I used to be the single father of a beautiful little boy. His mother, my ex, had been declared unfit to be a parent due to mental instabilities. While it was definitely healthier for both of us, there was the significant problem of not having the best salary in the world. While rent wasn’t a problem (thanks, Mom and Dad), getting dangerously close to debt at the end of the month wasn’t all too uncommon. As such, I started to heavily coupon and generally shop thriftily.

One time, I was picking groceries up. Due to an expired coupon I had forgotten to discard, the total was coming far ahead of my budgeting, and I had to point this out to the cashier. After a desperate attempt to reduce my total, I just let it go.

However, the man behind me spoke up.

Customer: “Are you willing to let me pay for your groceries? You are clearly in a rough spot.”

I was about to accept, but the cashier interrupted me.

Cashier: *To the other customer* “Go away! Stop showing off and being a [homophobic insult] obese spendthrift.”

I was taken aback and tried to insist that, yes, I wanted this man to be generous to me, but the cashier refused.

Cashier: “Don’t rely on the charity of some ball of lard!”

The man moved to another cash register, but not before flipping the bird to the cashier. I tried to follow him, but the cashier insisted that, since half my shopping had already been scanned, I had to continue being in her lane. I was honestly unsure whether to cry in rage or flip my lid at the cashier.

In the end, I told her:

Me: “Honestly, after this treatment, I don’t want anything from this store.”

I left empty-handed to go shop somewhere else instead, only to discover that all of my other options had already closed for the day.

Even now that I don’t need to pay attention to budgeting as much, being denied free groceries because of one cashier’s behavior still hurts me deep in my soul. I hope that cashier received the same treatment when in need herself.

I do food deliveries for an app-based company. I receive an order for $4 total to take an order from a BBQ place to an address ten minutes away. Okay, easy money!

I acknowledge picking up the order and send my usual message.

Me: “I’m on my way. I will be there in ten minutes.”

Customer: “Hey, I’m actually at [other address]. Can you bring it here?”

I look up the address and see that it is an hour away. Not only is this against policy, but this person now wants me to drive an hour for $4, which means the second hour of peak order time will be spent not getting paid.

Me: “Sorry, I can only deliver to the address listed. I will be there in ten minutes.”

Customer: “Come on! Do me a solid. I don’t have money to pay for delivery out here.”

Me: “I could lose my job if I do what you’re asking. I will be at [address provided].”

He continues to harass me while I drive to the location he listed on the order. I get there and see that it is a chain drugstore. I explain what is happening to the cashier and she rolls her eyes. 

Cashier: “We’ve had that before. Sometimes people take the lowball offer, but more often than not, we end up with his food.”

I reached out to the support team to ask what to do. They confirmed what I had said and canceled the order. I still got paid, and I kept the food.

I’m on a coffee run for my office. While I’m waiting in the drive-thru, this is what I witness.

A man abruptly collapses in the grass by the exit to the drive-thru. Several folks in front of me in line get out of their cars and call 911, and one person starts CPR. One person wearing the uniform for employees of the coffee shop leaves the cafe and comes out to help, as well.

The customer at the window in a pickup truck gets impatient and starts honking his horn.

Three cop cars show up, one of them blocking the exit to the drive-thru.

Someone hands the customer a tray with coffees in it through the window. The customer drives forward and (presumably) accidentally rams into the cop car now blocking the exit. His airbags deploy, and there appears to be significant damage to both the cop car and the customer’s pickup.

The ambulance shows up, and the EMTs waste no time getting the collapsed man loaded into the ambulance. I have never before seen EMTs move so quickly, despite the uneven ground and racing traffic on the street that the drive-thru exits onto.

The customer gets out of his truck and starts yelling at the police. He’s wearing a shirt that appears to be stained with coffee beverages. I can’t hear what he’s saying over the significant ambient noise, but his body language is very animated.

The ambulance leaves. Now the pickup and police car are blocking the exit to the drive-thru.

The police somehow manage to de-escalate with the customer and get him calmed down. Now he’s sitting by the drive-thru staring at his truck with dejected body language.

The rest of the police leave. Tow trucks arrive and take the cop car, the pickup truck, and their respective drivers away.

Less than forty-five minutes after placing my order, I am finally served my drinks. I politely ask the barista to write me a note explaining why I’m late for my boss, and he does so.

My boss thankfully accepts the late note.

I overheard this interaction at a coffee shop.

Customer: “Can I get the [sandwich]? No cheese.”

Cashier: “What kind?”

Customer: “What kind of what?”

Cashier: “We have white cheddar, Swiss, provolone, and pepper jack.”

Customer: “I said I didn’t want cheese on it.”

Cashier: “But what kind?”

Customer: “No cheese at all.”

Cashier: *Becoming flustered* “I understand that, ma’am, but I still have to put into the computer what kind of cheese you’re not getting.”

Related:
A Fun Twist On “Cheeseburger With No Cheese”

I’m fifteen years old. Last week, I had an orthodontist appointment. I decided to watch some Netflix while I waited for my name to be called; I started watching “Schitt’s Creek”.

A few minutes later, I noticed this middle-aged lady with blonde frizzy hair just looking at me in this weird way. Sitting next to her was a boy who looked about eleven years old and a girl who looked around four years old. I kind of looked up at them, and the woman gave me this weird smile. (She should have been wearing a mask as they are required in the waiting room.)

Lady: “Kids, go along and see what that girl is doing with her phone.”

I was really weirded out but, of course, I didn’t do anything. The kids got close — less than a foot away from me, and neither was wearing a mask. I was uncomfortable.

Me: *To the lady* “Can you please tell your kids to back off? They are way too close.”

The kids just got closer and started staring at my phone screen. At that point, I was so annoyed that I just turned off my phone, thinking they’d go away.

Nope. The mom saw and YELLED at me:

Lady: “Let my kids watch a show!”

Me: “No. I don’t want them to watch shows on my phone.”

She did not like this. She walked over to me, grabbed my phone from my hand, and started demanding the password — which, of course, I did not tell her.

At that point, my name was called. I grabbed my phone back and left the waiting room to go get my braces adjusted.

About fifteen minutes later, the eleven-year-old came and sat down on the orthodontist chair next to me — he too had braces — and he actually apologized for his mom. Honestly, I was surprised.