There's nothing quite like getting revenge or seeing karma at work. From burning comebacks in the courtroom to awful customers getting their comeuppance, these stories proved that somebody messed with the WRONG person.
1. Not A Good Place To Lie
When I was a kid, my sister was side-swiped by a car leading to a concussion. Naturally, we felt the need to pursue justice against the driver responsible—a pursuit that resulted in an unforgettable confrontation in court.
During the court proceedings, the judge asked the driver if he had ever been guilty of speeding. "No, your honor, I never speed," was his firm response. The judge echoed the question a few more times, emphasizing 'never' and 'ever'—but the driver stood his ground in denial.
Not long after, my sister's legal representation handed some documents to the judge. After scanning them, the judge turned to the driver and said, "It seems these are records of your previous driving offenses. Would you mind sharing what these were for?" Busted, he muttered one word: "Speeding."
In the end, the driver covered my sister's medical expenses.
2. Can’t Keep Up
On a particularly hectic weekend right before Christmas, a woman, let's call her Karen, was griping to each staff member about our store's disorder. The manager had stepped in to relieve the dressing room assistant and was busily rehanging garments. Karen tried to use this scene as a tactic to prove our store was untidy and an awful place to shop. But the manager's comeback was unforgettable.
She said to her, "Madam, our store is in disarray at the moment since we're quite popular. The key reason though, is due to customers like you who don't take the time to tidy up after themselves. It's not the staff creating the chaos. To be honest, customers like you outnumber us." That's when I saw her spirit sink.
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3. Submarine Cruise
My wife and I decided to go on a nighttime adult-only boat tour around Portsmouth Bay. The route took us past the navy yard, where my submarine, along with several others, was moored. As we sipped our drinks in silence, this noticeably loud know-it-all began to dish out inaccurate information about each submarine. He got their classifications wrong, messed up their names—the whole lot.
At one point, he pointed at my submarine and declared, "And there is a 637 class". My wife, after patiently listening, finally corrected him, "Actually, it's a 688". He retorted quite rudely, "And how would you know?" My wife just chuckled, held onto my arm, and delivered the sweetest comeback ever, "That’s my husband's submarine, it's named the Minneapolis St Paul, SNN-708".
Suddenly, his face turned a deep shade of red, as his date burst into laught.
4. I Walk The Line
When I was 18, I had a job at a cinema snack bar during a particularly busy day. Rather than lend a helping hand, my colleagues busied themselves with unnecessary tasks like ensuring a full stock of toilet paper or arranging sweets, while I dealt with a desperately long queue of customers snaking around our little stall.
An irate lady took umbrage because I didn't layer her popcorn with butter in the way she preferred. She was so furious that she yelled at me. Observing this, one colleague just stood and snickered while pretending to clean the ticket booth window. That was the last straw for me.
Quickly, I logged out of our computer system, shut the cash drawer, exited the snack bar, slamming the door behind me. I told the disgruntled customer she was rude and didn't need extra butter, and directed my colleague to mind his own business—then, I boldly left the cinema. The queue of puzzled customers were left to their own devices.
Despite the management being inclined to overlook this incident as it was "out of character" for me, I never returned to the job.
5. Perfect Fencer
During my high school days, I held the title of the city fencing champion for both junior and adult tournaments. My school decided to incorporate a fencing module into the Physical Education curriculum and hired my personal coach to instruct the whole student body. Naturally, my coach used me as an aide during these lessons to explain various fencing moves.
However, one of my peers didn't seem to grasp that I hadn't been picked randomly. He began to claim that I looked clueless and suggested that he could easily defeat me in a face-off. Interestingly, for a novice, he had some skills and soon enough, he challenged me. The duel was set.
In the contest, I tactically dismantled his efforts, conceding not even a single hit, and I took that chance to improve my "Parry" and "Riposte". Truthfully, I took some delight in soundly besting him. After we finished, my coach congratulated him for his brave attempt against the city's champion, which helped him to see things differently.
6. No Holds Barred
I began dating a girl a few months ago, and her ex-boyfriend turned out to be a real problem—constantly threatening me, spreading rumors, and generally making life unpleasant. One night we were out for drinks when, surprise surprise, he showed up. Not surprisingly, he attempted to confront me at the bar, which led to him being thrown out and permanently barred from the establishment.
Then a brainwave hit me... Why not repeat the whole scene at the neighboring bar? (There's not many options for nightlife in our small town—there are basically only two good bars, and they're side by side). So, we decided to head over there. Although her ex was standing outside waiting for me, his friends convinced him not to cause trouble and I managed to enter the second bar without any further incident.
But sure enough, he stormed in, tried his usual antics, and even attempted to throw a punch or two. Thanks to the interference of a few bystanders, he was also escorted out of the second bar. The moral of the story? Fight with your wit, not your fists.
7. Pizza Bake-Off!
A local in my Brooklyn neighborhood threw down the gauntlet for a pizza bake-off. I had recently made pizzas for my daughter's school event, and the news had spread around the block that my pizza was quite tasty. My initial thought was, "This guy's a Brooklyn native, surely he'll outpizza me!" However, his confidence made me want to take him on.
He boasted about having pizza in his veins, talking about his father's old pizza joint just around the corner. I stayed quiet, letting my skills speak for themselves. I roped in a friend to let us utilize one of the Baker's Pride ovens in his restaurant. We had several folks off the street taste our pizzas, and every last one of them favored my pizza.
I never disclosed to him that I've spent almost every day of the last three decades working in various pizza joints. I also didn't tell him that on my days off, I make pizza at home at least once every two days. Nor did I mention that at nine, I knew I was destined to be a pizza guy. And so, here I am at 45, gearing up to kick-start my own pizza venture.
8. With Just One Letter
Back in college, I dated a really smart guy who was studying for his master's degree and planned to go after a PhD. As for me, I was on the traditional five-year college path and I was perfectly happy with my intelligence compared to his. However, he didn't fully realize how much I loved word games like Scrabble. I'd like to believe I'm pretty skilled at them.
Throughout our three-year relationship, we only played Scrabble one time. I didn't just win, I totally thrashed him. But the real highlight of the game? I made an impressive move where I scored over 50 points by playing just a single letter. He was so shocked, he cleared all the letters off the board and threw a minor tantrum, accusing me of cheating.
That's when I whipped out my trusty Scrabble dictionary to confirm his defeat.
9. Too Little, Too Late
I was once a general manager at a restaurant that was having difficulties—oddly enough, despite the buzzing business. This was because the owners had a knack for making poor choices like spending company money on trips to Italy to find the "ultimate" panini press.
On top of that, they didn't know how to staff a restaurant properly. I was the lone waiter, covering open to close, six busy days a week, whilst juggling phone orders, stocks, and other managerial tasks. I was overburdened, but I held on due to a decent salary along with tips.
To afford their extravagant "business" trips, they chose to reduce expenditure in the restaurant. The shortcut? Slash my pay to the minimum wage limit for tipped staff—basically decreasing my salary by a massive scale. And they lacked the guts to tell me until I saw my shrunken paycheck and queried what was up.
"Oh, oops, forgot to tell you about our cost-saving efforts and blah blah you're a valuable team member, please bear with us in these trying times". That's how they justified my two weeks’ pay at this new reduced rate without my knowledge. Surely that's illegal, but in the restaurant world, regrettable things happen. But that's not when I stormed out...
A few hours later, having decided that I won't work for such a low rate, I started scanning for a perfect opportunity to quit. The owners called in a former delivery guy, talking about employing him to handle our Facebook posts and hand out leaflets around town. Alright, whatever.
Then I overheard them offer him a salary close to what I had been making—as a "Promotions Manager". Seriously??? I was virtually managing the entire place at $2.13/hr and this guy is being offered nearly $20/hr to stroll around and advertise? It, unfortunately, gets nastier.
Stifled by our unfavorable Yelp reviews, they thought of asking friends to post positive ones. A boss sarcastically joked, “Let's not ask our waitress to post a review, it’ll be a sob story about not affording rent because of the pay cut". I heard it even though I don’t think I was meant to. I snapped!
I quit on the spot, wished them good luck running the business without me, and told them where they could stick their job. Without me, they were in a fix since neither of them knew how to perform simple tasks, let alone run a restaurant. In desperation, they pleaded with me not to quit.
They even sat there, quietly listening, nodding, and apologizing for a full thirty minutes, as I aired out my frustrations and spelled out exactly what colossal fools I thought they were. Once my anger had abated, I left, just half an hour before dinner rush, leaving them clueless and without a staff. Oh, their stupidity! There was an odd sense of satisfaction in letting it out, and even more when they actually listened.
I had no worries about repercussions since restaurants aren’t known for reference checking. The place shut down about a year and a half later. I was frankly surprised it lasted even that long.
10. The Spreadsheet Expert
At work, I'm hailed as the resident guru of Google Sheets and often develop new tools for multiple departments to use. Picture this, a new colleague joins who needs to gather, compile, and present a host of data. Our boss suggested to him to set a meeting with me to discuss his needs, and I would handle the task for him. But the newbie, eager to prove himself, stubbornly decided to do everything on his own.
Fast forward a week, and he'd churned out a sub-par sheet that lacked a lot of the necessary information we needed. The wrinkle here was that we needed the complete data for the State the very next day. Our boss then turned to me to salvage the situation, and the newbie haughtily remarked, "This task is impossible. This is the best anyone can do!" Little did he know what was to come.
In less than two hours, I emailed them an efficient, fully automated sheet that did exactly what we required. The best part was, we could reuse this sheet indefinitely, so we'd be ready with the data for the state report any time we needed. Taken aback, the newbie clumsily excused his inability by claiming, "I would have added that in if I’d had more time".
11. Clocked on the Dock
One sunny day in Florida, as I patiently awaited my turn at a singular boat ramp, I observed a man struggling to reverse his trailer into the water. His wife and children watched on from the dock. I noticed a rather impatient boater behind him growing increasingly agitated as he eagerly awaited his turn.
The original guy managed to back his trailer in eventually, during which time the angry boater had secured his own boat and started storming up the dock. He spewed out a cacophony of loud complaints and insults at our unfortunate newbie boater, who he'd been heckling before. Suddenly, the irate boater's anger escalated and he slapped the family man, knocking him off the dock into the water.
Just as this was happening, two unassuming muscular guys who had previously gone unnoticed, sprung into action. They seized the angry boater just as the family man was taking his surprise plunge, pinned him onto the dock, and quickly handcuffed him. Only then did they reveal their undercover status, brandishing FL DNR badges. Turns out, they'd been watching the ramp all along. The crowd, a mix of people waiting for their own boating sessions, erupted in applause and cheering.
The humble man who had been assaulted, now just eager to head home, opted against pressing charges. But the DNR officers were far from done with the irate boater. They picked apart every detail of his boat and car, ultimately charging him with operating under the influence and finding all sorts of minute violations with his boat. It was quite an eventful day.
12. Forwards And Backwards
I've been diving deep into learning memory techniques and mnemonic devices. I thought it would be interesting to test my skills with my teacher, who is a stickler for catching students off-guard if they're not engaging during class.
He tasked us with remembering a list of 20 items. Instead of scribbling them down like everyone else, I decided to just commit them to memory right then and there, purposely drawing his attention with my lack of note-taking.
Sure enough, just as I had anticipated, he caught onto my lack of written effort and promptly called me out on it. I calmly reassured him, "Don't worry, it's all stored up here," pointing to my head. I was certain he would challenge me to recall the list. The following day, in the middle of a lecture, he swung around to me—a self-satisfied smirk plastered across his face. "Alright then, what were those 20 items from yesterday?" His challenge filled the room.
Without missing a beat, I rattled off the entire list, forwards and then in reverse, without a moment's hesitation. As I did this, his smug smile widened, and the room erupted in laughter.
13. You're Fired
When I was 19, I went shopping with my friend. She's notably smaller in size than me. She found a shirt she liked but needed a larger size, so I decided to do the friend thing and hunt for the right size. When my search ended in frustration, I asked for assistance from a sales assistant. Her abruptness in taking the shirt from me didn't faze me.
Returning a short while later, she handed me a hat. Confused, I asked, "What's this for?" Her response was enough to make my blood boil.
"With an air of disdain, she told me, "This is the only thing in this store that will fit you." My understanding dawned. Gathering my feelings, I headed back to the fitting room and urged my friend to leave. In her confusion, she tried tidying up. I insisted she leave it, and we left the place.
Reaching the cash register amidst the hustle, my friend quizzed me about the hat I held.
In a loud voice, I answered, "According to our friendly sales assistant, this is the only thing in this store that fits me." My friend was taken aback and beyond angry because as it turns out, her parents owned the place. My comment led to the sales assistant losing her job, a result of my passing irritation.
Coincidentally, I met her later that week at my workplace. With a grin, I demonstrated how to provide real customer service.
14. A Mythical Blogger
One day, I visited a museum accompanied by my sister and her friend, who was a new face to me. When we arrived at the section dedicated to Greek art, her friend enthusiastically began sharing her fondness for Greek mythology. Interestingly enough, this resonated with me, considering I was then in the process of completing my Master's in that exact subject and managing a blog revolving around mythical narratives.
Not only did my blog garner significant attention, but it also served to bridge the gap between me and this new acquaintance. A peculiar air of superiority soon surrounded her, when she confidently asserted that her knowledge of myths likely surpassed mine. Being mindful of courtesy, I refrained from a direct rebuttal and instead asked about her favorite myth, aiming to engage in a meaningful dialogue.
Her story of choice was the tale of Daedalus and the Minotaur, a rather uncommon one. Uncertain of the source of her knowledge, I asked her where she had first encountered this myth. Her response was nothing short of astounding. According to her, she had stumbled upon it via a trending post on a blog dedicated to mythology. Unbeknownst to her, it was indeed my very own blog.
15. Never A Bright Idea To Assume
I work as a lawyer. The lawyer on the other side believed that I had prepped my witness, giving him a script to stick to, and that he making false statements. To simplify, he questioned the witness about any discussions with me prior his testimony. Upon hearing that we did have a chat, he acted as though he'd caught me red-handed. He then probed the witness, asking what pieces of advice I had given him.
With a direct gaze, the witness responded, “The first thing he said was always speak honestly. He made it clear to me that he, as a lawyer, wouldn't bear the repercussions of my actions and go to jail on my behalf. If I decided to lie, I'd face the consequences alone." Seeing the lawyer's reaction was like looking at a deflated balloon.
With this said, all eyes in the court turned towards me. It's the only time I've allowed myself a smirk or chuckle in court. I just wished I could kick back, hands folded behind my head, mimicking Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, and confidently declare, “I’m finished dealing with this guy".
16. Unexpected Baller
I'm not a stereotypically intimidating-looking person; I'm just average at 5'8" and 150 lbs, with no tattoos whatsoever. However, in my younger years, I was quite sporty and I could keep up with borderline division 1 or minor league athletes, despite my looks not suggesting so. Basically, in college, during a casual dorm room hangout, someone brought up my experience in basketball.
Unexpectedly, a guy I didn't really know started boasting that he could easily beat me. He just kept on bragging. I patiently overlooked his comments until they got personally insulting. The others were growing tired of his intrusive presence and knew my capabilities on court, so we all decided to head to the gym late that winter evening to settle the dispute.
He had no idea what hit him—I ended up defeating him 11-0. I don't recall if we played again after that match, but 11-0 stuck in my mind as I was adamant not to let him score any points. Generally, I'm a laid-back person—I would have gone easy and allowed him to score a few when it became clear I was superior, but his obnoxious attitude didn't earn him any mercy, so I restricted him throughout the game. I blocked many of his shots.
His visits became less frequent after this incident making me somewhat of a hero among the others. I effectively rid our group of this troublesome presence.
17. A Tricky Pool Player
I may not be a pro, but I used to be quite proficient at pool. My aunt and uncle had a pool table in their basement where we'd hang out a lot, mainly because my parents visited them all the time. Seeing as there wasn't much else to do, my brother and I turned into pool regulars for years. When we hit a wall of boredom, we discovered a book of trick shots and began to experiment with them, just for kicks.
While I never fully got the hang of the tricks, the practice greatly improved my understanding of controlling the ball. So, when my friend decided he wanted to play pool for his 20th birthday, and invited a massive crowd, I was quite intrigued. The plan was for a tournament with a 50/50 split for the winner and drinks on individual games. As his birthday boy privilege, he'd get half the spoils. He made a point to insist I come.
The games began and after the first break, turns out, that was the last shot they got. I turned to my friend and dryly said, "I warned you not to invite me." I discovered later that some of them were actually pool novices, so feeling a bit guilty, I used the winnings to buy everyone a round of drinks.
18. No, I’m Closed For Business
At McDonald's, my previous workplace, one interesting thing I discovered was that our pay ended once the store shut down, not when our work was complete. This meant that even if it took an extra one or two hours to wrap things up, those efforts remained uncompensated. Looking back, it's clear that this was unjustifiable, but I was inexperienced and naive back then.
When I received my first paycheck, I noticed a substantial shortage in my accounted hours. Upon confronting my manager about this, she clarified that our pay concludes once the store closes for the day. Appalled by this, I decided to leave as soon as the store closed that night. Despite attempts to pull on my heartstrings, stating "the team needed me", I stood my ground.
I absolutely refuse to work without proper compensation. This holds even more weight when the pay is already as low as minimum wage.
19. Silver Strikers
Back in 2009, my bro and his best pal headed to Baltimore for a baseball getaway. One evening, they were chilling at a bar, just across from Camden Yards, when they spotted a Silver Strike bowling video game. Funny enough, we had the same game at our local bar back in Boston. I'm pretty good at the game, but those two—they're downright pros, often scoring perfect games.
As they watched a couple of guys play, drinks in hand, my brother asked if they could have a go after. The guys offered a bolder idea—to play against them. We took them up on their challenge, and boy oh boy, my brother and his friend made mincemeat out of them. It wasn't a close call at all. Those guys assumed it was a one-off, so they dared a rematch—this time, with drinks on the line. Same result—wipeout, again.
Even so, they kept on challenging us, hoping to seize a win eventually. It wasn't until after 13 tedious rounds that they finally surrendered. Can't blame them, they were good sports. We ran into them the next day at the same bar, and hilariously, they approached us, drinks in hand, after yet another rematch. We've stayed in touch ever since, grabbing a drink or two whenever we're in Baltimore. And believe it or not, they've never outplayed us.
Wikimedia Commons, Daniel Benavides
20. Kart Battles!
A few years back, my wife and I found ourselves in a compact pub in Kyoto, filled with suited individuals who were engrossed in Japanese exchanges. Feeling like fish out of water in the non-touristy setting, I decided to strike up a conversation with the bartender who had the best grasp of English, asking for his favored Shochu. As we sipped our drinks, the atmosphere warmed up, and before we knew it, we were mingling with everyone.
Then, things got interesting—the topic of Mario Kart popped up at some point, and without realizing it, my nodding agreement landed me a friendly challenge. Spotting an old Super Famicom, the bartender cheekily indicated our arena. Surprised, I got ready for the game with a grin on my face. This unexpected turn of events amused my wife because I used to be pretty adept at Mario Kart. Prepared but clueless about the night's trajectory, I held my breath when the bartender selected Battle Mode.
Even though I hadn't played in ages, his quick triumph in less than sixty seconds left me taken aback amidst the bar's amusement. The tides turned when we reached the consecutive rounds—I outperformed him, sweeping a victory with three balloons still intact. Everyone except the bartender erupted in cheers. As a reward, two shots awaited me, and I gulped one down. Round 3 found us battling it out with just one balloon each. I tell you, it felt like the longest round ever.
Intense doesn't begin to describe it—shell, dodge, shell, dodge; I had him in my line of fire. I let loose my shell. It rebounded, leading to my own knockout. An uproar filled the bar. And just like that, I, a self-proclaimed Mario Kart pro, had brought laughter and embarrassment to myself and my country in this small Kyoto hangout. Despite it all, we ended up making memorable bonds that night over rounds of drinks, with people we may never cross paths with again.
21. The Best Shot
Just to clarify, we're talking about clay pigeon shooting here, or as folks in the south call it, 'trap.' Despite not being super "southern" myself, and coming from the countryside, I'd always find a couple of challengers willing to wager when I would hit up different trap fields to practice under varying conditions. It's a sport that tends to attract those with deep pockets, considering sometimes the bets can reach up to a hefty $5,000.
In a past deal, I swapped a lead shot and some cash for an old BT-100. I admit, my shot wasn't the most expensive, but it got the job done. This led some people to underestimate me, thinking I was new to the game. They'd soon find out they were mistaken—the team and I were regular contenders at the Nationals almost every year from 2011 to 2018.
The range of reactions was quite entertaining. Some took it well and remained gracious in defeat, but others would throw a tantrum. I recall one incident where a guy wrecked a $10,000 Perazzi after losing. In contrast, there was this fellow from the neighboring county who could outclass us even while using an 870 pump from Walmart. He was always a tough competitor to beat.
22. Fight Night
When we were in university, my friends and I would always grab the latest combat game as soon as it hit the market. We'd spend hundreds of hours playing it, exploring the different modes for fun before moving on. A few times a week, we'd have these "battle" evenings where we'd gather at one of our houses and square off.
I wasn't a total pushover – I bagged victories now and then, but often I was in the middle of the pack. Despite two years of this routine, no one mistook me for some kind of combat game guru...until one lucky day when everything shifted in my favor. For the first time, we chose a 3D battle game instead of a 2D one, I believe it was Soul Calibur 3. What they didn't know was that I had a past love affair with this exact game, spending 10 hours daily, hooked to my console.
My obsession lasted three to four years. I challenged five other pals who would stay glued to their screens just as I did and were as skilled as me. If I am honest, it was not always fun. Even after stepping down my health to 50% while they all had 200%, and choosing random character selection, I kept the controller to myself, not lost even once. From that day onwards, we all agreed to stick to 2D fighting games.
23. A Professional Lesson
I recently finished my studies at a teacher training school and have been filling in as a substitute teacher for now. I'm an avid lacrosse player, a sport that's relatively obscure, especially here in Australia. In fact, I made it to the final round of selections for the last World Cup team.
One day, another teacher at the school approached me. He casually mentioned, "Hey buddy, we're covering lacrosse today." He went on to tell me that lacrosse was a bit tricky to teach and asked me to stand aside and help with monitoring the class. As an agency-based substitute, I wasn't sure how to respond to him. I attempted to tell him about my lacrosse background, but he brushed me off and walked away. Feeling a bit miffed, I decided to sit back and watch.
Bu after some time, I couldn't hold back any longer. I grabbed a stick and ball, and began providing tips and advice to the kids. The teaching method he was using was all wrong, but I didn't want to step on his toes. So, when the class split into smaller groups, I subtly taught them the right way to play lacrosse.
During a water break, the teacher pulled me aside, curious about my knowledge of the game. I told him about my playing history, and he was astounded. He asked why I hadn't spoken up earlier, to which I replied that I had tried to. In the end, I took over the class and ended up showing him the correct way to both play and teach lacrosse.
Wikimedia Commons, Henning Schlottmann
24. Surprise Ping Pong
So, I was chillin' with this girl I was dating, and spotted a ping pong table at a nearby bar. A pair of chatty fellas were using it, making a whole spectacle about how awesome they thought they were. They had all the theatrics down—grunting, sleeves rolled up—the whole nine yards. When I threw back a stray ball, I casually mentioned it looked like a laugh to play.
They told me I could play next, after another guy who was up, but their "policy" was that any new player had to get rounds for everyone if they lost. But they didn't realize they had bitten off more than they could chew. Back in med school, I competed in ping pong and even made a name for myself in a few New York City championships.
Nowadays, I still play occasionally in my current city and have a few tournament wins under my belt. Long story short, I wiped the floor with these two guys. I didn't have to buy a single drink or give up my spot until it was time to leave with my date. They could barely rack up any points against me.
25. Beware The Water
For 14 years, I was deep into competitive swimming, of which four were all about NCAA. Despite my smaller stature, it never stopped me from excelling at the sport. One summer, I was hanging out at a friend's lake house, where a macho type decided to rivalry me for a swimming race towards a buoy bobbing somewhere in the middle of the lake. He wanted to prove...well, I'm not quite sure what he was trying to prove. That lake might look small, but it's pretty vast, stretching about a half-mile. I warned the guy about the potential risks if he wasn't used to swimming long distances.
After only a couple of minutes, he was visibly out of his depth. I offered him a chance to back out, but he stubbornly decided to continue. Once I made it to the buoy and started my way back, I turned to check on him and couldn't help but sigh. He was struggling in the water, so I had to switch to my lifeguard mode, helping him back to the shore. That day, his pride experienced a bit of a dent. It just goes to show that you shouldn't get cocky around bodies of water, even if you've built up a belief that you're a good swimmer.
26. Forty-Eight!
Back in grade school, around third or fourth grade, we had a face-off style multiplication quiz. The teacher would pit two students against each other with a random multiplication question, and the first to answer correctly would move forward in the tournament. Now, I wasn't a multiplication wiz, but I had a particular hurdle to overcome: 6 x 8. For some reason, this was a tough one to memorize when I was a kid and needed some extra focus.
I was fairly comfortable with other multiplication tables, so while patiently waiting for my turn, I kept drilling this one problem in my head: "six times eight makes 48." I repeated it like a mantra, "six times eight makes 48." And it turned out to be a bright idea. Curiously enough, when my turn rolled around, the teacher willingly opted for the problem 6 x 8.
Just a blink after the teacher dropped the question, I shot back with "48!" Everyone was flabbergasted. Suddenly, I looked like a human calculator to my classmates. Even the teacher was gobsmacked. I emerged as the tournament champion, having intimidated my future opponents beyond measure. It wasn't just a win; they saw it as total domination.
27. Hustling On The Table
While I was in college, I decided to introduce a new friend from university to my old high school pals at a get-together at their place. A handful of us were there, just chilling, having drinks, and playing some pool. My new friend was an unassuming type, someone who kept to himself in the beginning but transformed into a real fun character once he got comfortable.
However, my old pals decided to play a game with him. They tried their classic trick of coaxing him into a gentle game of pool, only later suggesting to raise the stakes with actual money. But I knew a secret about him that they were about to find out the hard way. You see, my new friend had competed in pool tournaments throughout Texas. He lived and breathed pool, and he spotted their scheme as soon as it was proposed.
I decided to let the situation play out. If my old friends were going to be snobby towards someone I brought along, they deserved what was coming. And my new friend, he played them like a fiddle. He purposely missed simple shots to make the game exciting and ended up winning 'by luck'.
Eventually, they started playing for money. I don't recall the exact bet, but as they played a few games, he manipulated them skillfully—improving his game bit by bit, just enough so they never got suspicious while he was pocketing their cash. Then came the ultimate game, where he displayed his true skills. He was making shots that I could only dream of, even with a year's worth of practice, while routinely calculating their debts out loud. I don't think my old pals got one turn.
As expected, they were livid afterwards. "Why would you let him scam us like this?" they asked furiously. In response, I shot back, "Why did you try to scam a friend of mine minutes after I introduce him?" I added that they should've seen this coming. Things smoothed over eventually and they all turned out to be good friends who still keep in touch even after twenty years.
28. Whose Paper Is This Again?
Here's a tale about a seasoned geotechnical engineer from my workplace. An important meeting had been arranged with the client, where several senior staff members were in attendance. The government officials present were causing some difficulty by not signing off on the proposed design.
Interestingly, our geotechnical engineer remained silent for most of the meeting, while this one government official kept referring to a single research document to disregard all our proposed alternatives.
As the meeting was winding down, the geotech engineer casually asked the government official if he had a copy of the research paper at hand. On receiving an affirmative response, he motioned to see the document. As the official laid it out on the table, the engineer slyly pointed towards the document's author, simultaneously sliding his business card across the table.
There it was, his moment of victory. The author the government official had been quoting from all day was none other than the engineer himself. The government official turned an embarrassing shade of red and surprisingly approved the design on the very same day.
29. Climbing For Money
At a nearby shopping center, there was a temporary rock-climbing wall. A placard on it announced, "Reach the summit and score $100." The path to the top was actually quite tough. As I strolled past, the guy running it invited me to give it a shot. He mentioned, "No one's made it up yet. Do you reckon you could, buddy?" I hadn't spilled the beans at that point—I was in the top 12 climbers of my age bracket and I silently chuckled to myself.
After pocketing my $100, I phoned the rest of my climbing crew. They each took their turn at the challenge, and each snagged a $100 reward. After the fourth person, the guy became suspicious and yanked down the sign. Eventually, we confessed that we were all nationally competitive climbers, and he found it quite funny.
The firm that was responsible for the climbing wall rentals was essentially footing the bill—the guy who ran the stand wasn't the one doling out the prize money.
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30. Tetris, Attacked!
So, when I was a kid, I got hooked on this old school Super Nintendo game called Tetris Attack. I played so often, you could say I mastered it. Oddly enough, I still play the game fairly well, even if it's only occasionally when I visit my family. Long story short, I started hanging out with this guy who, somehow or another, challenged me to a game of Tetris Attack.
He was nowhere near prepared for what was about to happen. From the get-go, I had this hunch that he was bluffing about being a player, and my suspicions ended up being totally spot on. I won the game fair and square, leaving him flabbergasted. He even blurted out, "How are you so skilled at this ridiculous game?" My response? A whole lot of practice, my friend.
31. Penny For Your Thoughts
In my previous job as a pizza delivery driver for Domino's, there was this one house that consistently treated me badly. They never provided any helpful information when I called them for directions, their only response being, "I gave you the address," before hastily hanging up. Also, they never gave tips.
On my final shift, I delivered to their home again and they handed me a check that was a penny short of the total amount due. I politely explained, "I'm going to need an extra cent." They begrudgingly sauntered away, probably hoping I'd let it slide. But I stood my ground patiently, pizza in hand.
Eventually, they returned, visibly irritated, and handed me the missing penny. Still no tip. This time, I decided on a different approach. I promptly tossed the penny into the street, ensuring they saw what I'd done, and I left.
The feeling was ABSOLUTELY THRILLING.
32. Silence Speaks Volumes
During my high school biology class, we were tasked with making an educational video, much like those of Bill Nye. After my group finished our recording, I took over the post-production work, adding various transitions, special effects, and titles to our project. As anyone with film production experience can tell you, the editing and post-production stage often demands twice as much time and energy as the initial filming.
Once our video was completed and uploaded onto YouTube, this one guy, who had been taunting me all year, approached me. He asked, "Hey, could you help me edit my video? I don't know how to do it." This was my time to shine.
I turned him down. He then proposed to pay me $5 for what I knew would be a week filled with stress and hard work. Instead of responding, I left him there without another word. A rewarding silence followed.
33. Cheaters Never Prosper
There was this wild kid I remember from elementary school. One day, he lunged across a table, trying to grab my throat. My mistake was jokingly calling him "crazy for cocoa puffs" because it's all he ever talked about, and he happened to wear a cocoa puffs shirt that day. Fast forward to senior year in high school, I found that same kid in my Design class.
I had a goal—to score at least a C on the final exam. As the year went on, I discovered this kid was sneakily taking work from my shared drive and duplicating it for himself. For the final project, I intentionally messed up the drawing in my folder, knowing he wouldn't bother double-checking it. He blindly copied it, handed it in, failed, and ended up repeating the year as a "super senior."
34. Lifting Weights
I currently work as a government auditor overseeing a program that's pretty much a boarding school for teenagers with behavioral issues. This program focuses heavily on sports activities. Since taking this predominantly desk-bound job, I must admit I've picked up about 30 pounds mostly from fat, due to some unhealthy food habits. But underneath, I'm still solid with better than average strength.
Before this, my side hustle was to coach people on fitness and body building. One such incident occurred when I had to interview a student from that program who was reluctant to leave his weight lifting session. He challenged me that he would agree for the interview only if I could deadlift the 90 kg barbell he was working with. Little did he know what was about to hit him.
When the staff saw the predicament I was in, they were clearly frustrated with the student's attitude. But, since I was wearing flexible trousers, I decided to take it in stride. I quickly positioned myself and lifted the weight. Following that, we proceeded with the interview. Since then, it's become a running gag within the program that whenever I want an interview, they cheekily ask if I require any chalk for the 'mandatory deadlift.'
35. Through Fire And Flames
My university has a cool gaming area right in the heart of the main building. It's equipped with TVs galore—perfect for hooking up whatever console game you fancy. One day, I walked in and saw a guy completely immersed in a round of Guitar Hero. He was jamming on Expert level, which meant he was pretty solid but certainly not flawless. So, I slid into the seat next to him, struck up a friendly chat, and before long, he threw down the gauntlet. It was going to be a Pro-Face-Off round on the notorious 'Through the Fire and Flames'.
Look, I'm not a whizz at 'Through The Fire And Flames', but I thought, why not? Sounds like an exciting challenge. Little did our bold hero realize that he had bitten off more than he could chew—he totally whiffed the opening sequence. With Guitar Hero, the bigger the combo you manage, the more your score is multiplied—up to 4 times over. Miss the intro and fail to maintain that 4x during the frantic early strumming, and you instantly fall behind by somewhere between 30k and 60k points.
He didn't do much better during the solos either. Afterwards, he started blaming his instruments.
36. The Google Boys
Guess what? I'm an astronomer! You might not peg me as a science gal at first glance as I'm one of those women who loves wearing dresses on sunny days. This misconception was even more common when I was a bit younger, in my twenties and unattached. Just out of college, I found myself interning in Mountain View, California, a place teeming with men from Google.
You could spot these Google guys a mile off, often literally sporting "Google" branded shirts. I recall being cornered into a conversation with one of them. After finding out I was studying astronomy, he condescendingly questioned my knowledge of the field. He probed me on the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle, and despite my detailed explanation, his skepticism lingered. As I accurately answered his twenty other questions, he concluded that maybe it wasn't that I was smart, but that academic institutions must be going easy on women to keep us interested.
Oh, there's more! He then spent an excessive amount of time recounting a lecture in Mountain View led by Jill Tarter, the head of the SETI Institute. He even bragged about the Allen Telescope Array being constructed in northern California, assuming I had no clue about such a project.
I patiently waited out his monologue before serving up a reality check: not only was I familiar with the Allen Telescope Array, I was working on it! In fact, I was interning with Jill Tarter herself that summer, focusing on interference mitigation for the array. I even offered to share some exclusive details about Jill and the ATA site, not to mention my recent encounter with Frank Drake. The shock on his face was priceless, and he quickly stopped underestimating me.
37. Yes, I Do Know, Really
I'm a lady who works as a mechanical engineer, and it's not uncommon for me to experience individuals in places such as Lowe's, auto repair shops, and car dealerships underestimating my knowledge, or making false assumptions. There was this one time when an associate at Lowe's insisted that the threading of bolts and pipes were identical. Another time, a salesman tried persuading me that diamond-tipped hole saws weren't in stock while trying to sell me a Dremel for the same task. Funny enough, I later found one tucked away in the tile department.
Auto mechanics have, on multiple occasions, tried to convince me that my car's air filter needed replacement, despite the fact that I had just changed it a few weeks prior. They even brought out a square-shaped filter as a replacement for my round one. However, my encounters with car salesmen have been the most entertaining. They often disregard my insights, especially if my husband is present.
More often than not, I am the one making decisions about purchasing vehicles, even though my husband is also very knowledgeable about cars. However, the salesmen tend to target him for their sales pitches, which is always amusing. I generally choose to remain quiet and discuss, or clarify matters, later with my husband, as my goal is not to make anyone feel small.
38. Teaching Him A Real Lesson
In high school, there was this tough-talking bully who thought it would be a riot to sucker punch a certain male teacher, striking him from behind. Well, let's just say he chose the wrong person to mess with. Reacting on instinct, the teacher delivered a solid punch in retaliation, causing the bully to literally hit the floor. The boy ended up suspended, but neither he nor the teacher faced any other consequences. But that's not where the story finishes.
Fast forward about eight years, and the same former bully reappeared at the high school. He requested to see his old teacher—not for an argument or a fight, but to express his gratitude. The student acknowledged that punch, that moment, as a turning point in his life.
Despite once being allied with a less-than-ideal crowd and considering himself tough and invincible, that incident proved a real eye-opener. The power of the punch from his teacher made him reassess his life choices, such as his reckless habit of instigating fights. He recognized just how rapidly situations can take a turn for the worse when one messes with the wrong person.
Thus, he consciously turned his life around, choosing to distance himself from trouble and starting to forge a fresh path. He secured a decent job, was on the verge of marital bliss, and had entirely changed his outlook on life. And he rightfully attributes this transformation to that one episode of his past—picking a fight with the wrong person.
39. Tablet That Idea
I was in charge of customer service at a well-known tech company. During the hectic week of Christmas, a particularly tricky duo demanded we deliver two tablets to their home via private helicopter in time for Christmas day. Their attitude was rude, disrespectful, and full of entitlement. It took a great deal of effort to placate them until they finally insisted on speaking to a higher authority.
I connected them with our senior advisors. Our lead advisor gently but firmly set them straight using logic and our established policies. He explained, "Our records show that you placed your order after our Christmas deadline. We cannot provide special deliveries now since all of our delivery workers are already working extra hours to ensure timely deliveries for those customers who had the good sense to order early." And so, their request was reasonably denied.
40. Underling-ering
At work, there was this woman from HR who was overly ambitious and power-conscious. She had the president of our firm, who had flown in from Japan, by her side and was behaving as if she ran the show. She swiftly made him tour the warehouse, dismissively stating, "These are merely the warehouse staff, we don't need to have a chat with them." Her reaction to his next move was priceless.
He halted, approached me and inquired about my recent vacation. Then he moved on to ask about my new home, among other things. It was so obvious, watching her simmer in annoyance behind him as our conversation stretched on for close to 45 minutes. I'd previously had several meetings with him, meaning we were somewhat acquainted. She was entirely oblivious to this. I'm inclined to believe that he didn't care much for her and possibly he prolonged our chat deliberately. I was simply overjoyed to witness her standing there, both annoyed and bored.
41. Not High Enough
A colleague of mine upgraded to a first-class seat while returning from a sales conference in Las Vegas. We have this high and mighty sales VP. She flaunts her wealth, complete with full-time nanny and massive, pour-tasted suburban house, and likes to treat her staff like personal help. Guess what? She was on the same flight, too.
She spotted my colleague comfortably seated in first class while she had to make her way to the economy cabin. After passengers started settling down, she waltzed back into the first-class area requesting the head steward. She demanded to switch seats with her subordinate because she happened to be higher up in the company. The audacity left the crew member in disbelief, but she was persistent in her absurd request. Despite her bullish persistence, the airline staff held their ground, informing her that if she refused to return to her seat, she'd face being booted off the plane. She managed to make a spectacle of herself before the entire first class section.
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42. Spoke Too Soon
I spent eight years managing a department of five employees, maintaining communication equipment on various sites. Things became incredibly frantic when oil was discovered nearby. The team was clocking in over twelve hours a day, six days a week, and we were in a mad rush to employ more people to deal with the extraordinary workload.
Suddenly, I got a message from our CEO saying he'd brought on board an assistant manager for me, which was a relief I sorely needed. At that moment, I was grubby from a long day in the field, so I picked him up from the shop to take him to one of our sites for paperwork. As soon as he hopped in the truck, his complaints started.
Every objection he raised, I tried to gently correct. However, he would double down or insist that I was mistaken. Arriving at our desert location, he moaned about the dust that naturally coats everything and demanded that I clean up. As I sat down to rest, he continued to drone on about every perceived flaw.
His reprimand for my decision to sit when he'd ordered me to clean was the last straw. I called a cab, wrote up a termination notice, and handed it to him. Astonished, he argued that only the manager had the authority to fire him. When I queried, "You mean [my name], yeah?" he could only nod in embarrassment. Extending my hand, I then properly introduced myself.
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43. Satellite Reminder
My upbringing wasn't easy as I dealt with having a father addicted to substances. Our family finances were tight, with my mom working hard but still struggling to pay the bills. My initial employment went towards our mortgage payments. After a few months, I saved up enough to invest in a computer and a reliable internet connection. At that time, the best available internet option came bundled with a satellite dish, which I bought.
I proceeded to install the dish at home. Even though my dad resided with us, he wasn't around much, and my parents were virtually separated. When he saw me mounting the dish on the house, he questioned my actions. I clarified to him that since I was covering the mortgage expenses, I now had the authority to decide on household matters.
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44. Quit It
We recently hired a fresh recruit from a rival company. Surprisingly, her previous boss rang me up, livid about us "luring" his consultants away. However, this didn't end there. After she had been with us a few weeks, her old boss showed up at our workplace. It seemed he had been pestering her to complete some analysis for him but she'd cut off all communications with him. I decided to meet him in the reception area to see his purpose.
He started to berate me once again when she happened to pass by. He then boldly "insisted" that she conduct the analysis. Her response was simple but also a gut-punch: "Or else?" and paused before stylishly spinning on her heel and striding away. I gestured towards the exit to convey "exit or a hefty security guard will escort you out," and after that, we never heard from him again.
45. On My Own Time
My former supervisor's superior—who normally wasn't supposed to engage with us directly—was truly an unpleasant person. He seemed to relish making everyone beneath him uncomfortable. His harsh interaction style had already led the company to mandate him towards courtesy training, not once, but twice.
Unexpectedly, I received a call from him during my personal time at home one day. He began to berate me, hurling curses and insults for a technical issue he'd just discovered. After enduring this for a few minutes, I chose to look at my phone and disconnect the call. The next day, I found myself summoned to a meeting with his own superior, who was in need of understanding the situation.
"Could you explain why you chose to hang up on this gentleman?" he asked. I responded by firmly clarifying: in my own home, outside work hours, using my phone—no one had the right to treat me that way. The scenario would be different, I explained, when I was on the clock—then, they could pay me to tolerate such behavior. However, I added, if I'm spending time being berated, it means I'm not able to get any work done.
46. Don’t Do Your Job!
During my high school years, I had a weekend job at a popular warehouse club where I sold computers. The store manager brought me on board because of a friend's recommendation. Given my passion for computers, they believed I'd excel in sales and assigned me strictly to the computer department.
However, one of the shift managers began to insist that I needed to spend half my shift folding clothes. Despite telling him that the store manager had explicitly told me to stick to the technology department, he persisted. This tug of war continued for a few weeks until, one weekend, the store manager was in.
The power-hungry shift manager and I were both on duty that day. The store manager presented him with a stack of green bar paper with highlighted figures.
He gestured towards it, facing the shift manager and said, "Do you see these numbers? They reflect average tech sales when you're on shift. And this number? It's when you're off. At this rate, it might be more cost-saving to let you go. How do you feel about that?"
The shift manager stuttered in reply but wasn't dismissed. The store manager confirmed that unless on break or facing a fire, I was to stick to the technology department. With that, I never heard another word from the shift manager about folding clothes.
47. Rejected Left And Right
I work at a hotel that also has a restaurant and bar. One night, a guest who had been denied service at our associated hotel nearby walked into our bar. He was heavily drunk and had previously been disrespectful and threatening to the staff. Although he insisted we serve him because he was staying with us, we knew his situation as our sister hotel had given us a heads-up.
While we declined his request for alcohol, we did offer him water and politely suggested he retire to his room. He then tried to pressure us into service, claiming he close to buying our hotel and hinting he could have us fired. We remained firm in our refusal. He further tried to persuade us, claiming he was wealthy and would tip us generously if we'd serve him.
By this point, he had become quite a handful, even going as far as saying his brother was the mayor. We once more advised him to go back to his room. He finally threatened to go to another pub, but all the pubs on the street collectively enforce a "one bar ban applies to all" policy. We had already alerted them about this guest. In the end, he finally returned to his room.
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48. The Punching Challenge
Back when I was in the military, we'd have these belly punch contests. I always refrained from joining since I really pack a punch, though there was a guy who kept pestering me to join. Despite telling him no, he just wouldn't stop taunting me until I had enough. So I agreed, and let him take the first jab. His punch was not that bad; I just shrugged it off.
Then came MY turn. After I took a few practice swings to measure the appropriate angle, the guy began to mock me. I warned him once more, but he just snickered. Determined, I drew back and slammed him. Straight in the gut. He doubled over, his face turning ghostly white and his lips turning blue, struggling to gasp for air. He spent the next few moments clawing for oxygen.
49. Caught In The Crossfire
So, there's this game you might know called Crossfire, it's a first-person shooter (FPS) game and I believe it's still popular. During my high school days, one guy challenged me to a duel on it because he'd heard rumors about my skills. This guy had a respectable rank in the public games and was always boasting, so he seemed like he could be a strong rival. I decided to take him on.
Now, what this fellow didn't realize was just how skilled I actually was at Crossfire. He likely assumed I was just good because I played a lot. But the truth is, during that period, I was a part of Canada's top-ranked team. Not only did I compete against some of the best teams worldwide, but I also regularly went head-to-head with top-ranking players on a daily basis. Needless to say, the guy didn't stand a chance.
50. Oh, You Don’t Speak English?
I reside in the northern parts of Vermont, a hotspot for tourists, primarily French-speaking Canadians from distinct regions of Quebec. As a bilingual American armed with dual French degrees—one being a Master's in Quebecois language and literature, I engage daily with international guests.
One memorable day while serving drinks, a Quebec native decided to settle her tab with Canadian money, which roughly comes to around 73 cents per American dollar. Unfortunately, her stack of Canadian dollars wasn't enough to cover her bill, even if we were to disregard the exchange rate.
I initially expressed this respectfully in English; she responded in French, revealing her lack of English understanding. This was my moment. My bar patrons watched with amusement as I clearly, yet assertively, repeated my explanation in native-sounding Quebecois French. The stunned expression on her face almost makes up for the agony of repaying my student debt each month.
51. Don’t Look Like A Gamer, Do I?
During my first year of college, we had a large get-to-know-you event on our dorm floor. I shared that I was a huge fan of video games, which was truly an understatement, as I was nearly an addict at the time. I was an athletic, good-looking girl, which made the majority of the guys find my video game passion amusing and likely assumed that I was trying to be unique.
Concerned that my grades might go downhill, I opted not to bring my gaming consoles to school. However, a boy from my dorm invited me to play Xbox in his room. Once I arrived, he suggested we play Halo 3. I assumed we'd team up and work through the story mode, but I noticed he was setting up a one-on-one match. That was an error in his judgement.
He proposed a wager, "If I beat you, will you go on a date with me?" As expected, I won several consecutive games against him, despite his sincere efforts to triumph. Eventually, I just offered that we simply hang out and play in co-op mode.
52. The Kids Section
After school, I took up a job at a bookstore and my station was usually the children's section. Due to my shyness and the seeming unpopularity of the kids' section among my colleagues, I would often indulge in reading during my free time. Children's books are typically easy to understand and can be read quickly. I could finish about ten books in under an hour.
On days when the store wasn't bustling with customers, I'd dive into kids' chapter books, sometimes completing series after series in a week. This helped me gain extensive knowledge about the books in the children's department. Eventually, I began interacting with local teachers, asking for their book recommendations.
This proved quite beneficial during the summer reading and holiday frenzy. I had a comprehensive understanding of our inventory in the kids' department and even knew a bit about the teenage section, which was fairly new at the time. However, being a high schooler myself, there were folks who seemed reluctant to seek my advice.
People seemed to think I was too young. Maybe they assumed the series they were interested in was meant for younger children and therefore, needed parental input. Whatever their reasons, I guess I appeared too youthful to offer the guidance they were looking for. Regardless, situations invariably ended with my colleagues directing them back to me. And I must say—I found great joy in proving them wrong.
Often, customers would be vague and slightly annoyed, only to express surprise when I reached for the exact book they were looking for in a matter of seconds. I would effortlessly describe the book cover, outline key elements of the plot and express my thoughts about my favorite parts of the story. Gradually, some began to recognize my skills and even came back seeking my help with their lesson planning.
53. A Really Long Game
My buddy is a stellar hockey player. He had a stint in the OHL in Canada and even got called to several NHL training camps, but didn't make the final cut. Eventually, after college, he gave up on his dreams of playing hockey professionally since it didn’t look like it was in the cards for him. Once, I asked him to join a casual league game that was open to anyone.
Just a couple of minutes into the game, a guy from the opposing team (who was kind of good, but not nearly as skilled as my friend) bagged a goal and came straight to our bench to mock us. "Enjoying that, guys? Looks like you're in for a tough game". That comment set my friend's determination aflame.
In the end, we thrashed them 21-3 with my buddy netting a stunning 18 goals and not retaliating with a single taunt to the other team.
54. Pitch Perfect
I've got perfect pitch, which means I can identify any musical note just by hearing it. It's like seeing colors—I can tell a C from an E as easily as you might tell red from green. It's not something I can turn off, it's simply how my ears work.
So, let me take you back to my junior high music class. My teacher was talking about Mozart, who also had perfect pitch. He went over to the piano, hit a note and said, "Mozart could tell you what note this is just by hearing it... can any of you do that?"
At that point, I wasn't aware that perfect pitch was a rare thing, so I willingly raised my hand. When the teacher pointed at me, I perfectly identified the note he had played. His surprised look was priceless.
He thought I was just lucky, so he tested me again, this time asking me to face away from the piano. Yet, I got it right again. He tried to challenge me further by playing chords, sequences, and multiple notes at the same time.
But each time, I identified them correctly. That was the day I found out that having perfect pitch isn't very common.
55. It’s All About Who You Know
I'm part of the team that runs an anime convention, and the amount of drama that gets stirred up is simply unbelievable. One day, a few years back, I found myself waiting for an elevator with two women who were discussing the future of our convention. It was a Sunday, and the wait for the elevator could take 10 or 15 minutes. One of the girls excitingly exclaims, "Thank goodness, the [convention] is moving back to the Hyatt next year!" However, that wasn't the case. The Hyatt was too small to accommodate us. It's always smart, though, to squash speculation before it spreads too indiscriminately.
With a polite tone, I inform them, "Actually, it will be held here again". They both give me these annoyingly self-assured looks. One of them smugly replies, "No, it's not. My friend on security told me." Now, it turns into an 'I have an insider' contest. However, my boss owns the convention—I'm aware of where it will take place. I don’t want to reveal my connection with the boss, as it seems too petty.
Instead, I offer, "How about you drop an email and clear up the confusion?" She takes out her phone and starts typing an email while we have the time to wait. She sends it, and moments later, I get a notification. I received an email, clearly from her, asking, "[Convention] is relocating to the Hyatt next year, right?"
Responding to her, I write, "No," and press send. The satisfaction from that 'No' was unbeatable.
56. Nothing Like The New Year For A New You
We had a guy in our college group who could be a real pain. He was a buddy's brother so pretty integrated into our crowd. Rule of thumb, when he'd had a few, he'd try to start things, wanting to fight. We'd usually shrug it off, not reacting. Then on New Year's Eve, one of our guys threw a huge bash and sure enough, our irritant buddy was there, getting hammered and looking for trouble.
Things were getting tense. There was one towering guy at the party, nearly 6'4", built like a brick house and he'd simply had enough. As soon as he got confronted, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He lifted our problem creator, carried him outside and dropped him onto a stair, breaking his leg in the process. This put an abrupt stop to his fight picking habit.
57. To The Drum Of The Beating
I remember this guy who drummed on the strip in Hawaii all the time. Cool dude; we didn't interact much beyond an exchange of waves and a few dollar bills. One day, a disgruntled tourist—clearly intoxicated—thought it'd be a laugh to tamper with his drum set. Despite multiple warnings from the drummer, the tourist tried to throw a punch, only to get floored with one hit.
As for me? I was just standing there in shock. Luckily, my friend quickly urged the drummer to gather his belongings and leave before the police showed up. The fallen tourist was clearly in bad shape, and we stayed by his side until help arrived. Judging from the state of his jaw, it was obvious his recovery wouldn't be quick.
58. Be Courteous To Everyone
Once upon a time, I had a job in an air traffic control tower. We'd frequently welcome rookie pilots who wanted to learn about the airport and how things operated from the air traffic control perspective. I remember when one particular pilot stopped by while I was enjoying a break. At that moment, I was the only woman on the air traffic control team. After finishing his coffee, this chap handed me his mug with an offhand comment, "Clean this up for me, dear."
When his tour was over and he returned to his plane, my break had also ended. Coincidentally, he ended up at the end of an exceptionally long line for departure. I hoped that while waiting, he might have a moment to reflect, listening to the frequency and realizing that a woman's role in a professional setting is not limited to serving coffee.
59. Alpha Running
I have a buddy, right? He's always trying to be the big man in any male bonding scenario. So, he once dared me to a long-distance run, stating he could outlast me. Little did he know, my casual hobby is running ultra marathons, and not to brag, but I recently broke a 50-mile race record. Eager to play along, I agreed, and we set a date for 6 am the following morning at a nearby track, with some friends as spectators.
Instead of leading, I decided to trail him by a couple of feet at a relaxed pace. I knew this would push him to try to widen the gap, using up his energy. Impressively, he managed to keep this up for about four miles, which is an achievement for someone who doesn't run regularly. It was then I jogged up to join him and chatted about my extensive history with running.
After a while, our friends were ready to head off, so I suggested we finish the race together. He agreed. But, in the last round, he found some energy to pull a sneaky move, exclaiming, "Sorry, but I'm gonna win!" as he attempted to sprint passed me. I just smiled and stepped up my pace, crossing the finish line an easy 150 meters ahead of him.
In true style, he made up excuses and challenged me to a sprint race a few days later. Guess what? I left him in my dust there too! Some advice for the guy–cool down a bit mate, you don't need to be the "Alpha" all the time.
60. Five Minute Mile
Back in my junior year of high school, I found myself in a PE class brimming with freshmen. For some reason, I had chosen to complete my mandatory two-year phys-ed credit in my final years, unlike most of my peers. Among these rookies was this stereotypical newbie football player—a kid who aspired to be the star quarterback.
In the early stages of the class, I'd kept to myself, not knowing anyone and being naturally a bit reserved. Things picked up when our coach announced a mile run; the aspiring quarterback was immediately boasting about cinching it. Such arrogance tends to irritate me.
What he didn't realize, though, was that I'd been holding back my own trump card—I'd been pounding the track and the cross country circuit for over 2.5 years by then, boasting a personal record of a stellar 5-minute mile. Deceivingly, I was a larger guy, standing 5'11" and weighing 180lbs—not overweight, but an unlikely candidate for sprinting.
Returning to the mile competition, lined up at the starting block, the freshman launched off like a rocket. I just hung back, trailing behind him for the first lap, and overtaking him smoothly in the second.
I could have easily raced ahead, finishing with plenty to spare, but I chose to stay slightly ahead of him, just to keep him in tow. I ended up winning by just a couple of seconds with a time of 6:15. The aftermath saw the freshman totally drained, while I was practically unscathed. After this, he became a bit more subdued.
61. See What You’re Doing
A couple of years back, I found myself applying for a senior role that suited my experience level perfectly. The process included two phone discussions, followed by a fabulous face-to-face meeting. Not long after this meeting, I got a call where they enthusiastically expressed that I'd be the ideal candidate for their organization.
However, they subtly suggested that I lacked the required experience and instead proposed a lesser role with a corresponding salary cut. I gently reminded them that my interest in their ad was because it advertised a senior role. I expressed my disappointment about the misleading process, saying it felt both dishonest and immoral. The line went quiet for a moment.
The interviewer responded with an almost accusatory tone, "We all have had to make some compromises.” To which I responded, "That might be your way, but I don't compromise for anyone". After a brief silence, he stuttered, “Alright…maybe you could give it a thought, and I'll get back to you tomorrow...” I replied, "No thanks, I'd also prefer if you didn't call," and then ended the call.
62. Get Toasted
I've previously been an employee at several Subway branches. The lady who owned them was already thriving in another occupation, but she held onto these establishments with the primary intent to provide jobs for her immigrant relatives. One day, she was in the back of the store and overheard my conversation with an irate customer. She emerged and said something that fundamentally altered my perspective.
She reassured me, “You don’t have to tolerate this." This is a sentence every customer service employee yearns to hear. Her next words were, “I have faith in you. If somebody disrespects you, you have my permission to ask them to leave." My stand against nonsense started right then. If you gave me the slightest sign of disrespect as your Sandwich Artist, you'd find yourself outside, still yearning for that meal.
It was quite enjoyable, to be honest. Upon hearing, "I demand to see your manager," I would simply reply, "No, leave." When customers would declare that they were going to file a complaint, I would adopt an exaggerated shocked expression and retort ironically, “Goodness, I’m shaking in my boots. You are welcome to complain, just not from here because now you’re trespassing." Seeing a self-entitled customer's reaction when you stand up to them rather than submissively signaling your agreement is truly a sight to see,
Wikimedia.Commons
63. Toad Me What To Do
Despite having a job, every few years I'll entertain job interviews. Yet, any potential employer must persuade me of the benefits of joining their team. One day, while wearing my uniform, I stopped by a bakery to grab a quick bite. As I waited, a disrespectful woman stomped in commanding me to fetch her order. Then she scolded me for not rushing to her service.
I informed her that I was not an employee, only to be met with a tirade about her self-proclaimed significance. Later, I found myself at a job interview. The head of IT entered alongside the cranky woman from the bakery. With a sinister smile on her face, I recognized her instantly. I pointed at her and candidly expressed, "Having witnessed your management style first hand, I have no desire to join your team". Her reaction was simply priceless.
64. Hot Spot
I'm employed at a high-end hotel and part of my job includes dealing with parking violators because we have a really good parking space. Whenever someone who's not a guest takes advantage, we clamp their car. I quite enjoy this as it's one of the times when I don't need to apologize to anyone. Once, this lady parked, and just strolled off. My boss happened to be around.
He approached her, explaining she can't park there, but she responded with foul language, made an obscene gesture and left for the hotel next door. So, he gave me a ring. Gleefully, I put the clamp on her car. When she returned, she was furious and kicked up quite the fuss. I calmly informed her it'd be $200 to remove the clamp. She called the cops. When they asked if ours is a private lot and we confirmed it, they informed her she'd have to pay us. She refused to pay and stormed off.
Later, I took a call from her mother. "My daughter didn't know. She was there for a job interview," she explained. I patiently waited for her to finish and then recounted her daughter's rude behavior towards my boss. I was firm, explaining that the only way the clamp was coming off was with payment. But, I added an important condition. If her daughter came back cursing or causing a scene, the fee would increase to $300. She promptly hung up.
The girl returned later, silent this time, handing over $200 with a fury in her eyes. It was a remarkably satisfying moment for me.
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65. The Preview Experience
I used to manage a movie theater. Whenever the snack stand got too busy and I was available, I'd step in to help serve popcorn. One evening while I was on popcorn duty, an incredibly rude man began berating a 16-year-old girl working the cash register for being too slow. He even suggested she should quit.
He criticized her, saying, "She clearly can't handle a simple task like pressing buttons or serving popcorn." It was truly appalling and my heart went out to her. So, I intervened and informed him that under our company policy, our employees can deny service to customers who harass them. I acknowledged that the queue was longer than normal.
I then recommended that he apologize and go. He was livid. He abandoned half of his order and walked away in a huff. Forecasting his next step, I made my way back to my original position that night—managing the customer service booth. You should have seen the surprise on his face when he saw me again! I bet he ended up watching his movie without any popcorn.
66. If You Say So
When I was around 12, my mom would often leave me with her friends whenever she had to travel. The father in that family was a real pain. He had this knack of serving tomatoes for dinner every single night for a week, knowing full well that I didn't like them. One time, he even tossed me into a pool despite knowing that I couldn't swim.
He was a typical "tough guy" from the 70s who would give me a hard time every chance he got. One evening, we all—me, my mom, her friends and their kids—decided to have dinner out. As we were leaving the restaurant, he challenged me out of the blue saying, "Okay tough guy, give me your best shot. Hit me right in the stomach." I guess he thought I wouldn't dare.
He assumed I was afraid of him, but he was mistaken. That was my moment. He wasn't a big guy, barely 5'6" and I was already about his height. As he smirked at me, I drew back my fist and struck him in the gut with all the strength I had. He instantly bent double, gritting his teeth in anger.
He tried to blame me, but his wife quickly silenced him, stating, "You asked for it. If you weren’t ready, it’s on you, not him." That was one of the most rewarding moments of my life, and thankfully one of the last times I had to put up with Mr. Tough Guy.
67. Those Are The Numbers
So, here's the scene: I used to work at a mobile phone shop here in the UK, selling phones and the contracts that go with them. One day, a lad of about 19 comes in with a shorter older guy, clearly his dad. The teen wanted to get out of an existing contract. From the get-go, I could see from his worn-out explanations that he knew he couldn't just cancel it, but his dad wasn't buying his story.
That's why he dragged his old man in to try to "sort things out". I went over the contract details with the dad, explaining he'd need to pay off the remaining balance to cancel. Instead of understanding, the guy goes totally old-school angry on me—spitting, fuming, throwing toxic words at me like it was the secret to success. I just stood firm and kept my cool.
Once he was finally done, I calmly reiterated the contract terms. That's when he threatened to report me for violating the Sale of Goods Act. Little did he know, I'd actually made a point of memorizing that act after past customers had tried using it to get their way.
So, I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Go right ahead—and here's our store phone if you need it," while gesturing to the phone on a nearby table. I was confident he didn't have a case, and any trade regulator who heard his claim would think it's a joke. He obviously didn't know how to respond and left the store in a huff, while his son trailed behind, rolling his eyes.
Unsplash
68. On Top Of The Scrabble Board
After years of playing, I mastered the game Scrabble. Plenty of folks fancy themselves as pretty skilled at the game, but these players typically fall into two groups. The first group is those who play relaxed games of Scrabble.
The second includes those who know two—and three-letter words by heart; they strategize about managing their tiles, and plan around whether the board is open or closed. If you've not really competed against tough opponents, under time restraints, using the official Scrabble Dictionary, then chances are, you're likely part of the first group.
Anyways, it was time to meet my partner's mother, who took pride in being an excellent Scrabble player. More than just good, she considered herself a champion. I did my best to avoid a match with her, explaining that I was a serious player and not into leisurely games. However, she was insistent to a point where I couldn't say no. We selected our initial tiles and I got a good draw. My first word on the open board left her stunned.
I scored a whopping 111 points right off the bat. My partner and their mother couldn't bridge the gap from that first round. All the while, I remained calm and cheery, giving them a friendly demonstration of the difference between casual and competitive play (a difference of several hundred points!)
Although it didn't lead to any major confrontations, I can't help but feel they've not entirely forgiven me since.
69. Do You Play?
I was spending time with this girl I really fancied. We found ourselves in a classroom with a piano, simply reading together. At one point, I wandered over to the piano. She wondered out loud, "Oh, do you play?" Now, I've been around a piano since my childhood, and YouTube had taught me how to play a few tunes. I knew them more like a sequence to be followed, but it usually dazzles most folks.
So, I replied, "Absolutely," hoping I might sweep her off her feet. With the utmost confidence, I settled down at the piano and played the theme from Amelie. When I finished, she acknowledged, "That's pretty good. Mind if I give it a go?" As she began playing, it dawned on me I'd made a mistake. Turns out, she had been a pianist all her life.
She even spent some years studying classical music at university. So, in the end, she wasn't all that impressed.
70. Dressing Contest
Back in college, I was part of a team of student firefighters. We would often engage in friendly contests during our shifts, where the objective was to speed up our reaction times. More often than not, I would end up as the fastest. After college, I started serving in some modest, part-time roles in local fire departments. Being the rookie, I kept my previous achievements under wraps as I didn't want to come off as arrogant.
One day, a group of full-time professional firefighters joined us for a training session and issued a challenge to us newcomers: dress up in fireman's gear from regular clothes in less than 90 seconds. Back in my heyday, I'd been able to do this in under half that time.
As I began to arrange my gear, the jesting chatter among the others gradually subdued. When I finally jumped into my boots while simultaneously donning my flame-resistant hood, and swiftly slipped on my air pack with one hand while handling the mask with the other, the room fell completely silent. Though we didn't officially time it, I was fully geared and ready to go while some of the seasoned firefighters were still fussing with their coats.
Following that day, it became a tradition for these seasoned firefighters to think up new challenges to test me. There were even whispers of them practicing during their own shifts. But thanks to years of practice, I held my own. No contest could unseat me yet...
71. A Real Distance Runner
Back in my early 20s, I was a devoted long-distance runner. Not an Olympic level athlete or anything, but I could pull off a 5k in 14 minutes and 15 to 30 seconds, and a 10k in a clean 30 minutes. While not Olympic speed, I was quick enough for local race sponsorships and typically dominated any neighborhood race I took part in.
Almost every weekend, I was running a 5k or 10k chasing the prize pot, which was never substantial—usually anywhere from $100 to $200. But it was enough to cover my running gear, travel expenses, and miscellaneous costs. Each week, I'd scout online for the race with the highest prize money and make a trip there to run.
I often ended up in places where my face was unknown. Occasionally the local running champion—cocky from small 5k wins—would challenge me or boast prior to the race. They never came out on top. Usually, I'd show up, keep to myself, run my race humbly, and go home.
My motivation was not to boast or prove a point; I was just after the $200 gift voucher or any such prize. But I'll admit, when they'd spout off about their victories and race times, I got a kick out of it. They'd go on about how they had won the previous year's race by one whole minute with a time of 17:45.
My response was always, "Well, that's quite an achievement!" An 18-minute 5k is a decent time, but a 14:30 minute 5k, it's not even in the same league. To give you an idea, during my prime, I ran a marathon in under 2 hours and 30 minutes. That's averaging 17:45 per 5k during an entire marathon! It wasn't going to be a competition, but I didn't want to crush their hopes. If they asked about me, I'd casually evade their questions and reply, "Oh, I'm just out here for fun and to support the community charity."
The real thrill was during the actual race. They'd rocket off, trying to establish a lead. They'd strive to outpace me, but I'd just stay right beside them, allowing them to set the pace. This was usually a pace they just couldn't maintain for the entire race. Since I already knew their average time, I had an idea of their sustainable speed. I'd let them lead for the first mile or so, always running just behind them without letting off.
Gradually, I'd align with them and eventually overtake. I'd subtly measure their pace and keep mine just fast enough to keep their hope alive, causing them to push harder. Their determination was evident―the drive, the difficulty in keeping up, and their pride forbidding them to slow down. They'd lose themselves in the heat of the moment, completely oblivious to the actual situation.
That's when I'd subtly but progressively up my pace until their limit. Around the two-mile mark, it was usually over for them. They'd hit their lactate threshold―the point where their muscles make more lactic acid than their body can get rid of. This is the physiological cutoff that forces a runner to significantly decrease their speed.
Once a runner hits this point, they physically can't carry on at their initial pace. That's my cue to crank it up a notch. I'd sprint off, almost twice as fast as they had to slow down. By the time they'd limp across the finish line, I'd have been relaxing for at least five minutes, despite them having kept up with me for two-thirds of the race. I'd stick around to watch them cross the finish line, panting and deflated.
72. I Didn’t Get The Email!
My homeowner's association's property management firm insisted I had gotten some emails, which I'm pretty sure I didn't. So, I challenged them to show evidence that I indeed received them. I'm a software engineer by trade. In fact,
I had recently completed creating a robust email distribution system for an enterprise; sort of an internal, consistent point of contact. Due to this, I'm really familiar with the ins and outs of the CAN-SPAM Act. So, I knew exactly how their email system would function in this case.
So, the property manager retorted, "I grasp how email functions. It's too complex for you to understand". Right then, I couldn't resist—I had to set straight this misunderstanding. I calmly explained the nuts and bolts of email delivery and how you'd track specific tasks.
I spent close to five minutes laying out my expertise and why I was utterly convinced they hadn't ever sent me the supposed emails. Once I wrapped up, the HOA board simply agreed to drop the charges.
73. The Fake Expert
I once collaborated with a colleague known for being an expert in our field. He was fast-paced and always pestering our manager for more assignments. His speed was amazing, something I couldn't match, and it puzzled me until I worked alongside him one day. It turned out he was not doing quality work. His completed tasks were just not up to par. When I brought this up, he simply brushed me off and claimed I didn't understand what I was talking about.
He was confident he had everyone fooled until our boss intervened. He faced criticism for his subpar work, then it was my job to get him up to standard. However, after half a year, he was still not improving and I had begun to shoulder his workload too. I reviewed his work and listed the issues I found, only to be completely dismissed by him.
So I decided to step back. I let our managers know I could no longer support him. They were gearing up to let him go, but he preemptively quit and quickly obtained a job as a project manager with a higher salary and superior benefits. He didn't fare any better there. In a cheeky gesture, we sent his new employer a thank you note and a basket of muffins. Meanwhile, my efforts were rewarded with the company car, a raise of $5 per hour, and multiple additional benefits.
74. Impromptu Band Member
One of my pals found himself in some rather lousy seats at a concert and began venting his frustration on Twitter. Out of the blue, the band on stage started reading tweets aloud and they summoned my mate to join them on stage for a couple of tunes. They had him perch at the piano, and as a playful joke during the subsequent song, they announced, "Alright, time for a piano solo!"
This elicited some laughter from the audience, but what my friend did next silenced them in an instant. He bustled into an impromptu jamming session, showing off his own piano skills from his band. Now that was truly a golden moment, getting to share the stage with his favorite band.
75. This Lady's Common Sense Went AWOL
At an upscale scholarship dinner, a lady was telling me all about her "boot camp"-style workouts, fully convinced that they were identical to real US Army training and just as tough. I didn't discuss her belief but I simply pointed out how it was different to sweat it out for an hour and then return to a comfy house.
She inquired, “What's your knowledge on this? Are you pulling this stuff from your boyfriend?” I urged her to check her event pamphlet. Once she flipped to the first page, her jaw quite literally dropped. Turns out, I was the main presenter for the night, talking about the experiences of female veterans. My presentation's title? “Invisible Women: The Female Veteran's Untold Story".
Wikimedia Commons, Arlington National Cemetery
76. You Can't Hide Your Lying Eyes
In my line of work, at a child daycare center, we have a rule regarding sick kids. If we notice a child isn't feeling well, we send them home, for everyone's good, so as to prevent others from getting sick. Some parents, however, don't agree with this policy and usually end up quarreling with us, insisting their kid is perfectly fine, even when they're obviously not. One such instance involved a mom and her little boy with an unusual accessory—an eye patch.
Yes, you heard that right. The tot had an eye patch on. I asked the mom what's up and she merely mentioned he had bumped into something. I was skeptical, of course. She then told me, emphatically, not to remove the patch. Alarm bells rang in my mind. Without a second thought, I gently lifted the patch while holding the little boy. What unfolded left me aghast. It was the most severe case of pink eye I'd ever come across.
Predictably, the mother was infuriated, caught off guard that I'd dared to unveil the truth. Needless to say, her little boy didn't make it to daycare that day.
77. Buzz Off
One Saturday afternoon while instructing at a local airstrip, we had a plane go off course and crash on the runway. The plane was wrecked, but luckily, the pilot wasn't seriously hurt. My student, prepping to takeoff next, alerted me.
I jumped into the airport vehicle with another worker, radio in hand, and headed to the crash site to warn incoming planes to use the alternate runway—we didn't have a control tower. As we left, I contacted the airport manager who was en route and he officially closed the affected runway.
Half an hour after, a swarm of Public Safety officers showed up, eager to shut the entire airport down as if a major crime had taken place. They roamed around, ignoring the taxis and flew across the operational runway, oblivious of approaching planes.
An airport mechanic and I attempted to caution them but were met with hostility. An officer declared their intention to "lockdown" the entire airport, complicating my plans; as a struggling flight trainer, I was relying on a scheduled flight that afternoon for my weekly grocery budget. The airport manager, a short, straightforward country guy and ex-Navy, wasn't fazed by the officers.
As I was about to take off with my student preparing for cross-country flight, one officer spotted my flight bag. He asserted that we weren't going anywhere. The airport manager immediately stepped in, insisting that only one runway was closed and the airport was still functional, which irked the officers.
As I headed for my aircraft, the same officer said he would drive to the damaged plane even though the pilot had been absent for an hour. The mechanic, acting as a voice of reason, warned him about the dangers, mentioning his first unexpected encounter could be a propeller. Like a perfectly timed movie, a plane roared to life and took off as a car approached.
As I was getting into my plane with my student, the same officer tried to halt us. But the unfazed airport manager, having followed us out, wished us a pleasant flight, leaving the officers fuming in quiet because they couldn't assert the control they thought they had.
Flickr
78. Stature Of Liberty
My dad stands at 6'3", while my height is 6'10". During my early teenage years, I sprouted higher than him. Dad was known for his loud voice. Whenever I didn't meet his expectations, he'd instantly raise his voice rather than have a normal conversation. Yet, I discovered that he couldn't yell if he had to look up to do it—an interesting change.
One evening, as I was in my room on the computer, dad walked in and started yelling at me. Eventually, I had enough, I stood up and yelled right back at him. Caught off guard, my dad made an excuse to exit the room. He returned about 30 minutes later, by which point I found the whole situation amusing. The moment I stood was the moment an argument would end. Ultimately, the whole experience led to a surprising improvement in our relationship.
Pexels
79. Last Stop
I'd been dating this guy and had even met his parents. Things seemed to be going well. After a date, he drove me home and we spent time together till late, as I enjoyed his company and I didn't want him driving anywhere intoxicated. Eventually we stayed up till 3 AM when he started getting continuous calls from his mom.
She asked him to return home immediately. However, when he reached, they had locked him out. His mom claimed he wasn't supposed to hang out with someone like me and dubbed me as "just another station on the flirt-train". When he defended me, she retorted saying that she could say whatever she wanted about anyone as long as it was under her roof.
Left with no option, he called me and asked if he could crash at my place for a bit. That was seven years ago. Now, we're engaged, have a pet dog and cat, and we're happily settled. As a fun little twist, I'm planning on sneaking in some train-related elements into our wedding when it happens.
80. Dr. Stat
During one of my shifts as a lab assistant, I got a call from a frustrated doctor, which was a bit unusual since I work mainly in tech. He was irritated about a specific test that was not completed as quickly as he would have liked. He wanted to know the details, so I asked him which test it was. Turned out, it was a fungal sample, which usually takes around two weeks to process.
The patient in question was in the emergency room, and the doctor was eager to discharge him. I tried to explain in a friendly and professional tone that these types of tests usually require about a fortnight or even more, depending on the type of fungus involved. But the doctor's impatience only increased. He was curious about whether the process could be expedited, a common misconception especially when it comes to culture tests.
The reality is, we have to wait for the culture to grow on its own. We cannot accelerate the process, it's a biological process that cannot be rushed. I humorously shared that we don't actually have a magical wand to speed up the growth. When he asked to talk with a lab tech, I clarified that I myself am a lab technician who is specifically skilled in microbiology, and I have a wealth of experience with fungal cultures.
Fungal cultures are notorious for being among the slowest to develop, right next to AFBs. I reassured him that if we see any significant changes, we'd notify the ER right away. He wasn't thrilled with my response, but accepted it begrudgingly and ended the call.
81. Getting A Foot Up
A few years back, I was answering a call as part of our local volunteer fire department. I was located west of town when an accident involving a single vehicle occurred along my route to the fire hall. The passengers in the crash were all immigrants from the Pakistan/Afghanistan region.
Upon reaching the crash scene, I found a doctor from our area already lending a hand. Given she shared her heritage with those in the accident, I initially mistook her as an additional passenger. She seemed eager to dictate the situation, confining the facts I needed to know about the patient she was attending to.
"She's suffering from sore ribs and midline neck pain." In response, I asked, "Okay, and any crepitus or deformity to the...," but before I could finish, she interrupted, "That's all you need to know!” I was puzzled by her outburt. She boldly stated, “I'm a doctor, and that's all you need to know!" Feeling something was off, I decided to question her specialty to get a clearer picture.
She revealed she was a podiatrist. Holding my composure, it occurred to me that the victim's feet were in pretty good shape. It's common for doctors or nurses to assume control over EMS but it's compulsory for them to provide confirmation they're overseeing patient care. However, when I asked her to sign and accompany us to the hospital, she quickly recognized she was out of her depth. Soon after, she disappeared from the scene.
82. It’s My Spray Or The Highway
Due to a tough financial climate and some not-so-great budgeting skills, my folks have recently moved in with my husband and me. It was just a year ago when we purchased our own place. The other evening, while I was doing some gardening chores, I was wrestling with a seemingly stubborn hose that just wouldn't cooperate. After struggling with it for a while, I soon realized it wasn't the hose, but someone was actually pulling it!
I squinted into the shady corner beyond the reach of the streetlight and spotted my dad bent down, secretly yanking the hose. As a natural reaction, I did what felt most logical—I turned the spray on him! Unsurprisingly, he hollered and darted towards the safety of the house with me hot on his heels. Once inside, he made a mockingly triumphant face and bragged, "You can't get me now, I'm indoors!"
He spoke in that classic dad-sternly-warning-his-daughter-not-to-do-something voice. Little did he know, I had a counter-move planned out. I prepared my hose, stared him straight in the eye, and fired back, "Well, it's my house”, and set the water loose. He ended up completely drenched! It was a sight to see him genuinely scared for once, and trust me, it was worth the clean-up afterward!
83. Time Tables Have Turned
Back when I was a child, I was pretty bad at getting library books back on time. I received plenty of scoldings from my school librarian because of it. After two decades, I now run the local community library, a place my old school librarian frequents. I once noticed that she was slinking around near the reception, avoiding my gaze instead of coming over to chat. It seemed something was off.
I decided to approach her to say hello, but she appeared frustrated and confessed she was intentionally steering clear of me due to her overdue books. I smiled, slipped on my spectacles, pushed them down my nose, and delivered the very same lecture she had thrown at me numerous times in the past. The lecture was about the importance of responsibility, particularly when it comes to returning borrowed books punctually.
84. Need A Grown Up
When I was in college, I got a job at a small catering firm. The founder was a chap in his 30s, and the rest of us were all around college-age—we pretty much looked like a troupe of college lads. We once catered an outdoor upper-class wedding reception with over 300 guests, with weather that was unmercifully hot.
Despite the sweltering heat and our formal tuxedos, the nightmare wasn't the temperature but rather the bride's family. Far from being gracious, they seemed to be the epitome of rude and high-maintenance. This job definitely wasn't a barrel of laughs. There was one lady, an aunt of the bride, who was the worst of all. Her behavior was appalling—she kept throwing around her relative status to the bride and was constantly demanding things.
This aunt, who wasn't even part of the bridal party, was being an extraordinary pain to everyone she interacted with, including our boss, who was also the head bartender. She managed to turn the line at the bar into a public airing of grievances, complaining non-stop about the service pace.
As she cherry-picked her drink, she remorselessly criticized how sluggish and inefficient the bartender was. Our boss, with the calm grace of a professional, retorted, "We're working as efficiently as we can. Here is your drink. Enjoy your evening".
This triggered her rage-inducing rant: “You are just a bunch of inexperienced kids. Is there anything resembling adult supervision at this event? I want to have a word with your manager or the proprietor or, at the least, an adult who can toss you out and handle the proper organization of the party". At this, a broad smile spread across his face.
He pleasantly responded, “Hello, I’m Steve, the owner of this catering service. Just so you're aware, if I leave, the reception loses its food, beverages, and bar service". I could have sworn I heard an angelic choir chanting "Burn!" after his response. Miraculously, we didn't get any more flak from the bothersome aunt afterward.
85. Dishonorably Discharged
Once, my dad and I paid a visit to Lowes. We were being assisted by an employee who was sporting a veteran's hat and several pins. Despite his attempts to suggest that we were clueless and didn't need the items we came for, my dad tried to lighten the atmosphere by asking about his military service. The guy claimed he was a member of team 6 from 1970-1974, serving in Vietnam.
But, my dad caught the mistake right away. He questioned if he was trying to say that he belonged to seal team 1 or 2. The man, upon noticing my dad's service ring, puffed up, turned beet-red, and started trying to assert his superiority. Without batting an eye, my dad called him out on his false claims of valor and laid out the reasons why his story just wasn't adding up.
86. Splash Of Barter
A little while back, I was in a hardware store and a guy approached me, asking if I painted. Seeing my painter's attire, I confirmed to him that I did, but that I specialized in historic renovation projects. When he asked my hourly rate, I told him. Immediately, he said it was too much and proposed a 25% reduction. By this point, he already had my contact information.
Despite my explanation that I work full-time and take on projects like these in my free time, he continued to undermine my worth. Eventually, he let me leave, but didn't stop pestering me with frequent phone calls, laboring over whether to hire me or not.
This man owns various properties, which would have been a good opportunity, but not for the price he was offering. Every time, I reminded him to feel free to not hire me if he didn't want to. In the end, I started to recognize his number and I stopped taking his calls. He seemed to believe he could control me, and that I would leap at the chance to work for him. Thankfully, I wasn't in dire need of the job.
My current job paid me reasonably well, so his offer wasn't hard to turn down. He seemed like the type to pick apart everything, potentially refusing to pay at the end. Yet, he still believed he held some sort of leverage over me, and couldn't comprehend why I wasn't interested in haggling with him.
87. Technically Incorrect
A customer paid for my services to visit their office and fix an IT issue they were experiencing. It was initially projected to be an 8-hour job. Yet, in just 45 minutes, I had figured out and rectified the problem, which was a simple misconfiguration that I quickly spotted once I accessed the system. I was packing my tools, ready to head out when the client cut in, "Where are you going?"
I informed them, "Your system's up and running, so I'm wrapping up." The response was, "But I paid for a full 8 hours. I expect you to be here that long, even if it means washing my car." I simply replied, "Understood…anyhow, I’ll be on my way. You can expect the invoice soon, and please note we will no longer be offering our services or supporting your rental of our equipment".
88. Impossible To Work With
I began my role as an engineering manager at a welding company. Our product, a highly intricate weldment, was sold for $4.9K, but cost us $9.3K to produce. The owner won the contract in order to establish a relationship with this significant client, optimistically stating, "We'll offset the losses through increased sales volume". However, that was not happening. Moreover, our main contact at the buyer's end was a quite difficult woman.
She had a habit of raising her voice during phone discussions. Somewhat reluctantly, I wrote her a letter saying we would keep the last five tanks' price unchanged, as per the current purchase order, but after that, the price would need to increase to $10K each. Her response to this was ridiculous—she stormed into our office the very next day with her boss, demanding an explanation and threatening to withdraw their business.
In response, I explained that we were taking a $5K loss on each tank and simply couldn't continue in this manner. She asked for proof, which I promptly provided by showing my already prepared presentation. I stated, “As you'll see, we can't persist with such considerable losses. It's impossible to produce the tanks for the original price. If it's necessary for you to withdraw your business, we'll understand".
Her boss immediately intervened, assuring us they wouldn't withdraw their business and expressing gratitude for honoring the current purchase order. Following this incident, I didn't have many confrontations with her.
89. Sounds Wrong
My uncle's job is as a deputy sheriff, and there was this one instance when he was at an airport chatting with my aunt on the phone in Spanish. As soon as his phone call was over, a woman nearby who had been listening became intrusive and wanted to see his green card. Big error. My uncle thought to play with her, feigning ignorance and denying any knowledge of what a green card is.
He protested that he had never come across such a term. This seemed to anger her more as she kept pressing him about it. My uncle continued his pretense for a while longer before stating, "Well, I don't possess a green card, though I do have this". He then whipped out his wallet, revealing his sheriff's badge. She exited the scene right away, leaving my uncle chuckling at the prank he had pulled.
90. High Up There
I had a colleague who was brilliant in his role at a large hospitality firm. His expertise and abilities were appreciated by many of the company's higher-ups who often sought his help with departmental projects. But, when it came time for a raise, our immediate superiors inexplicably undermined him with a laughably poor counter offer.
In light of this, my colleague started exploring opportunities elsewhere. Word of this circulated to the CFO and several senior VPs who were keen on preventing his departure. They managed to arrange something internally so they could utilize his talents in their own projects, coupled with a deservedly generous pay package. On a polite note, he submitted a transfer request.
However, his current superiors flat-out denied his request. Worse still, they tried to jeopardize his standing by citing "attendance" issues from months ago. Bear in mind, we're salaried employees, and our work is mainly project-based. All the while, I was situated close to the action as we worked in a shared office.
So it was that, with a shared chuckle, I was privy to his phone conversations with some of the company's key players. They urged him to disregard the antics of his superiors. Apologies were made and the issue even reached the VP of Human Relations who started an internal investigation, all without the knowledge of our unsuspecting superiors.
The backlash that followed for the three culprits would have been entertaining enough, but the real icing on the cake? My coworker is now in charge of them.
91. Causing McTrouble
Back when I was an employee at McDonald's, I had to deal with an unbelievably awful boss. He was always treating us poorly, complaining about us to our customers, and generally making our working lives a nightmare. However, eventually, he got what he deserved; following numerous complaints, he got the pink slip. In his place, we got a fantastic new manager.
This guy was calm and sympathetic. A few weeks after he assumed the role, the ex-boss showed up. He started complaining about the state of the store, criticising our service, and carrying on about how invaluable he was to the place. The new manager calmly told him, "If you don't leave, someone will make sure you do."
When he refused to budge, our superb new boss acted on his threat and got the cops involved. As a result, that old bully is now banned from setting foot in any McDonald's across town, and even has a restraining order to his name.
92. Elite Existence
I was hanging around, waiting for a buddy of mine to clock out from her job. She served tables at this fancy restaurant that had a staff member stationed outside just to check on the incoming guests. In a place full of glitz and glam, it naturally attracted a high-profile clientele. Only those with a reservation were let in, and those who were hoping to be walk-in customers had to line up. In the middle of all this, a car pulled up.
The driver quickly got out, opened the passenger door, and out stepped a woman in a flashy hat and dress. She was a minor actress from a local daytime TV show. She seemed to look right through everyone gathered, and then proceeded to try and walk into the restaurant. She was taken aback when the staff member stopped her. He asked: "Do you have a reservation?" She didn't answer.
Maybe she didn't hear the question, but instead, puffed herself up in her fancy attire and shot back, "Do you know who I am?!" The restaurant's host responded: "Yes…back of the line."
93. Money Doesn’t Buy Healthiness
I work at a NHS hospital—all treatments are covered by taxes rather than out-of-pocket expenses. Once, we had a scenario where a patient had paid for a private surgery at a different hospital but was scheduled for her follow-up appointments in our NHS hospital. That's technically not the usual protocol, but it sometimes happens.
Patients like these can sometimes be a bit challenging to manage. This particular woman's appointment got scheduled at 8:55, five minutes before our shift even started at 9:00. She completed the preliminary steps right when we clocked in, and seemed quite impatient over waiting those extra five minutes. Suddenly, one of our ward nurses called—an urgent case, a real NHS patient, required immediate attention.
This NHS patient was prioritized over the "private" patient. Upon seeing this, the lady became upset and started complaining loudly that she had paid quite a lot and demanded immediate service. Our head nurse came out and began to inquire who had accepted money from her, probing about who dared to take money from an NHS patient.
Totally taken aback, the lady turned beet-red and hesitated, then admitted she had paid the other hospital. The head nurse told her, "Exactly, your money doesn't affect your treatment here. Our doctor is paid by tax money and is prioritizing this emergency patient. So please, take a seat and maintain silence. Or else, you can exit this department until you're ready to behave appropriately."
94. Out Of Service
One evening, while I was tending bar, I had to deal with three guys who had more than enough to drink. So, naturally, I decided not to serve them any more drinks. One of these gents disagreed, pointing out that he had plenty of cash and insisting he wasn't done drinking. He seemed to believe he should decide when It was time to stop. At that point, I was tired of trying to be nice and simply stated that I was done arguing.
I informed him that neither he nor his friends would be getting any more drinks from me and that they should kindly exit. He was taken aback and asked, "Now, where do you get off telling me how much I can or can't drink?" I looked him dead in the eye and told him, "I'm your bartender. Now, your group needs to exit the premises." The expression on his face was just perfect.
95. Call Your Bluff
My buddy used to be the school president, a role that came with loads of responsibility and quite a bit of influence. One of his tasks was to put together this big seminar, a really important event he was hosting. As he was busy ensuring everything was going according to plan, he spotted a few students goofing off.
These students were supposed to be practicing their presentation, but they clearly weren't. When he asked them about it, as predicted, none of them knew the presentation well enough. My friend asked them to start practicing, but like some carefree freshmen, they shrugged it off. Finally, he had enough. He took their presentation away and told them to hit the road.
That's when one of them retaliated, "You can't do this! You don't even know me. The department president's my buddy!" as if that was some kind of trump card, like a third-grader on a post-cereal power trip on a Thursday morning. Unfazed, my friend simply said, "Fine, call the president."
They fumbled for their phone and dialed the number. And would you believe it? My friend's phone started ringing.
I don't know how my friend managed to keep a poker face, witnessing the raw shock in the kid's eyes, the mortification in their flushed cheeks—a moment they'll likely be cringing at for years to come.
96. Getting Stubbed
Not too long ago, I scored a gig as a popcorn attendant at our local movie theater. We had this shift manager who's been around since the place first opened its doors about half a decade ago. Honestly, she was difficult to deal with, with countless employees voicing grievances about her. My first week there was a test of patience due to her abrasive nature. On a particular closing shift, it all came to a head.
I had practically single-handedly tidied up the main customer area when I decided to take a brief pause for a drink of water. As if on cue, she stomped over, berating me and thundering, "We’re not compensating you to just laze around sipping water, you should know that!" Staying cool under pressure, I responded that I was merely quenching my thirst, and if she was indicating that I wasn't permitted to hydrate, she'd be in for a surprise.
I warned her that such a policy wouldn't exactly please the health and safety folks. She grumbled about not having a break all day, which I chose to ignore—I mean, it wasn't my issue. But, inside, it irked me. Her making a fuss over such minor matters didn't make sense. However, within the initial fortnight, I got bumped up to a supervisory role.
Ironically, she got a bump too, stepping into the position of Floor Manager, which only seemed to fuel her power trips while she strutted around like royalty. But then, four weeks later, I too climbed up the ladder to become a Floor Manager. We were equals now, so she had no power to boss me around. But she switched her approach, trying to intimidate me with her comprehensive understanding of the job. She was in for a surprise.
I smoothly replied, "Wow, thanks! That's really useful. Obviously you have a knack for this since you’ve been at it for five years, whereas I'm still in my training wheels just six weeks into this…" The look of disappointment on her face was priceless. I found it thoroughly satisfying.
97. Could Ask You The Same
During my stint as the food production supervisor, a man walked into the production area without a mask. I approached him politely and offered him a spare mask I always kept on me. But, he wasn't too happy and refused to put the mask on. "Do you know who I am?" he asked. I replied calmly, "Well, you're the gentleman who will be shown the door by security if safety measures aren't adhered to."
Next, I summoned security via radio. Turns out, this man was the new operations manager whom I hadn't met before. He stormed off, and I trailed him. He crashed into the plant manager's office and complained about me stepping out of line. But, the plant manager defended me, mentioning that I was simply performing my duty and every person in the production area has to follow the rules.
The operations manager insisted on reporting me, although the plant manager refused. He went ahead and wrote up a report anyway. I then forwarded a review request to the HR director and regional manager. He got quite the surprise when he found out the regional manager, who defines safety rules, happens to be my father-in-law. Well, no hard feelings!
98. Nothing Personal
In my former role as a property manager, I had to deal with an insufferable owner. His harsh, disrespectful behavior made the job unbearable – I truly despised him. Yet, as it was my source of income, I had to endure the daily stress while actively seeking opportunities at my dream company.
In the midst of my struggles, my supervisor would dismiss my grievances with a curt "shut up", claiming I was earning too much to harbor such complaints. Even after enduring this treatment for three years, I continued to push through. Our small office was dwindling, with the receptionist and assistant managers having already resigned.
Then came the day that my dream company offered me a position. As you can imagine, I immediately handed in my two-week notice. To my surprise, the owner offered me more money, a promotion, and improved benefits in a desperate effort to keep me onboard. His proposition was absurd, to say the least. When I declined his offer, he asked me why. My response? I told him, "I don’t know. I’m not paid to have opinions here." That happened a year ago, and the stunned expression on his face still brings a smile to my face today.
99. Cheaters Never Prosper
My intuition told me my ex-wife had been seeing someone else, but I didn't let her know I was onto her. After treating her to dinner one night, I innocently inquired about her companions during my lengthy sea voyages. Considering her minimal work hours, I was certain she was up to something. Notably, she left out a significant detail—a man who had unofficially moved into our home for two months.
What's more, this was the same man she was forced to involve law enforcement with, just to kick him out before my homecoming in a couple of days. Oh, the irony... So, I discretely passed her a copy of the police report documenting the whole debacle. Seeing her facade crumble when she realized she'd been caught was a sight to behold, and I didn't even have to utter a word.
100. The Spanish Inquisition
My Spanish teacher had awarded me zero marks for a bunch of assignments that I was sure I'd completed just like the rest of the class. My father, thinking I was just making up an excuse, punished me for the 'poor grades'. Despite the punishment, I stuck to my guns and insisted I did turn in my assignments. This led to my father deciding to accompany me to the teacher's consultation time the very next morning.
The teacher turned up half an hour late to her own office hours, which enraged my father because he had to miss work for this. Without a moment's pause upon unlocking her office, she started complaining to my father about how disruptive I was in class, how I never did my assignments, painting me as a poor student. But I knew my truth. Seizing the moment, I pushed past her, rummaged through the submission tray on her desk, and pulled out the four 'missing' assignments.
All this happened under my father’s watchful eyes. As I headed off to class, he kept his gaze firmly on my flustered and red-faced teacher. The teacher started grading my assignments unfairly from then onwards. My father did not hesitate to escalate this matter to the principal, superintendent, and even the school board. The following year, she chose to retire.
101. Peer Pressure
In my last job during the exit interview, HR questioned me about my future plans. HR asked, "Can you tell us which company you're joining next?" I replied, "I'd prefer not to share that information." HR persisted, "Are you certain? It would aid us significantly." I once more responded, "I'd rather not disclose it."
When HR insisted due to company policy, I lost my patience. I firmly said, "My answer remains NO. Persist with this line of questioning and you'll be dealing with my attorney." After I left, I shared this situation with my old supervisor who was utterly taken aback.
HR really has no lawful claim to know your next destination post leaving a job. It's simply none of their concern. Yet, they were adamant about extracting this information from me—probably with the intent of contacting my future employer to spread negativity about me.
102. Back Off My Buns
My high school was next door to an elementary school, and some of the students there were truly troublesome. These were kids aged between eight and ten, lounging outside of school and being quite obnoxious to everyone who passed them. Their language was surprisingly crude, which was quite alarming. One day as I was strolling by alone and enjoying some buns, an encounter happened.
Cue a young kid approaching me with a smirk plastered across his face. He bellowed, "Hand me a bun, dummy!" I was gobsmacked. I firmly refused, rebuking him with a stern "No! Back off!" After reprimanding the kid, I turned away and started walking towards my next class. Hindsight is 20/20: that was a grave error.
Suddenly, I sensed a light thrust and a burden on my back. The impudent youngster had attached himself to my back, yanking my hair and hollering, "Give me a bun!" It felt like I was being harassed by an irate pocket-sized monster. Consumed by panic, my only thought was "I can't believe this! Get him off me!" In a bizarre twist reminiscent of a wrestling move, I spun around while standing tall and loosened my backpack, effectively dislodging the brat.
The kid twirled mid-air and hit the ground face-on, which led to an immediate outburst of tears. A reminder of his youth. I slowly made my way over to him. As I picked up my backpack, his tear-filled eyes locked on to me in fear. Turning a blind eye to him, I grabbed a fresh bun, relishing the decreasing sounds of his sobs as I walked away, delighting in my sweet bun.
103. Don’t Stop Believing
My dad was on a business trip, driving through an unknown town in a different state when he crossed an intersection. Out of the blue, a police officer flagged him down and gave him a ticket, accusing him of ignoring a stop sign. My dad was adamant that there was no stop sign in sight, but his words fell on deaf ears. Feeling annoyed, he returned to the intersection and found a hidden stop sign tucked behind a tree.
Worse yet, the stop sign was twisted in the wrong direction! His annoyance grew but, being practical, he dropped by a nearby convenience store and purchased a disposable camera. The store clerk chuckled, clearly understanding the situation after watching what had just transpired. Fortunately, my dad was scheduled to be back in the same town for work in a few weeks. The officer had probably figured that a driver from another state would rather pay the fine than challenge it.
Much to the officer’s surprise, my dad reappeared in court a few weeks later. He confidently presented his photographic evidence to the judge, and within five minutes, he left the place, free of any charges.
104. Sold Out Of Love
My wife was secretly taking about $1,000 a month from our shared finances. I discovered this a couple of years into the practice, initially thinking she was just saving up. Unfortunately, she was sneaking the funds into her father's accounts instead. Not content with keeping her own earnings, she started buying things with our shared credit card and selling them on eBay.
I was the one who paid off the card, and eventually, I decided to start the divorce proceedings without informing her. Concurrently, I removed myself from our joint credit card and started using a personal one. When the next month's bills arrived, I let her know that I was no longer taking responsibility for the card payment. She had a job and her own income, so it was her responsibility now.
As expected, this caused some uproar—but I stood my ground. After some time, she threw a major fit about her eBay venture no longer being worth her time, now that she was forced to buy her own items for resale instead of selling what I had bought. Her reaction made me crack a smile.
In the end, I exchanged the money she had taken—and my silence about her illegal transfers—for shared custody, no financial claims on me, and no demands on properties. She ended up with less than she would have by being honest, and I kept the house. We officially divorced four months ago.
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