Top Stories

People Explain Which Random Act Of Kindness Has Always Stayed With Them

People Explain Which Random Act Of Kindness Has Always Stayed With Them
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

There are angels among us.

When I was a kid, my mom took me along to a drive-thru KFC. After we got our bucket of greasy goodness, my mom veered over to where she thought was the driveway onto the street.

It turned out to be a very high curb and we were stuck there not knowing what to do.


Fortunately, a random guy happened to be walking by, assessed the situation, and told us to hold on as he ran over to the lumber store that conveniently was located next to Colonel Sander's hut.

The man who literally looked like the dude from Brawny paper towels brought over cut planks of lumber to build a makeshift ramp for us so my mom could navigate the car safely and efficiently. It was brilliant.

When my mom – nearly in tears – profusely thanked the man in her broken English for his random act of kindness, he gently kissed the back of her hand and told her she was a beautiful lady and wished us well.

His very random act of kindness stayed with me.

Curious to hear similar anecdotes of the kindness of strangers, Redditor Daqueef asked:

"What's a random act of kindness that stuck with you?"

Stranger In A Strange Land

Being in a different country can be a thrilling experience until something goes wrong. Fortunately, these locals demonstrated that kindness is a universal language.

Stranded In South Korea

"A few years ago, living in South Korea. Just gotten back from a trip, and was trying to get a taxi from a highway rest stop at like 2am (aka, very difficult). Finally managed to book a taxi, but I couldn't find the driver when he got there. He was calling me and getting frustrated, and I was getting overwhelmed. I don't know if you've ever had to exist in a language that's not your native language, but there usually comes a point where you're so tired, you just can't anymore, and even if you know you understand, it's just not making sense.

I had reached that point, so I sat down and resigned myself to losing the taxi and having to camp at the rest stop for the night. Some random old Korean man saw me crying and saying 'I don't speak Korean well. I'm sorry. I don't understand.' and grabbed the phone, got me to the taxi, and his wife (I assume) handed me some candy and patted my arm and told me I'd be okay. And then the taxi driver was super sweet and was all like 'It's okay. You'll be home soon.' All of them could have very easily ignored me, but were just like 'Here's a person who obviously needs help, so I'm gonna help.'"

tadpole511

When In Albany

"An Albanian man who picked me up while hitchhiking. At the end he gave me 50€ saying that they're good people and not like how they're described in Italy (my country). This happened in southern Albania."

Borderedge

Merci Beaucoup

"Yeah the language barrier is so tough, especially when something unexpected happens. My first time in France I got on a train that I thought was going to the airport. Well I was on the right line but the specific train I was on had a terminus before the airport. My small town doesn't have public transit (and the Paris metro/RER is not the most straightforward system) so I have no idea what's going on. The RER B goes to the airport so I got on the RER B. Well we get to the terminus and everyone gets off. I sit tight because we're not at the airport but everyone is telling me I have to get off so I do. I'm clearly agitated, don't have a cell, don't know where I am or how to get anywhere, and I have a plane to catch. A lady who barely speaks any English tries to comfort me. 'You going airport?' 'Yes' she points down the track and said 'he is coming.' Then she thinks for a second and says 'she is coming.' Then she stayed with me until the next train came and assured me it would take me to the airport."

"Another time in Bordeaux I asked a lady for change for a 5 or 10 or whatever because the ticket machine only took coins. My French was a little better but still terrible, so I was able to ask her for the change but I didn't understand her response. She didn't have change for my bill but she just gave me the money for the ticket. The French aren't super outgoing with strangers but I'm not sure why they get the stereotype of being rude. I've found them quite helpful."

baxbooch

The Hitchhikers

"I was backpacking in Central American and ended up on the island Flores in Guatemala. My travel buddy and I wanted to see ruins nearby. We took a bus out there, got lost a little, but eventually found the trail to the town(ruins). So we're walking for about 3 hours and realize once the we get to the gate of the ruins we may just have to turn right back around to catch the last bus back. We decide to move forward and try to hitch hike our way back since we really wanted to see these ruins. Right when we finally reach the gate a truck pulls up and offers us a ride in, we decline saying we've already made it so we were good. The guy informs us it's about another hour or so walk past the gate to even get to the town so we take him up on the offer. We get, find out he works for the government and he gave us an hours long in depth tour of this historical site. This was especially awesome because it wasn't a popular spot so there wasn't a ton of informational placards around. Then at the end he asked us where we were staying and he told us he was also staying on Flores for a few days so he offered us a ride back. On the way back, him and his wife bought us dinner and then dropped us off and gave us their contact in case we got lost somewhere or needed suggestions on places to visit. It really made me feel like there is always help out there for you, sometimes you have to search and sometimes it falls into your lap. It was an awesome day I'll remember forever."

mlnied36

Recognition

These Redditors were recognized for traits they were not conscious of at the time.

Sweet Compliment

"I did my makeup nice one day and I felt proud of it, mostly because I hid my acne/scars pretty well without looking cakey. A friend came up to me and told me I looked very pretty today and motioned a hand over her face to signal, what I assumed, meant my makeup. So I thanked her and told her what foundation I was using. She made a point to interrupt me and said no your skin looks very good today. That was the only time in my life my skin has been complimented and it made me realize my skin care is making a difference, I'm just too critical of myself. I was so in shock to her saying that I just got speechless and teared up a bit. Probably not as extreme as other comments on here, but hopefully it resonates with someone."

AlbinoGiraffes

The Consultant

"My manager texted me with a random cartoon question and when I had the answer he came in on Monday with 100$ for me cause I apparently had won him money."

"Felt pretty random since we nearly never talked and I think he just knew I was the office nerd."

TheDood715

When No One Else Stops

There are those who see people in distress and feign ignorance.

And then there are these caring souls who will stop and help someone in a time of need.

The Rain Stopper

"When I was in college I was walking back to my apartment and it starting pouring rain. I was getting drenched and of course got stuck at a crosswalk."

"Out of nowhere the rain stopped pouring and I looked up and saw an umbrella a girl behind me had put over me."

"She went past my apartment and then walked away. No one ever had done something that nice in my life, I was just shocked."

notafilmmajor425

The Lift

"When I broke my ankle, every single person looked at me on the ground bleeding and walked on. It was really strange to experience. One guy saw me, brought his whole truck around and offered to take me to the hospital. There was already an ambulance coming so I declined, but he sat there and talked to me and told me it's going to be okay."

"He really sticks out. Almost 10 people walked by and minded their business while I was on the ground, my bone sticking out of my leg. He came up and helped. I really hope he's doing okay."

Rhylain

Drunk Driver

"My husband and I were in a car accident where a drunk guy ran onto the highway and we hit him (in the middle of the day, just bolted in front of the car)."

"We sat there in a smashed up car with a dead body lying behind the car for 15 minutes before a car stopped and helped us. Neither of us could speak because of the shock. This lady saw us in the car and made her husband come back around so she could help. Hundreds of cars passed, she was the only one who stopped. She called the police and ambulance, and waited until they arrived. Really grateful for her and her husband."

Smart-Connection6154

Got Milk

"When I was in the 1st grade I lived about 3/4 block from the corner store. I'd learned to ride my bike and previously had been sent on foot to buy milk or similar simple purchases."

"Sent with a buck to buy 1/2 gallon of milk, I rode my bike. Purchase made, with the milk and change in a paper sack, I attempted to ride my bike and promptly ate sh*t, the milk bottle rupturing in the paper sack and going everywhere."

"Picking up myself, bike, soaked sack, and coins, I started to cry."

"A stranger asked me if I was ok. I was. He bought me another 1/2 gallon of milk. I walked home with the milk returning later to fetch my bike."

"This is the first time I've ever told anyone."

DogeBisquits

Extreme Compassion

"A lady in the parc with her husband passing by, both well dressed, there was a guy sitting, didn't look homeless but looked like he didn't shower for a while, wasn't crying then but his face suggests he had been crying his eyes out."

"The lady got on her knees, spoke to him and hugged him, she kept hugging him and conforting him. Her husband didn't like that and kept telling her that they should be going, she just gave him a cold stare and kept hugging the sad dude."

"I fell in love with that lady right then."

KuroOni

Check This Out

Cashiers witnessed charitable acts from these panicked customers.

Card Denied

"When I was 20, I worked at a fabic/craft store. A lady came to the register to checkout with probably $100+ worth of stuff. It was all like... just random cuts of fabric, paint, assorted craft supplies. A LOT of stuff."

"Her card got declined, and she looked really upset. Started putting it all back in the cart, trying to determine what she could pay for. The lady behind her in line just stepped forward and said 'put it all back, I'll pay for it.' Put her card in the reader and the first lady started crying, quietly thanking her."

"The cynical side of me thinks it was a scam by the lady to get free sh*t, as I'd definitely seen that before. (Another woman a few weeks before literally said 'can anyone pay for me?') But the good part of me believes that lady just needed a little bit of happiness in her craft supplies during a hard time. The lady who paid for it just did so with no hesitation."

complacentviolinist

Battery's On Me

"Working at the register and this guy's car battery was shot, his bank froze his card so he couldn't pay. This other guy seeing what's going on walks up and pays for the battery then walks out as I'm telling the first guy his battery has been paid for."

ChaosHerald666

Picking Up The Tab

"I met a guy at the bar who insisted to pay for my dinner. I didn't know why really. He also insisted I pay for somebody else's and it would be just like him buying them dinner. He said if everyone I meet pays it forward life will he better for everyone. I did pay it forward."

Endless_Vanity

While there are plenty of cruel people in what can be a cruel world, there are just as many of us whose goal is to help others.

These saints among us who put the needs of other people first should serve as a reminder that we too should pay it forward.

I may not have large pieces of wood to help out a motorist in distress, but I would help them get assistance for sure.

Because if it weren't for that chivalrous gentleman who helped my mom drive off the curb on that fateful day, we would have had cold chicken for dinner.

Infamous Internet Rumors That Ended Up Being True

Reddit user strakerak asked: 'What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?'

boy playing at laptop inside room
Photo by Ludovic Toinel on Unsplash

In 2017, I returned to my office after my lunch break to hear my supervisors discussing Tom Petty. This seemed like a random topic to me until one of my supervisors told me Tom Petty had passed away. He was a huge fan of Petty and spent the next hour or so combing through the internet to get more information.

He came back into the room my other supervisor and I were working in and announced that Tom Petty wasn't dead after all. News outlets had jumped the gun to announce his death, but he was actually still alive.

The next day, I came in to find out that Tom Petty was dead; the news may have been premature, but true.

This is a classic example of the rumor being started on the internet. Sometimes, like with the news of Tom Petty's death, the rumor can run wild and appear everywhere. Other times, the rumor can be seen by just a few people and dismissed. However, a lot of times, these rumors turn out to be true.

Redditors know a lot of internet rumors that turned out to be true, and are eager to share.

It all started when Redditor strakerak asked:

"What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?"

The King Of Pop

"Michael Jackson writing the music for Sonic 3."

"He actually did, but was never credited on the game because it would breach his contract with his record label."

– -WigglyLine-

"He did the same when he appeared on The Simpsons. He appeared under a pseudonym, and the Producers said it was an impersonator."

"Only years later they confirmed it really was Michael."

"His singing voice was actually done by an impersonator, though."

– given2fly_

The Truth Comes Out

"In 1998, US Men’s National Team captain John Harkes was shockingly cut from the team right before the World Cup. The coach claimed it was because Harkes wouldn’t fit into his new preferred formation, but rumors flew on the early internet that it was actually because he had slept with his teammate Eric Wynalda’s wife. The rumor was so well-known in soccer circles that Harkes expressly denied it in his autobiography the next year."

"Fast forward 12 years to 2010 and Wynalda admits it’s true. The coach then came out and admitted it was why he dropped Harkes, but that he’d planned to keep the secret as long as Wynalda did."

– guyfromsoccer

Video Evidence

"The Tim Burton Hansel and Gretel that aired once on halloween in the 80's."

"I heard for years that it was fake but I knew it was real because my dad recorded everything in the 80s and he recorded that. We let a good friend of ours borrow it and switch it over from VHS to DVD and soon after that it made its way on to the internet , and there it is now. I know it's our copy because the tracking in the beginning is screwed up. Still have the VHS."

– Frozenthickness

"There was a similar story with a Nickelodeon movie called Cry Baby Lane. It was supposed to be so scary that Nickelodeon got complaints and denied its existence for years. Someone uploaded a taped copy to youtube about a decade ago."

– PattiAllen

The Movie Business

"That North Korea hacked Sony Pictures because of The Interview movie."

"I worked in the movie business at the time and the account managers at Sony all basically needed to get new identities as all of their personal information got leaked online."

OldMastodon5363

"My partner worked on that movie and the production bought all the crew 1 year of an identity theft tracking service."

CMV_Viremia

Keep Away From The Ears Of Kids

"Some banned episodes or scenes of cartoons."

"For example, I remember there was a Dexter’s Lab cartoon where he clones evil versions of DeDe and himself and they swear like every other word (censored of course), and people debated whether it even existed cause they only aired it like once. Now it’s pretty accessible online."

– Spledidlife

Yes, It's True

"Echelon, a massive electronic espionage system by the US and allies to intercept all electronic messages, especially emails."

"In the mid-nineties it was a topic on conspiracy BBS boards. A lot of people in my bubble at the time (mainly uni students in Europe) were including fake threats to the US in the their email signatures as a way to "protest" and "fill the system with false alarms" (obviously useless)."

"Then, in 1999-2000 came out to be true and a lot of security service agencies from UK and other US allies started to admit they were part of the espionage network."

– latflickr

How The Mighty Fell

"John Edward’s love child."

– ACam574

"A reminder that he was cheating on his wife while she was hospitalized for cancer treatment."

– Fanclock314

Ugh...

"Carrie Fisher's heart attack. Some a**hole who was on the same flight was livetweeting the whole medical emergency and justified it by insisting she was just making sure the family was informed."

– everylastlight

It Actually Happened

"Every year around her birthday there was a rumor that Betty White died. When I heard she died, I scoffed, saying that dumb rumor is back.... then saw it on the news. I was in shock."

– Known-Committee8679

"The fact that Betty died literally right before she turned 100 is such a Betty White way to go out."

– Paganigsegg

Big Actor, Small Roles

"I distinctly remember some rumors about the reason why Bruce Willis was taking so many roles in sh*tty movies before it was announced he has dementia."

– KampferMann

"RedLetterMedia did a deep dive on his recent movie activity to try and work out why exactly he was taking part in basically scam-movies. They noticed he had an earpiece in one of the scenes and joked that the director was feeding him lines. I remember they even disclaimed over the rumours at the time, and possible made a follow-up vid when it was revealed to the public."

– CardinalCreepia

What To Do Next?

"That the writer of LOST were making it up as they went."

"Turned out to be absolutely true."

– homarjr

That last one was kind of obvious!

Do you have any to add? Let us know in the comment below.

Person holding large stack of books
Photo by Jay Lamm on Unsplash

Whether you're naturally interested in fun facts and trivia or not, it's always nice to know a few that you can pull out of your pocket at a moment's notice as a nice conversation starter.

But there are some fun facts out there that are so weird, people become more preoccupied with how the teller found out that information rather than the information itself.

Redditor Dry_Bus_935 asked:

"What is your 'don't ask me how I know' random fact?"

Nuclear Fail Safe

"You have quite a lot of time, certainly more than ten seconds, to turn back on the main pumps of a nuclear reactor once you have accidentally turned them off."

- egorf

"I'm not surprised. The amount of fail safes, redundancies, and emergency scenario planning for nuclear power plants is insane."

"I toured a nuclear plant and wrote my high school senior thesis on the plans put in place to ensure the Fukushima disaster would not happen at that plant."

"I'm sure the secondary pumps are plenty capable of handling the reactor until the main pumps are repaired or just turned back on."

- Borderlandsman

Happy Cat

"If your cat chews on fresh eucalyptus, they might start hallucinating and fall over repeatedly, leading to a $400 emergency vet bill just to be told she’s just kinda high."

- oddidealstronghold

"And, that's part of why koalas love it. Little stoners."

- littlebluefoxy

Archaeology: Do Not Lick

"Old human bones are very porous, so if you lick them, they’ll stick to your tongue."

- clanculcarius

Sharing is Caring

"A pigeon will only eat a Starburst if you chew it up a little bit first. Just to clarify: chew the Starburst, not the pigeon."

- OhTheHueManatee

"Instructions unclear. Pigeon unhappy."

- Wild-Lychee-3312

Intriguing Anatomy

"Everyone is here with the creepy crime stuff, and I'm just like, 'A soft fur rat has 22 nipples.'"

- horroscoblue

"Okay, so either they have really small nipples, their nipples overlap, or they have nipples in places where there shouldn't be nipples."

"(I've never written the word 'nipples' so many times in a singular sentence before.)"

- GdeGraaf

'Don't Ask Me,' Indeed!

"Turmeric can be used as clothes dye. It is capable of permanently dyeing cotton cloth even after it has passed through the digestive tract of an adult male."

- SlefeMcDichael

"You s**t your pants, didn't you?"

- PMmecrossstitch

"I'd prefer not to answer that question."

- SlefeMcDichael

High-Risk Survival Skills

"If you ever trying to survive in the Arctic, don’t eat polar bear liver. It is so high in vitamin A, it will kill you."

- WrongWayCorrigan-361

"It's also surrounded by a lethal amount of angry polar bear."

- horanc2

Real-Life Spies

"TV shows and movies go out of their way to make military/intelligence officers look bada**."

"But real-life 'spies,' by design and training, are boring. They have regular houses and standard second-hand cars, they dress down, and they have vague, boring job titles (accounts receivable) as cover, and they do not draw attention to themselves. Most come from specialized academia."

- Ok_Worth_1093

Haunting Reality

"Your muscles can keep twitching for several hours after you die."

- JustDave62

"Also, beards can appear to grow. This is however not because the beard itself grows but because the skin shrinks."

- RRautamaa

"I worked at a morgue for over eight years. If you grasp the hand of a dead body to move the arm, the hand will grasp back, but that's just muscles and tendons reacting to the tension."

- goneferalinid

The Sneakiness of Drowning

"When a drowning victim is revived, get them to a hospital as soon as possible. Drowning is the leading cause of death of kids from the age of one to seven and is ruled as accidental drowning when it comes to secondary drowning or dry drowning."

"Basically, your lungs are full of water despite being revived. Your lungs will absorb the liquid, but not before your body acidifies from high levels of carbon dioxide. The only chance to survive is to have the lungs pumped with oxygen via CPAP machine and time."

"Also, drowning is extremely quiet. You don’t hear the victim go under. And if you see flailing, do not attempt to save the victim otherwise you’ll become another drowning victim. Throw them a lifeline and hope their amygdala realizes that a rope or something is floating near them and grabs on it."

- Dfiggsmeister

Not Everyone's Favorite Chocolate

"Hershey’s chocolate has the strong smell of vomit or feces to some people (me), and that’s because they use butyric acid as a preservative. Butyric acid is the compound that makes vomit smell so bad."

"Edit: Digging further into it, there are some claims that they may not be “adding” the butyric acid, but rather it is occurring from essentially spoiling the milk in their milk chocolate. Either way, the butyric acid and putrid smell remains a part of their product."

- hefewiseman1

"That explains the weird aftertaste I always get! I don’t smell it but their chocolate always has this super unpleasant sharp/acidic aftertaste that I find repulsive. I assume this is why!!"

- PomegranateNo975

Do Not Lick the Asbestos

"Asbestos tastes like chalk. And if you lick it, it has the texture of extremely gritty sandpaper. Which is actually the feeling of microscopic asbestos needles piercing your flesh!"

- TooYoungToBeThisOld1

Mapping Out the War

"Beginning in 1911 in anticipation of the outbreak of WW1 in 1914, two statesmen, one from England and one from France, began visiting locations in France that they believed would be the settings for a number of major battles that would occur during the great war."

"Long bike rides through these future battle zones in the countryside and weeks spent building a foundation for a French-Anglo codebook that would later prove important in helping win the war."

- fjordperfect123

Avoiding Lawsuits > Protecting Patients

"Doctors, or surgeons more specifically, that make too many mistakes during surgery, ie, leaving instruments in patients, frequently gets ‘quietly traded’ to other hospitals where they continue their path of destruction with the patients not being aware of their past record. Hospitals tend to keep quiet about the matter to avoid lawsuits."

- Kittytigris

Bonus Points: Do This While Having Lunch in Your Car

"If you overfill a fast food gravy cup and then put a lid on, it will create a pressurized gravy stream that sprays all over your face and uniform while your coworker looks on in horror."

- thechaosjester776

This subReddit thread was so a roller-coaster of random facts, we've surely all walked away learning something.

But the biggest takeaway might just be: Maybe don't lick so many things.

Shocked woman covering her mouth
vaitheeswaran Nataraj/Unsplash

When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.

But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.

Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.

It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.

Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:

"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"

These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.

Bleeding Out

"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."

"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."

– DongLaiCha

Tragic News

"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."

– accountnameredacted

Bottom Of The Barrel

"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."

– Crotch-Monster

A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.

Like Father, Like Son

"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."

– psycospaz

Busted

"Flashing blue lights."

– FiddleOfGold

"This sobered me up just thinking about it."

– redmaple_syrup

Losing Sight

"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."

– MissHibernia

Quitting The Bottle

"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."

– omgtater

These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.

Unplanned House Guests

"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."

– Oneinsevenbillion75

Serious Health Warning

"Elevated liver enzymes."

"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."

"So I opted for recovery, instead."

"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."

– Far_Meal8674

The Joyride

"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."

– foxfood9116

The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?

How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.

But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.

Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.

Woman holding multiple shopping bags
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.

Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.

These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.

From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.

Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:

"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"

"Tale As Old As Time..."

"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","

"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."

"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."

"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."

"Lol!"

"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom

"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."

"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."

"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."

"I think he was a germaphobe."

"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."

"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."

"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.

"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."

"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."

"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000

Money Burn GIF by nog Giphy

Who Wore It Better?

"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."

"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."

"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."

"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'

"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"

"No."- mertsey627

Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...

"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."

"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."

"It was very low key."

"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."

"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."

"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."

"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."

"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa

south park wedding GIF Giphy

See You In Court!

"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."

'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."

"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."

"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."

"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."

"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin

It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!

"I work in a public library."

"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."

"A popular book that just came out."

"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."

"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten

A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!

"My own."

"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"

"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."

"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"

"Unacceptable!"

"This shall not stand!"

"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."

"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."

"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."

"I got over it."- DeathGrover

homer simpson episode 23 GIF Giphy

Holy Matrimony!

"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."

"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."

"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."

"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."

"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."

"It's just a party."

"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree

When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...

"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore

In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...

"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."

"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."

"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."

"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."

"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."

"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."

"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."

"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."

"We don’t offer wrapping services."

"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."

'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae

Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso Giphy

Happiest Place On Earth!

"I used to work for Disney."

"That in itself should tell you everything."

"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."

"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."

"Suddenly got worse huh?"

"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."

"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."

"I'm not kidding."

"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."

"My wife worked booking."

"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."

"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."

"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."

"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."

"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."

"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong

Disney World GIF Giphy

The horror!

Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!

It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...

Said absolutely no one.