What goes around comes around. That’s the main principle of karma. But, who would expect that it would come around so quickly? Read on for the best cases of instant karma.
1. Stings Like A…Wasp
I'll always remember the summer I spent back in my hometown with my cousins. A couple of years ago, we were hanging out at our favorite outdoor water park. However, it had a tiny drawback—wasps buzzing around the grassy picnic area.
Consequently, our parents always reminded us to keep our flip-flops on to avoid getting stung. But one of my cousins thought she was smarter and took hers off, ending up with a wasp sting on her foot that hurt so much, she didn't return to the pool that day.
Fast forward to two years later, we visited the park again. My aunt advised her, "Remember your flip-flops this time, you remember what happened last time, don't you?” Her reply became etched in our memories. She retorted, "Really, mom? What's the probability of that happening again? I'll be alright".
Just ten minutes later, another wasp stung the same foot and she spent the rest of the day out of the water.
2. Bye, Bye Lunch
I work with this older woman and, let's be honest, she can be quite bothersome. She's always boasting about the strangest stuff, I reckon it's due to some insecurity she's got.
Picture this: It's Labor Day and none of us really want to be at work, it's slow, it's tedious. To lift our spirits, our boss kindly suggests a treat, ordering KFC for everyone. You bet we're all psyched about that, deciding what we want, when Glenda (that's our bothersome co-worker), strides in and wants to know why we're all so pumped.
We clue her in about the KFC, asking what she'd like. She dismisses us, bragging that she's brought in her own spicy, healthy, homemade lunch, so thanks but no thanks to the KFC. We shrug it off like, "Cool, whatever," and go back to placing our orders. But Glenda, not one to be brushed off, microwaves her lunch, walks back in only to parade that dish right under our noses.
She's like, "Smell how yummy! It's got"... and she rattles off all the ingredients. We're all a bit fed up by now, but we let it slide. The cherry on top? She ends up spilling her soupy chicken dish, whilst shoving it under the noses of more colleagues. Our boss couldn't resist and chimed in with, "That's what you get for showing off".
3. She’s Trippin’
I'm a cashier at a supermarket, and I had a somewhat unpleasant encounter with a customer that ultimately ended with karma striking back. This young lady, maybe in her 20s, strutted up to my register. She was done up with a lot of makeup, a Gucci purse slung over her shoulder, teetering on high heels, tight jeans, and a denim jacket.
All the while, she was engrossed in a phone call. I tried to welcome her, but she silenced me with a raised finger, needing more time on her phone call. She uttered, "The cashier won't stop talking," which I overheard. All I was thinking was—she could at least start unloading her items onto the conveyor belt to keep things moving. We had a queue building.
Eventually, she started haphazardly plopping her items one by one onto the belt. My patience was really being tested now. In fact, I had become so frustrated that I "forgot" our usual protocol and began energetically bagging her items, hoping that maybe something might end up damaged or shattered.
After enduring her intermittent loading of groceries and chit-chat on the phone for a solid ten minutes, she was finally ready to pay. She pulled out a wad of hundred-dollar bills, but then quickly changed her mind and opted to pay with her debit. A strange flex, but I didn't question it.
As she took her receipt, I wished her a great day, but she left without so much as a thank you. Exiting through the front door, she tried to balance her four bags as she stepped on a wet spot caused by others' snowy shoes. And then, karma struck.
She slid and toppled to the ground, her bags erupting, contents spraying out, even the contents from her expensive purse scattered around her. And this is the part that still amazes me. As she picked herself up, she turned to face us—minus her two front teeth.
My fellow supervisor—who shares my occasional immature humor—and I had to bite our lips to stop the laughter. You could say karma really had the last laugh that day.
Freepik,freepik
4. Cat Got Your Hand
We owned an adorable cat named Sebastian who behaved like a true gentleman, except when it came to his belly. One touch there, and you'd think something was terribly wrong. Things got complicated when he had a squabble with another cat, resulting in an abscess on his stomach.
Usually, our familiar vet knew the drill about Sebastian's tummy issue, but he was on holiday. So, we had to see a vet who didn't know Sebastian. He planned to drain the abscess, which required touching the belly. Despite my mom's warning about Sebastian's sensitive belly, he just brushed her off saying, "Don't fret about it".
After taking Sebastian away, he returned about ten minutes later looking like he'd wrestled a thorn bush. He admitted he'd underestimated Sebastian and now needed my mom's authorization to sedate him for the treatment. I guess it pays to listen to a pet owner's advice.
5. Out Of Principle
In my last university summer break, I worked as a database administrator for a community center. My primary job was to design a database that helped them track their donations and volunteer hours. The task wasn't complicated, and despite being the youngest by at least a quarter-century, I enjoyed good rapport with everyone...except my boss.
Fast forward to the following spring, I was job hunting and reached out to my previous boss, requesting a letter of recommendation. Her response was shockingly negative. She basically told me she didn't write recommendation letters "out of principle".
This angered me, as getting a job was proving tough, and not having a reference from my latest employer was a major setback. However, I was able to secure a decent job eventually. On day one of my new job, I got an e-mail from my old boss sounding quite desperate.
Ignoring all the user instructions I left behind, she had moved some files and was unable to access the database, and she needed my help. And here's what I did.I wrote her back, stating I was already employed and wouldn't be able to help her "out of principle". I essentially turned the entire summer's work I'd done for the center into a total loss.
6. Faceplant Fail
I saw a rude, irate guy shame and scorn his waiter until the poor guy almost started crying. Then, with a smug grin on his face, he tightened his belt and proudly strutted off the restaurant terrace. However, he stumbled on the steps and ended up falling face-first into the beach sand.
My wife was horrified as I burst into laughter at this turn of events. He got up, noticed everyone's gazes, and spotted at least one person laughing openly, then he hastily made his way down the beach.
7. Too Slow
One day, a girl was tailgating me on a ten-mile patch of rural, two-lane road. She seemed to think I was driving too slowly, even though I was already exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph. Instead of cruising at 55 as the signs suggested, I was pushing 70, but apparently, that wasn't enough.
She was shouting, launching objects at me, attempting to overtake me across a solid center line, and generally behaving aggressively, like she might ram into my car. I couldn't help but find the situation comical since my big, tough-as-nails Buick dwarfed her small, beat-up car. All the while, she was absolutely losing her cool.
At long last, when the road widened into dual lanes at a traffic light, she pulled up alongside me. Since both our car windows were rolled down, she took the opportunity to shout at me before trying to hurl a large soda at me. But her attempt spectacularly backfired.
The drink container burst in her hand, showering her and her car's interior with sticky liquid. I half expected her to have a meltdown, given the intense fury on her face.
8. Told You So
Once upon a time, I served as a temporary professor and this one student was causing real trouble for everyone in the classroom. He was not focusing on tasks at hand, causing disruption, and getting in the way of my teaching.
At one point, he decided to stand tall on a desk while I pleaded with him to climb down, warning him about potential injuries. But he decided to jump off instead, trying to impress his friends. Alas, the desk shifted and down he went, face-first. The room erupted in laughter as he burst into tears.
It was quite a task to withhold an "I told you so".
9. Bad Blood
I remember a funny instance of instant karma back when I worked as a chef. As my buddy and I were prepping for the day, he had an unfortunate run-in with a vegetable blade—cut his finger pretty badly. Instead of being sympathetic, I teased him and cracked a bunch of jokes. But boy, karma wasn't slow with me.
Just when I stepped in to take his place, I ended up cutting myself in precisely the same manner. Soon enough, we were both sporting bandages on our fingers.
10. He’s Slippin’
During our junior high years, I was attempting to catch my friend's notice when this fellow rudely barged in and hollered, "Keep quiet!" He theatrically glared at me as he made his exit and hilariously slipped in a puddle, landing on the damp floor sign sideways. The boy, now upset, kicked the sign hard against the wall.
Coincidentally, the Assistant Principal happened to witness the entire scene. Consequently, he was escorted to the office.
Freepik,master1305
11. Slow And Furious
I found myself driving down one of those classic New England side roads—you know the ones—narrow, winding, and tucked away in the countryside. They usually have a speed limit of 35, mostly for safety reasons. So, I was just cruising along within the speed limit, when suddenly, a woman in a massive, gold-hued SUV was hot on my tail.
I could literally see her shouting at the top of her lungs, infuriated at my non-speeding pace. But I wasn't about any risk it all by going faster. Eventually, ignoring the rules, she zips passed me and disappears. She must have been hitting 55 or something. Then, quite delightfully, about 15 minutes down the road, there she was, caught by an officer, busy writing her a ticket.
I neatly sailed by at the speed limit... and couldn't resist giving a polite wave.
12. Don’t Mess With A Black Belt
Once, while my family and I were strolling around Downtown Los Angeles, we had just stocked up on groceries as we were lodged in a hotel nearby. We chose to walk, as the grocery was conveniently located near our stay. Suddenly, a woman dressed in black ambushed me and snatched the bag I was holding.
Little did she realize, I've mastered the art of Tae Kwon-Do and possess a black belt. Reacting swiftly, I grasped her hand, twisted it behind her back, and claimed my bag. But the story didn't end there. I pushed her onto the road, where a passing car ran over her toes. A high-pitched scream ensued, followed by a cracking sound.
We all promptly scurried back to the safety of our hotel.
13. What Goes Around Comes Around
So, I was in a relationship with this girl for close to two years. Then one morning, her phone was buzzing non-stop and out of curiosity, I took a peek. To my shock, I found out she was being unfaithful. Naturally, I tried to discuss it with her, however things broke down between us.
Roughly a week afterward, I discovered she was now dating the same guy she had cheated on me with. Then, about a month later, a mutual friend informed me that the guy had cheated on her in the previous week. I'm sure you can guess what went through my mind then.
14. Don’t Drink And Drive
I remember being at a party once where a classic tough-guy was causing a scene. He kept drinking and his behavior was steadily worsening. Eventually, he chose to leave, but the host of the party took his car keys saying he was too tipsy to drive. But this tough guy couldn't accept that. His reaction was, frankly, disturbing.
He stealthily lunged at the host, hitting him on the head with a lamp. He then made a quick move for his keys and dashed out the door, while others tried to stop him. However, he was too quick, got into his truck and began driving, before hitting a tree.
Obviously, he wasn't wearing his seatbelt, so he ended up hitting his head on the windshield, leading to serious injuries. A classic case of karma.
15. Lucky Day
In a car park, I gave up my close spot to a family with kids since I knew how tough it is to manage strollers from a distance. So, I pulled into a spot further away and there, I stumbled upon $50 lying on the asphalt.
Wikimedia Commons, Vyacheslav Argenberg
16. Hands Off
My fellow restaurant employee was gathering used glasses. Usually, in dim lighting, it's tough to see whether there's any drink remaining. So, when my colleague assumed a lady's glass was empty and tried to clear it, the woman swatted her hand away as though she was a mischievous child getting into the cookie jar. But what comes around goes around.
At that point, the woman got up and began to walk away when she stumbled and fell onto her hand. Immediately, her hand started swelling, bruising appeared, and she was unable to move her fingers.
17. Smacked
My sis and I were in the middle of an argument when I lost control and ended up hitting her. Barely containing my fury, I stormed off towards my room aiming to harshly close the door behind me. Little did I know, a broomstick had somehow wedged itself between the hinges.
As a result, the door bounced back violently and hit me square in the head. Regaining consciousness, I found myself flat on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling. To top it all off, a huge bump was already starting to take shape on my forehead.
18. Why You Gotta Be So Rude?
I'm employed at a cinema. One day, as I was working at the ticket counter, an elderly woman approached me with a question about our Cinemark app. To be honest, I didn't have the exact answer, so I told her just that. She responded quite abruptly, questioning, "Shouldn't you know this? Are you dumb or something?"
Suddenly, she noticed a mall security officer slapping her with a parking fine for unlawfully parking in a disabled spot, without a visible disability permit on her vehicle. She began bolting and calling out, "Wait, hold on! That's my car!" I couldn't wipe the broad smile off my face for the remainder of the day.
19. Declined
One day, a customer was incredibly rude, belittling me because of my job at a convenience store. He made threats about slashing my salary by half, but then scoffed, "Although, you don't make much to begin with". What occurred next was so gratifying, I will never forget it.
His credit card was rejected, forcing him to leave his goods behind. It was wonderfully satisfying.
Freepik, stockking
20. Be Nice To The One With The Needle
Once, I assumed the role of a phlebotomist, drawing people's blood. On this particular day, I was standing in for the clinic staff while they enjoyed a lunch break. As I sat at the reception desk, a man entered the clinic, gave me his request form, and took a seat.
Swiftly, I asked him to return for a quick verification of his ID. To that, he retorted rudely, utterly convinced that the doctor could make no mistake about his details. Unfazed, I completed his paperwork, got up from the desk, and beckoned him to join me for the blood draw.
Observing his reaction when he realized his impoliteness was directed at the person about to insert a needle into his arm made my day—it was the perfect slice of karma.
21. Sidewalk Antics
My child had a habit of venturing into areas where she shouldn't while we were out, such as freshly painted sections, uneven terrains that posed a tripping hazard, or stepping on plant containers that weren't meant for that.
It felt like I was spending my entire day pointing out her mistakes and teaching her the proper way to walk in public places, ensuring she doesn't affect others around us in a crowd.
Just as we were heading towards the car, she opted to walk on the opposite side of a metal railing from us and appeared to be looking down at her feet. What she failed to notice was her path ending and the railing curving abruptly in front of her and unsurprisingly, she walked straight into the horizontal bar.
I couldn't have predicted or prevented it as I was busy with my other child, yet when I heard the noise and turned to look, I had to suppress a bubble of laughter and the almost inevitable "I told you so!"
Freepik,8photo
22. This Is Bananas
I thoughtlessly tossed a banana peel onto the floor. My mom cried out, "Pick that up, it's a tripping hazard!" I chuckled and replied that nobody could be so clumsy as to trip over it. Boy, was I mistaken. Later, when I was going to the kitchen for some orange juice, I ended up stepping on it and taking a fall.
I landed on the glass table and shattered it.
23. Book For Book
On a flight, I wrapped up a book and decided to give it to the flight attendant. She was absolutely delighted to receive it, which in turn filled me with joy. I thought that was that. However, a couple of days later, I was engrossed in another book by the poolside when a woman approached me.
She had just completed a book and offered it to me. I was ecstatic and she seemed quite pleased with my reaction. Talk about a beautiful cycle of good karma.
24. Listen To The Law
I attempted to make my company aware of a lawbreaking procedure they were following. Despite my warnings, they brushed me off, believing someone higher up would have noticed. To make things worse, they unjustly let me go while I was on FMLA leave. It's safe to say their actions had consequences.
They ended up facing a hefty 250K fine for the very violation I had consistently pointed out. While I'm still jobless, I'm making the most of my days by going hiking and thoroughly enjoying my life. I have a decent savings buffer to keep me afloat until I secure a new job.
25. Good Samaritan
Today, I skipped my bus ride to assist an old lady with her purchases. As fate would have it, a buddy of mine drove by and offered to take me home.
26. Don’t Speed Up
My stepdad helps folks learn how to drive—he's an instructor. During one of our lessons, we were practicing on a potential test course. As we cruised through a suburban neighborhood, a man started to tailgate me. Every time we hit a stop sign and I stopped completely, he'd throw a tantrum in his car.
It was getting on my nerves, but my stepdad assured me and said, "Don't sweat it, watch this". While we were still driving, he told me, "In about 50 feet or so, ease up on the gas and, once we near that school zone, pull over on the right". So, following his instructions, I pulled over.
Immediately, the angry guy behind us zoomed past, but his relief was short-lived. About five seconds later, an officer emerged from behind a tree and flagged him down—he had been speeding, going double the speed limit in a school zone.
27. Rated M
Back in high school, I took up a job at a local K-Mart, a cozy little place where I'd have to cover for each department —you name it, I've worked there.
Once during my shift, I came across this lady and her young son, probably about 12 or 13 years old, and offered my assistance. But the kid seemed annoyed by my presence, so I decided to carry on with my other tasks. Not long after, I was summoned to the checkout counter.
Soon, the same duo arrived at my counter with a cart full of goodies, mainly from the electronics department. The boy had picked up a few EA sports games and a copy of Grand Theft Auto. As I was scanning their items, I was prompted with an age restriction for the M-rated game. I decided to seize the moment.
Holding the game in my hand, I faced the mother and calmly explained, "This game has obtained an M rating for certain reasons". I then proceeded to read out the reasons from the back of the case. The atmosphere turned tense, and then the mother informed me quite angrily that her son had assured her it was a mild game.
Unfortunately, they left empty-handed that day.
28. Free Ice
A few days ago, I popped into a shop looking to buy a bag of ice. I patiently set the ice on the counter, waiting for the lady ahead of me to finish up her transaction. It suddenly dawned on her that she needed ice too. "You can have this one," I kindly offered, quickly grabbing another for myself. What happened then really touched me.
"Is that all you're getting?" she inquired. "Yep, just this," I responded. She looked at me, smiled, and unexpectedly said, "Well, you're all set...off you go," leaving me a bit puzzled. Before I could piece it together, she turned to the cashier and asked, "Could you add his ice to my bill?"
29. Bad Boss
For two years during school, I held a part-time job at a national shoe store chain, working only on weekends. Despite my effort, the boss never offered me a raise, nor the chance to open the store, and I never received any acknowledgment for my work.
When I sought more responsibilities, I was disregarded and told that two newcomers, one from PetSmart and another with no experience, would be replacing me. After turning in my two weeks' notice, I had the opportunity to train both newcomers on my last day. I shared every nugget of knowledge I gathered, including the little quirks of our stock.
However, within a week after my departure, both new managers resigned, and the store shut its doors for good in less than four months.
30. Change In Exchange For Life
While I was waiting at a red light in my compact Dodge Neon, I gave all the loose change from my ashtray to a homeless person. The light turned green, and just after I turned left, a full-size truck collided with my car head on. My car was being loaded onto a tow truck when the driver queried, "How is the driver?"
I replied simply, "I'm fine". His reaction left me in disbelief. Initially, he seemed astounded. Then, once he understood that I was not joking, he shared his amazement. In his two decades of towing, he'd never seen anyone live through such a severe accident, and just casually chatting while their wrecked car was being towed.
31. Victory Is Sweet
They wanted to sack me. It wasn't because I wasn't good at my job, but because my boss had a personal beef with me. I played by the rules for around a month until I found another job. Then, I handed in my two weeks' notice. That was the first win—I had more tricks up my sleeve though.
I managed to persuade around six of their employees to join me at my new company. Boom, my second win. Though tempting, I can't take the credit for maybe 30 or 40 of their staff leaving in the next year. All I know is, if you've got workers with top-notch skills like software engineering, you need to appreciate them properly.
32. Caught Red-Handed…By Karma
Each year, I find myself journeying to the bustling city of New York for a family visit. A must-do while I'm there? Indulge in a succulent slice of "Grandma's Sicilian" pizza, which coincidentally, is served up to perfection in a hotspot near my cousin's place. As expected in such a vibrant city, the pizza joint is always busy.
Mere steps from the cashier, you'll find a range of beverages up for grabs. The way payment works is predominantly based on trust and bravery because the cashier, while generally busy with another customer, can see you snatch a drink.
I'd never had sticky fingers before, but my cousin casually grabbed a drink, no questions asked. My taste buds tingling at the prospect of Peach Snapple, I surrendered to temptation and took two bottles. After paying for our meals, we stepped out, me brimming with an exhilarating energy.
Did I mention that my deep-seated hankering for the pizza had led me to ordering a whole pie instead of a couple of slices? That's right, I had a whole pie to myself. As we sauntered back towards the subway station, disaster struck. I tripped over the curbside and fell, squashing my pizza, covering myself in sauce.
Both Snapple bottles smashed, specks of glass digging into my hands and legs. My jeans, fresh off the rack just the day prior, bore the brunt of the fall, getting torn by the glass and splattered with my blood. The cuts on my hands, despite thorough cleaning, got infected later that night.
Let's just say that since that incident, I've never filched anything without paying.
Freepik, rawpixel.com
33. Read The Fine Print
During my law school days, I worked part-time at a local bar, under a boss who was not the nicest person. As a diligent law student, I made sure to carefully read through my contract before signing it. I was also on shift at the time, so I took this opportunity to take my sweet time going through it.
One clause in the contract, typical for this chain of pubs, mentioned an employee's responsibility to pay for any broken stock. Specifically, if we accidentally dropped a wine bottle, it was our duty to reimburse the cost. Given my gender, the task of handling and restocking the pub with cases of wine from the cellar usually fell to me.
Given my boss' temper, I sensed it was only a matter of time before an accident might happen. In both copies of the contract—his and mine—I consciously crossed out the clause about paying for damaged goods, put my signature, and dated it before handing over the signed contract.
My boss, not making an effort to read it, overlooked the amendment I made. A few weeks into the job, he inadvertently caused me to drop and break 16 bottles. This was the perfect moment for me to enact a sort of retribution for his unfavourable treatment.
When he informed me of my obligation to pay for the damaged goods, I rejected his assertion. Stating it was part of our contract, I challenged him to produce the evidence. He brought out a generic, unsigned contract, to which I responded that the language didn't match my contract.
Fetching my contract, he finally noticed my alteration to the problematic clause. Oh, how I wish I could have captured the look on his face at that moment. I decided against going to work the following day—his face was all the satisfaction I needed.
34. Most Deserving Of A Tackle
On the final day of my sixth-grade year, I was awarded "Most Improved”. As I headed to my bus, award in hand, the school bully approached me. He grabbed my award and bolted. Despite my best efforts, I could not keep up with him due to his superior speed.
Our chase route took us to the front of the school. Coincidentally, the moment we sped past the entrance, the teacher who had given me the award emerged. Recognizing the bully and seeing me in pursuit of him, my teacher sprung into action. He charged the student and managed to tackle him down on the pavement and hold him there.
Considering the circumstances, yes, it was permissible for the teacher to intervene physically. You see, in our special education setting, teachers are authorized to use certain measures to handle disruptive behavior. In the end, I got my award back, and the student found himself suspended at the beginning of the next academic year.
35. No Tip, No Treats
I used my remaining bit of money to treat myself to a donut, rather than leaving a tip for the person who pumped my gas. Unfortunately, I ended up dropping my donut just as I was driving away from the gas station.
36. Don’t Mess With The IT Guy
I was brought on board as the office's tech whiz and handled just about everything in the workspace. One day, a client swiped my boss's brand new cellphone, which I had previously set up for remote tracking and data erasure. Strangely, my boss pointed to me as the culprit, even though I wasn't actually present at work that day.
It took three whole days and someone else's explanation before my boss understood I wasn't guilty. When I attempted to erase the data from the stolen phone, I discovered my boss had already contacted the service provider to ban the number—resulting in no available phone number, GPS, or cell data so I had no way to wipe it.
Additionally, we had security cameras installed in the office. My boss tried to retrieve footage from the day in question but accidentally left the recording process running, which caused the data file to crash and be unreadable. Because of all of this mess, my boss ended up firing me, claiming I hadn't fulfilled my unclear and vague job responsibilities.
Before long, he realized a mistake: no one else knew the passwords, how to save security footage, or even how to set up his replacement phone.
37. Watch Out For That Tree!
Roughly four years ago, I was enjoying a day at a neighborhood ski site. Out of the blue, a snowboarder sped by, almost knocking over a small child beside me as he zipped along. But, as I continued down the slope, I discovered that karma had its way of catching up.
There he was, passed out in the nearby forest, having collided with a tree. Serves him right.
38. My Name Is…
My buddy is trans and just landed a pizza delivery job recently. She blends in pretty well but is upfront about asking that people use her chosen name. Even when folks use her previous name, she won't correct them. However, her boss didn't appreciate her requests about her name and was planning on firing her for being "overly assertive about her name".
The boss intended to let my friend go the following day but ended up being fired herself for using a derogatory term towards another worker in front of a customer. My friend tells me that her new boss is a genuinely kind person and she's never felt more content in her job.
39. Paying It Forward
So, I was having sushi at this neighborhood spot. Suddenly, I spotted a $20 note slipping from the pocket of a man sitting close to me. Quickly, I scooped it up and tapped him on the shoulder to return his money. Get this, another fellow saw the whole thing unfold and offered to cover not only my meal but also my date's.
All together, it was worth more than $20.
40. Nothing To Me
I was in a steady relationship with a girl during my college years. We had plans to move in together after graduation and, in fact, I intended to propose to her on that day. However, two days before the big move, I was shocked to discover that she was unfaithful.
As a result, we ended our relationship but still had to share an apartment as we had nowhere else to go. This led to an extremely uncomfortable living situation, especially as she continued seeing the other guy. Several months into this awkward arrangement, she started showing interest in me again, even inviting me into her room one night.
This turned into a clandestine affair, all the while she was still with her boyfriend. The tipping point came when she proposed we get back together, admitting that she made a terrible mistake and was planning to leave her boyfriend for me. You can't imagine the satisfaction I felt telling her she meant nothing to me.
I began dating her old roommate soon afterwards, a girl I'd always been fond of, which just seemed to make her more upset. Now, looking back from my position of a very successful life, happily married with two kids, my ex lives in a trailer park with an unemployed husband—the very same guy she dated behind my back and ultimately married after I turned her down.
41. Keep On Waiting
I have a job in customer service, which sometimes includes stepping in as a cashier when it gets crowded, or during someone's break. Once, during an express checkout shift, I was serving four customers—one being checked out and three in line. They each only had a few items, so I was able to work through them rapidly.
That day, a woman approached from the flower section, carrying a bundle of balloons. She eyed my queue and, thinking she could bypass it, went straight to the customer service desk. This really grates me as we're obliged to serve them. The desk is purposed for things like refunds or lottery tickets, not for people who can't spare a few extra minutes to wait in line.
What's more, it's a cause of delay when the store gets crowded, slowing me down from opening a full-service counter for those who've been patiently waiting. Looking over, I saw my colleague already occupied with a regular customer, known for scrutinizing her receipts with extreme care. So, with this shopper, her transactions usually take longer than usual, regardless of what she's buying.
I continued tending to my queue at my usual speed and noticed the balloon-lady glance over. She seemed to have realized her mistake. I managed to check out two or three more customers before her turn even came at the desk. Just a petty detail, honestly, but in a sense, she got what she deserved—and to me, that felt quite satisfying.
42. Not-So-Sweet Kisses
The laundry appliances in my apartment complex operate via Bluetooth and a mobile app. I discovered that when I switch my phone to airplane mode while hitting the start button on the laundry machine, it kicks off without charging me. I felt pretty clever. I used the same trick with the dryer, which was successful at first.
However, it taught me a lesson later. When I came back to collect my clothes after an hour, I found them drenched in molten Hershey’s Kisses candy.
43. Overheard The Compliments
I tuned in to watch my friend's Twitch stream. We were casually catching up and talking about a mutual friend of ours. I indulged in a brief moment to heap praise on our amazing common friend. Initially, I was the only one watching the stream. To my surprise, the friend we were discussing had also joined in, albeit silently.
I only became aware of his presence when he responded, "Appreciate the compliments". I felt a blush of embarrassment for a split second, yet replied, "I'm blushing now, but I meant each word".
As adult men nearing our forties, this experience served as a valuable lesson in instant positive karma for my friend and a poignant reminder for me to express to my friends and family how much they mean to me.
44. Guardian Angels
A few months ago, while enjoying my vacation in San Francisco, something wonderful took place. After spending the evening with a friend at a potluck, I found myself needing to catch the BART metro back to my hotel. She dropped me off at the station close to her place, and off I went. I paid my fare, only to learn that I'd missed the last train.
Luckily, my friend was kind enough to provide bus directions. But I wasn't the only one out of luck—a man who had also missed the train was in a tough spot. He was slightly tipsy and burdened with heavy grocery bags. His destination was Richmond, quite a distance away, and he had no means of hailing an Uber.
Feeling sympathetic, I decided to call an Uber on his behalf. I told him he could reimburse me as much as he could afford. He gave me all he had—3 dollars. I accepted, not knowing how impactful this gesture would be. We had a pleasant conversation while waiting for his ride. Once his Uber arrived, he set off, and I headed to the bus.
Upon stepping onto the bus, I realized it was a MUNI bus, run by a different company, and my BART fare wouldn't apply here—I had to pay once again. A sense of panic set in when I found my wallet devoid of any dollar bills—I'd spent all I had on the previous fare.
As a last resort, I checked my back pocket for change, fully aware that I wouldn't have enough for the fare. But to my surprise, I found the $3 that the man had given me. The feeling was absolutely incredible—it felt like we'd become each other's guardian angels that night.
45. Free Fruit
I used to enjoy visiting a neighborhood fruit stand close to my former workplace before my shift started. It was a cozy little spot run by a family. One day, a young child was manning the cash register and mistakenly handed me too much change. I returned the overpayment and assured the child not to fret, mistakes like these are common, and I wouldn't tell a soul.
It seems the young one must have shared the incident with their family. Roughly two weeks later, I stopped being charged for my fruit. This delightful little perk continued for a month, until I moved on to a new job. I guess karma really does swing both ways.
46. Big Burritos
One evening, as I was stepping into a fuel stop, I encountered a man who was homeless asking me for some leftover coins. His purpose was pretty straightforward—he wished to purchase a frozen burrito for himself. Courteously, I inquired about his preference in burritos, and his response was, "My aim is to buy the largest one offered here!"
I asked him to stay there, then I headed inside and got him one of those jumbo burritos. Seeing the radiant grin that lit up his face was indeed one of the most heartwarming sights I've come across recently.
47. He’s Gotta Go
I was in charge of a steakhouse for a few years, and during that period, we had a staff member who was rather arrogant, always questioning and resisting any tasks assigned to him. I started to lose patience and would formally document his behavior whenever possible.
However, the restaurant manager strangely favored this disagreeable employee, which thwarted my plan of getting him to leave. Eventually, the employee arrived late for his shift (a common occurrence) and decided he didn't want to work that day. Instead of reprimanding him, the manager let him go and took over his shift.
He did, however, warn him to be on time for his shift the next morning, as the colleague covering for him that night was only doing so on the condition that he would take over her shift the next day. What happened next was unexpected. An hour later, a man driving a tow truck arrived, asking about the irresponsible employee and requesting his home address.
Because of our company's privacy policy, I couldn't divulge personal information about our staff. However, the man revealed he was a repo agent and offered me $200 for the information. Seeing this as a win-win situation, I accepted the money and handed over the address.
Two hours later, the tow truck driver returned, this time with the employee’s vehicle in tow. He thanked me and slipped an extra $100 my way. Unsurprisingly, the employee didn’t show up for his shift the next day and was ultimately fired. Suffice it to say, I had the last laugh in the end.
48. Her Spot
My cousin left her car parked on the street close to my place. My neighbor emerged, causing a fuss, claiming it to be her parking spot. Instead of kicking up a fuss, my cousin just relocated her car. Surprisingly, later that afternoon, one neighborhood kid accidentally bumped into my neighbor's car with his bike right at the spot where my cousin's car had previously been parked.
49. Going, Going, Gone
One day while I was in Florida, visiting a friend, I popped into a Circle K to grab a few drinks. We found ourselves in line behind some tourists who were grumbling quite loudly about everything—the steep prices, packed beaches, intense heat, and so on.
These folks were also noticeably impolite to the cashier and caused a long hold up over a squabble about their hot dog prices. Once they finally left, we headed out only to bear witness to a hilarious spectacle—right as they stepped outside, a seagull swooped in effortlessly, stealing the hot dog right out of the man's hand.
His wife let out a loud scream in utter shock, causing her to drop her own hot dog. Seeing this unfold was not only funny but it has stayed with me as a vivid memory even after five years.
50. Two Lanes, One Winner
A couple of years back, I decided to grab a quick bite from a nearby McDonald's before heading into my job. It was one of those two-lane drive-thrus. I clearly finished ordering before the guy in the other lane, yet he aggressively stepped on the accelerator to get ahead of me.
Surprisingly, this only made me chuckle due to the amusing twist of events that took place next. His car conked out right there in the drive-thru, letting me proceed as I had rightfully finished ordering first.
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