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It can be said that we live in a very "sue happy" society. It's remarkably easy to engage in litigation against someone––it's the American way!
But suppose you have a case (or think you do). You still need someone to serve the defendant the papers (it's highly advised you don't do that yourself, of course). This is where process servers come in. They meet all sorts of people from all walks of life, as you can imagine.
They shared their stories after Redditor CharlotteLucasOP asked the online community,
"Process servers, what's the most bizarre scenario in which you've served someone?"
"I let him into the building..."
"When I got a divorce, my lawyer recommended I hire a process server just in case my ex tried to dodge/deny service. She knew I was filing so it wasn't like it would be a surprise, but better safe than sorry. One problem: This was during a covid lockdown, so neither of us was leaving home. The process server comes, I let him into the building, he follows me to the apartment but then says he can't follow me into the apartment to serve her. So I have to shut the door on him then wait for him to knock so that my ex can answer the door. Probably the most awkward five minutes of my life."
"And then I went home."
"I knew my days as a process server would pay off! So this guy wouldn't come out of his house, but his ex knew he was there because he never changed his iCloud password and was tracking his phone. So I told her to call me the minute she leaves his house. So he finally leaves his house and I am driving like mad to get to his house. He was 30 minutes from me, and so I was getting semi-live updates of his location, and adjusting as I drove.
Eventually, she realized he was stopping at his brother's house, so I got there, but he wasn't there, she stopped paying attention to the map. He just left, so I was following this guy like 5 minutes behind him. I was driving, and I was looking at maps and talking to the client trying to figure out where to turn. I wouldn't let her hang up. After 10 minutes of crazy driving, It looked like he had stopped at an intersection, but while I was passing that intersection I spotted his car filling gas. I made a very illegal left turn (I don't remember why it was illegal). I pulled into the gas station just as he was getting in his car to leave, and stopped my car right in front of his car so he was boxed into the gas station. I confirmed with the client what he looks like and what the dad looks like as I was pulling up.
I jumped out of the car and walked up to his car and asked him are you John doe (I don't remember his name) the dude looked like I was some insane person. He had this just crazy stare like "I can't see you, you can't see me". His dad was driving and his dad was like "hey get away from me! I'm trying to leave!" So then I decided to just knock on his window trying to no avail to get his attention and tell him "John you are being served, here is all of your court documents" then I dropped them all and walked back to my car. I backed up so he could leave and the dad was like... "Umm, you want me to just leave," the ex tells his dad to just leave. And then I went home."
"She just silently..."
"One guy really hated this other lady he was suing, and she kept avoiding the server so he paid me $300 to serve her on Christmas. He knew for sure she was home because she was having a party there in an hour. He wrapped it up in this huge present. So I showed up to her door, and yelled "Christmas delivery!" She thought it was some great present, and had this huge smile. Once she opened the door, I told her she had been served, and it was like she got hit by a brick wall. She just silently took the giant present and walked back in her house with it."
"Anyways..."
"I worked as a process server for a couple of years during/after college. It was through a private investigation agency so it was a little more intense than the typical process server. Anyways...one time I was hired to serve a stripper, and since we couldn't find a valid address for her the PI had me go into her work and serve her there. I didn't want to cause a scene and get jumped by the bouncers so I purchased a private dance from her then served her in the back room. I even got reimbursed for the cost of the dance when I collected the paperwork. All in all, it was a memorable experience!"
"It's ridiculously easy..."
"When my mother was a Family Law attorney and I was in college, I used to do some process serving for her. She'd never give any that she felt would be dangerous, but In hindsight is probably another poor decision by my mother, and by me who just needed the money.
It's ridiculously easy to get an about-to-be divorced man to open his door to an 18-year-old girl.
I once made an appointment and got my nails done. Paid and gave a tip, and the papers to the same tech. She was pissed."
"He said his worst one..."
"Not me but a guy I worked with was a process server in his downtime. He was older and enjoyed the work. He said his worst one was this guy who knew he had it coming and evaded as best he could. He never answers the door. He'd go to neighbors' houses. Hop the fence to get inside. It was a several-day job because he just kept avoiding the situation and didn't work. The dude didn't live in the best part of town so my coworker had to try and not look sus in the neighborhood. My coworker tracked down some family and figured out where he liked to hang out, he served him in front of his church.
Coworker told me that most people who know it's coming will actively avoid being in situations where they can be served. Most will give you a false name if you knock on the door or tell you that it's their sibling/friend if you ask if they are the right person."
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"Now and then..."
"I'm sure it varies by state, but most of the time everything is done by mail. It's rare to have to serve anyone in person.
Now and then people will suspect that a certified letter is a subpoena and they'll refuse to sign and return to sender. In those cases, you put the letter in a box with a brick and send it again. 90% of the time they sign for the box.
The only time I ever had to actually serve a subpoena in person it was for a lawyer. I just made an appointment for a consultation. He introduced himself, I handed him a folder with the subpoenas saying it was the contract I need reviewed. He opened it and saw what it was and then I said have a good day and left. I got called into court on that one, he still claimed he never got the subpoenas. Judge sanctioned him."
"I once had a client..."
"I am a paralegal. I once had a client who was in her 70s and her husband had her served with divorce papers while she was recovering in the hospital from surgery. Brutal."
"Two stories come to mind, both involving Billionaires who vowed to plaintiff's counsel that they would "not be served," with one laughing at them and saying "good luck." Plaintiff's counsel engaged our firm, and I got the call. Both these took place in the very early 2000s.
#1
For the first guy, I just went to his house at like 4 am, in a swank part of the City. I was dressed in my best suit--vest, tie, the whole thing. He was friends with the local cops so blocking his driveway was a no-go, and his garage was attached anyway so he'd just bolt back inside. I knew he wouldn't answer the door. Within fifteen minutes of watching, though, a solution presented itself. The paper truck came and dropped off his fresh copy of the WSJ right on his front porch. That was my opening.
There were hedges on either side of the front door. So I went up to the porch, grabbed his paper, and tossed it about fifteen feet down his front walk toward the street. And then I crouched behind the hedges. Around 90 minutes later I hear the front door open, then he grunts, and I see him walk out ahead of me. He's got on a robe and PJs from the looks of it, and those leather slippers with the furry stuff inside. While he's bending down, I emerge from the bushes right between him and his front door.
The look on his face when he turned around and saw me there was priceless. I still remember it. I just said, "Mr. XXXXX, you need to take this." And he did. And I left. My boss was pretty impressed with that one."
"#2
This was the guy who laughed and said "good luck." I got asked to serve him after my success with billionaire number one. This was going to be harder, though. He lived in a gated community and then had his own little private gate and road. And while this was back before there were cameras everywhere, they had cameras everywhere. So I poked around to see what I can find and lo-and-behold he teaches a weekly "seminar" at the local state college's business school. So I went to his class, waited for him to show up, and served him right there in front of all his students."
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Have you ever heard of a certain job that people call a career and thought... "PEOPLE PAY YOU FOR THAT?!?!"
All hard, honest work is good work.
And then there is just trash work.
And I don't mean garbage collection, that is honest work.
I don't know how some people live with themselves.
Redditor MrTuxedo1 wanted to discuss the careers they don't believe people should chase. They asked:
"What job do you have no respect for?"
Ticket scalpers. How do you the audacity to say that's a job?
Actual burglars have more empathy.
Disrespectful
"There are debt collectors who call relatives of the deceased to pay off their debts when they are not legally obligated to."
Top_Gun_2021
Shady. Shady.
"Australian Real Estate Agents. Laws don't seem to apply to them. Just as dodgy in sales and rentals alike. Never seen anything like it overseas."
snave_
"I'm in the US, it can vary state by state but my state is pretty strict on realtor laws. Some states require attorney review and there are definitely penalties for being reported for shady sh*t. It does require consumer reporting though."
ilostmytaco
Etransfer
"Where I live, tax info was leaked and now scammers are targeting low income individuals/families (people earning under 30,000 per year) with etransfer scams. I got one the other day that was an etransfer warning that 240$ 'a family member sent me' was about to expire."
SnowyInuk
"That’s disgusting. The scammers know what they’re doing, they know the harm they cause people and yet they don’t care."
surelysandwitch
Should be illegal...
"MLM managers. Not the low level idiots that get suckered into it, they suck too for trying to bring new people into that sh*tshow, but the people who create them know exactly what they are doing and are pretty much the only ones who profit off of it. Should be illegal. Pyramid schemes are illegal. None of them ever get the just desserts except occasionally by vigilantes I assume."
Wereno
I hate debt collectors. Yeah, you calling me one hundred times a week is going to miraculously make money appear.
Animals
"Paparazzi."
VictorBlimpmuscle
"I met Jack Gleeson (King Joffrey from Game of Thrones) at a bus stop in Dublin. Really nice guy but he said he quit acting due to people being nasty online and constant hounding from paparrazi. He's happier now but it sucks that he was pushed away from a career he was quite good at."
goobi94
Scumbags
"The pastors at mega churches whom ask their followers for money for private jets. Absolute scum to abuse others faith for your own greed."
ichancho
"Brian Tamaki is a greedy freaking pig, he takes advantage of so many people who are already struggling. Every time he’s in the local news (which btw is often) I get more and more pissed off at him and his wife. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tamaki "
surelysandwitch
it’s a thing???
“'Dating Expert.' Sadly it’s a thing. It’s basically a self appointed title that requires no training or qualifications. What’s worse, is that I have a female friend who uses one. It’s very much a blind leading the blind situation."
Mean_Manufacturer_61
"Most of the self proclaimed “dating coaches” I know are women in their late 30s or early 40s who have never been married or had a longer relationship."
ipozgaj
EVIL
"Poachers. Especially big game poachers who purposefully hunt nearly extinct animals from species they know they are on the brink."
"I know there are poachers that come from rural villages who are trying to just put food on the table, which has my sympathy but poachers who come from money and hunt down animals minding their business in most shelters or restricted areas just to put a head on their wall as a trophy are absolutely heinous."
GetterdoneObiwan
I See It All
"Psychic Mediums. Specifically those who prey on the grieving."
JamesDeadite
"I've always found it interesting how many magicians go after people like this. I think it's because they know what it takes to trick people for the art. The slight of hand and mentalism. And they abhor people who use these tactics for such sh*tty purposes."
34HoldOn
I want so bad to believe in psychics and mediums. What say we on that topic?
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The nose is constantly being attacked by odors of the world.
Going through one day without having to hold my breath during a certain point, is a miracle.
Of course, I'm a New Yorker, so I maybe exaggerating for people in the countryside.
What's funnier is odors that are pleasant, that shouldn't be.
Have you ever looked and something and thought... "yuck."
But then you smelled it and it was like... "oh lovely,"
Redditor HappQueue wanted to know what aromas are arousing to the senses that may come as a surprise to many. They asked:
"What smells good but shouldn't?"
For some odd reason I love the things burning. Anything, food, pots, pans. You name it. Weird.
Blow
"Matches/candles on a birthday cake. I remember lighting matches as a kid purely to blow them out and inhale that sweet match-y smell."
semispooked
"guilty good"
"I work at a Chemical plant. We make a highly acidic product that is dark blue, viscus, highly corrosive, and smells exactly like Fruit Loops. It is incredibly disturbing."
Turin082
"Organic chemistry has many 'guilty good' smells. Thiophosgene (sulfur derivative of a chemical weapon used extensively in WW1) apparently smells like meat. Phosgene is used to make polycarbonate, thiophosgene is used to make some sulfur-containing molecules which eventually end up in therapeutic drugs."
HammerTh_1701
I can't huff it...
"Paint, specifically house paint. I love the smell. But anytime I hear that anyone is painting a room or their house, I volunteer. I just love sitting on the floor in a room that's been freshly painted, closing my eyes and just inhaling that slightly chemically, slightly creamy aroma."
Neowza
A Hint of French...
"A fish and chips shop burnt down as couple blocks from work a few years ago. The whole neighborhood smelled amazing for days. Just the slight hint of French fries. Nothing overpowering. It was so awesome. Until I found out someone was trapped in the fire and died."
stevey_frac
Drag
"Race fuel. Instantly puts me in a good mood as it reminds me of going to the drag races with my dad when I was young."
garfnodie
Fuel and matches get me too. And they sort of go together. Interesting.
Just like the Movie...
"The water from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Mmm, bromine."
Stalkerslovemy
"This is one of my favorite scents of all time, and Disney is very aware that people enjoy it. Evidently it’s a lot harder to recreate than just adding bromine to water."
cash4panties
"black widow".
"There's a chicken wing restaurant near my house that has a challenge sauce called "black widow." The owner claims it to be around 500,000 scovilles. A few years back some buddies and I decided to try them, the sauce was a dark molasses color and smelled almost like a BBQ sauce, no hint of the danger that lurked at all. We each grabbed one wing and it went terribly. I don't know how something so spicy could smell so innocent."
Final-Chapter
Endless Weekend
"Hotel/rented rooms whenever you go on vacation. There's this particular smell that just says 'you are on vacation,' especially on a beach/swimming trips/out-of-the-town vacays."
Yummy_Llama
"Bath and Body Works has a plug-in scent called Endless Weekend that replicates that scent (to my humble nose)."
Exxcentrica
"oh no..."
"Someone you are attracted to's body odors. Anyone else who is slightly unhygienic smells repulsive."
Mini_gunslinger
"I remember back in high school a girl leaned over, sniffed me, told me that I smelled really good, and asked me what cologne I was wearing. I asked if she was joking, and she's like, no, you smell really good. When I told her I had just gotten done with gym class, she gets a small 'oh no...' look on her face and turns away. I think we both had a revelation that day."
user deleted
That Smell
"The smell inflatable things give off. I have no idea how to describe it, but it’s… nostalgic? to me."
crestfxllen
I do love the smell of plastics and inflatables. Ahh....
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At one point in time, we've misplaced things that we've considered priceless possessions.
It's hard to imagine how to go on without the lost object–whatever it may be–but over time, it becomes a distant memory and we move on.
That is until we magically find ourselves presented with this opportunity proposed by Redditor mikehotel288, who asked:
"You find yourself in a room with everything you’ve ever lost in your life. What do you look for first?"
There are necessities people cannot do without.
No More Dry Lips Ever Again
"Gonna be a lot of chapstick in that room."
– camefromxbox
There are things that bring us comfort and are irreplaceable.
Safety Blanket
"My baby blanket. It became tattered over the years—to the point where I couldn’t reasonably wash it anymore—so I had to throw it away a little while back."
"I have heavily regretted that decision. I was really attached to it (hence it being in tatters), but I really wish that I kept what was left of it instead of throwing it away. Just knowing that I’d still have it would be a huge comfort to me."
– Uearie
Sentimental Heirloom
"The pendant my dad had made for me with my grandmother’s engagement diamond. It was 2 carats. It disappeared from a Las Vegas hotel room 20 years ago. It was hidden deep in a suitcase where it would not have been easy to find. It was just GONE. Cops didn’t do anything. Didn’t even come to take my statement. Cleaning lady said she thought she saw an elderly man enter my room. The guy I was with was not sympathetic in the least. Entire situation was f**ked. I’m still so upset about it."
– MaritimeDisaster
Lone Shark
"My plastic shark toy I lost when I was 10. Ain't no f'king way it just VANISHED."
– Guilty_As_Charged__
Not everything lost is tangible.
Tick Tock
"The time I wasted."
– shinyfennec
It Holds Value
"My private key with 6 BTC in it."
– Significant_Mirror19
"I didn't lose one, but I'll check my room for yours just in case."
– Smodphan
Finding Purpose
"The reason I walked into the room."
– Lloyd_lyle
Lost Opportunity
"That one girl i spoke to on omegle lol"
– h-amishh
If only we get to reunite with those we've lost.
The Loved Family Member
"My grandpa."
– Splatty_boi_420
Grieving Parent
"My daughter. She’ll be in my brother’s arms. So I’ll find both things I care to look for."
– SeeTheFence
Missing Mom
"My mom. She died of cancer in 2017. She never got to meet my daughter. I miss the hell out of her and wish she was still part of my family’s life."
– X-Arkturis-X
The Animals That Come Into Our Lives
"My pets that have passed: especially my horse, Blue. It's been 4 years, but it feels like just yesterday."
– Baciandrio
While many of these scenarios are unlikely, the thread gave people an opportunity to reflect on the things that made a strong impression on their lives.
Sometimes, the memories of the things we've lost–whether they are random objects or sources of love–is all we have.
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What's worse than returning home from a night out or a workday and discovering your home was broken into? Being home when the break-in happens.
Home invasions are a common trope portrayed in horror films like The Strangers and Funny Games, and they're absolutely terrifying because they are based on real-life incidents.
Redditor silentagent47 asked strangers to consider this horrifying hypothetical.
"You have 5 minutes to prepare before a guy breaks into your house with the intention to kill you. You can not exit your house. What is your strategy to survive?"
The hunter becomes the hunted, inspired by TV and movies.
Duplicating A Scene
"There was an episode of Burn Notice where Michael puts aerosol cans in the microwave with kitchen utensils and hits popcorn button. I really want to know if this works or not."
– JohnSterlingSanchez
Epic Burglar Trap
"Speed-watch Home Alone."
– pluribusduim
It's about the choice of weapon.
Jump Scare
"I get the vacuum cleaner ready in a certain room, I turn it on as hes about to enter to create a distraction, then I jump out when he's inspecting the noise and bonk the f'ker on the head with the piece of 2 inch steel tube I keep as a weapon."
– BustedBastard
Beware of Dog
"Unleash the Hounds"
– myassonreddit
Make A Weapon
"Duct tape a bunch of knives to the end of one of those tall lamps to make a spear of blinding and then proceed to go sicko mode."
– DubTheeBustocles
Preparing For A Thwack
"Turn shower on, for some reason I have a shovel behind my wardrobe?? So grab that. Wait for him to check shower, whack with shovel. Boom."
– hypersp00p
It's Just A Game
"Corner camp with a shotgun."
– Arrow3619
A Warm Welcome
"Hairspray and a lighter to his face."
– WorkingClassSheep
The effectiveness of these tactics are questionable, but points for creativity are warranted.
Stand Still
"Put a lamp shade on my head and stand in the corner of the room."
– Cannabis_Sir
Make It Erotic
"I turn on all the lights, take off all my clothes, rub butter all over myself, and start a fake conversation on the phone. As soon as he breaks in I say into the phone: 'I’ve gotta go, my next appointment is finally here…”
– FrankieTheAlchemist
Forget The Stairs
"Go to the LIVING ROOM."
– on-oath-never-again
Removing The Element Of Fun
"Draw an X on my forehead and grab a beer."
– Candycoatedmuffin3
And that's why I would opt for living in a commune or apartment complex.
People who own houses are just asking for forced entry.
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