Most of us have had at least one bad roommate. I had several at one point... and those were enough for me. Think about it: Large house, a bunch of different people... there was bound to be friction. I don't miss those days. The food lying around, the roommates who didn't bathe regularly and left dirty towels lying around in the single bathroom that house had or the one roommate who didn't know how to wash dishes properly. The frustration was unreal. Let's just say I escaped and years later, after a couple of other roommate situations, I thankfully live alone and stress-free!
People told us all about their worst roommates after Redditor Out-of-Simpacks asked the online community,
"What's your roommate horror story?"
"It felt weird wearing them..."
"My first college roommate hated doing laundry.
When he ran out of clean underwear for a date, he'd "borrow" mine (even though I told him to leave my stuff alone).
As I once described, he'd return my underwear unwashed after his dates with all his "smells" (and hers) trapped in the material.
It felt weird wearing them afterward, knowing his junk had been in them."
You should have put some habanero sauce in them. That would have taught him a lesson.
"Luckily another roommate..."
"College roommate put eggs on to boil for lunch, packed for spring break, and then she left. With the eggs still boiling on the stove.
Luckily another roommate came back in between classes and saw it with maybe half an inch of water left in the pan. He didn't normally come home at that time too, so we were really lucky she didn't burn the place down."
I will never understand people who don't mind the stove while cooking something. To not do so is really asking for trouble.
"I had a guy who was a grad student..."
"I had a guy who was a grad student as a roomie for a while. He would come home at 2 am and was just incapable of being quiet. Aside from slamming every door he touched, he would loudly pace up and down in the kitchen while waiting for his whistling kettle to boil. Every. Single. Night. I was so glad when he finished and left.
In contrast, the guy before him was also a grad student, kept similar hours, and was as quiet as a mouse."
Noise would drive me crazy. Thankfully, he's gone!
"She then decided..."
"My first college roommate had pictures of herself taped all over her mirror. That was my first sign. She then decided to wage war on me because she decided, for some random reason, that she didn't like me. I had friends next door and down the hall and we never really hung out with her because she had her own circle of friends. Anyway, this b*tch short-sheeted my bed, spread peanut butter on my sheets, and stole a pair of my shoes. Thank God she left after the first semester."
Sounds like narcissim to a T. You're free now!
"Then she accused me..."
"I had a roommate who liked to have sex with her boyfriend on the kitchen table. There would be condoms draped on top of the full trash can all the time.
Then she accused me of stealing her mushrooms because she forgot that she had taken them the week before.
I kicked her out, and she left the apartment key in a pile of cigarette ashes."
That's just nasty. I will never understand people who live like that.
"His solution..."
"One of my old housemates had a bad habit of being drunk and hungry, but not having any snacks around.
His solution would be to cook while wasted. One time he was blacked out while cooking sausage on the stove at 4 am. He got distracted and left the sausage to take a SHOWER. Thankfully one of us was woken up by the smoke before the house burned down. Safe to say that he was not allowed to cook with the stove after a certain hour."
Embarrassing Things People Did As Kids That Still Make Them Cringe | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
You ever try to go to sleep at night only to find that you can't because your brain won't stop reminding you of some embarrassing thing you did when you were..."A roommate who was an aspiring record producer..."
"A roommate who was an aspiring record producer and spent hours every day tweaking the same two songs."
This definitely got old... fast.
"I had a roommate who was frequently drunk..."
"I had a roommate who was frequently drunk and one day I came home to find him burning my clothes in the backyard. I also had to start locking my bedroom door because there were a few occasions where he came in and passed out in my bed even when I told him he wasn't in his room."
"I immediately walked out..."
"I traveled a lot as a college student and I got home after a weekend and my roommates had thrown a party, which was somewhat normal.
I went to my bed and they'd let some chick sleep in it and she peed herself.
I immediately walked out the front door and found an apartment for myself."
Good for you! Living alone was the best decision I ever made. So much relief.
"Time to dust this one off..."
"Time to dust this one off again and dive straight into the PTSD. I had a housemate who, over the span of six months managed the following:
- Encouraged a rodent infestation by leaving food out.
- Dialled the heating to full because she was cold. Whenever anyone turned it back down, she'd just dial it back up. After a week of near constant 40*C heat, I turned the heating off and smashed the thermostat. Our gas bill for that month was £500.
- Left the door unlocked while she went to work, allowing the house to get burgled. Twice.
- Flooded the house with gas by turning on the stove but failing to light it.
- Refused to pay bills because "her husband already paid them for his house". She could not grasp that each property has its own utility bills.
- Started trawling bars and bringing home random weirdos.
- Moved her smack head boyfriend in, who she'd picked up at a bar three days earlier. He started stalking other residents and lurking around the house while carrying a kitchen knife and apologising profusely."
It's a shame that living alone is so expensive and beyond reach for many people out there. (I definitely lucked out, and am thankful each and every day.)
But maybe some of you enjoy communal living! Good for you. That's all I have to say about that.
Have some horror stories of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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You meet someone new. It's going pretty well, you're connecting, the conversation is flowing smoothly.
Then they spy someone out the corner of their eye, make sure there's no one else within earshot, and drop an unabashedly racist comment.
What's up with that? Abhorrent behavior, right? You probably feel like backing away from them and dislike them immediately, right?
People shared the things that make them side-eye the people around them after Redditor brainpain152 asked the online community,
"What makes you instantly lose respect for someone?"
People who tear others down are not worth anyone's time.
"Treating food/service..."
"Treating food service/retail employees like garbage for no reason."
"I lose respect..."
"I lose respect for a person if they make fun of people but can't handle being made fun of."
Ah, yes. The old, "I can dish it but I can't take it" trick. Funny how that works.
"Being manipulative..."
"Being manipulative or trying to convince me something is in my best interest when it's in that person's best interest instead."
"Treating people..."
"Treating people that don't matter to them poorly and kissing the @sses of people that can help them."
That says a lot about someone – you should be courteous to everyone and that's honestly the bare minimum.
"I had a very good friend..."
"I lose respect to people who go to politics and forget about their friends. It's personal. I had a very good friend but later he decided to start a political career. Stopped talking with me after that for no reason."
"When they openly demand..."
"When they openly demand respect based on their age, status or position instead of earning it through their actions."
Ah, yes. The people who think that age gives them a free pass.
But it doesn't.
"I have a really hard time..."
"I have a really hard time with people that cut you off mid-sentence, and completely change the subject. Then ONLY talk about what they want to talk about. The art of listening is really dying off…"
I know quite a few people like this. It's exhausting... not going to lie. Perhaps I should limit my time around them...
"The only exception..."
"If you cheat or actively attempt to cheat on your significant other.
The only exception, in my opinion, would be is if you were in an abusive/dangerous relationship and would be in danger if you broke up with that person."
"If they wear their ignorance..."
"If they wear their ignorance like a badge of honor and boast about it. Particularly noticeable behavior since this whole Covid pandemic started.
Suddenly everyone and their mother is an expert and sh*ts on anything real experts have to say on the matter. The arrogance required for that blows my hair back."
There's a simple rule to life, people. You don't need Commandments or anything. Just... don't be an jerk. It's really that simple. Just don't do it. It'll pay dividends, trust me.
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Waiters Break Down The Most Intense Conversations They've Ever Interrupted On The Job
Being a waiter can be grueling. The customers can be ridiculous, management can be insane, and the shifts can last FOREVER. But guess what, you can people watch and hear some of the craziest stuff you've heard in your life. Customers say whatever the hell they want and they don't care who hears... so it shouldn't surprise you that waiters learn everything.
People shared their stories after Redditor HeyHey1211 asked the online community,
"Waiters of Reddit, what intense conversations have you awkwardly unintentionally interrupted?"
"Nearly 20 years ago..."
"Nearly 20 years ago I heard a customer say "and she had to poop in a bowl" the conversation ended when I approached the table."
Oh dear. So... did it happen? Hopefully not.
"One of my first jobs..."
"One of my first jobs as a server, working a lunch shift years ago. Husband and wife come in and sit down, already in a bad mood and fighting. This goes on for about ten minutes before I finally say f*** it, I have to greet them and get started.
I walk up to the table as they stare silently at each other in rage (my opening) and as I open my mouth to greet them the wife just spits out "I want a divorce."
That is awkward. And also juicy. Would make a great movie soon.
"I went to take an order..."
"I went to take an order at a table with two teenage girls (probably 16-17?). As I walked up to them one of them was showing the other a peen pic and she panicked and dropped the phone when she saw me."
"I went to the very end of my bar..."
"I went to the very end of my bar but I can hear this guy discussing that something was going on with his wife's vagina. Odor, pain, weird discharge. His friend said you should have her have that checked out. The guy said well then she will know.
Guy looked at me and had the audacity to ask me to leave my bar. Uh no. That's where I'm supposed to be and where else do I go...stand in the middle of the room? It's not a big place. So he starts whispering the rest to the guy's ear.
To think you're the only cheating guy who gave his wife some STI that has sat here discussing with friends. This happens a lot. My clientele is usually men here for conventions."
People Reveal The Things That Are Unnecessarily Expensive | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Sometimes shelling out the extra cash for better quality is totally worth it. It can cost money to keep replacing cheaper items repeatedly. But some items ar..."I once waited on a table..."
"I once waited on a table of a father explaining to his two young children that he was going to prison and their grandmother would be taking care of them. They were the only table and I was the only staff, pretended to clean bar glasses whilst eavesdropping on his desperate attempts to lighten the mood. Paid a small check with a c-note and didn't want change though, whatever he did couldn't have been that bad."
That's sad, though. The kids must have been so hurt. Hopefully he didn't have to go away for too long.
"In the ensuing..."
"Working as a host when I was a teen, I overheard a mother explain to her young daughter (maybe 6-7) why she would need to pull some of her hair out to get dinner for free. And no, this was not someone acting in desperation because they couldn't afford food.
In the ensuing fake disgust and rampage aimed at my manager, the highlight of my night was watching him try to keep a straight face while explaining to her that no one in our kitchen staff happened to have long curly blonde hair."
That's awkward. And what the hell is wrong with people.
"She wrote a nasty note..."
"I remember some woman who was usually high maintenance came into a restaurant I worked at. She had her older mother with her. They were clearly upset. I overheard them talking about death. I served them for over 2 hours.
She wrote a nasty note about how I was rude to them to my manager and I almost got written up. It was just an example of how people will take their emotions out on you. She said I had rushed them. I did not. I didn't even care at the time since it was slow and I was working way past the lunchtime they came in. It was one of those moments where when the manager asked me about it shocked me and came out of left field."
"How many..."
"How many "I'm sorry I cheated on you with..." and "he/she isn't yours..." and "I want a divorce..." conversations I've awkwardly interrupted and had to step away from, is truly amazing to me."
Can you get a count? Yeah... you can't. It's impossible.
"My wife and I..."
"My wife and I are both waiters. Yesterday she had an 8-top with 4 couples. The men were on one side the women on the other. She dropped off the checks on the women's side as they were in the process of discovering that all of their daughters sell feet pics and make more than their husbands do."
Be careful what you say in restaurants... waiters hear everything. They won't judge you, but trust... they have supersonic ears.
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One of the things that affected my outlook as I grew older: More empathy. I became more empathetic toward my parents and my family members, some of whom aren't necessarily the best people. I have to say that working to understand a lot of their behavior––if not necessarily forgive it––gave me peace of mind, more so than reacting negatively, that's for sure.
People were keen on sharing the life lessons they've picked up along the way after Redditor GeneralAd_4617 asked the online community,
"What are some of the life perspectives that changed while you grew older?"
"Most of the time..."
"That everything I did had to be perfect. Most of the time "good enough" is just that; good enough. Perfection is rarely required in the real world."
It is such a relief when you accept that you don't need to be perfect at all.
"I spent a lot..."
"I spent a lot of time when I was younger worrying what other people thought of me, when actually most people are just thinking about themselves and worrying what other people think of them."
"Just because..."
"Just because I find something easy to do, it doesn't mean it comes easy to others. Just because someone else can do something doesn't mean I can. I only fully understood this in my forties."
Everyone has a talent and a skillset and you should lean on those people. You are not perfect and you are not a robot who can do anything! It's fine!
"The fact that..."
"I became less of a judgmental person as I grew older. The fact that I used to make comments without thinking of others' feelings or situations, made me realize how much of a jerk I was. I regret all of it of course, but we all go through situations where we are judged without thinking. Looking at other people's perspectives changed my life entirely."
"The world's problems..."
"The world's problems do not solely rest on my shoulders. I can do things at my own pace to get to where I want to be eventually."
That is correct. And accepting that is freedom!
"The older you get..."
"The older you get, the smaller proportion of your life a year is. When you're ten, that year is 10% of your life; when you're 50 it's 2%. All we can do is fill it with amazing experiences and memories, so when we look back it seems fuller and more real."
Time flies! The older I get, the more I notice how quickly it zooms by.
"Happiness..."
"Happiness is only possible when you act in ways that make you happy, not in ways that impress other people."
Don't necessarily do things for other people: You will only set yourself to an impossible standard.
"For the most part..."
"For the most part, it doesn't matter what strangers think of you. Unless you're at a job interview or in a very serious situation, it really doesn't matter - you will likely never see those people again. Where what you like, make a fool of yourself, do what makes you happy."
"When I was young..."
"When I was young I thought that all I need to be successful in life is money. Everything around me seemed to be blocked by money."
"I hate..."
"I hate loud exhausts on cars. When I was a teenager I thought it was cool when someone put a loud exhaust on their car and revved the hell out of it… now it's the single most annoying thing ever."
Isn't it so much better to know these things? Life is much simpler. The older you get, the less stress you willingly take on.
I call that a win.
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You know what, as much as I've enjoyed college, I have not been happy with some of the money I've been forced to spend on textbooks. Thankfully, there are all sorts of PDFs available and you can often get away with ordering a different edition from the current textbook because it's unlikely there have been significant changes. However, this was not always helpful, particularly in courses that used specific books that you could not pass the class without (reportedly). Imagine my disgust after putting down $200 for a book that a professor decided a couple of weeks into the semester that we would not use.
People had plenty to share after Redditor PeevesPoltergeist asked the online community,
"What costs more than it's worth?"
"It's expensive to feed..."
"A horse. We say "the horse is the least expensive part of owning a horse." It's expensive to feed, house and keep healthy, not to mention happy. I lived on a farm a lot of my childhood and I still don't understand why we had to have horses. Don't get me wrong, I loved them as much as I did my dog, but it was a lot."
"School textbooks.Especially galling, considering the only difference between most editions of a book is some rewording and rearranging of chapters.
I saved hundreds by ordering the edition prior to the most recent one."
God bless all of the professors who gave me PDFs in college. Pro tip: It's also quite easy to find lots of your reading materials online!
"At a certain point..."
"Anger - at a certain point, 9 out of 10 times, you expend more energy being angry about it than fixing the problem or letting go."
"They control..."
"Diamonds. The De Beer company convinced the world that a diamond was a symbol of everlasting love and created the greatest marketing scam ever. They control the release of diamonds to the market and have made a worthless commodity a billion dollar company."
This is why diamond engagement rings are not worth it. All of that money––and for what?
"Why do I need..."
"Bras. Why do I need to pay $80 for a bra just to fit me in the right places?"
"Not worth it."
"A big wedding. Not worth it. Go to the courthouse and spend that money on things you truly need."
"You might see..."
"Old guitars. You might see an original 1952 Telecaster for £30,000+ which is arguably more inconsistently made and uncomfortable to play than a modern equivalent. Looks cool though!"
"Please also..."
"A degree that you will never use.
Please also take job opportunity into consideration when making a choice to go for a BA or MA."
"It was very delicious..."
"Fine dining. It was very delicious but the portions were so ridiculously small and I remained hungry."
Honestly, this appears to largely depend on where you go.
"Just researching..."
"Printers, specifically ink cartridges.
Just researching on how the whole business model is based around charging insane prices for ink that cost cents to produce makes me never want to own one."
Do any of these make you want to clutch your wallet in horror? Well, we can't blame you. Feel free to throw that money into savings.
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