What compels people to be so trusting? I don't leave myself unattended let alone kids, pets, electronics, food, drinks.... the list is endless. I don't trust anybody with my stuff, including family. You never know. In this day and age the blind faith some people have is astonishing. We'll carry mace and guns for protection from crime but then sheepishly leave our belongings with absolute strangers? No. Just no!
Redditor u/ProfessorNasty wanted everyone to listen up to some cautionary tales by asking.... People who've been asked 'watch my stuff for 5 minutes', have you ever experienced anything in those 5 minutes that required you to step in?
The Sidekick....
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When I was 8 I was walking to the corner store when I saw my friends older brother with his pitbull. He asked me to watch his dog (he was on a leash) for a few moments so he can go in a buy a soda. So he walks in and this pitbull (probably twice the size of me) just goes nuts at a bird and takes me with it around the parking lot. Moots_point
Run! Whiskey Run!
I was a regular at a very mellow bar and would often be the only one there besides the bartender. One day he said he had to go out for a minute and asked me to watch the bar. It's the first time that has happened to me and I felt pretty good about being trusted like that.
20 seconds after he leaves a dude runs in the door at speed, jumps and slides across the bar, grabbing a bottle of whisky and jumps off at the end running out the other exit. It happened so fast and was utterly out of character for the area.
Like a minute later the bartender came back and was like... what happened? I tried to explain but he couldn't keep a straight face. The other dude works up the street and was coming to meet the bartender and couldn't resist the opportunity to mess with me and went and gave the bottle back to the bartender.
That they played the prank actually made me feel much more part of the family there than when I was asked to watch it to begin with. jwm3
Are you Married?
I used to work at a coffee shop and people would ask that pretty regularly. Generally it wasn't a problem except one time when guy leaves his laptop on the counter to be watched ... girl comes up and tries to take it ... I grab it and put it behind the counter ... turns out it was his girlfriend and he acted put out that I hadn't let a stranger (to me, if not to him) walk out with his laptop. CursusUrsa
Oh the slots!
Friends invited me to go with them to a large casino and "try my luck" at slot machines.
While I was playing a slot, the lady next to me - a woman probably in her 80s - asked if I'd watch her machine while she made a quick visit to the ladies room. I smiled and said that I'd be glad to reserve it for her.
She left the machine with over $485 credit displayed in the machine's credit window - just waiting to be played or cashed out.
Some guy game along, spotted the $485 credit, and sat down at the machine faster than I could stop him. I explained that I was "watching" the machine for a lady using the lavatory. But he didn't care, and was about to push the "Max Bet" button ($3 per spin) to start gambling using the lady's credit.
Fortunately, a casino attendant came by and I got him to intervene just as the lady returned. The guy was physically removed and escorted out. Back2Bach
The Kids are Alright....
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We took my daughter to the local children's museum recently. Right as we walked into one of the rooms, this poor woman comes running up to us asking me if I would hold her baby because her daughter was stuck in the slide. I held the little guy and made sure that I was in her line of sight the whole time. She seemed really embarrassed but stuff happens and kids are unpredictable. Apparently I don't look like someone who would kidnap a child. mudbean
Silly Tourists....
I was posted up with some friends at the beach and these dudes asked us to watch their stuff while the swam. 30 minutes later the tide starts to roll in getting dangerously close to their stuff so me and my friends haul 5 dudes stuff 30 meters up to where we are. I'm talking coolers and chairs and everything. They came back and thought we moved their stuff because we were trying to hit on them. Helloooo dumb tourists, your sh!t almost washed away. HappyOpal
It's a dog!
I was sitting with friends in a cafeteria at college and a women set down a tote bag and asked us to watch it while she went to the bathroom. Not long after she walked away a chihuahua poked its head out. I was delighted, but seriously, say there's an animal in there!! Notathrowawaysleeve
NO Ice Cream for you!
One time I was at McDonald's with my son (we were traveling) and a woman came to me with her son. He seemed to be about 3. She looked very sick and asked me to keep an eye on him for a couple of minutes. She went in the bathroom and I could hear her coughing all the way out in the play area. While she was in there her son asked me why I was so fat. I told him I was going to have a baby soon. No further drama. She came out a few minutes later, thanked me, bought her son an ice cream cone and they left. UffdaWow
Do I know you?
"Save my seat" in a sold out movie theatre with a popular film is a huge pain in the butt. Thankfully most theaters around have gone to assigned seating by now. AyronNorya
Gimme 5....
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I've bugged people by saying "5 minutes aren't up yet, I can't let you take this," but besides annoying the requester, it's usually the act of someone watching it, that keeps it secure. IGetYourReferences
A Jay's Jinx....
After a Blue Jays game in Toronto, my brother in-law and I were asked to watch a hotdog vendors cart so she could use the bathroom. To be fair, my BIL is a cop and I've been asked if I'm military, both clean cut blah blah. Lady runs into the train station and we start getting customers. She was gone for 5-10 mins but we made her $60. We walk away with a dog and pop and of course, a Jays loss. PineappleBum
The Venice Trap!
Walking on Venice Beach boardwalk once when one of the artisan vendors stopped my wife and begged her to watch his little booth as he really had to go to the bathroom. She agreed, he fled, holding his butt. hehe. Lord knows where he ate that morning! She called after him "Hey, how much are these paintings?" "$10 for big, $5 for small," he hollered back while still running to the toilet.
Anyway, my wife embraced the moment, actively started peddling and charming those in earshot. I was chuckling watching it all. She explained she knew absolutely nothing about any of it, or the artist, other than he wasn't having the best of days... and sold two of his little paintings in the 15 minutes he was gone!
He returns, she handed him the 10 bucks and pointed out the empty spaces where two prints were, then said, "In case you didn't make it, I figured you might need an emergency clothing fund." haha.
PS: some of you might remember this day on Venice Beach, actually. It was the same day that bizarre lightning bolt (on a perfectly sunny, clear day) struck the water near the beach, killing two people, and sending 12 to hospital! My gawd. I remember the huge BOOM from that strike! I thought a bomb went off. DCCrankmusic
Can you swim?
When my friend was traveling around America, a guy asked her to watch his stuff while he went swimming at the beach. Turns out he almost drowned while he was out there. Ambulances and police showed up and she had to give a statement. I don't think she ever found out what happened to the guy before she left to come home. UnrealDisco
Nights at the Pub.
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Yes.
The pub I go to has a few customers who always leave their drinks with others. It's gotten to the point where everyone knows the drinks are theirs, and no one cares.
Once, though. This one time, some fool walked into the pub looking for a fight and was apparently just taking drinks out of people's hands and trying to neck them. I had no idea about this at the time, but he walked up and grabbed one of the drinks that I was asked to look after.
It was just strange. I asked him where the hell he thought he was doing, and he just got really aggressive. Next thing I know: the police are there.
It was an incredibly strange night. ionised
What's your internet password?
Guy told me to watch his stuff because he was going to take a nap. Slept like an hour, but I was stealing the free WiFi so I didn't really mind. sleepilyLee
Going Number 2?
Once I was on the train to go home, and a cute couple sits in front of me with their bags. After a while, they both go to the bathroom and ask me if I can watch their stuff. I say yes, knowing that my stop was 10 minutes later and figuring that it wouldn't have taken them more than that to come back from the bathroom. Turns out it actually did, I had to leave and there was no one else there I could warn, so I just got off the train. Still don't know what happened. Maybe they were mad when they saw I wasn't there anymore, but I couldn't miss my stop, and who tf goes to the bathroom and stays there for more than 10 minutes, knowing that their stuff is all out there being watched by a stranger? Stillstilldre
Don't Play!
When I worked retail, a lady came up to me and said that her son was wandering around the store. We were in a strip mall, so she was going to go to one of the other stores for a "few minutes" to teach him a lesson about not wandering off. And then she left.
Within, like, two minutes, the kid came up to me asking to help find his mom. I told the truth, that she had run next door and would be back soon, but he was so bummed that his mom would leave him behind like that. AmbizzleQ
Baggage Claim....
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I was waiting in line to board an Amtrak train when the woman behind me in line asked if I would watch her suitcase while she ran to the bathroom. The gates hadn't opened yet so I said sure. Shortly after she left, the gates opened and it was a mad dash to the train. I felt like I would be trampled if I didn't move, but I didn't want to bring her suitcase with me because I wouldn't know how to find her. And my selfish butt didn't want to risk not getting a good seat on the train. So I left the suitcase there and went to get on the train. Didn't see her again. I still feel bad about that. murrrdith
Kidding. Maybe?
No, but I do like telling people that I don't mind watching their stuff but also what should I do if someone does try and take it? Usually they'll joke back, but some times their faces go completely blank when they realize that they don't actually know what they expect someone to do. ImposingPenguin
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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.