Schemes

If they have emojis like their signs, or money signs, or airplanes, or some s**t like that in their bio. Just seems like some scammer or Ponzi scheme s**t."

- UrinePulp

Weakness?

"Wasn't me, but a female friend broke up with a guy because 'his allergies were a sign of weakness.'"

"Yeah, I responded the same way you did."

- Street-Comb1000

"My brother believes this about my allergies. He thinks I 'shoulda grown out of it by now.' Infuriating."

- I_Stan_Kyrgyzstan

Finals Week Troubles

​"Because her eye was twitching while we were talking to each other. I was a dumb freshman in college. This girl was super attractive and smart, and we got along great."

"For some unfathomable reason, this made me want to not talk to her again."

"Later it dawned on me that it was during finals and she was heavily caffeinated and that can be a side effect. She dodged a bullet because I was a complete dingleberry, lol (laughing out loud)."

- Atlas88-

Deal-breaking Voices

"I briefly dated a young woman who was insanely out of my league. People stared when we went out."

"Anyway, her voice was like Minnie Mouse, and I just couldn't take it. I still feel bad about that one."

- Pickleliver

Dental Preferences

​"Not me, but I had a friend who wouldn’t date this guy because he had one crooked tooth. He was the nicest guy truly a wonderful person. Like if I hadn’t been in a serious relationship I would’ve dated this guy."

"Fast forward, he meets a wonderful woman, and they get married, and my friend was all weird about it."

"I asked why and she said, 'Well, I thought he liked me enough to get his twisted tooth fixed.'"

"It was the silliest thing I’ve ever heard."

- Foxy_locksy1704

Preferred Facial Features

"I knew and almost dated a girl who talked out the side of her mouth. I’m not sure if that’s the best way to describe it, but that’s all I thought about when she spoke."

"Like, the front of her lips barely moved, and it was like a weird little smirk kinda thing when she spoke. I couldn’t get past it."

- newadventures96

"Weird ick: people with big/wide mouths. Why can I see all of your teeth and the back of your throat while you’re talking? You don’t need to open it that much just because you can."

- burritoboles

When one Redditor wanted to hear others' "petty" reasons for not wanting to date someone, their fellow Redditors really delivered. While some of these could simply be a matter of taste, like finding some facial features attractive where others do not, some of these, like allergies, are pretty, pretty petty.

Generally speaking, we watch movies to escape our current realities and be transported to other worlds.

As a result, we don't always walk into movie theaters hoping for a truly authentic or genuine experience.

After all, how many people in real life actually met the love of their life at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day, after hearing them on the radio?

When it comes to historical fiction and dramas, however, some might say the facts and historical accuracy are a bit more important.

Indeed, part of the ongoing grudge over Shakespeare In Love's surprise Oscar victory over Saving Private Ryan was the latter was applauded for its accuracy, while the victor was anything but.

However, what probably helped in Shakespeare In Love's upset despite its many historical inaccuracies was that when push came to shove, it was a very good movie.

Redditor Agreeable-Beach-3009 was curious to hear what other films people thought were so good, that their anachronisms and inaccuracies should be overlooked, leading them to ask:

"What's a historically inaccurate movie that gets a pass because of how good it is?"

You Mean, Rasputin WASN'T A Demonic Sorcerer?

"'Anastasia'."

"Can you imagine getting murdered, then a movie gets made implying the woman who claimed your identity was the real deal and had to fight a freaky wizard's curse, and there were two knockoff movies made in the same year?"

"Songs were boppin tho."- vworpstageleft

"CRETACEOUS Park" Just Doesn't Have The Same Ring To It...

"Most of the dinosaurs you see in 'Jurassic Park' are actually from the Cretaceous Period."- 3loodwolf117

First Hand Accounts Were Probably A Bit Hard To Come By...

"Gladiator."- chewie8291

"Almost nothing about the movie 'Gladiator' is historically accurate, but it doesn't matter."

"S tier historical drama."- Pixelated_Penguin808

Russell Crowe Gladiator GIF by MOODMANGiphy

Those Costumes Though!

"Amadeus."- Sgtp3ppers

"I feel like 'Amadeus' gets a pass because it's an adaptation of a stage play and as an adaptation, it's not trying to be historically accurate but to instead tell a great story, which it does phenomenally."- LadicusRex

Making His Lies Even More Far Fetched...

"Catch Me If You Can."- Bender_Wiggin

"While it all being bullsh*t does take some of the magic out of it, it’s still an entertaining story."

"And the soundtrack absolutely slaps."- rnilbog

It's Safe To Assume The Spanish Inquisition Had A Lot Less Singing And Dancing...

"History of the world part I."- whopper68

"Rome didn't have bullsh*t artists collecting unemployment?"

"Did Mel Brooks lie to me?"- CrunchyDonut42

Giphy

Good Delivery Can Disguise Almost Anything...

"Tombstone."

"But I really do love it."- Iwouldntifiwereme

"Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life"

"The Life of Brian."- Visible_Claim_388

"'He’s not the messiah he’s just a naughty boy'."- dcrico20

For One Thing, Dogs Can't Talk...

"Balto?"- rmr236

"I love how the premise is that the little girl is telling the story as an old woman, but she was unconscious the whole time."

"She’s definitely pulling that shi* out of her a**."- TheFufe10

sad shame GIFGiphy

There Is, Indeed, A Sucker Born Every Minute. Including Many Who Thought This Movie Told The Truth...

"'The Greatest Showman' makes PT Barnum look like a better person than he was in real life."- viridianvenus

He Was A Man Of Many Talents... This Wasn't One Of Them...

"Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer."- nogoat23

"That movie crosses the absurd into awesome, and I love it."- FactoryOfBradness

Stretching It...

"A Knights Tale."- SoCalRc

"I always wondered how Queen never admitted to stealing such a banger from hundreds of years ago."- londoner4life

heath ledger love GIFGiphy

Some Of The Irish Accents Were Less Than Authentic As Well...

"'Gangs of New York'."

"Historically accurate setting, costumes and some characters/gangs, but the plot and the events supporting it are largely fictional."

"Damn good movie though."- Lieutenant_Skittles

Tom Cruise Swinging A Sword Is More Than Enough For Some People...

"The Last Samurai."- The Last Samurai

"I was surprised at how good this movie was when I saw it this year for the first time."

"The costumes, action, and acting were all quite good."- OutlawQuill

More Memorable Than The Truth?

"The 1970 production 'Tora, Tora, Tora' pulled off one of the great cons of modern cinematography."

"It convinced an entire generation of Americans that after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Admiral Yamamoto had said 'I fear that all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve'."

"There is no evidence that the quote was ever spoken by Yamamoto."

"But it was so perfect and convincing that subsequent Hollywood movies released in 2001 (Pearl Harbor) and 2019 (Midway) unquestioningly passed it off as legitimate."- InstrumentRated

Movies are, first and foremost, a source of entertainment.

As a result, most viewers pay no mind at all to all the complaints historians and scholars may have about them.

If you're looking for speedy answers for a history test or essay, it's best to stick to the textbooks and not rely on Spielberg or Scorcese.


Legs of a Military recruit next to their personal belongings and American flag
Benjamin Faust/Unsplash

Mischievous military recruits in the process of basic training may not always be seriously punished unless they commit a serious crime like stealing.

Instructors punish those in training with an assortment of disciplinary tactics, which can include yelling and "getting dropped"–or being ordered to do push-ups.

Some instructors, however, like to get creative.

Curious to hear about some unique forms of military punishment, Redditor Defiant_Concert_9542t_9542 asked:

"What's the most hilarious punishment you've ever heard of someone receiving in the military, and how did they end up in that absurd situation?"

These recruits were made to be the laughing stock.

"Forgetting The Hat"

"A couple of guys hated wearing their cover (hat), so they kept 'forgetting' to put it on when going outside."

"Sgt made them each 'wear' the other guy's hand as cover for a few days. They looked so ridiculous/miserable walking around holding another man's bald head."

– Scaphismus

Bad Hat

"Had a guy forget to put on his hat when coming outside during basic training. Instructor told him that it wasn't his fault but that it was the hats fault. He made the guy spank the hat and yell 'Bad Hat' over and over. After that he said even though the hat was bad he still needed to let the hat know that he loved him. He then made him caress the hat and tell him that he loves him."

– Kmo78

Importance Of Being On Time

"So this guy was constantly late to everything. Never out of bed on time, never in formation when he was supposed to be, etc."

"The Sargents pulled a clock off the wall, attached a bike chain to it, and make it look like a big a** necklace. (If you were a rap fan back in the day you may know where this is going)"

"They made the dude wear it like a Flava Flav clock chain. They would constantly scream at him 'Flava Flav what time is it?!?'"

"He learned to be on time real quick."

– LeluWater

Things get more creative.

Perfect For The Gullible

"We would tell every new person in our squadron that they had to set up an appointment with 'Captain Dees.' We'd give the person the local number of the Captain D's restaurant. They'd call the number and ask to speak with Captain Dees. It was hilarious every time."

– Kmo78

Ladybug Story

"I once had a ladybug land on my desk during morning inspection. When staff found it. I had to write a 500 word biography of who the bug was etc. and then had to make sure he was there for the rest of the week in good health for every morning inspection that week. Lol"

– withoutwarningwood

How Touching

"Newly promoted to Sergeant me and my buddy got the task of pre barracks inspection prior to our new CSM barracks inspection which was to be after our 1SG barracks inspection. Ya... anyway, the new CSM wanted troops to actually have their rooms decorated and lived in looking which whatever right? So everything is going fine we're still in good with the E4 Mafia so we're given heads up on whose rooms actually need inspected and which we could just skip cause they were squared away. Last room of the evening and it's bare as a prison cell. Troop was using his woobie (poncho liner) as a blanket, no pillows and literally nothing in this room that wasn't issued not a thing in his fridge etc. Come to find out he has been sending all like seriously ALL his money home to his mom to help raise his 4 siblings. Me and the other Sergeant ordered him to come with us to the PX, we got on the horn to our 1SG explained the situation and he met us at the PX with our entire upper NCO chain and the Commander. We forced this kid to buy over 1000 dollars of items/food/tv/etc for his room and all the money was donated by the NCO chain and the Commander. That was a great leadership was very sad to leave that unit. Sorry long winded lol"

– geriatric-sanatore

Free Concert

"We had a guy who could just not get his sh*t together. We all know that troop. Even the easy things were hard, etc etc."

"The cadre found out he was a former opera singer and also fluent in German. So they made him write and sing opera songs about his f**k ups. This was the only thing he was good at."

"Now here’s where this gets hilarious, beyond one dude singing self-deprecating songs in a marching formation. The cadre would bark 'German style!' and he’d seamlessly switch his lyrics to German. They’d yell 'underwater style!' and he’d take his index finger and flip it up and down on his lips as he sang, making the song sound bubbly."

"Not only could the cadre not hold it together, the guys in his company would absolutely lose it. Complete breakdown in military bearing, and no one cared. Other cadre and instructors would come just to listen and they would be in tears laughing."

"I don’t know where you are now homeboy, but thanks for the laughs."

– vmikey

Environmentally Conscious

"Having to carry a plant to make up for the oxygen he was wasting."

– International_Set522

"I remember one of the others on my intake being sent over to the nearest tree to deeply apologise for wasting the good oxygen this tree produced and explain to said tree why he was such an utter t*t...."

– The_Burning_Wizard

Lesson to be learned: don't lose or forget things that are essential.

What's The Big ID-a?

"Guy kept losing his ID/leaving it sitting in the computer. Chief 'borrowed' it, took it to one of those one hour print job places, had it blown up to like 3 feet across, cut the picture out, and made the idiot walk around all day holding his enormous ID up with his face in the cut out hole. He stopped misplacing his ID after that."

– HakunaYouTaTas

Don't Lose The Rock

"We had a tradition when you were new to the unit and went on our first summer exercise (National Guard) that you would need to carry a rock around with you. It was an inspectable item so it needed to be with you at all times. You were not to let anyone else have this rock. The trick was if you lost the rock, you'd get another rock chosen by the platoon sergeant."

"One guy had a hard time with the 'Don't give this to anyone else' and kept losing his rock. After the 4th or 5th time, the platoon sergeant gave him what I can only describe as a small Boulder. This kid had to lug that rock around for the next week but he made damn sure not to lose it."

– Lawson470189

The Long Road March

"1995 - At mile 4 of an 12 mile hump (quick water break), my assistant gunner forgot the tripod for the M60. The platoon sergeant made him hug and apologize to every tree along his side of the road for wasting oxygen for the rest of the road march. 8 miles of this and no one could go past him. A road march that should've taken three hours ended up taking 12. There's a lot of trees at Ft. Campbell"

– MrL1970

The road from being a recruit to soldier is a tough but rewarding one in the end.

While some of the punishments and actual training tactics seem insurmountable, they build character, better physical endurance, and resilience.

It may be grueling, but it's all part of the military world.

Are you up for the challenge?

It feels like everything under the sun is expensive these days.

So maybe when we look at price tags, we're just having a little financial PTSD.

Some items and services that were once doable have turned into a years-long savings plan.

Like where do the cable and internet people get these price points?

Especially for their "services."

Please.

Keep reading...Show less