Although most people agree that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”, that is not what happens in these people's astonishing tales of vengeance. From suplexes on the school bus to a brilliant Nutella sandwich subterfuge and more, you’ll be cheering for the little guy and perhaps getting some ideas for your next nasty encounter.
1. Picked The Right One
Once upon a time, my pal and I took a cycle trip and I suddenly needed to use the restroom. I momentarily parked my bike outside McDonald’s and asked my mate to stick around for me.
Curiously, he chose to buy a McChicken during my bathroom break, leaving both cycles unsecured briefly in a risky neighborhood. Just as I was coming out of the restroom, I spotted a stranger pinching my bike. I broke into a dash after him, but he was way too quick for me.
Spotting a woman in mid-life in her car, I requested her assistance, revealing my anxiety as my bike was utterly new! Without any ado, she spun her vehicle around sharply and spurred into pursuit...Her next words made my jaw drop.
“DISEMBARK THE BIKE, YOU RASCAL! THE POLICE WILL BE ON YOUR TAIL YOU!” She was super into this, and the cheeky thief, undeterred, pedaled like crazy.
The woman daringly careered her car onto a grassy stretch, rounding a school's backdrop. Struggling to keep pace on foot, I was completely winded. Rounding the corner, I was greeted by her victorious smirk and my reclaimed bike, as the culprit fled across an open field.
I was utterly tongue-tied. I could only gain the muster to embrace her in gratitude. Handing me my bike, she confessed, “I warned him I'd involve the law, but I didn't actually.”
Climbing back into her vehicle, she hollered tauntingly at the still retreating crook, “HOIST UP YOUR TROUSERS, YOU VAGABOND!”
2. Plot Twist
During my high school algebra lesson, the teacher loudly scolded a reserved classmate who was having trouble grasping binomial factoring. Despite tears welling in his eyes and eventually sobbing uncontrollably, the teacher didn't relent.
The situation got so tense that others in the class intervened, asking her to desist. But she dismissed them with threats of calling their parents. Choosing to step in, I told her firmly, "Enough, Ma'am." When she threatened to involve my mother, I agreed without hesitation.
I made my way to the school phone, dialed my mom's number, and switched on the speakerphone. The teacher decided to go along with it. She spoke to my mom about the incident and concluded by suggesting that she should severely punish me.
After taking in all the teacher had to say, my mom, with her distinctive Asian accent, requested, "Do tell my son that I am immensely proud of him." That's a victory for mom.
3. A Very Happy Birthday
On the day I turned 15, I was heading home from school on the bus. Riding the school bus can be quite vexing, as there's the potential humiliation of merely being on it and you might end up sharing the space with a nuisance.
This one burly kid, weighing around 250 pounds, was particularly problematic. He seemed to enjoy belittling and harassing people and unfortunately, I was frequently on the receiving end of his antics.
On this special day of mine, he wouldn't stop berating me and slapping me on the back of the head repeatedly. Eventually, my patience wore thin—it was my birthday after all! I whirled around, yelled at him to hush, and struck him square in the face.
He let out a yell and clutched at his face. Blood began to pour profusely over his hands, staining his shirt and bus floor. He started wailing, accusing me of breaking his nose. The bus driver lost his cool and made an abrupt stop, announcing that we were all heading back to school to be hauled up to the principal's office.
The principal had a private meeting with him first and then called me in. When explaining the incident to the principal, I apprehensively concluded with, "So, am I in big trouble now?"
The principal sized me up before responding, "Not at all. It's high time somebody stood up to that boy". As you could guess, I walked out of his office with a grin plastered on my face. Without a shadow of doubt, that was the best birthday present I could have wished for.
4. A Night To Remember
I had just left a club downtown and was in need of a ride. With my pockets empty and without a cell, I found myself in a rather sketchy part of town at 3 am. My saving grace was a phone booth half a block down.
As I neared it, a striking, scantily dressed blonde was already occupying it. Reducing my pace, I hoped she'd be done by the time I reached the booth. I stayed back a bit to avoid startling her, and as I waited, a sinking feeling crept upon me.
The booth was located on a corner encased by tall, bush-studded planters on three sides. A quick scan of my surroundings revealed that we weren't alone. There was a man, half-hidden behind a planter, ogling at the woman.
He hadn't noticed me yet, and from his demeanor, it became painfully clear that he had ill intentions for the lady once she hung up. I relocated strategically to the other side of the booth. Here, both the woman and the lurking man would have a clear view of me.
As our eyes locked, it was the start of a five-minute stare-down. Unaware of her admirer, the woman carried on her phone conversation, occasionally shooting me suspicious glances. The lurking man signaled me to leave with a casual nod, all the while, the woman seemed to get increasingly annoyed by my presence.
Fear washed over me. The man could have a blade or even worse weapons with him, but out of nowhere, he stepped out of his hiding, circled the phone booth, sizing me up as if he was planning to slit my throat.
After making a complete 180 degrees around the booth, he vanished past the intersection. With the threatening presence gone, I felt my heart rate regularize. The woman hung up and turned to me with a puzzled expression. "What's your problem," she quizzed.
I shrugged and simply stated that I needed to use the phone. She huffed and called me a "freak," right before hopping into a conveniently arrived cab. As she drove away, I couldn't stop laughing.
5. Showdown At The Service Station
When I stepped out of my car at the fuel station, a woman's cries pierced the air. I noticed a man dangerously reaching into a pickup truck's window, seeming to attack or snatch something from her.
Markedly, another man from across the pump intervened, asking the aggressive man about his antics. "Keep your nose out of it!" the man gruffly retorted. As I looked around, a new face was approaching the scene.
Deciding to step in, I cautioned the aggressive man, "Ease up, mate, or you're going to regret it". Dead silent. Now, I'm not exactly an intimidating character, but the hostile man noted a group starting to gather around him.
The woman's sobbing persisted, and one of the onlookers made his way to check on her. Pointing at the aggressive man, another guy motioned for him to back off from the truck. I headed into the shop and prompted the cashier to call the police.
Upon emerging, there was a heavy quiet. Two of the men held the aggressor against a pump while they waited for the police to arrive. Meanwhile, an older couple was comforting the woman. Seeing that, I quietly exited the scene.
As someone who's usually pretty geeky, this was probably on the top of my list for bold actions I've taken. Whew.
6. Locker Room Nightmare
Throughout high school, I practiced Judo and was on the wrestling team for three years until a certain event took place. I found it tough to get along with most people on the wrestling team, mainly because of the recurrent student-inflicted bullying.
The school staff tended to ignore this, with the wrestling coach even promoting it in the belief that it toughened us. I was approximately 5'11" tall and weighed around 171 lbs, so I was not bothered much. However, smaller younger students were regularly subject to bullying.
One day, I encountered a disturbing scene in the locker room where two teammates were picking on another student. While one pinned him down, the other was inappropriately close with his shorts down.
I couldn't tell if they were just humiliating him, or if they were doing something worse. Either way, I lost my temper. I snuck up on the one who was pinning down the student, tapped his shoulder, and punched him hard in the face as soon as he turned.
The sight of me hitting his friend scared the other guy so much that he tripped while pulling up his shorts. I grabbed the second guy's face and slammed the back of his head against a locker with all my force. Then, I quickly left the room before either guy could get up.
That was my last day at wrestling practice. I don't even know what happened to those guys or the student they were bullying, but my hand ached for weeks afterward. I was never confronted about that day and didn't see any of them for the remainder of the academic year.
My mom is upset that I quit wrestling in high school but, I think she would understand if I told her the real reason.
7. Kids Say The Darndest Things
I work as a special education teacher for nine students, each diagnosed with autism. All of my students are in the first and second grades and can be a part of a regular classroom environment for most of the day with little assistance.
This incident occurred during the second day of the school year as I was still getting to know everyone. One particular event I remember clearly is when one of my students was using his sense of smell to explore a wall mural in the school hallway.
This is how he prefers to understand new environments, people, and activities. Suddenly, a group of eighth-graders turned the corner. One of the older boys taunted, "What are you doing, freak?"
I quickly moved to intervene, but before I could say a word, a tiny first-grader, barely noticeable with her freckles and missing teeth, jumped in. This petite girl, though small for her age, stood her ground and looked at the eighth graders fiercely.
In a surprisingly strong voice that resonated throughout the hallway, she retorted, "He is just being himself, OK?" The older boy seemed taken aback and actually apologized, first to her and then to the boy he had insulted.
As he and his friends walked off, his buddies teased him for his behavior. I stood there, pleased, never having had to step in and correct the situation as a teacher.
Dmitrii Pridannikov, Shutterstock
8. Rude For Noods
I once had a job as an assistant manager at a dollar store. Even though my position required me to keep order, as a naturally shy person, I usually managed to avoid directly confronting customers—until one specific incident. One day, a rather irritating man came in and started behaving terribly towards my 15-year-old cashier.
This innocent cashier didn't deserve the harsh words he was throwing at her. We sold two types of ramen, the brick kind, 4 for a dollar, and the cup kind, 2 for a dollar. This man, apparently unable to read duly, assumed the cupped ramen was 4 for a dollar.
Despite his misunderstanding, he didn't raise a word of protest when my cashier informed him of the total. Once he left the store and returned, he exploded in anger. The poor cashier tried to apologize and offered to get me to resolve it, but he just continued to yell at her and call her a moron.
I couldn't stand by and watch, so I stepped in. In an effort to keep things calm, I pretended to be on his side to understand the situation. Another customer chimed in to voice their support for the cashier. I thanked them, but asked that they let me handle it.
The angry customer was thrilled to have someone apparently on his side. I started recapping his side of the story, leading him all this time to the noodle section, clearly marked with the right prices. Once we got there, I looked at him and said, “The only person having trouble reading here is you.
There will be no refund, no exchange and certainly no apology from us.” But it didn't end there. I continued: "You are no longer welcome in this store because of your unacceptable behavior. We appreciate customers who show mutual respect and certainly those who don't reduce our employees to tears. You're no longer welcome here. Please leave and never return."
He tried to argue back, but the other customers' applause drowned him out. A few days later, the district manager lightly reprimanded me while trying not to smirk, for my choice of words and raised voice.
But in the end, I got to be an unexpected hero to my cashier, a fantastic employee. That day marked my first bold and memorable showdown with a rude customer.
9. Not-So-Sweet Dreams
Recently, while staying in a hotel, I was disturbed around 10:00 pm by a group of kids causing commotion in the hallway. When I checked, I witnessed four children along with a baby, who was being carried by a slightly older child, scampering around loudly.
They seemed to emerge from a specific room. The door to this room was not fully closed. On entering, I noticed a small 4-year-old girl with a bleeding nose and an extremely drunk father, mumbling incoherently.
The room was in chaos. Not long after, the mother appeared. She seemed frightened, leading me to believe that there might've been an argument. Despite not being a physically imposing figure, I managed to remove the drunk man from the scene and lead the mother and children to my own room.
I reached out to the local authorities and while waiting for their arrival, the children, surprisingly unaffected by the whole ordeal, watched cartoons on my laptop. The father was taken by the authorities, though I doubt it was for a significant duration.
Oddly enough, throughout the confusing incident, no one else from our floor bothered to investigate the disturbance.
10. Life Of The Party
This story takes us back to 1997, during my time at the University of California, Santa Barbara. One day, the police crashed our house party, responding to a noise complaint from our neighbors.
Even after we complied and turned down the music, they started inspecting our bedroom doors. Given the reputation of our place as a party house, you could bet we had the sense to keep our doors locked.
An officer shouted, "Who lives here? Someone needs to open these doors!" So, I strolled up—a drink in hand (I was of age, mind you)—and stunned the room speechless with my retort: "Look, I'm not a lawyer, but we've lowered the music. Unless you show me a search warrant, you're defying the law. I'd kindly ask you to please leave."
Then, the same officer started to confront me. She threatened to haul me off to the station. I calmly replied that I was on private property, abiding by all laws, and unless someone produced a search warrant, I would consider pressing charges for trespassing.
Then, an older cop stepped in, subtly but decidedly pulling her aside, saying, "We should leave." I must admit, I felt quite heroic!
11. Faceoff
Growing up, my dad would often make sarcastic comments and subtly imply physical threats to keep us in check, which was a regular occurrence at our home. He was a huge hockey fan and made sure my brothers and I got involved in the sport as soon as we were old enough to wear skates.
He often acted as one of those overbearing sports dads who act obnoxiously at games. When I turned 17, I decided to step away from sports, even though I was quite good at them. During a family dinner, I announced that I was leaving hockey for good to pursue running. My dad instantly launched into a tirade about quitting.
He went on about how I would be a failure my entire life, how he was certain that this was my true calling, and so on.
Finally, I cut him off and said, "Dad, you're the one who's mistaken. None of us are going to make it to the NHL or become professional soccer or baseball players. The only failure in this room is the one who bullies his kids into trying to achieve dreams they don't even want."
When he looked like he was about to come at me, I shoved the table away to give myself some space, and told him that if he wanted a confrontation, he was welcome to try. I was no longer the afraid 12-year-old boy and I was done tolerating his nonsense. He backed off and retreated to his bedroom.
A few months later, when my younger brother also quit hockey, my dad hardly reacted. It was a tremendous relief.
12. Best Served Cold
My sister, who isn't able-bodied, and I were enjoying a trip to Vail, Colorado, with some pals. Despite her struggles, my sister loves soaking in nature and life’s pleasures. We spent some time in the town square, surrounded by swanky bars and pricy eating spots.
Suddenly, a gaggle of girls dressed in Uggs, pearls, and designer gear whisked by us. I was in the middle of sharing a funny anecdote with my sister, and her infectious laughter was echoing around us.
One of the girls, who seemed to fancy herself as a Paris Hilton clone, started cruelly mimicking my sister to entertain her group. They called her names, comparing her laughter to a braying donkey and a noisy puppy. Seeing my sister's laughter dissolve, replaced by a familiar downcast look from high school when she was bullied—it made me see red.
Acting on an intense urge, I scooped up a clump of icy, mud-colored snow and hurled it at the girl who'd started the mean-spirited mockery. The snowball hit her from behind; they were already walking away from us.
It knocked her off balance, and she grabbed onto her friends to try to steady herself, resulting in all of them toppling over in a heap. The silence that followed was broken by spontaneous laughter and applause from those around us.
Seeing my sister's smile return made every potential risk of retribution completely worthwhile.
13. Very Unappetizing
Once, while enjoying a meal at a restaurant with my mom, a rather loud guy at a neighboring table was making quite a scene. He was using inappropriate language and shouting about immigration and liberals, with little regard for the kids in the vicinity.
The woman he was with chimed in occasionally but her words were drowned out by his rants. Given the topic of his displeasure, I anticipated he'd eventually express some biased views about Mexicans.
Being half Mexican myself, I decided to confront him if he crossed that line. Before long, he proved my prediction right, declaring loudly about personally taking all the 'Mexicans back to Mexico'. His outburst met with an uncomfortable silence.
Upon hearing his rude remark, I immediately approached their table. He was in the middle of conversation with his companion, who shot me a worried glance as I neared them. Without missing a beat, I asked him point-blank, "Being that I'm Mexican, are you going to take me to Mexico too?"
He tried to stand up, but upon seeing he was smaller and lighter than me, he halted. The most amusing part was his abrupt change of tone, from confidently starting, "MAYBE..." he trailed off into a quiet "...I will", when he really saw me.
I promptly retorted, "No, you won't. There are children here, and you need to keep your opinions and your volume checked. Otherwise, it might be you who ends up taken to Mexico." He attempted to backtrack, claiming he didn't mean me, but I was in no mood to listen.
A few people applauded this little encounter. I spotted the workers, many of them Mexicans themselves, grinning from the kitchen. One even gave me a thumbs up. After this, he stayed quiet and mumbled a few words.
Eventually, they both got up and left, ending their noisy tirade.
14. The New Kid
In my first year at a new school, I was more of a silent observer since I was quite shy and all I really wanted was to stay unnoticed. One day, while on the bus back home, two older boys started to bully a boy from my grade, who was a bit overweight and clumsy.
They sat several seats away from him with me stuck in the middle. They were throwing things at him and taunting him about his father who had passed away the previous year.
As this was happening, I found my anger rising. In a moment of courage, I jumped to my feet and shouted, "Quit being such insensitive clowns! It's not okay to mock someone who has lost his father! What on earth is wrong with you?"
I'm not sure if they were taken aback by my strong stand or simply shocked that the usually quiet new girl had spoken up, but all they could do was stare at me in surprise. After my outburst, I sat back down, feeling furious and embarrassed, my face glowing red.
But when I stepped off the bus, the bus driver, who I had initially found to be a bit intimidating but now think was just tired of the rowdy students, praised me for stepping up. Even today, I'm surprised and proud of the bravery I showed that day.
Sean Locke Photography, Shutterstock
15. Now, That’s Awkward
A couple of years ago, I was on my way home on the subway. I noticed a young woman sitting quietly, and a little distance away, there was a group of three older guys. One of them began to throw unkind words towards her, growing increasingly loud and aggressive.
The other passengers were sitting idle, just watching it all happen. Nobody was stepping in. Eventually, the main instigator laughed and declared, “You'll see what I'm going to do next.” He then stood up and stalked towards the girl.
Being bigger than him, I stood in his path before he could get to her and warned him to back off. He brushed past me. He then slid across the seat to try and sit beside her, but I squeezed in between them.
For the rest of the journey, I sat protecting the girl from this guy, who was now clearly uncomfortable having been confronted. As I stepped off at my stop, an older passenger caught my eyes and shared a appreciative smile with me.
16. Mwahahaha
When I was around three, I frequently played with a peer. Sadly, his sole interest was wrestling, which often resulted in me getting hurt. After appealing tearfully to my mom for the seventh time, she simply told me "Stand up for yourself."
So during our next wrestling match, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I took him down with a strong move and bent his leg. This time, he was the one who ended up in tears, running to his mom.
17. Something Wicked This Way Comes
I attended a highly traditional Christian high school, which was Baptist to be precise. It was so orthodox that they completely disregarded observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day, despite the fact that MLK was also a Baptist.
The school was situated in Northern California, and not one African-American was part of the church congregation. The community was extremely right-wing, white people who followed literal Genesis creationism.
They considered drums and amplified guitars to be evil, viewed Christian rock as harmful as non-Christian rock, and believed their prayers were instrumental in George W. Bush's elections. During my senior year, for a fortnight, our regular timetable was heavily altered to accommodate a study on a Shakespearean play.
An acquaintance of the school and her spouse, both so-called "experts", took over our first two periods, Bible and English, for a thorough Shakespeare study. The Bible period was dropped for the two weeks and English morphed into a double-period.
The chosen play was Macbeth. In one of the history lessons during this time, my history teacher, who doubled as my English teacher, lectured us about the potential dangers of rock music. He referenced some ridiculous book that listed the occult practises of various famous bands.
While he was on his tirade, I decided to question him. I asked him if he was implying that these bands negatively influence us due to their occultic behaviour. When he agreed, I probed further, asking if he believed that by listening to and allowing such music, we were opening ourselves up to demonic influence.
Once more, he answered in the affirmative. My next question caught him off-guard. I asked, “Why are we so eagerly suspending Bible study for two weeks to voluntarily examine a play by Shakespeare which is entirely predicated on witchcraft and the occult? Why delve into a play that is filled with violence and debauchery? Is there truly a difference between Shakespeare and Led Zeppelin?”
His inability to respond, paired with the stunned expression on his face, struck a chord with the class. The silence was broken by a wave of laughter and I was congratulated by my classmates for my boldness. It felt like I had accomplished a herculean task.
Krakenimages.com, Shutterstock
18. Hold Your Applause
This incident took place when I was around 21, traveling on the Skytrain from downtown back to the suburbs. An elderly woman was seated alone near the entrance, and three very drunk young punks boarded the train. Right away, one of them approached the old lady and stood over her threateningly, leaning against the train wall.
She was clearly scared. At the time, I sported long hair and likely looked as rebellious as these boys, so when I got up, the other passengers might have been unsure of whose side I was on. I slinked in, positioned myself under the guy's threatening arm, and rose to look him in the eye, effectively putting myself between him and the elderly woman. No words were exchanged.
The entire train compartment fell silent. As the next stop approached, no one stirred. Hearing the signals that indicated the doors would soon close, I quickly shoved the punk onto the platform, propelling him with his backend facing forward, just as the train started to move. His two pals remained on the train, dumbstruck.
The rest of the journey was quiet until we reached the following stop. At that point, the doors opened, and the remaining two boys quickly left the train. I strolled off the train afterward, greeted by the beaming faces of my fellow passengers, most notably the old lady's. That appreciation was everything I needed.
19. Wound Of Honor
Back in high school, I was having lunch with my friends, the so-called "uncool" kids. We usually sat next to the bunch known as the "bros". One day, a student with special needs walked past our groups. A guy from the "bros" thought it would be hilarious to jump on this student’s back, pretending to ride him like a wild bull.
Some found it funny, but most were simply stunned. Fueled by indignation, I—despite being quite skinny—decided to confront this big fellow. I pulled him off the student, berating him for his horrendous act. In the process, I got roughed up—nose broken and everything.
Unexpectedly, some other students came to my rescue, which likely saved me from further harm. They expressed their gratitude for my stand against wrongdoing. To this day, my nose remains slightly skewed.
20. Not-So-Smarty Pants
I enjoy spending time in a local college bar, where I can catch up on my grading while enjoying a drink. On certain nights, this place hosts a trivia competition where groups can win free grub and beverages by giving correct answers. Last winter, while I was grading papers, I found myself sitting next to a group of what seemed like middle-aged and older gentlemen.
Intriguingly, this lot had chosen "The Inklings" as their team name—a nod to the famed club that included literary giants C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams among others. Given their conversation, it seemed as though they taught in fields such as communications or information technology.
Myself being an English professor with a special interest in The Inklings, their name choice was a pleasant surprise, though I wasn't entirely sure of their reasoning. As the night progressed, however, one among them began to act somewhat disruptively—and chaos ensued for everyone to witness.
He was getting rowdier by the minute, frequently using coarse language, outwardly accusing other teams of cheating, and unabashedly disputing any answer he got wrong. It was getting terribly irksome and I knew I had to intervene.
The final straw was when he began ranting about an alleged cheating ring involving a group of innocent, young female students who weren't doing anything more suspicious than occasionally getting a question right. Fed up, I decided to do something about it the moment he finished his tirade.
Deliberately, I knocked over my chair for effect, then calmly walked over to their table and firmly rested my hands on it. Looking him directly in the eye, I bluntly told him, “Your behavior is completely inappropriate. Any member of The Inklings, even the less known Hugo Dyson, wouldn't hesitate to knock some sense into you for acting like this. Enough is enough."
He was visibly shocked. But the cherry on top was when one of his buddies leaned over and softly reprimanded, “He's got a point, Tom”.
TheVisualsYouNeed, Shutterstock
21. The Ride Of His Life
One afternoon, my friends and I were cruising in my little Mini Cooper on a peaceful road. Out of nowhere, a group of obnoxious kids started throwing objects onto the street. Forced to swerve and miss a stone, their demeaning shouts aimed at us filled the air.
We decided to keep driving until my friend suggested, "Let's go back and give them a fright." I abruptly hit the brakes and shifted into reverse. My plan was simple: back up swiftly, startle them, then toss some of my car's litter onto them.
However, my lack of driving skills made me reverse too quickly, and when I hit the brakes again, I must have unintentionally moved the steering wheel. Miraculously, I executed a near-perfect 180-degree spin. The tires squealed, adding to the drama.
The best part was that my unplanned but perfectly timed maneuver made the car come to a stop right next to them. They were instantly terrified and began to scramble away, completely oblivious to the fact that I hadn't meant to look so cool.
22. Fifth Time’s The Charm?
So, picture this: I lightly bonked a dude on the head with a tub of half-eaten popcorn, meanwhile shouting, "YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!" My excuse?
This happened after he took his fifth call during the screening of Avatar. So, would this be justified?
23. 10/10 Clapback
I was in a Dollar Tree when a woman began to hassle the cashier. The cashier tried patience, explaining that she couldn't give a cash refund without a receipt, but would happily provide a store voucher. The woman just kept hurling insults as the cashier stayed as courteous as she could. That's when I began to applaud.
The woman spun around, asking "What's your problem?" I casually commented on her wonderful acting skills, suggested she either stop behaving rudely to the cashier or leave. She tried to retort, but I calmly interjected, "End of discussion." She was seething. Releasing a stream of curse words towards me, she stormed out.
The moment she left, everyone in the store burst into applause, and the grateful cashier thanked me. I assured her no one should be subjected to that kind of treatment. Afterwards, I popped into the grocery store next door and bought a cake for all the cashiers.
24. Simple, Yet Effective
Last year in my English class, a girl accidentally knocked over her water bottle. The girl sitting next to her started to sarcastically clap and said, "Great job"! I moved my chair back, got up, and responded, "Instead of clapping, why don't you help her"?
I left the room to grab some paper towels and assisted in cleaning up. Believe it or not, the sarcastic girl kept quiet for the following week.
25. A Very Sneaky Sando
There's a special needs kid at our school named Robbie, who is always friendly and chatty. Sadly, some of the boys liked to tease him and sometimes encouraged him to do things that would embarrass or hurt him. Nothing major, but still not nice. They especially loved stealing his Friday lunch, which was always a Nutella sandwich from his mom.
One specific Friday, I managed to sway my mom into swapping my healthier lunch for a Nutella sandwich. At recess, while in the park, I found some dog poop and deceptively put it into my sandwich. When lunchtime came, I gave Robbie my sandwich to hold, instructing him to keep still.
Predictably, the guys came looking for their usual spoil. Matt, who was the second largest and arguably the most unpleasant in class, seized the chance to grab Robbie's sandwich. He took a generous bite as he dashed off. The sight was captivating. He had eaten half of it before he realized something was seriously off.
Hiccups, choking and eventual vomiting ensued. While Matt was regurgitating, Robbie was making a spectacle, chanting, "YOU ATE DOG POOP! YOU ATE DOG POOP! YOU DIRTY POOP EATER" with glee. To my surprise, he had figured out the whole plan! It was a hilarious sight and everyone was laughing uncontrollably.
Eventually, as Matt regained his composure, he made a beeline for Robbie, which I hadn't anticipated... Out of nowhere, Anton, Matt's loyal buddy and the biggest guy in our class, intervened. He told Matt to back off and, shockingly, Matt complied.
This move significantly dented his reputation amongst the boys. As Matt desperately tried to regain his status, he only revealed his true colors, which eventually empowered the other boys to stand up to him more and more.
26. Above And Way Beyond The Call
While I was working at Sears' tool department, a man came in insisting that we replace his broken Walmart wrench with one from Sears. He found it absurd when the cashier turned down this unreasonable request. As he began to lose his temper, I felt the need to intervene.
I found the wrench's manufacturer online and even proposed to call them, despite them having no connection with Sears. He begrudgingly agreed. I chatted with the company's customer service who pledged to promptly send a new wrench to his home. Oddly, hearing this offer only made the man angrier. I couldn't help but wonder if his outburst was pushing me to protect the cashier...
Remaining poised, I assured him I had tried my best. If he didn't want to accept the manufacturer's solution, there was not much else I could do. As he escalated to threatening my life, I disregarded him and focused on keeping calm, acting as a shield between him and the distressed cashier who ran off to get a manager.
In a turn of events, security arrived just as the man got rowdy and he was subsequently banned from the store. The incident became the talk of the day—colleagues were in awe of how I had stood my ground, even when the threat got so serious. The best part? It sparked a friendship between the cashier and me which lasted until I left the job.
27. Boom! Roasted
While shopping with my mom, a pack of rowdy kids were stirring up trouble. Seeing it was Christmas season, my mom playfully warned, "Behave, otherwise, Santa won't leave you any presents!"
To this, the children's mother marched up to us, asserting my mom had no right to intervene in her kids' affairs. My mom offered a sly response, "Oops! Judging by their behavior, I mistakenly thought they were orphans."
28. Desperate Times…
Growing up, I was typically taller than most of my peers. My folks always advised me not to engage in fights, but instead, seek help from a teacher or any adult nearby. They believed being bigger might get me into trouble, even if I was only acting defensively. This hands-off approach made me an easy target for bullies, both for my size and my refusal to retaliate.
It completely dampened my spirits—but there would come a time when I had my chance to shine. In a conversation with the teacher, she confessed to my parents that she couldn't stop the bullies unless the events unfolded in front of her.
Following this, my mom sat me down one day, let out a sigh, and said, "It's alright to stand up for yourself". The very next day, the bullies made their approach yet again, clueless about my newfound understanding. With the first punch that was thrown, I took action.
I managed to bump two of the bullies out of my way, hurled another onto a fence, and pinned the last one down until he began to cry. Oddly enough, I didn't get into any trouble.
29. Speaking Truth To Power
Due to circumstances not central to this tale, I found myself in a Catholic high school in the 10th grade even though I'm not Catholic. In theology class one day, the priest-cum-teacher started a heated discussion about homosexuality being evil and not permitting your son's partner in your home for various reasons.
Feeling incensed, I questioned him about why he would promote animosity towards their potential future children for any reason. He retorted with provocative inquiries such as, "So you wouldn't mind seeing them kissing?" I responded by saying that my children's happiness would be my main concern and taking his advice only seemed to guarantee their unhappiness.
In my defense, I admit I wasn't very respectful in my response, so I ended up in the principal's office who repeated the same line of questioning. When I informed him that I would be leaving, he warned that it was technically illegal without permission.
I retorted that he might want to inform the authorities since they wouldn't be able to prevent me from going. When I arrived home, my dad was initially furious about me cutting school until I recounted the day's events. Instead of the anger I anticipated, he turned out to be proud of me. It's worth noting that his brother is gay.
30. Stroke Of Genius
Back in high school, I was seriously the tallest and heaviest kid, standing at 6'6" and weighing 350 lbs. My parents instilled in me the value of openness, so when I saw people bullying my good friend, who happens to be gay, my immediate reaction was to make the perpetrator feel as uneasy as possible.
First, I'd use touch and other warm gestures, full of camaraderie. Then, when they resorted to name-calling, I'd confirm that I'm actually straight, but I'm confident enough in who I am that their jibes didn't rattle me. It didn't take me long to show these narrow-minded bullies a thing or two.
31. Crotch Fruit Gone Wild
I was at a coffee shop when this lady let her five-year-old child wreak havoc. The kid was causing chaos, breaking things, and bothering everyone. The breaking point was when he kicked the elderly woman queuing behind me. Noticing the mom just smirking, I figured it was time to step in...
"Pardon me, ma’am," I declared loud enough for everyone to hear. "It seems like your babysitter's got the day off, how about I give your kid a mild shock to remind him of the rules, since you seem to not be very interested in doing so?" The woman huffed out angrily.
The elderly woman then lightly tapped my arm, saying, “I was under the impression that your generation lacked manners, but you've proved me wrong."
32. Cool In The Face Of Danger
I attempted to start a chat with a guy while standing in the queue for drinks at a pretty tough-looking bar in a little town in Canada. But instead of having a normal conversation, he decided to take me by total surprise—he hit me in the face. I was a bit tipsy and genuinely surprised, I even asked, "Did you actually just hit me?"
In response, he threw another weak punch at me, confirming my thoughts. I responded, "You really did hit me! That's not cool." After that, I turned away, picked up my drink, and made sure he was booted out.
I'd always imagined myself as a surprise hero in such situations, but I discovered I'm way less confrontational than I ever thought.
33. Panic On The Dance Floor
Not long ago, I found myself in a rustic biker bar with some friends in a mid-sized town. The bar was packed and I happened to be one of two individuals of Pakistani/Indian descent present—there were likely another five or six people of color visible throughout the crowd.
At some point, I got lost from my cohorts and started scanning the dancefloor for them. Out of nowhere, a stranger clutched my shoulder and spun me around. Meeting my gaze, he uttered, "Shouldn't you be steering a taxi or something similar "?
Calmly, I approached him, embraced him warmly, and asserted, “Wow, I can’t believe I ran into you. Your mom may not have shared this, but I happen to be your dad. That's right, I had a relationship with your mom for a while." With that, I pivoted and walked off, leaving him too shocked to rebut.
34. Heckling The Heckler
This incident took place just one week before I was set to graduate from a liberal arts haven called Hampshire College in Western Massachusetts. A man who had graduated back in the 70s paid us a visit to share passages from his autobiography.
However, his narrative wasn't exactly welcomed by the student audience in the lecture room. In fact, an individual student went to the extent of openly criticizing his harsh depiction of his college life. This student was keen on making the author feel remorseful about his own personal experiences.
In one of her last attempts, she confessed to not having read his book in its entirety, but only a tiny part of a review. When she attempted to speak again, I interjected saying, "You didn't even read the book". Unexpectedly, my interruption was greeted with abundant applause, and I even managed to bring a smile to our guest's face.
ESB Professional, Shutterstock
35. You Got Told
My young four-year-old stepson and I were riding the bus to our neighborhood swimming pool. A boisterous group of college guys were there too, using a lot of foul language. My fearless little stepson made up his mind to correct them.
He loudly, but innocently, reprimanded, "YOU SHOULDN'T USE SUCH NAUGHTY WORDS! MOMMY WILL CLEAN YOUR MOUTH WITH SOAP IF SHE HEARS THAT!" The young men were taken aback being admonished by such a tiny tot.
Following this, their eyes turned to me, but I simply raised an eyebrow, trying hard to suppress my urge to break out in laughter.
36. A Nose For Trouble
During my grade school years, I often found myself the subject of mockery. I was the only Indian student in my middle school, located in a small, rural, and predominantly white college town. There was this unsophisticated country boy in my gym class who always seemed to pick on me, usually during roll call.
While I usually kept my head down and ignored it, one day he crossed the line...
The day I'm referring to, he called me a hurtful and offensive name — Osama Bin Laden, infamous for orchestrating 9/11. Enraged, I confronted him and kicked him squarely in the nose, all while he was sitting down. His nose broke, and before I could do anything else, I was restrained.
My actions landed me an in-school suspension for a day. However, he got a longer sentence—a whole week—and was additionally charged with committing a hate offense. He never dared to bother me after that.
37. Tough Guy
A good friend of mine happens to be a gay man. One time, while we were at a petrol station in a little town in Iowa, a worker hurled a rude insult at him. My friend halted, turned back, and with a tight grip on the man's collar announced in a lisping voice, "At times, we fight back."
Afterward, he tossed the man into a huge candy rack. All of us, myself included, were completely taken aback.
38. Worst Excuse Ever
During my final week of a month-long visit to Tokyo, I found myself hanging out by Shibuya station, taking a break on one of the round benches there. It's a prime spot for people watching, because it's where most people in Tokyo choose to meet up with their buddies.
As I sat there, I spotted a European man, probably in his mid-thirties. He was trying to chat up any solo girl sat nearby but kept getting turned down. At first, I just found it amusing how terrible his approach was. Unexpectedly, he plopped himself down next to two middle-school girls occupying the same bench as me.
He started engaging them in a clumsy mix of English and Japanese. The girls seemed quite uncomfortable but were trying hard to remain courteous. I was becoming increasingly appalled, so I got involved. I looked him straight in the eye, and warned, "You know these girls are only in middle school, right?"
I should mention, I'm Asian-American, but he probably just assumed I was another Japanese onlooker. His reaction was one of surprise, but he defensively retorted, "I just like girls". As I rolled my eyes at his pitiful response, the girls seized their chance to leave.
Once they'd gone, I took another puff of my cigarette, shook my head, and watched as the sleazy guy hurriedly left the vicinity.
39. My, How The Tables Have Turned
My buddy once told me about a four-hour train ride he shared with a mom, her around five-year-old child, and another woman. The kid was going ballistic, creating chaos by shouting, bouncing on seats, and generally bothering everyone. The kid even went so far as to spit on the other woman intentionally.
The woman, rightfully disgusted, cleaned herself up and asked the mom to discipline her child. The mom's response was, "I believe in learning through exploration, so I don't want to restrict him." As the train pulled into the station, my friend stood up, spat on the mom, and retorted, "Guess what? My mom has the same philosophy as yours."
40. Malicious Compliance For Sure
Back in high school, I had a shirt with George Bush's face on it, labeled "international monster". This wasn't popular with one of my teachers, who happened to be a Republican and American, while I'm Canadian. One day, she asked me to remove my shirt, assuming I'd replace it with another.
But I decided to give her a surprise—I just took it off and stayed in my undershirt, much to her dismay. The whole class found this hilariously funny. Long story short, this stunt got me suspended. In response, I penned a 12-page letter to the school board.
In it, I threatened to sue everyone—teachers, staff, and administration alike, in Quebec, for infringing on my freedom of speech. Surprisingly, they allowed me to return to school just two days later.
41. Like A Ton Of Bricks
When I was in second grade, a girl in my class had a bit of a crush on me. One recess, a boy started to pelt her with dirt and pine needles. I felt the need to step in and protect her. I told him to hassle someone his own size—a cheesy line, but I was into comic books back then.
That boy picked up a large chunk of dirt, giving me a threatening glare. I planned to simply dodge when he threw it, picturing it flying dramatically over my head. But it wasn't just dirt—it was actually a brick coated with dirt. The bully hurled it at me, and though I tried to dodge, it smashed into my face and sent me stumbling backwards.
I got back up, bleeding from my nose, just as a teacher raced over and brought me to the school nurse. I get nosebleeds easily ever since, and I never did go out with that girl. Despite all this, the experience taught me that even if the good guys often struggle, there needs to be someone to stand up to bullies.
42. Snappy Comeback
My partner and I were at a Cher concert, sitting between two other gay guys on our left and a friendly older woman on our right. She sat alone but seemed to be having a better time than us. The guys on our left would frequently leave their seats to grab drinks or use the restroom, which turned out to be quite bothersome.
After a while, noticing our irritation, one of the guys tried to befriend us by pointing out the woman to our right and mocking, "Look at that lady there. I bet that's not even her real hair". Without skipping a beat, my partner quickly responded, "I wish you wouldn't talk about my Mom like that".
I've never witnessed such a quick retraction. Thankfully, after this, they started using the opposite direction to leave their seats.
43. Now There’s A Happy Ending
I found myself at a sophisticated business gathering where everyone was dressed to the nines in formal suits. There was this one really towering man, both tall and hefty, who was seriously drunk.
In his inebriated state, he decided to pick up an attractive woman from behind, by encircling his arms around her torso and playfully swinging her back and forth. All the while, you could see the absolute terror on her face.
At the time, I was of average stature and tipped the scales at around 150 pounds, or roughly 68 kg. I steeled myself and approached him, calmly but firmly telling him, “If you don’t immediately set her down, I swear I'll take you on." He obliged and put her down.
That night, I ended up having a lucky encounter.
44. Big Man Off Campus
While I was back home from university during summer, I bumped into two of the most annoying guys from my elementary school right at the entrance of Chipotle. As soon as they spotted me, one of them called me a mean name. Just then, an idea popped into my head.
I spun around and cheerfully asked, "Hey guys! How's university going for you?" They were caught off-guard and couldn't say anything. I felt victorious.
Cast Of Thousands, Shutterstock
45. What Happens On The Plane To Vegas…
When I turned 21, I hopped on a flight to Las Vegas on an aged Southwest plane featuring those unique rows of backward-facing seats. I opted for one of these seats. Directly across from me sat a stunningly beautiful woman in her early twenties next to the window, and an unrelated man around 40 in the aisle seat.
I'm not one to shy away from conversation, so when the 40-year-old man initiated some casual chit-chat, I was more than open to it. Unexpectedly, he made a crude comment, gesturing towards the young woman. He said with a brash grin, "Well… at least you have some eye candy for the journey."
She obviously was offended. To diffuse the awkwardness, I acted puzzled and responded, "Um, indeed, your daughter is quite beautiful." He was so taken aback by my remark, he remained silent for the rest of the flight.
46. It’s Called Fashion, Sweetie
Back in my high school days, the class troublemaker came over and decided to embarrass me in front of a crowd. He blurted out, "I thought only girls rolled up their jeans". Without missing a beat, I replied, "I thought only girls were concerned about other people's outfits".
The whole crowd burst into laughter at him. From that day onwards, he never bothered me again—a sweet victory indeed.
47. Lost In Translation
When I was 10, I took my little four-year-old bro to our neighborhood store for candy. On our way home, another kid roughly grabbed my brother's candy out of his hand. My little bro, being quick, latched on to the other kid and fought to get his candy back.
Both kids were of similar age and size, so it became a candy tug-of-war. Just then, the other kid's mom intervened, but instead of calming things down, she started harshly pulling my brother's arm. In my broken Korean, I tried to explain that her son started it, but all she saw was that my brother wouldn't let go of her now crying son.
I was starting to panic as I couldn't convince her that my brother was just protecting his candy. She was pulling my brother's arm so hard that I thought it might dislocate! That's when I had no choice but to karate-chop the lady—hard! It worked. She let go of my brother's arm but then started coming at me.
I grabbed my brother and sprinted home with the fury of the Korean neighborhood chasing after me. Little did I know, my dad had been watching from our apartment window due to the noise. I rushed in breathlessly explaining to my dad what happened. Meanwhile, the angry mom followed us, yelling all the way down the hall.
My dad just nodded, smiled apologetically, and then delivered his own firm message: “Stay away from my kids. If you touch them again, I'm calling the police. Now, go back to your own life and let me console my children".
The Korean lady bobbed a little bow towards my dad and shot a glaring look at me and my brother that suggested there would be consequences. But she just walked away, seeming satisfied.
Thank goodness she didn’t understand English because that message was harsh! From that day on, my dad was my hero.
48. Guardian Angels
My buddy and I were stopped at a red light when we spotted a young pair across the street. The man was so noisily arguing with the woman that we could hear it over the bustling traffic. It seemed as though he was on the verge of hitting her.
As we drove past, I hollered from the window, "Don't treat her like that!" That was all I intended to do, but my friend went a step further. My mate shouted, "Let her be, you're being a jerk!" We didn't mean to shout, it's just we both were really upset about the situation.
As I kept driving, the guy abandoned his bike and backpack, then started chasing us, threatening he would harm us and her too. The moment he started trailing us, I dialed the police. They eventually managed to catch him.
49. A Living Legend
In my junior year of high school, I was a regular passenger on the school bus as I couldn't afford a brand new car yet. Among my fellow bus riders were two bothersome sophomore guys who constantly picked on a freshman girl. They teased her about her weight, although she was simply curvy and by no means unattractive.
Unfortunately, they ridiculed her simply because she didn't fit their narrow definition of beauty. The girl, to her credit, was good at arguing and slung some clapbacks of her own which I enjoyed watching, having honed my retort skills similarly. However, when one of the instigators tried to inappropriately touch her, something in me just snapped. It was go-time...
Sitting almost at the bus's rear, I fast-walked the whole length to where the guys were seated. I took a bold grasp at the larger guy's hair, flung him against the window at the opposite side and pinned him by his neck with my forearm. His futile struggles only spurred me on...
With a great roar, I belted out, "You little nasty piece of work! Be very grateful I didn't hurl you out the window for that horrifying stunt! If either of you decide to touch her again, you'll become quite familiar with the coppery tang of blood and the crunch of teeth." The other guy, suddenly brave, decided to have a go at me.
I’m not particularly big, but neither were they, still in their early teen years. He clearly chose the wrong person to mess with when he tapped me on the back of the head and defended his mate. In swift retaliation, I gripped his head with my arm, swirled around and, WWE style, smoothly body-slammed him to the floor.
I then extended a hand to the distressed girl, guided her back to my spot at the bus's rear, stepping over the dazed bully sprawled on the floor. The girl rode next to me for the rest of the year and the two problematic lads were reassigned to front seats under the watchful eyes of the driver.
This incident ensured my words carried weight on that bus from then on. Two years after that memorable school year, I received an unexpected email from the girl.
She expressed her gratitude for my intervention, confessed having a crush on me since then, and now, as I return from college, I have a girlfriend waiting for me—all because I did what someone had to do.
50. And The Oscar Goes To…
While I was waiting for my train, a girl about my age strolled past. An older man was clearly bothering her, trailing her closely. She attempted to shake him off with words such as, "I've told you to leave me be" and "Kindly step off". The man was acting unsteady, appearing a bit under the influence.
I then turned to the girl, made myself friendly, and cheerfully asked, "Oh, there you are! Who might this be?" I directed my question to the annoying man next, asking him, "Are you acquainted with my friend?" He gave me an uncertain look. The girl quickly grasped my intentions and played along, pretending we were old pals catching up.
A few minutes later, the bothersome man got the hint and departed. I smiled at the girl and checked if she was alright. She replied, "Yes, thank you. My boyfriend will arrive shortly." Just then, her train rolled into the station and she prepared to hop on.
I have a girlfriend, and wasn't trying to flirt. Couldn't she have made up a less outrageous fib to not hurt my feelings?
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