People From Around The World Share Why They Had To Scold A Stranger In Public


People From Around The World Share Why They Had To Scold A Stranger In Public


For the most part, people tend to keep to themselves while out in public. Sure, it's always nice to have a friendly encounter with someone you cross paths with. But, a general rule of thumb seems to be for everyone to mind their own business. However, sometimes you witness behavior that is so inappropriate or unacceptable, you simply can't help but speak up. Just take it from these people, who recently shared stories about the weird moments they had to scold a stranger in public.

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55. If You Won't Parent, I'll Parent For You

I used to fly a lot for work and often had to deal with the typical flying annoyances (crying babies, people who were too wide for their seat, obnoxious dudes hitting on the flight attendants).

But the one that sent me over the edge was when a 9-year-old girl in the seat behind me began to kick the back of my chair repeatedly, yelling at the top of her lungs for no reason. I turned around, glared at the girl and at her mother sitting next to her, and simply asked her to stop.

The girl almost instantly resumed the kicking and yelling, prompting the flight attendant to come over and speak to the mother and her child. Less than a minute after the flight attendant had returned to the front of the plane, the kid started at it again.

I undid my seatbelt, turned around, and completely ignoring the kid, I ripped into the mother.

"Is this your kid?? Yes? Then act like a parent and control your daughter. She's acting like a spoiled little brat. I've already spoken to you about this, and so did the flight attendant. Now I don't care how you deal with your kids when you're at home but I'm sure not going to put up with your daughter kicking my seat and yelling in my ear for the next 3 hours. If you can't keep her quiet and behave for a 3-hour flight you shouldn't be on a plane."

Then to the daughter who was smirking while her mom was being reamed out. "You think this is funny?" Death glare until the smirk disappeared. "Answer me. DO... YOU... THINK... THIS... IS... FUNNY...?"

The girl finally answers very quietly... "no."

"No. I don't think it's funny either. You're going to sit in your chair quietly, and you're going to watch TV or read a book or something, and above all, you are not going to kick my chair or yell for the rest of this flight... Agreed?" She just nodded back at me.

As I turned back around in my seat and put my seatbelt back on the whole plane gave me a round of applause and the flight attendant gave me free drinks for the rest of the flight. The girl never made a sound louder than a whisper for the rest of the flight.

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54. Justice For The Puppy

One summer night several years ago, my friends and I were walking around town, just goofing off. As we were about to turn a corner, we heard a guy yelling and then what sounded like a puppy yelping. As we turned the corner we saw that our assumption was correct.

This guy had a puppy (no more than 10 pounds) on a leash and was yanking him around because the dog wouldn't poop on command (we could hear him telling the dog that). He was abusing the poor thing.

So I said, "Yank that dog one more time and see what happens." He looked me dead in the eye and yanked the dog so hard that I thought he would break its neck.

We spent the next 3 minutes handing him the beating of his life and left him on the sidewalk. My friend still has the dog.

I know what we did was fundamentally wrong. But sometimes in life, you have to choose the lesser of two evils.

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53. Children Raising Children

I had to yell at a lady in a theater. She had two young children with her. After the lights went down and the movie was starting, the kids were still running around like little maniacs. All I said was, "Shhh." She screams at me, "They're children!" I yelled back something along the lines of, "We all paid to see this movie. Yes, they're children. You are the parent. Shut them up or get out!"

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52. Spoiled Rotten

I went to see The Hunger Games. I chose the 4 o'clock show because I thought it would be more empty; it wasn't. A teenage couple sits behind me talking loudly. 30 minutes into the movie they still haven't stopped talking.

So I turn around to look them dead in the face and ask them: "Hey guys, did you read the books?" The girl just looked at me wild-eyed and bewildered and replied with: "Ummmm... noo." I looked that little jerk in her face and said: "Well I did, so if you two don't shut up I'm going to tell you what happens and ruin the movie for you."

That bought me 10 minutes of silence.

Then they started talking again, so I turn around and say: "Hey! Do you see that little girl 'Rue'? She dies."

Silence the rest of the movie.

taylor-harding-w0BlG-dV0z8-unsplash-300x200.jpgPhoto by Taylor Harding on Unsplash

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51. Getting An Old Lady Free Groceries

I'm ashamed to admit it but this is a habit of mine: whenever I see anyone drop litter, or who is acting in an incredibly rude manner, I tell them off. Too many entitled people out there who think they can just do whatever they want.

Just last week, I was at the supermarket and there was a woman who had about 3 items on the belt, speaking away on her phone. When a little old lady went over to put her stuff on the belt, the woman on the phone said, "What are you doing? This is my space, I'm just waiting for my husband to come with the rest of our stuff."

This got me cross enough as it was, but then up strolls this jerk with a cart that was almost over-flowing with stuff. I just couldn't hold my tongue. Turns out this woman had been hogging space on the belt and telling her husband what to get over the phone! I mean what are you doing?!

So I told her that she and her husband could go to the back of the long line they were causing. They both got all upset and I demanded to see the manager. They called the manager and I explained how vile and selfish they had been, and to his credit, the manager told me I was right. He sent the people to the back and comped the old lady's groceries to apologize for her inconvenience (she only had about 4 items anyway).

isaac-owens-G4ns-NCRiHI-unsplash-300x199.jpgPhoto by Isaac Owens on Unsplash

50. Compassion For The Lunch Lady

When I was in high school, one of the lunch ladies was deaf, and she was always the one to cash the students out in the most awesome lunch line (Tacosalads FTW).

Well, once I heard some dude saying how he pretends to not understand her and so forth, basically mocking her, and how he doesn't pay what he owes, etc, etc.

I got so mad that I just went off on him, telling him what a horrible person he was, and how I hope he loses one of his senses so he could see what it was like. It may not seem like much, but I think I got my point across to him because I didn't hear him talk about her anymore.

She was super nice too and was really pleased when my school started offering Sign Language courses, and the students could communicate with her. The look on her face when I started signing with her the first time almost made me cry. I could tell she was super happy people were trying to actually talk to her, and not just pretend she wasn't there.

max-frajer-VZFHWCaVBqw-unsplash-300x200.jpgPhoto by Max Frajer on Unsplash

49. I'd Like To Talk To The Manager

I used to work at McDonald's when I was in high school so I sympathize with other teenage fast-food workers.

A while ago I was in the local McDonald's where I used to work, and It was apparent that it was the cashier's first day working there, but he seemed to be doing okay. He entered something wrong though and asked his manager how to fix it. In response, the manager comes over and starts tearing into him in front of all the customers, calling him "A [bleeping] idiot" and "an inbred loser" and so on.

After I received my order at the counter, I asked the manager to come over and told him, "Please do not talk to that cashier that way ever again. Just because you are a day shift manager at McDonald's does not make you a superior human being, and gives you no right to treat others, especially your employees, like dirt."

After I sat down the other manager came over a brought me some apple pies and thanked me for standing up to that guy. Apparently he acted like that towards everyone.

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48. The Liam Neeson Of Protecting Dogs

True story: About 10 years ago I was out walking my dog, a beautiful black lab named Ed. He was well trained so I would usually let him run free and he always stayed near me or within earshot. Really well behaved, loved everybody and was just an all-around great dog.

Anyway, this dad and his little son (I use the term "Dad" loosely as he was about 19 if that and looked like a typical trashy scumbag) were standing at the entrance of this baseball diamond. As Ed runs by the little kid kicks him, pretty hard but not enough to really hurt him or anything. At this point, I'm like 50 or so yards back and they haven't noticed me. Ed darts into the diamond then turns to come back out to me.

Now I see the Dad kind of motioning to his son the "proper" way to kick my dog, so as Eddie runs back out the Dad just boots him as hard as he can in the gut and bursts out laughing with his awful kid. Ed yelps and puts his tail between his legs and runs over to me.

Now at this point, all I can see is red and before I know it I am straight charging at this idiot, like a full-on linebacker. He turns around I guess cause he heard me coming just in time for me to spear him. I mean I full-on Goldberg speared that guy. His shoe came off and I'm now on top of him while his son looks absolutely terrified.

I pull back and crack him right in the jaw. Hard. Very hard. And I pull back to do it again when I remember the little kid is watching all this. So, I compose myself enough to say, "The only reason you have any teeth left is because I don't want your son to see what I would do to you. For your sake, don't let me ever see you again."

So I get off of him and look at the terrified kid and say, "If you ever hurt another animal, I will know and I will find you."

After that Ed and I walked off and had a lovely walk.

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47. More People Need To Respond Like This

I was standing in line at Wal Mart. An old lady in front of me. Something isn't ringing upright so the cashier goes to get another one. The old lady turns to me and in the cruelest voice ever says to me, "Can you believe the idiots they hire here!? They've never hired anyone with half a brain."

With absolutely no expression or emotion, I just said, "In that case, it's a wonder you don't work here." she just got angry and turned back to the till and didn't pitch to me anymore. Felt good.

Walmart_Store_Cash_Registers_-_flickr14248336115_f2ef6b5b1e_o-300x224.jpgMike Mozart/Wikimedia

46. Your Dad Is A Freaking Saint

A few years ago my dad was picking me up/moving me out of college in NH, I decided him to take him to this famous diner in the town, Red Arrow.

It should be noted that I'm the result of an interracial marriage and while I look like a generic white girl, my dad is a dark-skinned Hispanic man. So anyway we go in and I ask the waitress how long the wait would be for us. She looks at us incredulously and is like... "Wait, you two are together?" Confused, young me responds, "Yeah he's my dad." And she just goes, "Yeah, ooookay."

So whatever, I'm a little taken aback by her rudeness but brush it off and she seats us. She hesitantly hands my dad the menu and goes, "Will you be able to pay for this meal?" Like wtf? Dude, it's a cheesy diner. My dad is a well dressed, clean-cut guy. I don't even know why she would even ask this but my dad politely responds that yes, of course, we will be able to pay for our meal.

Later, towards the end of our meal, my dad politely asks her if they happen to have some extra boxes in the back as he's moving me out today. She responds, "Oh you'll have to ask our dishwasher about that. He's in the back, you'll get along well, you both speak the same language."

At this point, I'm practically shaking with fury about how obviously rude and racist this woman's behavior is towards my dad. But of course, him being the chill, nice guy he is, just thanks her.

Upon leaving I asked my dad how he could stand being treated like that by someone and he just goes, "You can't control the actions of other people, only how you react to it."

Still, I wrote this long letter to Red Arrow about how unacceptable her behavior was and how you can't treat patrons like that. They never responded. I should have ripped the staff to their face, but I didn't want to upset my dad.

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45. Selfish In Subway

So, I went to Subway yesterday to get one of those delicious $5 footlongs.

Upon arrival, I see three girls, probably about 17 18. The first two order and the server asks the last girl what toppings she wants. She's on her phone so she doesn't answer. The server asks her again -- not being impatient or rude, just asking.

The girl snapped, "Can't you see I'm on the PHONE here? God, you are so RUDE. Just wait until I'm done."

I was so offended and embarrassed for the server, so I couldn't help but say something to her: "That was extremely rude. You came here to get a sub so don't yell at her for providing the service you asked for. Just get off your phone, order your toppings and stop acting like a child."

She looked at me with contempt and anger, but I think I intimidated her so she didn't say anything back to me. The server looked at me, smiled, and mouthed the words thank you.

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44. Student Teaching

I was sitting in an Athletic Training class in college, and behind me sat two girls who had been in the training program for at least a year or so. These girls already knew everything, so they felt like they didn't need to pay attention. They sat right behind me and talked about everything under the sun.

This went on for several class meetings, until one day, while reviewing for a test, they were being unusually loud. I raised my hand to the professor and said excuse me. He motions for me to ask my question, and I turn around and yell quite loudly at these two girls.

"I'm so happy that you guys already know this information and don't really need to be here, but I do, and I really need to hear what he's saying. So, if you would be so kind as to please shut up, that'd be great."

I turned back to the prof, and said, "I'm sorry, please continue." He says something like, oh, no problem thanks, and carries on.
Those girls never said another word in class again.

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43. Break And Buy

I used to work in the toy department of a retail store. The Leap Frog 'laptop' had just come out and they were REALLY expensive. So I am straightening shelves and notice a kid just wailing away on one of these laptops -- mom is nowhere to be found. I approach the kid and ask him nicely, "Is that how you play with your toys at home?" The kid gave me a sheepish "no" and placed it back on the shelf.

I was feeling pretty good about myself at that point, when the kid's mother comes out of nowhere and very rudely tells me that I have "no right" to speak to her child that way. I calmly looked his mother in the eye and said, “Ma'am, your son was about to break a $150 toy. Our store has a you-break-it, you-buy-it policy. If you would like me to give it back to him so he can continue hitting it, I would be happy to ring you up at my register for the damages.”

She then proceeded to give me an "go rot in a hole" look, grabbed her son, and stalked off.

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42. Canned On The Spot

I once caught two kids (around 12 years old) about to throw a coke can at an old woman from across the street. I got in the way and yelled at them to "try it and see what happens". They stopped in their tracks and tried to deny what they were about to do. Afterward, I felt bad and thought maybe I'd overreacted and could have used less threatening language towards two kids, it's probably the only way I was gonna get through to them. The old lady was completely oblivious to the whole thing.

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41. Cutting In The Cafeteria

It wasn't me, but I was incredibly grateful. I'm a student in a Culinary Arts program. We rotate though stations and run a full-operation sized cafeteria on the university campus. One of the stations, desserts, requires that you serve and plate in front of the customer.

I was helping this one woman when another guy (who comes in every day and is the rudest customer I've ever dealt with) budges in front of her and reaches for the dessert that I'm still plating. She says loudly, "Excuse me. That is mine, she's not done and you can wait and not be so rude. You are unbelievable." He walks away, with an unhappy, childish look on his face. She looked at me and said, "Sorry, I can't stand rude people."

I couldn't have been more grateful.

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40. Wrong Spot

My dad was driving around with his terminally ill friend. They needed to go to a pharmacy, and seeing as how my dad's friend gets short of breath easily they were hoping for a handicap spot. Unfortunately, none were vacant so they had to park farther away. As they were walking up to the store, a squat muscular man comes walking out of the pharmacy and starts to open up the door of his Ford F-150 parked in a handicap spot that he clearly didn't need to be in (nor did he have a sticker). My Dad's friend called out to him as he was getting in, "Excuse me?"

"Yes?"

"Is your handicap physical or mental?"

The guy's face went white as a ghost and he quickly got into his truck and pulled away.

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39. Child In The Cinema

Went to see the Wolverine movie in a really big theater. About halfway up the rows of seats, it had an aisle that cut across horizontally from one side of the theater to the other. Some dumb father was there with a toddler, and he let the kid run back and forth across the aisle, squealing the whole time.

I put up with it for about 30 minutes, and then finally went down to the father and said, "Do you realize the entire movie theater can hear your child, and that it's ruining the movie for the rest of us? Please make him be quiet." The father stared at me in complete shock, as if the concept had never crossed his mind. He left immediately with his kid.

Several people around me thanked me as I sat down.

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38. Shameful Shenanigans

One time, I was at a show in Philly. It was in between bands and everyone was milling around outside the venue. As I was standing, talking to some friends, I noticed 5 or 6 wannabe rough kids harassing this homeless guy. They're kind of pushing him around, forcing him to take pictures with them, and talking down to him. Eventually, the guy slumps down on a wall pulling his knees up and starts crying as these guys are degrading him more and more. One of them shoves his camera phone in the dude's face saying he's gonna make him famous on YouTube. At this point, I've seen and heard enough and just lose it.

I don't remember exactly what I said, but I remember flipping on these dudes for about five minutes. Along the lines of how that guy has nothing and you have everything compared to him, yet you are worthless. I told them how disgusting what they were doing was, how sad and pathetic they were.

The fact they were 5 or 6 guys who could probably beat my face in didn't bother me. I knew that there was no threat towards the end of my tirade when they were all staring at the ground, red in the face clearly ashamed of what they did. As my verbal berating ended, I was greeted to applause from everyone. I helped the old guy up and took him to WaWa and bought him some dinner. He was weeping on the way there, thanking me, saying he never had anyone stick up for him in his entire life and how I came out of nowhere to help him.

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37. Getting Real In Retail

I once told off a customer in a retail store for being rude and mean (she was so awful she made one of my staff cry). The general gist of what I said was, "Do you feel better about yourself after you make this 17-year-old girl cry? Was it really necessary? Until you learn to treat others with respect I do not want to see you in my store again. Leave before I call security."

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36. Shopping Cart Crash

I went off on someone who pushed their shopping cart toward the little corrals, but it ended up hitting a parked car. They didn't bother to look or put the cart away properly.

I also went off on someone who slammed their car door into the parked car next to them (several times) because "they parked too close". The lady doing the door slamming was parked over the line, the vandalized car was dead center of the spot. I took down her license plate number, went into the store, and found the owner of the other car to let them know.

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35. Saving The Day At Starbucks

I once chased down a guy who stole a woman's purse. We wrestled with it and when I got it he tried to fight me. I yelled at him to grow up (he was clearly older than me) and walked back inside Starbucks. Does that count?

Best part: I walk in, it's dead silent. Everyone is watching me (the place was packed after some sort of sporting event). I set the woman's purse on the table near her and check if she's alright. She says yes, so I walk back to the front of the line where my buddy was, and say, "I'd like a caramel mocha frappuccino." The whole place erupts with applause and the drinks are on the house. My smoothest moment ever.

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34. But First, Hello

As a teenager, I was visiting a fast food place with my friends. When it was my turn to order, I started without even acknowledging the server. He interrupted me with words that still stick with me today: "A hello would be nice." I was stunned.

Ever since, I greet the people that serve me, every single one of them. That man changed my life for the better.

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33. Train Trash

I was in a subway, the type that runs underground. Two teenagers were sitting there eating cupcakes and some other junk they brought onto the train. One of them just throws his garbage on the floor. So I just said, "HEY! Pick that up!" He sheepishly picked it up and gave me that look kids give to teachers when they get caught doing something they know they're not supposed to do.

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32. Slinging Crayons

Some kid was in a restaurant where my mum and I were trying to have a quiet lunch. This kid starts to throw crayons at my mum, literally from the next table. The kid's mother was too busy talking on her phone to care. I tried glaring, but she couldn't care less.

In the end, I walked up to her to confront her and she actually gave me the "1-minute finger." That was it. I picked up all the crayons on the floor, on the table and from in front of the kid, dumped them on her lap and sat back down. I think she was so shocked she just left. The manager of the restaurant gave us a free meal. Apparently, that particular woman was known for just letting her kid run a riot.

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31. Weeding Out The Jerks

I was pulling weeds from the outside of my fence on the sidewalk. I had a big paper lawn bag next to me and I was almost done with the whole yard. This guy comes walking down the street opening a package of cigarettes and drops the cellophane wrapper on the ground in front of my house. I lost my cool. I yelled at the guy, "Hey, I might be pulling weeds but I'm not cleaning for you. I'm trying to make my house look nice." So he came back, picked up the wrapper and put it in the lawn bag.

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30. Fair Punishment

One time, I was at the NY State Fair and there was a kid just being totally rotten to his parents walking behind me, cursing them out etc. He was like 10. I had to fart so bad it hurt, so I just let it go pretty much directly in his face, and he walked right into it and I heard him audibly gag and then he shut up. I considered him biologically scolded.

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29. Bullied Out Of The Bar

At this bar in a small town I had never been to, a guy  was being super inappropriate to a cute girl and making her very uncomfortable. I can't stand people that do that. No woman should have to listen to that. It also makes all men look worse. Anyways, I'm a very passive, non-violent guy, but I'm 6'6" with a pretty solid build so I guess I can be intimidating. I stood right in front of him and told him that he was way out of line and if he kept it up there were going to be problems. We stared each other down for a couple of seconds and he left the bar. Several people thanked me and the bartender gave me a free beverage.

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28. Taking It To Go

I was at a Panera Bread around the holidays a few years ago. It was full on shopping season, and the place is close to some shopping malls, so it was extremely busy. This older couple ordered coffee, and the lady behind the counter gave them a to-go cup, saying, "I'm sorry, we ran out of clean mugs, and the dishwasher is running now, but I didn't want to make you wait."

The lady became furious and started screaming about bad service. She actually yelled, "I need a HERE cup, not a to-go cup!" The poor girl behind the counter kept apologizing and saying they would be done in a minute but the lady just kept nagging.

Meanwhile, another employee comes up to take my order, so I ordered my drink and said as loud as I could, "And a to-go cup is FINE with me. Unlike some people, I understand the drink will taste the same!" The old lady freaked about how rude I was while I waited for my drink. The manager came out and gives me a free loaf of their holiday bread "for being so patient." Old people left, still angry.

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27. Truth Train

About two weeks ago, I was taking a packed train on my way to work. There was a group of college-age people standing in the middle of the train, close to an old lady holding 3 or 4 bags of stuff. At one stop, one of the people sitting down in the elderly seating section gets up. One of the obnoxious college girls sits down and continues to gab with her friends.

I look at her and say, "That's not gonna fly." She gave me this look like 'how dare you talk to me' and didn't respond. I told her she should give her seat to the elderly woman. Still nothing. So I say loudly that she is a selfish girl and should be ashamed of herself. She gets up, and the old lady sits down and gives me an appreciative smile.

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26. Gross Gym Behavior

I was at the gym sometime after new years and heard a girl say to her friend something along the lines of, "God! Why are there so many fat people here?"

I lost my cool.

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25. Sounding Off

A kid on the crowded NYC subway was blasting music out of his phone. I said, "Do you have headphones? Great, USE THEM."

His buddy nodded in agreement

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24. Rocking The Boat

When I was fifteen, my mom and I were riding a water taxi around Venice. Two American girls were also riding with us. They were being very loud and yelling at an elderly gentleman who was apparently "in the way of their luggage" (they had five enormous bags each) and continued complaining, saying that the locals were so rude to them and they hated it there.

My mom and I were so embarrassed (we're American also), so she turned around and said: "Maybe if you weren't so rude, people would be nicer to you." They started up again, so I put my two cents in and said, "Just shut up." My mom laughed and they got even angrier. It was fun.

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23. Slurpee Switch Up

A few years ago, I was exiting the freeway in a small city in Michigan. While I was waiting at the light, I notice a 7-11 Slurpee cup thrown out of the driver's window of a nicer SUV. Now, I wouldn't consider myself a hippie or a tree hugger, but I do appreciate a clean environment to live in.

I knew this light lasted a long time, so I put my car in park, got out, and went and picked up the Slurpee cup. The woman glares as me as I drop the cup into her lap (still had a bit of Red Cherry in there).

I just walked back to my car while she was yelling something, didn't really care to hear.

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22. Messing With The Mail

Once I was walking outside of the mall and saw some young teenage girl throw a milkshake into one of those post-office thingies (you know the big blue things where you put mail in).

I told her to freeze and grabbed mall security, who quickly summoned the cops. Not sure what the girl was charged with, but I'd never seen someone do something so blatantly rude and illegal. Who knows what got ruined in that mailbox because that girl was too lazy to find a proper trash can!

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21. Ur-ine Trouble

I was standing in line for the only public restroom at the park on St. Patrick's Day. There were lots of people around drinking and such, so there was a long line for this bathroom. Dude tries to cut in line, offering to pay the next person 20 bucks to cut in front. I had already been waiting for a while and had to go like crazy. Told the dude he has to pay all of us. He tries to say this doesn't concern me, but I get in his face about it. His friends pull him away.

Don't mess with me when I have to pee.

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20. Airport Anger

I was at the airport check-in line. It was a long line and I had some old ladies behind me with a lot of bags. When the line moved up, I would help them move up their bags so there was a slight gap between me and the rest of the line.

This 40-something business guy comes in just as the gap opens up and takes my spot. I politely inform him that he just skipped me and that the end of the line was a few people back. He turns around and yells in my face, "I have a flight I have to catch!" I was so flabbergasted I couldn't respond, so he turns back around.

Seething with anger, I reach down, unzip his bag and then kick it and all its contents off to the side. He just turns around and looks at me like he is going to kill me. I say in a calm voice, "I'm younger, bigger, stronger, and I don't care if I get on this flight or not. Do what you gotta do." He gets red then proceeds to pick up his stuff and get back in line. The rest of the line applauded me. My greatest moment.

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19. Driving Lessons

When I was first learning to drive, my mom had me out with her in a huge empty parking lot near the mall to practice. There were stop signs scattered about between the aisles. Well, I'm going on my merry way when out of nowhere a van appears behind me and just tailgates me as I'm driving through the lot at the speed limit. My mom told me to just keep driving and ignore him, but when I stopped at the next stop sign, he blared his horn at me.

This sets my mom off, and she throws her finger out the window as I drove on. When I turned down another aisle of the EMPTY parking lot and he turned to follow me, she told me to stop the car. The guy comes up beside us, some bitter old guy, and tells her she shouldn't be flipping him off because that's not ladylike.

She completely explodes at the guy in colorful words I had never before heard come from her mouth. He keeps trying to argue, but she destroyed him. Every time we bring it up now, she just goes, "I was protecting my baby."

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18. Close Encounter With A Carriage

I was driving around in an outlet mall. There was a guy in front of me on his cellphone not paying attention as he ran a stoplight while a lady with a baby stroller was about 5 feet into the road. She almost had to dive out of the way in order not to get hit. I followed that guy for a good 10 minutes until he parked. Before he even had the chance to put one foot out of the door I had this guy almost crying.

He spent this whole time driving around looking for a good parking spot just to have it backfire as I lit him up in front of dozens of people for almost hitting a baby in a stroller because talking on the phone is much more important.

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17. Fed Up At The Funeral

My grandma died and I had to attend the funeral. I don't really know my family but anyways... we were walking towards the graveyard. As I was walking in front of the line, I heard this lady talking. My grandma wasn't really the kindest person you'd meet, but still, show some respect.

As I started to pay attention to what she was saying, I heard the lady mentioning stuff like: "So there's going to be a mall there," and, "Do you see her? She is the ex-wife of that rotten son they have." Naturally, I started to get angry since that's not how you talk about people. I noticed that a lot of folks got really irritated and as soon as I grabbed my brother's arm and nearly broke it from anger, I knew I had to say something.

So I turned around and told the lady (nearly 70) off in the kindest possible words. I said, "Lady, if you can't shut up right now, you need to [bleep] off and find another funeral to attend. It's not all about the free cake here." Might be a little rude to talk like that to that lady but geez! Don't talk like that while you're about to bury someone.

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16. Ruffing Around

A few years ago we were playing ultimate frisbee at the YMCA. Behind it, there is a stereotypical bad trailer park. Well, after a round was over, I notice these kids. They have a small, thin puppy with them. I can hear them yelling and threatening the dog.

I hear one of the kids say that he's going to beat it with a branch he found on the edge of the field. Before I get over there, he has the branch in hand and is trying to lure the puppy closer. I yell at them and startle the boy. "What do you think you're doing?" He tries to tell me it's his dog and he can do what he wants with it. Oh no.

"Anything you do to that dog, I will do to you. You want to swing at him, I will knock the stuffing out of you. Think I'm joking? I dare you to pick that branch up again." He got so scared. Didn't have to say much other than that. The group of kids gulped hard and disappeared.

I sat out the next round, playing with the puppy. When the match was over, we took him to the animal shelter. Pretty sure he was adopted out. Didn't see him when I went back a couple of weeks later.

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15. Talkative Trip

Was on a band trip in Hawaii, visiting some park (can't remember which) listening to a tour guide while this guy in a tie is constantly jabbering on his phone about business. I say to him, "Get off your phone and stop ruining everybody's, including your family's, vacation."

He stuttered something into the phone and quickly put it away. The tour guide kept on talking.

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14. Not-So-Free Fruit

I used to live in a really small town in CA and would shop at a local vegetable/produce market. It was operated by a young couple, but the town was so small it must have been a struggle to keep things afloat.

I watched this guy eat his way around the store. After he went back for his 30th grape, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I asked him why he thought it was okay to steal food. He got really mad, said it was his right to sample. I pointed out it's not a buffet. The owners had to purchase the produce and so should he. Another person joined in. He dropped $2 and left in shame.

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13. A Lesson In Manners

My dad told me a story about when he worked the night shift at a restaurant to get some extra cash in his 30's. He said one of the servers had been feverishly serving a very cranky woman but had not lost their temper once (he witnessed the whole thing). At the end of the meal, the lady handed the waiter the check and said, "Here's the bill. I'm not putting any tip on this, because I don't want to reward you for being uneducated."

The waiter handed the money back to the woman and replied, "Actually ma'am, I'm working here to pay off my student loans and am currently in graduate school. Have a nice night."

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12. Stopping Traffic

I live in Portland and was downtown, parked on the street with my girlfriend, waiting for a sushi restaurant to open. We had already paid for our parking meter and watched as this person in an SUV stopped in the lane right in front of a coffee shop, put her hazard lights on, and the passenger jumped out and ran inside. Light turns from red to green, she's still sitting there.

After three cycles of the light and watching as a car swerved around her and almost hit a bicyclist, I got out and crossed the street, knocked on her window and said, "You've sat here through three cycles of the light, in a lane of active traffic, with your hazards on, while your friend is in there getting coffee. You need to move your car, NOW."

She looked at me like she couldn't believe that anyone would have the audacity to call out her selfish behavior, like she had some right to block one out of the two available lanes of traffic. She moved her car though, so I count it a success.

21083-1550675363325.jpgDavid Lofink/Flickr

11. Without Batting An Eye

One time, when I was in grade 12, a bunch of younger kids were throwing rocks at a little bat at the school entrance. So I grabbed a bunch of pebbles and started throwing them at the kids, laughing all crazy-like, saying "Look at all the bats! Look at all the bats!"

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10. Cracking The Whip

I was riding my horse along a bridle path and a man shouts at me saying, "Horses aren't allowed to come along here." He then started to grab at my reins, making my horse jump and rear. I've never whacked a person so hard with my whip before or since.

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9. Street Smarts

A woman was in a wheelchair on a very busy street. There were about 15 teenagers blocking the sidewalk, acting loud and rude. She was old and didn't have a very strong voice. I do, I bellowed, "Move out of the way NOW." You could hear a pin drop. The women thanked me and told me kids today have no respect.

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8. Party's Over

This bachelor party was on a late night flight to Vegas, and they were loud, belligerent, and obnoxiously drunk. And I was in a twisted panty kind of mood so I "kindly" let them know that there were 150 other people on the plane. I was 12 rows back and was forced to raise my voice a little... and the message was applauded by the rest of the passengers. We all slept happily ever after.

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7. Not Worth The Credit

I work at a Kohl's. One night, a girl and her boyfriend were applying for a store credit card. She had forgotten her ID in the car, which we require in order to apply for the charge. She politely asked her boyfriend to go to the car to get it, which he does.

Meanwhile, at my register, I am ringing out a family with three young children. The boyfriend storms back into the store yelling at his girlfriend, "Your ID isn't in the car. You're such a slob, I am so sick of you," etc. The girl was horrified, though it looked like she was used to such lashings. The family looked at me bewildered, so I finished checking them out as fast as I could so they could leave.

The guy is still screaming at his girlfriend. My manager was nowhere in sight, so I walked up to him and told him that he was a terrible human being for treating someone like that and he could either leave the store or I was going to call the police. It was probably the angriest I have ever been at someone I didn't know.

21088-1550675719161.jpgPhillip Pessar/Flickr

6. Rude Guests

I was working at the front desk at a hotel and was dealing with a rude guest. She was upset because it was snowing outside and the snow had ruined her trip. She demanded that her room be completely refunded. I was trying to figure out a way to politely say 'buzz off'. But the gentleman behind her interrupted saying, "Are you serious, lady? Quit wasting this guy's time with your frivolous complaint. He can't control the weather."

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5. Lane Change

I was once in the "10 items or less" lane and the woman ahead of me had at least 20 items. I was in a rush and this kind of thing drives me crazy, so I said, "Excuse me, this is the 10 items or less lane, and you clearly have more than 10 items." She looked kind of surprised and changed lanes, which was great. Afterward, I felt like a jerk though, so it was kind of a wash.

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4. Hearing From The Honkers

When guys catcall or honk at me from their cars while I'm running/cycling/walking/skating, I do so enjoy getting next to them while they are stopped at a red light and asking them what I was doing incorrectly to have them honk at me. Was I in the road? Was I going too slow? What can I do to make THEIR problem go away? Why else would they be distracting me while my unprotected body is so close to traffic? I've only gotten to do it twice so far, and I fully intend to continue this practice with future offenders.

Don't catcall the ladies, gentlemen. We don't like it.

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3. Outranked Outside The Theater

My buddy and I were at a movie, and these dudes who were talking about how they had just got out of basic training were bashing the movie and laughing, making rude comments etc. Well, my buddy tells them to pipe down and they flip him off -- though they do quiet down. '

After the movie, we are at the front of the pack right behind the 6 or 7 guys being rude. My buddy says, "That was really rude to everyone how you were behaving." One of them (the loudest) whips out his military I.D. and says, "Yeah, Well I'm a marine and I fight for your freedom."

My buddy, who just happens to be an officer, whips his out and says, "I'm a marine officer and just because you have the honor of wearing a uniform doesn't give you the right to be a piece of trash." Then he made them stand at attention right at the door of the movie theater and apologize to every patron exiting.

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2. Burning Mistake

As a nurse, I've had to scold my fair share of people.

A 17-year-old girl was in ICU for some burns, and while I was cleaning her wounds the father randomly says to her, "You know you had this coming right? The next time I see you with that girlfriend of yours you'll be worse off." Naturally, I lost my cool...

I told him off in every way imaginable, using the words "monster", "get out", and "restraining order". Security was called, the man punched me, an ex-marine buddy of mine opens a can of whoop. The man was arrested, the girl was relieved from his custody, I got a bloody nose. Good day.

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1. Classy And Comedic Comeback

I'm a student, and I was on a long journey on the London underground, from the bottom of the Northern line to the top about a year ago. I packed some quality reading: World War Hulk, comics at their best. After 30 minutes or so, a proper rich toff steps aboard. He had what I could only assume was a nice tailored suit, shiny shoes, impeccable hair, even a pocket watch. Dude had style but had a prude air around him.

Anyhow, he sits next to me and I just hunker down and keep reading my stories. After a stop or two, he looks down at the comic and then to me.

"Aren't you a bit old to be reading comic books?" He sneered, literally peering down his nose at me. After a momentary pause, I responded, "Aren't you a bit rich to be on the tube?" And to my delight, a small Chinese woman opposite me burst out into laughter and he promptly got off at the next station. Not much, but it made me feel like a  boss.

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