Whatever happened to depending on the kindness of strangers?
Often times it feels like every stranger is my own personal comic book villain.
It says a lot about us as a society when something as simple as a "good day to you" can spark a riot.
Redditor Mizuazura wanted to discuss the times we've all been accosted by a total rando or three that left us baffled by asking:
"What is the stupidest reason a random stranger was mad at you? What happened?"
A Time for Battle
"I bought the last cream-filled doughnut at a jolly pirates and the old lady behind me in line took this as a declaration of war saying that I took it from her. The worker chimes in saying they making more and they'd be ready in about half an hour, but she wasn't having it. I hope she's doing ok, it was such a silly thing to get mad over."
AlphaThing
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Stupid Mom
"This would sound stupid to some of you. I was 10, and I was playing at a public park. Suddenly, a 6 year kid came near me and started confronting me, she said I was too old to play in the kids area. I wanted to ask her 'Who the hell are you??' It was embarrassing because a kid was scolding me in front of so many people."
"Her mom thought that I was harassing her and started running towards us. She shouted at me without knowing what actually happened. And, people was praising that freaking kid for being 'brave'. I did nothing wrong, the swing wasn't her mom's property and she talked as if she's the Mayor of our town."
Watermelon_Yeet
I work at Target...
"Had some lady get mad at me last night in a Walmart because I wasn't an employee there and couldn't help her. Last I checked Walmart employees don't wear bright crazy yellow shirts with reflective safety striping, faux badges on their sleeves, or wear slippers while on duty."
Witchy_Ghost
SHUSH!!
"I once had a guy at the beach yell at me to stop laughing. I wasn't laughing at him at all. Just laughing to myself because I was happy and having fun."
PrankyButSaintly
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Looks Weird...
"A guy yelled at me from balcony because I didn't pick up after dog. He couldn't understand that my dog only peed. I had to explain to him that female dogs need to squat to pee. He also couldn't accept the fact that she is a female dog, because she just 'looks like male.' (American akita)."
Ives_cro
Evil Lives
"I was 8 years old, swimming in a swimming pool and a women nearby frowned at me and said, "UGH! Lose some weight!!" I didn't know how to respond, I just started crying."
1BoiledCabbage
"Man, this could be my grandmother. She liked to say things just to shock people. We were in the mall one day when a little boy strolled by, and my grandmother said, 'What a fat little boy!' This, from a woman whose body shape could best be described as an apple on stilts."
"Also the same woman who visited us while we were living in Germany, and while at a cafe, would not stop talking loudly about the Nazis. I know it doesn't help, but when people say crap like that, it usually has nothing to do with the target of their ire and everything to do with their own misery. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
koookoookachoo
T'was a pleasant experience.....
"Me and a friend were around 13. While we were waiting to cross the road, we started talking about the sushi that we were about to eat at her place, both very excited. After not even a minute, this HUGE bald man standing in front of us whips around and just yells at us to SHUT the F**K UP, with the look of a man who would not Hesitate to Punch a Child. So we did. And then had to walk in the same direction as him for the next 5 minutes. T'was a pleasant experience..."
mydadlefttenyearsago
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There are some bizarre conspiracy theories out there. Like Australia isn't actually real... seriously? Any conspiracy theory that requires many people to kee...Gotcha!!
"At McDonald's once. Some lady was mad at me for knowing how to work the touch screen ordering kiosk but not actually being an employee there. She acted like I had wilfully bamboozled her for a sick laugh."
MacualayCocaine
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Ok Bye...
"I said hi to her. This was back when bluetooth was a semi-new technology. She was wearing a BT ear piece and I didn't see it. I was walking home from school and she was standing out in her driveway. She said 'hi' and started talking."
"I turned and looked at her, didn't see anyone or her phone so I said 'hi' back while continuing to walk. She got a disgusted look on her face, pulled her hair back from her ear, and snapped 'CAN YOU NOT SEE I'M ON THE PHONE????' I just left and didn't respond."
ursaggybutt101
Dog Park Crazies...
"Brought my big dogs into 'big dog' side of dog park. Two ladies with SEVEN chihuahuas started screaming at me and then tried to tase me. Needless to say that the cops got involved."
jinxpinchpoke
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“dirty money”
"I found a coin and put it in my pocket, some dude called me poor because I picked up 'dirty money' and all I said was:'richer than you' he beat me up and nearly broke my neck If you’re reading this, f**k you and get help."
"Edit: for anyone wondering, the guy was 20-24 and I was 14, I called the police but they didn’t do much. For anyone saying: 'shouldn’t have replied' don’t blame the victim alright." ~ MlCHlEL
XMAS '20
"It was Christmas Day 2020, I was at work at the register (gas station) while a customer walks up to a food warmer. Customer asks if all we have is pizza, advised we had more food like burgers etc coming up in about 10 min. Customer yells ' Great, now all I get is this f**king pizza' and proceeds to pick a slice then throw it on the counter at me." ~ Linisaria
Middle Finger
"Waiting at a bus stop after school some random guy sits next to me and tries to sell me weed. I tell him I'm not interested and he gets up and stands away near the curb as a bus approaches and he gets on then he sits at the back of the bus and looks out the window at me and just starts throwing me the middle finger while aggressively mouthing some words haha." ~ SunKing210
then/than
"It was on here. I used the word 'then' instead of 'than.' I got a message from this guy saying I'm a f-ing idiot and not to breed. Also that I must be fat and my husband is cheating on me. I laughed it off and blocked him." ~ Amie80
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Oh Karens...
"Working in retail/fast food in high school. That's all you need to say, right? But really - Karens existed well before 2020. One time working at a fast food chain, I was asked for one extra honey mustard sauce. Our particular franchisee had strict limits and we had managers all over the place. I needed my job at the time, so I told them there was an extra charge for more sauce. They wouldn't pay, left in a rage and said when I get off work, they're going to shoot me." ~ DaveyJonas
I do not miss you one bit...
"I used to work at Sainsbury's Local (supermarket chain in the UK) and some drunk dude tried to start a fight with me because I told him we don't sell individual cans of beer, only a 4 pack or more. I told him I don't make the rules and if you just want one can we have charge for four."
"He starts getting more and more irate and eventually clenches his fist and squares up to me (keep in mind I'm just 19 and this dude is like 40). Luckily my manager saw this escalating and stepped in before it kicked off and asked the guy to leave. Oh retail work, I do not miss you one bit. I have so many horror stories." ~ TheJuic3
Spoof...
"My phone number got spoofed and who ever did it called someone and then hung up after not saying anything. A**hole then proceeds to call the number (me) back, screaming about how I'm a horrible person for hanging up on them and wasting their time. I tried to explain it to him, as I had been receiving confused voicemails for a while, but he wouldn't let me get a word in. He was screaming so loud his voice was breaking, over what was probably a 5-10 second scam call. It was unbelievable." ~ JCV-16
Smirk
"I smiled at him. He was angry when he found out I wasn't the only person he smiled at. I worked in retail at the time. Customer service, mate." ~ Hellevan
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Plants
"Myself and some friends were walking home from some underage event, we were probably 16 or so, we took a shortcut through some estate and this absolute Karen confronts us backed up by what I can only assume we're fellow PTA members, and accuses us of stealing potted plants from their gardens."
"We had literally just arrived and tried to explain this but she was having none of it and threatened to get the police involved. Eventually she gave us a stern warning and left so naturally we then did the mature thing and stole her potted plants, left them down the road, peed on em a little and headed home." ~ Brian_Gay
I only hit the ground...
"A couple of years ago in a parking lot, my brother and I were goofing around on our way back to our car. I accidentally tripped and fell right next to someone else’s car, and the owner of said car was sitting inside of it. She got out, gave us the dirtiest look, and inspected the rear end of her car, thinking that I had run into it or damaged it in some way. I hadn’t even touched it. I only hit the ground. Literally no reason for her to be mad." ~ BootsLookinGood
Now granted, some are really struggling, so they may not have ill intent, they may not know any better.
But there are a bunch of people out there that are just plain ornery, on a good day.
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For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.
Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.
The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.
Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:
"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"
Serious Danger
"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."
"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."
oofboof2020
Waiting for Food
"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."
"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."
nowhereboy1964
Captain Hobo to the Rescue
"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."
"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"
"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."
FartAttack911
Survival
tsunami GIF
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"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."
faithfulpoo
These Tsunami stories are just tragic.
On the Sand
Scared The Launch GIF by CTV
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"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."
oyloff
Be Clever
"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."
OstneyPiz
Bad Jokes
"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."
Alegan239
YOU
Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
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"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"
PrettyLola2004
Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.
No one should talk to others in the dark though.
Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen
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What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
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Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
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Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official
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Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...