Every now and again, when we go out shopping or treat ourselves to a nice meal at a restaurant, we can't help but find our jaws drop when we notice a price tag.
Sometimes, we might force ourselves to admit that the main course, cashmere sweater, or advanced cooking product was worth every penny.
More often than not, though, we find ourselves wondering if the item in question is, indeed, worth its exorbitant cost.
The answer almost always being no.
Redditor Thic_water was curious to hear the most overpriced clothes, food or merchandise anyone has ever come across, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most overpriced thing you’ve seen?"
How much would the upgrade cost?...
"When I was in Dubai 2 years ago there was a cell phone store in the mall that sold phones that ranged from $30k -$120k."
"They were basically phones covered in diamonds and gold."
"That's $100k for something that is probably already obsolete."- holla09
A Cauliflower By Any Other Name...
"A couple of years ago, Mark's and Spencer Food, a high end supermarket in the UK, tried selling 'Cauliflower Steak' which was a thick slice of cauliflower for £2.50."
"It was covered in plastic."
"You could literally buy a whole cauliflower in the same row a bit further down for 40p."
"They were crucified for it, it was hilarious."- patchyj
"Oh, Canada" Indeed...
"$800,000 for a 500 square foot 'condo' in Toronto."- B-416
"Cell phone plans in Canada."- Unending_beginnings
Flag Celebrate GIF by sendwishonline.comGiphyAn Ironic Miscalculation...
"I remember seeing a basic scientific calculator for like $300."- Saper-Ja-
Cheesy Goodness...
"I swear, people sell oddly-shaped Cheetos for THOUSANDS."
"Literally THOUSANDS."- KipsyCakes
The Counters Better Glisten...
"I saw a small thing of Lysol wipes being sold for $22 in a store last week."- rickeysneekzzz
Sick Art GIF by Jimmy ArcaGiphyAll Right Then...
"A few years back Nordstrom was selling a rock in a leather pouch for $85."- Happy_Fun_Balll
Can You Say Outdated?
"I saw an external ZIP disk reader in the clearance bin of Wal-Mart for 10% off it's original price."
"In 2011."
"So it was going for $180 and had parallel ports."
"in 2011."- AudibleNod
Will They, Though?
"In a downtown consignment shop, an oil painting of sheep grazing in a meadow had a price tag of $18,700."
"It was by an unrecognized artist."
"When asked why it was priced so high, the shopkeeper said 'because someone will like it and buy it'."
justin timberlake GIFGiphyJerky
"Beef jerky here in the UK."
Kud13
"In the US, Beef Jerky costs around 30 dollars a pound, around 23 pounds in the UK. It is one of, if not the most, expensive beef products you can buy, other than a live cow."
Casual_Reddit65
"That’s because it loses 2/3 of its weight when it’s dried. That’s why it costs 3x as much as plain beef."
hereforthecommentz
Printer
"Printer ink. I had a friend in college who would buy a new $20 printer every time the ink ran out bc it was cheaper than buying ink."
narcissistical_
Medical Necessities
"Insulin. Discovered over 100 years ago and is now synthetically produced and still is being sold for hundreds or thousands of dollars in many cases. The drug companies decided they were going to make their gigantic profit margins off life-saving medicine."
t1runner
"I remember when you could get test strips for like $10 over the counter. Now everyone wants a prescription and a wad of cash. Like I'm never not going to be diabetic, why do I need to keep renewing this prescription..."
diabeticwino
Military
"As a machinist who has made things for the military, most people don't understand what overpriced means."
Sirhc978
"Preach. I bid a job for the military and they told me my bid was too low. I added a zero and got the job. Price I initially quoted would have been profitable for me."
sub-hunter
Nokia
"Gold-plated, diamond-encrusted Nokia cellphone."
Deleted
"Why the hell would someone try to put fancy armor around something that's already indestructible?"
ikindalold
Scissors
"I once saw a scissor to $90. It wasn't anything fancy, it was in a grocery shop. $90..."
FuzzButtQuestion
"You should know that hair stylists can pay upwards of $2,000 for a pair of scissors. Many actually make payments on the scissors and pay to get them sharpened frequently. I never knew this until I saw the look of disgust and utter defeat when a hair stylist dropped a pair of scissors while I was getting the mop chopped."
twopacktuesday
Glasses
"As someone who is half blind, glasses. I get the dirt cheap ones, and it still costs over $100 for the privilege of being able to see."
TheRealHirohikoAraki
Concessions
"Food in movie theaters. The prices of everything is jacked up so much !!"
User Deleted
Sometimes, people might price things stratospherically high in hopes that some might assume it must be of great value and pedigree.
But no matter where it's from, or what it's made of, a rock in a pouch is just that.
A rock in a pouch.
What other things would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments below.
They say never judge a book by its cover, but... like ... isn't that what cover art and descriptions are literally for?
To allow you to judge that book by its cover?
Reddit user crazythumper7 asked :
"What can someone put on their car that makes you know immediately that they’re a douchebag?"
And listen, I know what we were all told, but adding stuff to your car is communicating extra data and what is the purpose of data if not to analyze?
And isn't judgment part of analysis?
And don't people put stuff on their cars like this???
Calvin's Degrading Competitors
"A 'Calvin pissing on rival brand's logo' sticker."
- GrumpyCatStevens
"I once saw a ford with Calvin pissing on a Chevy sticker pull up next to a Chevy with a Calvin pissing on a ford sticker at a stop light."
"I was hoping to see some drama but nothing happened."
- lobster-overrun
"Wow, an actual pissing contest between truck guys."
- SpaceCowboy58
"This is the perfect metaphor for American politics. 2 guys, more or less the same, forced into competing identities by corporate interests which want nothing more than to take their money.
- Jasper455
"Do people actually identify that closely with car companies?"
- LeoMarius
"Unfortunately, yes."
- lobster-overrun
"C'mon guys, show dominance."
- Suibian_ni
Truck Testies
"Truck Nuts"
- TheNatanist
"I saw truck nuts on a smart car one time and thought it was the one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen 😂 I’ll make an exception for that person. Otherwise, you’re right."
- archerjones
"If it makes you feel better I had a couple truck nuts when I was an edgy teenager and they were routinely cut off. In hindsight, I think those people were doing me a favor."
- CaptainAwesome06
"One of my friends made a bicycle version, it’s literally two large hardware nuts, glued to a bicycle chain, hung from the back of the bike saddle"
- ChimpskyBRC
"There’s a guy at work that has a blue pair. Really? You can pick any colour and you pick BLUE??"
- Silverslugger24
Truly Hated
"Locally hated"
- Accomplished_Cod_891
"Yeah, only because he hasn't gone anywhere else yet."
- The_Observatory_
"And nobody knows them anyways"
- MichigaCur
"Not until Mom starts charging rent, anyway."
- Raaazzle
"Not sure which is worse. Either they are actually hated enough for everybody in their city to know who they are and feel the same, or they're wrong and aspire to be hated."
- Phantereal
"Or the way they are proud to be hated."
- CommercialCream402
i hate you middle finger GIFGiphyAdvertising
"Those big stickers on their windshield that has their Instagram/ name in cursive"
- Zealousideal_Bet6888
"Lol I saw one of those. But it was a dog’s Instagram and the dog was in passenger side waving out the window while wearing sunglasses and some gold chains."
- jamie_maxx
"That ain't a dog, that's a Dawg"
- Pyr02006
Grilled Meat
"A guy at my work has a penis shaped piece of metal bolted to the front grill on his civic."
"Sad thing is, I guessed the guy who drives it by his appearance."
- shambosley
"I was gonna say truck nuts, but I think that takes it."
- [Reddit]
More Meat
"I’ll one up you."
"Girl at my work has a dildo has her shift knob."
"I mean respect because she drives a manual, she’s still kind of a douchebag though."
- ali693
Play On Words
“ 'Dodge the dad, Ram the daughter'…. On a Dodge Ram. Good stuff."
- jazzy-j-face
"Or "If you can't dodge 'em, ram 'em". Thank you for giving me warning to get as far from you on the road as possible."
- shagthedance
"I saw an OnlyRams decal the other day, which was especially funny because I had recently read another r/askreddit thread about what kind of vehicles douchebags drive, and Ram was top of the list."
- Nailbomb85
"Ooooohhh. I love my Ram. Most truck for the money as they say. I certainly understand the stereotype tho."
- ss3006
"Sir I believe they say 'the most truck for your buck'."
- zipiddydooda
Ram GIFGiphyMore Free Advertisement
"As a firearms enthusiast I can tell you that anyone who puts any gun related stickers on their car is either a douchebag, an idiot, or both."
"They're trying to look tough and are dumb enough to advertise that they have an expensive hobby, which makes them an immediate target for theft."
"My roommate does exactly this. Again, I love going to the range, I don't advertise it on my car."
- 2centSam
"Thank you! We have such an issue with people getting their vehicles broken into and it’s always, ALWAYS, one of two targets:"
"Dude left it unlocked"
"Dude has an NRA or pro-2A decal some shit like “Try and Take It!!” Plastered on the back window."
"May as well advertise that there’s a good chance an easy score is inside. And this is in the Midwest! You’d think folks would have more sense but 🤷🏼♂️ I dunno…all I know is sh*t like this is why I’m stuck waiting on my new Sig."
- Rusty_is_a_good_boy
"Is it even theft if they tell you to come and take it?"
- Conri
Looking Dumb Too
"Carolina squat....just, just why"
- DeousPascitCorvos
"I didn't know what this was and googled it. Man this is slaughter:"
"It involves lifting a truck's front end and dropping its rear, ostensibly to make it look like a race truck, but only resulting in a vehicle that scoots along like a dog scratching its butt"
- RowdyBunny18
"North Carolinian here, they actually just passed legislation banning this eyesore. Hopefully they get around to enforcing it too."
- GreatWhiteElk
"I had to Google this. Oh man that is the dumbest shot I’ve ever seen. I live in the Northeast and I’ve never seen that before."
- scumbagstaceysEx
The Irony
"Punisher with a thin blue line flag"
- spirit_the_scallion
"Completely ignores the number of cops the Punisher has killed over the years in comics."
- dameon5
"Or the reason why Frank Castle had to become The Punisher in the first place"
"(It was because of corrupt cops.)"
- [Reddit]
"Or the thin blue line flag + a gadsden flag. 'Don’t tread on ME, tread on those other people!!'."
- sluthulhu
"Second this"
- TexanInAlaska
GiphyShut Up!
"Those loud as hell muffler exhaust modifications on some piece of crap 4 cylinder you can hear from a half mile away. Usually combined with a comically oversized spoiler."
clawsinyourface
"Also known as Fart Cannons. Makes a Civic sound like a pissed-off lawn mower."
apetnameddingbat
"My daughter calls them 'Tootie cars.'"
cookiesndwichmonster
Hate Them
"Advertising for their MLM."
Miss-Kelli
"It’s always 'consultant.' I love how MLMs have co-opted business languages. To me, a 'consultant' is a highly knowledgeable person in a specific field who’s paid for their expertise (or at least, that’s how it should be). Nobody needs a consultant for shitty candles or essential oils of dubious quality."
jbp84
Bad Energy
"The monster energy logo. Where are they even getting all of them, I see it so often on every douche car, USUALLY trucks bigger than they need."
Aware_Bet
HAHA !!! My s**t head of an ex husband has this !!! He also has a Monster Energy Logo tatted on him 🙄. I need to add he did not have any monster tattoos or decals on his car when we were married. Only after. I didn’t even know he liked energy drinks that much till I saw that one time at a drop. Now it’s all making sense."
Huh??
"A big Tapout sticker."
theflesheatingmuffin
"Tapout is still popular?? Hahaha I thought the whole Affliction/Tapout ship sailed by 2015."
bawzdeepinyaa
"I feel really bad for Tapout as a brand though, they were one of the originals and worked their way up, sponsoring a whole bunch of up and comers. Good trio all around."
dactyif
Not Him
"My friend's neighbor drives a car with big photos of Alex Jones on it, like an advertisement car wrap. His lawn has like 10 infowars signs on it."
Reasonable-Point4891
"I have a personal rule. Whenever I see an Info Wars or Alex Jones sticker on a wall or sign in a public place, I peel it off. I would probably do the same thing to a car. I understand letting people believe what they want, but when those beliefs involve harassing the parents of murdered children, that's where I draw the line."
hectoByte
Not a Cop
"Those ugly a** decals all over their car that say crap like 'POLICE' and 'SHERIFF.' and they have those annoying a** lights on the top."
lkodl
"Worse is when the car is black-on-black with no light bar, making it almost impossible to tell it's a cop until you're right beside them. So you're a douchebag and you're trying to hide and catch more tickets to boost your paycheck. Cool, cool cool cool."
DrMaxwellEdison
Break the Bulbs
"Those freaking bright a** white/blue LED headlights. Crap should be illegal."
CustosEcheveria
"It's more to do with the type of headlight, projectors are made for HID bulbs and are legal because they cut off the beam to stop from blinding oncoming traffic."
"The issue is when people throw the bulbs in their old car with reflector style headlights, you blind everyone on the road. Im pretty sure this is illegal, how enforced though I don't know. The color is another issue, my HIDs were 4500K, nearly perfect white. People throw in 12000K bulbs for some reason and they can't see s**t because they are so blue, still bright for everyone else though."
brohd11
I have a theory...
"Literally any of those stickers that imply they will ride your a** or break check you for doing anything that annoys them."
Practical_Spinach513
"I have a theory that every single decal/sticker that isn’t business-related (regardless of what it says) someone puts on their car automatically increases their douche factor by 10%."
"I think most people are around 10% douchebags (myself included), so 1 or 2 stickers don’t really mean too much to me. It’s when you get into multiple stickers territory that I tend to count them to predict their douche factor. I found it’s a pretty good litmus for douchebaggery."
Debaser626
Yeah... we're all judging you.
Being rich looks fabulous.
I know, money isn't everything.
I've seen the super rich literally throw money away, because they could.
They never see it as waste.
I want to be able to waste.
I wouldn't, but I'd like the option.
Redditor alexduvalo wanted to know what rich love to throw money at in bundles. They asked:
"What do insanely rich people buy that poor people have no idea about?"
I would spend on clothes. And I already have a lot. I can't help it. Gimme...
Vroom
driving fast and furious GIFGiphy"On staff mechanics. People see the Floyd Mayweathers and Tom Cruises of the world buying tons of cars and motorcycles, but when you have a fleet like that, you basically need on staff mechanics who at the very least keep your cars clean, but also handle all maintenance."
earic23
"on retainer"
"An acquaintance of mine is one of six pilots 'on retainer' for a wealthy family."
BeastOfEden420
"I have a buddy pulling in nearly 200k as a chief pilot for a crew of 4 pilots for a billionaire family. They fly far less than your average commercial pilot and he’s in his mid 30s. We live in the south, where you can live like a king on 200k."
arparris
Far Reach
"Access. Need to call a governor? He's on speed dial and will phone the senators too. Need to talk to the CEO of Coca Cola... he's waiting for you and immediately assigns someone to fix your problem. Do you want to yacht around the horn of Africa? The closest naval fleet will tell you the safest route and provide 'support' so pirates don't mess with you."
"I own a company and by nature interact with a lot of billionaires and CEO's. I'm by no means rich but hang in the circle enough that I've e-mailed CEO's of fortune 500's and they've hooked me up with huge 'free' things as a small perk or thank you."
"I've been PAID to fly places just to have a 1 hour meeting and then get a free VIP week long vacation with the mayor or consulate showing me around. It's trippy and I've never really felt at home, but I've been eternally grateful for these travel opportunities."
metarinka
Destinations
"Support ships for your mega-yacht. The biggest yachts don't travel alone, they generally have small cargo ships that do everything from house additional staff, to transport your cars so you always have them when you make port, to holding all of your toys (helicopters, submarines, day-boats, etc.). They'll often travel a day or two ahead of the yacht to a destination so that your staff can unload your things (cars, clothing, etc.) at the next villa you're summering in."
climb-it-ographer
Get back...
love and hip hop goodbye GIF by VH1Giphy"Isolation from poor people. Rich people spend a lot of money to make sure that poor people can't get anywhere near them."
Bizarre_Protuberance
Rich people are funny. And clearly a bit rude...
Doubles...
Squad Reaction GIF by Rodney DangerfieldGiphy"Cloning pets, one of our investors spent ~$100K cloning his dog."
Jiltedjohn
Initiation
"There are membership-based vacation clubs. Similar to high-end country clubs, but for travel. You may pay a one-time initiation fee that can be upwards of $100k - $250k to get 5-10 years of access to purchase incredibly exclusive vacation/resort/rental property experiences. I work in the travel industry and I know of multiple companies like this."
El_mochilero
The Expensive Skies
"I work in the film industry and one time I booked a trip for someone to fly from London to California for a weekend and it cost more than my yearly salary. This was 2010, and it was $35,000 for first class airfare, private car, & hotel, because they realized Friday morning that based on his contract that he needed to be present while the film was being finished that weekend, and his contract specified he accommodations needed to be first class/5-star hotel, etc.I accidentally had an extra "0" it was $35k, which is $10k more than what the studio was paying executive assistants at the time..."
-CoreyJ-
Insured
"Kidnap insurance."
i-need-blinker-fluid
"It's called kidnap and ransom insurance. K&R and it includes training so that you know what to do in a hostage situation. It also includes a trained response team. The statistics on this stuff was/is nasty. Your chance of survival with insurance is about 60%. Without it you're closer to 0%."
gretverd
And popcorn?
Movie Theater Reaction GIF by CBSGiphy"There is a streaming service that's pretty much Netflix for rich people, allowing you to stream current cinematic movies for about 3,000 bucks a pop."
VloekenenVentileren
Chai Time
"My wife’s, cousin’s husband is a chef for a famous Bollywood star. The catch- he is only there to make chai. Apparently his chai tastes exactly the same as his employer’s beloved (now deceased) grandmother used to make. The man makes more than I do per year making chai 2-3 times/day."
kk1485
In-Home
"Private doctor's. My nephew married into a very high net worth family, They employ a general practitioner/hospitalist with privileges at several top level hospitals. He caters, in house, to any and all medical needs they may have."
GboyFlex
"A YT video I watched the other day said that, based on comments Kim made in a recent Allure interview, it sounds like the Kardashians have an in-home plastic surgery center."
baerbelleksa
In the Old Days
"My in-laws were well off. Way before the internet, I had an unexpected emergency when my brother was in a bad car accident in another state. I had been out shopping with my sister-in-law when my mother-in-law called the store and told us to come home right away, but she didn't say why."
"It took me 20 minutes to make what was normally a 40 minute drive. I'm pretty sure I scared my sister-in-law to death with my driving. When we got home, my in-laws gave me the news. They also had airline tickets waiting for me so I could be on a plane right away. How? They had a travel agent they'd used for years."
"In the half hour between the time they got the call from my family to the time I walked through their front door, they had called the travel agent who had booked the ticket and had it hand-delivered to my in-laws home. So what do rich people buy that poor people have no idea about? Incredible convenience, that's what."
awhq
Generations
Make It Rain Money GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy"Honestly insanely rich people often get so much for free because they're rich. Money begets money as well as access. It's crazy how much free stuff and access you get just because you're rich."
darthTharsys
Buying Toys
"Time. For example, I own a boat, I work my ass off on it repairing, cleaning, storage, etc. If I were rich I would just pay to have all of that taken care of so that I just make a call and the boat was ready to go anytime I wanted it. The rich spend their money on toys, but they also spend money buying the time to use those toys and to live their lives."
SuperstitiousPigeon5
"money-makers"
"Weird but important different types of insurance on their 'money-makers.' Like Taylor Swift has her legs insured for like $50 million. Her legs are part of her brand, her look. If some terrible accident happened that removed her legs or damaged them, she has insurance to cover that loss of income."
daithisfw
Let's Trade
"That people don’t actually know about? There are a few towns and islands that are only for rich people. It’s just a place you’d never know to go or have access to unless you too are rich. But also things like specific buildings for high frequency trading."
"Some trading firms move to where they have faster access to the internet and as such can complete trades faster peeling off those tenths of a cent in a transaction that in term can make millions. I think the exchanges actually figured out a way to stop it but for a period of time it was something only rich people could buy."
dumberthenhelooks
Please Drown
leonardo dicaprio yacht GIFGiphy"So I worked at an airport in the Caribbean. There was a small bay that would be used on occasion in the winter months for yacht parking. A Middle Eastern prince parked his yacht there one day and we watched the hull open and two smaller yachts emerged. That is stupid, f**k you money right there."
ATC_av8er
Oh to be rich and fabulous. Gimme the coins.
Hitchhiking. It has to be one of the most dangerous things a person can do.
There are too many movies where a hitchhiker falls victim to some psycho, and they're shocked it's happening.
Like... Hello?!?! You got into some stranger's car. How could you not get killed?
Also, all throughout childhood years we tell kids to NEVER get into a stranger's car.
But once we're 18 that rule seems to no longer apply.
I feel like it should be MORE prescient in adulthood.
But I'm sure all the survivors have quite the tale to share.
Redditor WestTexasOilman wanted all of the road travelers to share some memories about past rides. They asked:
"Current or Former Hitchhikers of Reddit; What person that stopped or gave you a ride was the most memorable? Why?"
I just don't have the trust in humans that some of y'all do. How do you get into a stranger's car? Oh no...
Among the Horses
Laughter Wtf GIF by ADWEEKGiphy"So a few years ago I was working in a small resort in the French Alps for the ski season."
"About 15-20 of us all worked in a hotel in one valley, the only bar that stayed open past 11 was in a different valley, it was a pretty flat and straight road to it but a good 15 minute drive or hour walk. We would regularly split up into smaller groups to try and hitchhike cause ain't no one stopping for 15 people with their thumbs out."
"Well one time we couldn't be bothered to split up and we just decided to do the walk and not worry. We decided to chance it anyways and stuck our thumbs at to every car that went by, got a lot of honks, shouts etc, all fun and games until one guy stops with a horse trailer."
"He asks where we're going and we say where and he says hop in. Que 4 of us in his truck, 4 in the bed of the truck and the rest in the horse trailer next to this guys horse."
HAZZ3R1
I'm Innocent
"Got picked up in Queensland Australia and after a few quite pleasant hours the driver started freaking out as we came to a police checkpoint. Turns out my new friend had broken out of jail and had stolen the car. I got stuck at Bowen cop shop until I could prove my innocence."
--bedevil--
"not far!"
"I accidentally picked up a hitchhiker once. I was at a red light at the transition between a village and town road (no more sidewalk, road gets busier and a bit more dangerous to walk). A man walked up to my window from the sidewalk and waved like he was going to tell me something (I assume tell me I had a flat tire or something about my car)."
"I rolled down my window and he mumbled something with a smile, and when I motioned that I couldn't understand him, he just nodded happily, grabbed my door handle and got in my car. Once he was in, it was clear that he spoke little to no English (he was Asian, about 25-30 years old, and very polite)."
"He motioned that he appreciated the ride and I asked how far. He understood and said 'not far!' I told him I was only going home which was a mile down the road and that's as far as I could take him. He nodded politely but I'm not sure he understood."
"I drove the mile down the road, and right in front of my neighborhood was a Blockbuster. He motioned to the Blockbuster and said, 'Here, here!' I asked if he was sure and he nodded, thanked me profusely with gestures and bowing with his hands together. I waved and drove off. To this day I've never seen him again and it remains a strange encounter for sure."
User deleted
zest for adventure...
"I have only ever hitchhiked twice in my life, and both times, a ruinous hike was involved lol. In this story, I was left behind by the shuttle because it took me longer to complete the mountain traverse. I was in the middle of nowhere, it was getting dark quickly, and my phone wasn't working."
"An old couple in their 60s, whom I had been chatting with on and off on the trail, noticed my agitation and asked if I was okay. I told them the bus had left me behind and I had no way of getting back to my lodge, which was 30 kilometres away. They offered me a ride even though it was out of their way."
"We got to talking during the drive. I told them that the hike was a first for me as I wanted to do something memorable for my birthday; they joked that maybe I should stick to dinner and movies next time. As for my good Samaritans, they had been travelling the world to celebrate their recent retirement."
"Prior to doing the trek, they had just completed a cross-country motorcycle trip with their son. I was awestruck by their kindness and generosity, their obvious zest for adventure, and the fact that they were still so, so smitten with each other after all these years."
gagagamgee
"you like hasish?"
Fx Networks Indian GIF by Reservation DogsGiphy"Hitchhiking in Israel with my partner in the 90s. We were picked up by these Palestinian brothers."
"After a bit of chit chat the one in the passenger seat says 'you like hasish?' Pulls out a big joint which we all smoked. He then says 'my brother, he's a cop,' then pulls out his glock and starts waving it around. 'It's all good' he says. We had a good chat, many laughs and after half an hour they dropped us off. We realized we were only about 100 metres further down the road from where we were picked up."
theotherbruce
How have so many of you survived this long? Luck.
In Scotland
Sam Heughan Dancing GIF by Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and GrahamGiphy"About six years ago I was hitchhiking in Scotland, heading north to do some wild camping."
"My second ride, I got picked up by a Scottish guy, I could barely understand what he was saying because of the accent. He was heading into Glencoe to climb a hill and camp at the top, so I joined him. Long story short I now live in Scotland, we've been married for 4 years, and I now understand 99% of what he says."
Affectionate-Rub-936
Maine
"My most memorable ride was also my shortest. A guy pulled over in the middle of nowhere Maine. He said our path's would diverge just over the bridge but he'd give us a ride anyway. So we got in for the 100 foot ride. After we got out, he leaned over to the open passenger side window and said in a gravelly voice, 'Life does not give a rat's @ss who lives it.' And he drove off."
valleymountain
The Racoon
"I once picked up a guy wearing a black leather trench coat in 100 degree weather. He was young and friendly, made good conversation, but he absolutely reeked. Finally I couldn't really stand it and was like, 'Man, I'm sorry, but I gotta tell you that you f**king stink.' And he goes, 'Oh haha yeah, it's probably my racoon,' then he opens his jacket and he has a freaking racoon pelt tacked to a piece of cardboard."
maselsy
The Blizzard
"Memorable more for the reason I was hitchhiking. I had driven a few hours away from where I live and payed my last past penny to get training for my desired career. I barely had enough money to attend, and couldn't afford a hotel, so I packed a sleeping bag, and everything I needed to sleep in the back of my van at the training center."
"It was mid spring and was supposed to be pretty warm in the day, and a tad nippy at night, but we ended up having a freak blizzard. The Van was absolutely freezing so I decided to turn it on to keep warm and hope I didn't use too much gas. As it turned out my battery had died in the cold and I had a 2-hour walk, in a blizzard, to get in to town to try and get help."
"By some miracle I spotted a truck about an hour in. The driver had arrived too early to drop off his load, and decided to park on this empty dirt road to rest for the night. He ended up giving me some food, and jumping my car. I managed to stay warm the rest of the night, and get home after the last of the training."
"Definitely one of the scariest moments of my life, because I don't think I would have made it town with all my toes if I'd had to walk another hour."
Vypernorad
This is nice...
Music Video Desert GIF by Red Bull RecordsGiphy"Not a naughty story, sorry... but I got a lift once while hitching during my army days. Hopped into the car, slightly distracted. Noticed wood panelling, leather seats, etc. That bonnet going on for 2km in front of the car. Turned out to be a vintage Rolls-Royce."
Namibbat2
This is why I fly. Y'all are crazy.
It's stuff like this which gives birth to the phrase, "This is why we can't have nice things."
Of course, you could always look past the unfortunate history almost every item possesses.
After all, it's not your fault the shoes you might be wearing were invented by Nazis or the car you're about to get into was developed by Nazis or the dealership you drive by was once run by a Japanese company who associated with the Nazis.
Manufacturing has a long, complex history.
Reddit user, Stoned_Black_Nerd, wanted to know what we use that comes from a dark place when they asked:
"What everyday item has a sick and twisted origin story?"
We don't have to know where something comes from to enjoy it.
After all, time passes, companies change hands, and the people in charge don't share the same beliefs as their predecessors.
Right?
Big Misstep There, Dr. Kellogg
"Sylvester Graham believed unwholesome foods created 'impure' thoughts."
"So he created Graham Crackers to keep women from becoming sluts."- Superlite47
"Kellogg believed we were facing an epidemic of masturbation that could only be curbed with a widespread combination of bland cereal, corn flakes, invented for this purpose, and circumcision."
"Non-religious circumcision in the US basically originated from Kellogg's campaigns."- wildfire393
The Most Kissable Lips
"The CPR doll that we use to practice CPR in most work places in the UK has the face of an unknown French cadaver found dead in the Seine river in the 1800s."
"She is known as The Most Kissed Woman in History. Bleugh!"- Adi3m
Let's Overthrow This Government Then Have A Banana. Good Day.
"Chiquita, banana company, is both directly and indirectly responsible for political violence and human rights abuses in south america"- Cheesydilfdog
"The term 'banana republic' comes from these practices."
"It's synonymous with an economy that almost exclusively produces raw materials, which are then shipped to more 'developed' countries, turned into finished products, and sold back to them."
"Colonial era started it, and it continues to this day."
"It's part of why the homespun cotton thing was such a big deal in India during Ghandi's time'."- WesternTrashPanda
Medical advancements requires years of research, experimentation, and trials done on volunteers, putting their own bodies and health on the line for the greater good of an advanced society.
Most of the time.
When You Need It Absolutely Clean, I Guess
"Lysol was marketed as a feminine hygiene product."- SidAndFinancy
"Listerine was marketed as a floor cleaner and a cure for gonorrhea."- NeedsMoreTuba
Open Wide
"The chainsaw was originally introduced to help during childbirth."- Environmental-Fix-71
"The chainsaws invented to aid in childbirth."- CreatrixAnima
At What Cost Do We Find Medical Breakthroughs?
"The modern speculum was created by a man named J. Marion Sims who performed invasive experimental surgeries on enslaved women without anaesthesia."- beerandbuds
"Most obstetric surgical techniques were originally practiced on enslaved women."
"Because these women were looked upon as disposable, it didn't much matter if they survived the procedure, never mind suffered pain and disability as a result."
"This way the doctors could then safely use these techniques on white mothers."- AlarmedAeriel
"Every medical procedure was first done by doctors winging it."
"Often without anesthesia."
"Patients were non consenting."- BatmanAwesomeo
Nazis.
Just, so many things we use come from Nazis.
And cults.
That Thing Your Parent's Are Afraid Of Happening? It Happened.
"The protective seal on OTC medications were a result of a round of murders caused by cyanide-laced Tylenol in the 80s"-throwingplaydoh
Shave And Some Bloodletting. Two Bits.
"Not necessarily 'sick and twisted' but the red and white pole outside of barber shops use to be used to identify barbers who could perform bloodletting during the Middle Ages especially through the course of the Black Death."- OneOddOtter
"Barber shops."
"They used to be doctors offices where they would make incisions on the patient and let the sickness 'bleed out'."
"It did not work."
"Was the method fell out of practice, they switched to hair."- NotaFossilFool
War Brings About Innovation...? Sigh...
"The founders of Adidas and Puma were brothers and were both Nazis"- Super-Noodles
"Volkswagen was literally, factually founded by Hitler."- DemSumBigAssRidges
"Don't forget Ferdinand Porche he designed and built tanks among other weapons."
"Also Mitsubishi Heavy Industries maker of the AM6 i.e. the Zero"- sd1360
"Volkswagen cars have a nazi background."- Greninja_is_Bestpkm
Check Your Silverware, Folks
"Oneida silverware."
"Check out the Wikipedia page for The Oneida Community ."
"It’s a real pearl clutcher."
"It was a religious communal society founded in 1848 in Oneida, New York."
"The community believed that Jesus already came back in AD 70 and they were creating paradise on earth."
"They practiced complex marriage, free love, and male sexual continence , read: don’t finish."
"Sex was mostly for pleasure, making babies was on purpose and the children were raised collectively."
"Older men had sex with young girls/women; older women sexually mentored younger boys."
"A local dad sued to get his daughter out of this scandalous cult, with claims of mental illness and violence surrounding the case."
"The community supported womens’ suffrage and free divorce."
"And eugenics."
"And when the community split apart, some members moved out West to found… Orange County."- Digressionista
Not A Desirable Source Of Fitness
"The treadmill was used for prisoners as a tool for punishment and profit."
"It was a power source to grind grain or pump water."- orosofia
You Can Never Be Too Sure Of What You're Eating...
"All most any candy with shiny coat and some food dyes made from crushed bugs and the fda allows low numbers of insect parts in some foods."- Apprehensive-Fox3187
"Cheetos."
"Made from discarded cow chow."- AutumnAtronach
What Purpose Did It Ultimately Serve?
"The first machine gun, the Maxim Gun, the Gatling Gun doesn't count as it's a Gatling style weapon, was invented by Hiram Maxim."
"His inspirations for it were he was firing a rifle and got knocked over by the recoil."
"He figured that he could use the roil to continuously fire a gun."
"The other inspiration was he was in Europe and an American said to him 'if you want to make a lot of money, come up with something that will help these Europeans cut each other's throats with greater facility'."- shiftyfired1056
Beneficial Side Affects?
"Viagra was originally a drug to treat altitude sickness."
"The bone was only a side effect."- Altruistic-Honey2341
Taking Pleasure In Pain
"Dog toys with squeakers."
"I’ve recently learned that the squeak noise is supposed to represent the the sound of a suffering small animal."- Roody-Poo_Jabroni
Don't feel bad if something you use in your everyday life was on this list. Like we stated earlier, the people who are in charge of the companies and organizations are not the same as those who developed them.
Life is complicated. You shouldn't have to change your shoes.