People From Small Towns Divulge The Crazy Local Story Every Knows About But Doesn't Talk About
Every town, big and small has it's secrets and it's wild tales and cast of characters. All of those pieces of the puzzle combine to make legends and stories passed on through generations. Although they are only tales told in secret and never brought up in proper public. No one wants to discuss what could be when the mystery is still not resolved.
Redditor u/PMForDickGraysonPics wanted to hear stories from everyone about the kooky details in small towns out there by asking them to divulge.... People who live in small towns, what's the story everyone knows but no one likes talking about?
With Pepperoni....
GiphyIn my town we had the Mayor's daughter drive drunk through a pizza place and get out of the car and walk up to the counter and try to order. It was on the news for like 1 day and then disappeared completely. The place just opened back up. sh3nto
It Never Happened.
The superintendent of my hometown school district got a DUI IN A SCHOOL ZONE and used his wealth and influence in the community to not only get out of jail time, but to get the arrest completely scrubbed from his criminal record. He's sued multiple people for slander for mentioning it publicly because, as far as the official record is concerned, it "never happened." astaten0
The Dungeon.
There's a dungeon under the abandoned yellow house in the park that was used by the current owner's great grandfather. He admitted on his death bed that he was the cause of 13 disappearances from the 1910's to the 1930's. Issue is, we don't know who the 13 victims are since the surrounding area has had hundreds of disappearances over the decades and we have nothing to go off of except a period of nearly 30 years. Plus, no one wants to think about a relative or ancestor being locked up in there. AnneAuthor
The Spot.
A gazebo was removed from the town green because it became a place late at night where people were regularly caught having sex.
It was a beautiful gazebo - with comfortable benches (like church pews) where people could relax in the warm weather and enjoy the town green. But… no more. Back2Bach
Dude was DEVASTATED.
GiphyOne day I see a bunny. But like a HUGE bunny. I thought it was normal sized but as I got closer I realized I was wrong. Thing was an absolute unit. Like medium sized dog. As time went on I would occasionally see more and more of these gigantic mutated rabbits.
So turns out this guy had a couple of pet giant rabbits and then moved out to college. The official story his parents gave him was that his beloved pet rabbits got sick like a week after he moved out and had to be put down. Dude was DEVASTATED.
My guess is that the rabbits weren't put down and were instead released. Now I'm not sure if Flemish Giants can interbreed with wild bunnies, but everyone swears that even the local bunny population is composed of mega bunnies. And the parents are low key kind of hated by everyone now for being nasty to their child. MisterComrade
Under the Rug.
About 3 years ago a young lesbian couple came up missing. They found their car half submerged in the river but no sign of the girls. They found them a week later in the river dead with bullet wounds in their heads. It devastated the town when it happened but I feel like it got covered up quickly so it wouldn't scare off any tourists.
They made a small memorial near the river for the girls, and it's been vandalized beyond repair twice now. In the other town I lived in, the mayor's wife killed an elderly couple on Christmas Eve while driving drunk. She never did any time. Completely swept under the rug, but he didn't get reelected thankfully. ravenclawpoetry
Change of tone......
Change of tone on this one but I figured I'd share anyway! I grew up in a tiny farm town in PA. On Christmas Eve, one of the local farmers would go to all the houses with kids and climb on the roof and walk around for a minute or two to keep our belief in Santa alive and well. It's hilarious cause he never asked, just always did it every year. It obviously wasn't talked about much so that the kids never caught on, but was truly so cute. cashewcheez
The Cover-Up.
Young local lawyer is kidnapped in the middle of the night at gunpoint and ordered to tie up her husband. There is a man in jail for the kidnapping but she has never been found. Happened in the early 90s and the theory is she was killed to cover up corruption in the court system. She was supposedly going to the DA about some shady stuff. Lnzy1
Compacting....
Two guys robbed one of those car compacting places, where they mash up old vehicles into giant metal bricks.
They went in at night, dropped off by their gfs to go get parts and scrap to sell I guess. They'd done it before, the owner found out and waited for them one night.
Shot both in the backs of the heads, put their bodies in a car and crushed it up.
The truck didn't come to pick up the metal for a couple days so the one with their bodies sat out in the heat, the officers only found them after the gfs telling police they dropped them off there and couldn't find them again. They checked the place and found them from the smell.
I remember before the two guys were found, missing posters of them were all over the town. Zerobeastly
The Insanity.
There's someone who has been killing people in my town and their bodies have been found, around the same time every year in a large lake. Nobody talks about it but people are being kidnapped, beaten, tortured and murdered by this sicko! It's insane. Ardie_BlackWood
Everyone has wild stories from their workplace.
But the stories that tend to instantly grab people's attention are those about instances which led people to quit.
Be it low pay, unsafe working conditions, or abusive bosses or managers, hearing what finally led someone to leave a job is always fascinating.
But how about moments where not one person, but multiple people, if not the entire staff, all banded together and left?
Far-fetched as it may seem, there have indeed been occasions where an entire workforce was so over their conditions, that they all gave their notice in unison.
Redditor RealSlicy was curious to hear some of these stories, resulting in their taking to Reddit to ask:
"What happened at work that made everyone quit at once?"
Unsafe conditions
"I worked at a bread manufacturing plant."
"This happened in the bagging area."
"A worker tripped and somehow the way he landed his hand slipped underneath the machine guard and into a chain."
"Cut off his arm just below the elbow."
"The supervisor insisted we just wipe off the machine with a towel and continue running the rest of the already baked product."
"Twelve out of sixteen including myself quit."
"I found out later the manager fired that supervisor that day."- Bignona
Horrible Bosses
"Three of us, the engineers, quit the same week and without any discussion between ourselves."
"Man in charge was an insufferable, insulting tw*t."
"This led to the head office losing faith and the whole subsidiary being sold off."- PicardTangoAlpha
Placing Blame on the Wrong People
"Company did a survey of employee happiness."
"It had super limited answers."
"We filled it out and tried to explain that, internally, our team was doing well and we were happy but just about everyone had problems with two other employees outside the team who were bullies in important positions."
"The company asked us instead what 'we' could do better so the bullies don't bully."
"Over half the team quit within a month which is unheard of at that company and our team was/is a corner stone of the entire business."- Butterbubblebutt
Bribery
"Manager kept pitching Amway to us on breaks and then cut hours of those that didn't sign up under him."
"We worked in retail at the mall."- rayrayrayray
Total lack of sympathy
"Worked in a call centre offering free public transport brochures to people living in a city."
"The place was poorly managed, it was contracted out by the local government and only cared about numbers."
"Early during one shift a spate of bombings on public transport killed a load of people around the city."
"After a few calls of getting abuse from people aghast we were trying to get their details to send them bus/train timetables etc, we collectively stopped making calls."
"We assumed management would pause the project for that week at least, maybe longer, out of respect for what had happened.
"Our manager put her foot down and told us we must continue calling that morning, and as we were only on temporary contracts anyone who refused may face being replaced, then she stormed off."
"The entire team quit on the spot, we just got up and left without speaking to her again."
"We called up the work agency to let them know and they did not blame us."
"We were all replaced but the local government office heard what had happened and pulled the plug on the contract with that call centre within a month."- Husper
No or late payment.
"Not my work, but close friends."
"Restaurant owner wasn't paying his staff and checks kept bouncing."
"So one night, they all said 'f*ck this', closed up shop together and left."
"Owner got ran out of town after Social Media and reg media took over."
"He closed down both of his places, the second also had a staff walk out the week prior to the first and sold the buildings."
Since people keep asking, this was in MD."
"And the 'second place' was his second restaurant, Indian place, that had kitchen staff walk out a week prior, but the walk out didn't close the restaurant."
"He closed it and sold it after his first restaurant was shuttered."
"Good riddance." - Reddit
Other priorities
"One of my first jobs was as a dishwasher at a local steakhouse which was always really busy as it overlooked the waterfalls of the the local river."
"My 3rd or 4th day working the whole kitchen staff just didn't show up."
"Except for me."
"Boss grabbed me and taught me how to cook as we went."
"Not only had I never cooked before, this was a Friday night and I was missing a concert, so I was kind of angry about that."
"Probably not the culinary experience some of the customers expected that night, but I tried my best."
"Then, after we closed I had to stick around for another 4 hours to wash dishes.'
"Turns out everybody went to the concert."
"This was almost 40 years ago.'
"Still mad."- MadonnaBinLaden
Sometimes, when at a loss of how to handle things, the best thing to do is just get up and leave.
Though, one does hope those that chose to skip work for a concert weren't planning on going back to work the next day.
There's little more exciting than an American's first visit to Europe.
There is so much to take in between the famous sights, the delicious food, and the vastly different cultures and ways of life.
Most American tourists have no problem jumping into some popular customs and activities, such as afternoon tea in England, or a soothing sauna in Finland.
Other customs and behaviors, however, some Americans usually choose to leave to the locals.
Redditor Mark-Zuckerberg- was curious to hear which European habits or ways of life were truly bizarre to Americans, leading them to ask:
"Americans, what do you think is the weirdest thing about Europe?"
Where's the kitchen?
"Rental apartments in Germany often come without a furnished kitchen."
"Sink, refrigerator, stove and cabinets."
"Because these are almost always provided in rental apartments in the US, it was shocking to me as an American looking at rentals in Germany that I would have to buy and install those things."
"Having read so many interesting comments about kitchen expectations in different parts of the world, let me ask this question."
"Do any of you know of places where rentals don't come with bathroom equipment either, and it's expected the tenant will purchase and install their own toilet and sink?"- AmbitiousPeanut
Differing levels of intimacy
"Depends which countries."
"I’ve always found it weird that a lot of them think hugging is more intimate than kissing someone on the cheek."
"I know it isn’t actually 'kissing' someone on the cheek most of the time."
"I’m referring to how someone touches your face with their face that is extremely intimate."- LadyValenciaLA
Road Rage!
"The way people drive."
"The laws don’t seem to matter at all in Italy, only a little in France."
"Then the Germans are a completely different story."- jesusmansuperpowers
Toilet Troubles
"OMG the toilets."
"In the US every toilet I've ever come across has a flush lever on the left of the tank or, in public restrooms, a sensor or a button on the top."
"In Europe every single toilet has a different flush mechanism."
"Every. Single. One."
"It's like an escape room challenge."
"Foot pedals. Cranks. Pull knobs."
"Things attached to the sink."
"I was once stuck in a bathroom for 20 minutes trying to figure out how to flush the toilet, it turned out to be a pulley on the other side of the room."- Yellowbug2001
Not for Night Owls
"The oddest thing I found in Copenhagen was that when we tried to go get food around 9pm, nearly everywhere was closed."
"We were in a busy part of the city but it took us so incredibly long to find a place open late."
"I don't live in a huge city but I can throw a rock from my house and it will bounce off half a dozen places open until midnight or later."
"This is not a complaint, just an observation."
"I loved Denmark."- Ginger_Chick
Just how old are we talking?
"The history."
"Can't wrap my brain around that."
"I live in a farm house built in the 1920s and that is considered old."- Necessary_Sir_5079
You understand?
"The sheer grasp of language I've seen from some Europeans is wild."
"Back in the early days of minecraft I used to play on a server with an English kid and a German Kid."
"The English kid would randomly speak Welsh and the German could jump between German, French, and English all the time and I was there like 'Guys, I can barely English, can we dumb it down for the yankee'."- CYNIC_Torgon
"We've been working on the railroad..."
"Trains go to every major city."- CoolIceCreamCone
Balmy summer nights
"No AC."
"Our hotels had ac but it was just room temp air."
"That heatwave must have been brutal I hate sleeping when it’s hot."- Slowmexicano
Some things that might seem strange at first might just take some getting used to.
Though power to any American brave enough to drive through Europe.
Particularly on the wrong side of the road in the U.K.!
When a job hunt leads to work that sounds promising, it's easy for those who are unemployed and eager to earn a paycheck to throw themselves into the prospect, blindly.
However, it's important to note that those who are interviewing them for the job should also be asked questions to make sure they actually want to work there.
Curious to hear of the warning signs to be cognizant of, Redditor SwagYoloThiccChilFam asked:
"What's an immediate red flag to hear from HR during a job interview?"
These Redditors took issue with companies and misleading salary details.
Undervaluing A Potential Employee
"'What would be the lowest salary you would work for? Absolute minimum that you can tolerate?' What a nice way to make a possible new employee feel appreciated."
– lizztastic_chick
False Advertising
"On two occasions I got a job offer but the official salary was different than what was in the job listing. Each time I was told it was because 'listing a higher salary attracts more qualified candidates.'”
"Declined both offers right there on the spot."
Boasting About Having Integrity
"In the same breath they’ll talk about how honesty and integrity are core values they expect of every employee (below a certain pay grade)"
– zipperkiller
It's Conditional
"If you don't give me a salary range I'm out."
"If you offer compensation that falls outside of the salary range you gave in the ad or in talking to me, I'm out."
"I mean unless it's more than the range you're offering me. I'll probably take more."
– IceciroAvant
The demands of working for a a start-up were mentioned here.
Since They Asked
"I interviewed for a job recently with a small start-up and they asked me if I had any questions. I told them work-life balance is important to me and asked what a typical work day looks like for their employees. They told me that was a risky thing to say in an interview and most start-ups would consider that question a red flag. I said I didn't need to work for that kind of company."
– earlysong
Pressure
"Work Hard Play Hard (Translation) Prepare to be worked so hard that your only options will be to quit or become a high functioning alcoholic."
– SpareAd2794
Toxic Culture
"We're no longer a startup, but still have the startup culture. This really means 80 hour weeks and low pay even if the company is doing well."
– arelath
So Much For Company Loyalty
"Recently happened to my Dad. Was one of the original employees, they have grown significantly but refused to pay him fairly when newer employees (younger guys 25-30)were starting at a higher wage than him (25yrs experience in the field). They had switched him to salary a couple years back and just got more hours for less raises."
– KaiNCftm
False Label
"The whole 'startup' tag is suspect. I did a job reference for a friend who was applying at an 11 year startup. If you are still hunting for investors after 11 years you have to wonder about your business model."
"It seems to be a buzzword for cool, cutting edge, and a culture of overwork."
– ElectricMan324
The demands were already too much from the outset.
A Pre-Requirement
"You need to buy X to start training."
– thekillercook
Beware Of The Alternative
"Or sign a contract that will charge you for training if you do not work there for so many years and a non-compete clause to force you into a different line of work if you leave. I believe some of these have been outlawed in some places now."
– fanestre
Peace Out
"'You'll wear a lot of hats.' We're going to make you do the work of three people but only pay you for one. 'We have a hard time keeping people in this role.' People realize this job sucks and bail out quick."
– about_a_biscuit
Many of the examples above demonstrated that your self-worth will always be a priority.
It also served as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest indicator that something is off with a job prospect is what your gut is trying to tell you.
Listen to your instincts.
It could save you a lot of time.
The United States Supreme Court has held that tax exemption for churches is constitutional under the Establishment Clause. Moreover, the Court has found that churches and religious organizations may be subject to a general sales and use tax; however, the Court has not addressed whether government may enact a specific "church tax."
The constitution of a number of countries such as the United States could be and have been interpreted as both supporting and prohibiting the levying of taxes unto churches; prohibiting church tax could separate church and state fiscally, but it could also be favorable treatment by the government.
When you consider that many churches have made unsavory headlines for engaging in political activity anyway, it's no wonder why the separation of church and state—and whether or not churches should be stripped of their tax-exempt status—remains such a hot topic.
To that end, the idea that churches are threatened by government overreach is also a hot topic, particularly on the more conservative side of the aisle. For example, in October 2021, Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn made the odd claim that President Joe Biden aimed to "close the churches" as soon as Democrats could pass a much-scrutinized infrastructure bill.
Blackburn's assertion that churches would be closed down as soon as the bill is approved appears to have materialized out of thin air. In fact, where the infrastructure bill does mention churches is quite positive. The bill, which the Senate ultimately passed, provides $50 million in grants to nonprofits, including religious congregations, so they can upgrade their buildings with new energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.
We did tell you this is a hot-button issue. People were all too eager to share their thoughts with us after one Redditor asked the online community,
"Would you support taxing churches? Why or why not?"
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints..."
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) had over $130 billion in the stock market many years back. Yet they are tax exempt."
CAT_SNIFFER
And did you know that news outlets reported in 2019 that the Mormon Church amassed a fund worth more than $100 billion so its members could prepare for the "Second Coming of Christ"?
Yeah, that was a thing.
"If churches were nothing more..."
"If churches were nothing more than local parishes who served the community, collected donations to keep the lights on, and the priests were working class folks who took the job as a "calling" rather than a business opportunity?"
"I'd be more than happy to let them slide. It would be like taxing a soup kitchen, and who wants to do that?"
"But if the local 'pastor' has a Gulfstream? Tax the sh** out of him. And if they even bring up politics from the pulpit? Tax the ever-loving sh** out of them."
[deleted]
Religious doctrine will always have political implications. Makes sense, right?
"I'm a Christian..."
"I'm a Christian and have served in church leadership, I'm in favor of taxing churches. Churches exist in society and should contribute to it. I do have some caveats."
"One: I think governments should use taxes for the betterment of communities. That includes physical infrastructure, but also caring for the poor, sick, elderly, etc. All of that is a part of the church's overall mission. I see no reason why the church shouldn't be in favor of the government doing those things, and paying taxes in support of that."
"Two: I think churches should be able to write off any charitable giving. That would obviously have to be well defined; however, I think it would incentivize churches actually helping people, rather than misusing funds (which tons of churches do. There are good churches out there that care a lot for their communities, but there are many that don't)."
superclay
The ability to write off charitable giving is the devil in the details. No matter how you word it. It will be worked around. There are tons of lawyers whose only job is to know the tax code and give rich people/corporations tax breaks.
Still, this is surely an improvement over a default charitable status that is only reviewed under an occasional audit.
"Churches that provide..."
"Churches that provide community social services should be tax exempt. Churches that have large holdings, or church leaders with lavish homes or engage in political activities should not."
[deleted]
It would be soooo easy for a rich pastor to claim he's compliant with the tax free requirements.
If a church is doing enough social service to actually qualify as a non-profit, then they can file as one. There is no reason to give them any special rules or exceptions.
"I do believe..."
"I do believe in separation of church and state. I feel if a church is donating more to the people than the church then no taxes. I'd rather have the money go to the people than the government."
BetterAd-5309
As I recall, this is the original idea. Churches are not supposed to have influence on the political process and thus would be exempt from taxes because of that. But the church has not been keeping their end of the bargain.
"My aunt runs a church."
"My aunt runs a church. Over 90% of donations actually go towards charity work, such as healthcare and food for the homeless, clothes and school supplies for children. In many impoverished communities, churches are the only institutions truly keeping people housed and fed."
"Churches should be audited, as should any nonprofit. Saying they’re all bad is ignorant. Taxing them all would be robbing the poor."
[deleted]
If only things were this simple. Alas.
"Send your videos..."
"Well you can certainly get them in trouble by recording their sermon telling you who to vote for. It’s against the law for these religious institutions to influence anyone to vote for or against any political candidate."
"Send your videos and complaints to the IRS."
Dyspaereunia
This was a big deal in Kansas over the last few weeks, particularly ahead of a crucial campaign that secured a win for reproductive rights activists after citizens voted to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution, the result of an effort to ensure the state—typically Republican and conservative—remains a safe haven for abortion in the Midwest.
"Yes, primarily..."
"Yes, primarily because I think if churches or religions in general want to be playing a larger role in the politics of the world, as the various Christian denominations seem to desire in the U.S., then they should have to provide revenue and contribute to the nation or they should shut up."
theinsanegamer23
Straight and to the point, I see!
"Churches should have to go by..."
"Churches should have to go by the same rules as any other non-religious tax-exempt charity. File taxes proving where your money came from and where it went to prove you're using it for charitable purposes."
"Preaching is not, in and of itself, a charitable activity IMHO, so church buildings/expenditures used solely for church services don't deserve tax exempt status. Want to have something not taxed? It had better be actually helping someone."
Dragonness
Now if only we could fund the IRS appropriately...
"I think any business..."
"I think any business that makes a profit should be taxed. If you truly are being charitable then you shouldn't be making profit, all that excess income should be going back into growing the business and helping more people with whatever service you provide. Religious affiliation should be irrelevant."
MorbidAversion
Reforms would be pretty simple, provided there is bipartisan support in Congress. Enforcing them, however? Another matter entirely, and that's why it's important to stay on top of this issue.
This is a complex issue that is not likely to be resolved soon, and the impact of religious lobbying in Congress is certainly felt more than ever.
Would stripping churches of their tax-exempt status solve quite a few problems—namely the polarization and shoddy campaign finance laws—that have metastisized in American politics?
Answering that is not so easy.
Have some opinions of your own? Tell us more in the comments below!