Many folks suffer the consequences of someone else ruining things for everybody.
The phrase, "this is why we can't have nice things," has come into parlance because all too often, we can't seem to hold onto the little things that make us content or make our lives easier because of a selfish or inconsiderate scumbag.
"Did you think I wouldn't hear all the things you said about me?/This is why we can't have nice things."
Oof. We've been there, girl.
"What is a great example of 'This is why we can't have nice things?'"
Schools are notorious for pranksters. That doesn't make it okay to keep the unwanted reputation going.
Vandalism In Schools
"Students destroying school property as part of a social media trend. Now there are no soap dispensers and I have to time and document my 10th graders bathroom trips."
Tighter Surveillance After A Theft
"On the first day of school, some 9th graders took a computer monitor and left it on a city bus. We got it back, but now we have to watch every single kid like a hawk at all times."
Missing The Target
"lower class-men in high school. We literally can't use the bathroom become the second week of school some freshmen wanted to sh*t and piss all over the bathrooms. My bus driver also quit the second week of school because of disrespectful kids. i'm too broke to have a car."
Exploiting methods of transportation resulted in some very frustrated civilians.
When The TSA Cracked Down
"The nincompoop who tried to shoe bomb an airplane shortly after 9/11. Passengers have all had to take their shoes off for security ever since."
Scooters On-The-Go
"We've had those pay as you go scooters in my city for the past 2 years. As soon as they were released I knew some idiot would do something that would get them banned. Somebody tied one to some rope and left if dangling off a bridge, so the next fool had to retrieve it but pulling it up by rope. They weren't banned but it came close."
"Also, I know someone who grew up in Liverpool and the local government doesn't put any money into public parks because they're vandalised all the time."
On The Mend
"We have had them for 2 or 3 years now and I thought for sure the vandalism in the first year would make them never come back."
"But here we are and things are going ok. Not great - this year there was an adjustment to bylaws to not allow them on most sidewalks and people have for the most part followed through."
Parents Explain Which Things Surprised Them Most When Their Child Moved Out | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Waterbourne Rental Bikes
"Sh*t, we got some rental bikes a couple years ago. Within a month I saw one in a river. People abused the hell out of them and they weren't around very long."
– dudius7
People had to go and ruin things that benefit others.
Prescription Drugs
"A lot of the most effective prescription drugs, such as benzodiazepines, amphetamines and opiates are hardly ever prescribed in my country due to the small number of people who abuse the crap out of them. Now doctors completely ignore their therapeutic benefit and treat the people who need them like drug addicts. I told a doctor I'd gotten prescribed Valium once and he interrogated me to find out who prescribed it and why the hell I needed it. Meanwhile I'd had relentless anxiety for months that made it impossible to eat or sleep."
Bad Assumptions
"YES! I have sickle cell a chronic pain disorder and mention to drs 'hey i take oxycodone and norcos but im highly allergic to dilaudid' and they get so heated over it, ive even heard nurses outside of my hospital room jokingly mention that im 'back again for more' when im genuinely just in pain! It makes me not want to be seen when im hurting but then waiting puts me in MORE pain and it's just an endless cycle. Then to make the matter worse my illness is most common in black people who are already looked at as drug seeking."
Benefit Programs
"People voting against programs that would help low income households because they think some people will take advantage of it and they would rather everyone suffer than help some people who they feel dont deserve it."
– Gka28
A Result From The Lack Of Consideration
"We still have a pandemic going because somebody refused to follow proper quarantine protocol because it made them uncomfortable."
Brexit
"For anyone in the UK, Brexit."
"Experts predicted all of this before the vote. It was widely reported upon. People still voted 'Leave'."
All it took for my fifth grade class to be without Oreo Cookie Fridays once was due to Bradley not keeping his mouth shut during reading time.
Our teacher Mrs. Lichtenstein would make us quietly read and forbid us from talking to each other so we could concentrate. If we managed to stay quiet for 30 minutes, she'd pass around four Double-Stuff Oreos each to everyone in the classroom.
Not sure if teachers are allowed to give students junk food now, but back then, it was a luxury item.
When Bradley whispered wisecracks trying to make us laugh during reading time, Mrs. Linchtenstein revoked our reward. We were so pissed at Bradley. He was why we couldn't have "nice things."
Thanks a lot, Bradley.
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
Giphy
"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Giphy
"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
Giphy
"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
Giphy
"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
