This article is based on the AskReddit question “Yesterday, I scolded a stranger in a Subway. Have you ever had to publicly scold someone you didn’t know?”
[Source can be found at the end of the article]
1. Control your kids!
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 mum 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 and 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 riot.
ChromeDeagle
2. Some parents are just oblivious
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.
rational_discussion
3. The most ridiculous question in the history of human existence
I was at the gym some time 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 temper and went off on her.
Unicornmayo
4. Nonstop chattering
In college for a Spanish class I was taking, I had the opportunity to go see a foreign film for extra credit. I had to take notes during the film, so I could write a brief summary of the movie to turn in to my Spanish professor.
The movie is playing in one of our big lecture halls by the foreign film club at my school, so there was a lot of students there watching. I get to my seat, settle in and start watching the movie. About 10 minutes in two girls enter the hall, and proceed to make a lot of noise, like nothing is going on at all. They take their seats in my same row, but on the other side of an aisle. They continue to talk for the next 10-15 minutes, loudly, while the movie is playing. No care in the world at all. I can tell the people around me are annoyed with subtle “ahems” and groans and multiple head turns to look at the girls. But no one really does anything, and the girls keep talking.
Finally, I’ve had it, I get up walk over to the girls and ask them in the most polite voice I could muster, as I was very annoyed. “Please excuse me ladies for interrupting your conversation, would you mind shutting up so the rest of us can watch the film?”
I just stood there and they got very angry and left. The entire lecture hall applauded and the movie went on. There were no more interruptions. I left that place feeling 10 feet tall.
Well worth the 25 extra credit points.
fondupot
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5. Unbelievable!
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 and let them know.
freedomweasel
6. Blunt scolding done right
I work in a school with young children and you would be appalled at the number of crappy parents that have children attending there. I have no issue correcting the children, but when the parents get defensive, I have absolutely no issue correcting them either. I’ve also scolded my husband’s friends for failing to tip an excellent waiter after dropping $80 on food and drinks (but surprisingly had no money for a tip), I scolded a group of teenagers in a haunted house for going under the rope to skip in line and did it so loudly that all 200-or-so people in line hushed to hear the lecture, and I regularly save children from falling face first out of shopping carts in WalMart. I’m proud of every blunt/rude scolding I’ve ever given and would do it again in a heartbeat.
redditsdaddy
7. Some people just dont get it!
I was at a Tim Hortons across from the hospital I work at doing a coffee run for the people on my floor. The woman ahead of me in line started yelling at the cashier because there were no breakfast sandwiches left (it was 11am and they stop serving them hence they only make enough to get through until then). She was being such a jerk that I felt I needed to say something so I interjected “There is no reason to be so rude to the cashier over a breakfast sandwich.” The woman looked at me and said “MINE YO BIDNET” and I was like erm ok. I get my 8 coffees for the people I work with and make my way to cross the street back to the hospital.
Well this classless citizen decided to wait outside, follow me, say “You got something to say now we’re on the street, and I was like “You are still just as rude. She proceeded to throw her large tea on me burning my face and covering my lab coat and my great outfit under it in her tea. People were around watching this happen (6 taxis at a taxi stand and smokers outside the hospital doors), I was defenceless with two trays of drinks. She threw the drink and ran off to her car across the street. Probably because in most places throwing a scalding drink on someone is considered assault.
Last time I ever say anything to anyone being rude to a stranger. People are messed up, if they are already fired up and entitled they might snap at you.
Anonymous
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8. Rescuing an oblivious old lady
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. Afterwards I felt bad and thought maybe I’d overreacted and could have used less threatening language towards two kids but whatever, it’s probably the only way I was going to get through to them. The old lady was completely oblivious to the whole thing.
Anonymous
9. Unexpected turn of events!
My buddy and I were at a movie and these dudes who were talking about they had just got out of basic training were bashing the movie and laughing, making rude comments etc. Well my buddy tells them to Quiet down” and they flip him off but quiet down. After the movie, we are at the front of the pack right behind the 6 or 7 guys being rude and my buddy says “That was really rude to everyone how you were behaving” and 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 out his 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 jerk.” Then he made them stand at attention right at the door of the movie theater and apologize to every patron exiting.
Jayhoe03
10. Holding up everyone in line!
There’s two girls in front of me (and a man already ordering in front of them) waiting to order. Three boys they know walk in and stand behind me. Everything is normal, until one of the boys start to joke with the girls, making them laugh etc. Ok, I don’t mind. Then the guy walks over to them and start pushing and hugging them etc, obviously for fun. They tell him to stop but he keeps going while laughing loudly, getting a lot of annoyed looks from other customers, but no one said anything.
Now, I’m not a very vocal person at all, nor physically imposing at all, but this was just annoying me so much. I had a train to catch, and was expecting to just run in and buy a burger and something to drink, but instead everyone is held up by this idiot. The guy in front of the girls receive his food and walks off, so it’s their turn. The server asks “May I take your order? which they ignore/don’t hear because of the guy, still pushing them and their pushing him back. The two other guys also laugh behind me.
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I looked him straight in the eyes and said “Get back in line because you’re annoying everyone in here. I said it in a sort of calm, but yet commanding voice. He instantly stopped messing around and walked back to his friends. No more jokes or laughter.
Felt so good.
Carninator
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11. Too many entitled people in this world
I used to work at McDonalds when I was in high school so I sympathize with other teenage fast food workers. Awhile ago I was in the local McDonalds 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 manger how to fix it and the manger comes over and starts tearing into him in front of all the customers, calling him “An idiot” and “an inbred monkey” 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 McDonalds 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 manger came over a brought me some apple pies and thanked me for standing up to that guy. Apparently he acted like that towards everyone.
miniskirtninja
12. They all taste the same, any way!
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” or something like that (very polite). The lady got PISSED 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 screaming.
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 comes out and gives me a free loaf of their holiday bread “for being so patient.” Old people left, still pissed.
Didn’t exactly scold her, but made a loud comment in defense of the employee.
baconbabe456
13. How do you not realize that your kid is being annoying?!!?
Went to see the Wolverine movie in a really big theater; about halfway up the rows of seats, it had an aisle that cuts across horizontally from one side of the theater to the other. Some 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 said thank you as I sat down.
dalek_999
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14. You break it, you buy it. Its that simple!
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, 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 from 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 Mam, 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 a stink eye look, grabbed her son and stalked off.
magellan2253
15. When a mean girl gets scolded
In college my friends and I were sitting at a table and behind us was a kid sitting by himself. I will admit, he looked a little douche-tastic-popped collar, gelled hair, super tan, etc. A group of kids sitting in the same area had been laughing and talking loudly about his general fashion sense for awhile. Eventually one of the girls got up, walked over and proclaimed loudly, “I’m sorry, but I have to help you out because you look like a total loser.” And put his collar down. The kid sat there in disbelief as she walked away and his eyes started welling up. I was pretty infuriated and walked over to her table. In the most conversational tone I could muster I said, “Oh hey! Do you know that guy?” She said she didn’t.
Then scolding began: “So you just thought it would be appropriate to demean a complete stranger in public to look like a cool kid in front of all of your friends? I hope you feel better and that you all got a good laugh at his expense. Maybe next you can pause to reflect before you’re a total jerk.” I then walked over to the table and invited the kid to sit with me and my friends. Turns out he was gay, had just transferred to the college, and didn’t know anyone.
gfdf
16. This lady needs to learn how to adult
I was in a 7-11 making a purchase once when some yuppie lady interrupted my transaction. She angrily told the cashier that the coffee wasn’t hot. He apologized and told her that he could make another pot right away. She said “No, I’m way to busy to wait for that!” The clerk offered her a refund and she responded with “No, I don’t want a refund! I’m busy and I want a hot cup of coffee RIGHT NOW!”
I felt so bad for this clerk who, judging by his accent, hadn’t been in the country for very long and was shocked by her rudeness. I just snapped and said “Listen you stupid lady, he apologized that the coffee wasn’t hot, offered to make you another pot or a refund. What do you expect him to do? The only way for him to comply with your request is to get a time machine and brew another pot before you get here. Does he look like some sort of time traveling wizard to you!? You need to just shut up, get back into your ridiculous SUV and try to act like an adult!”
She just stood there shaking, I couldn’t tell if it was rage or fear, but after what seemed like an eternity, she ran out of the store and took off. All the people in line clapped for me. The clerk was shocked at my outburst as well but told me, “It’s good to know that some people will stand up for strangers in this country.
x3n0s
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17. Be a jerk and youll get told
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 they get told. 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 a space on the belt and telling her husband what to get over the phone! I mean what!!!?
So I told her that she and her husband could go to the back of the long line they were causing, (I was in the next line over) 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, sent the people to the back and comped the old ladies groceries to apologize for her inconvenience (she only had about 4 items anyway).
tomdwilliams
18. The nerve of this girl!
About a year ago at my university, there was this blind man who was THE NICEST GUY EVER. Seriously, he takes a full schedule of classes, and is always somewhere on campus. He uses a white cane to help guide himself, but still, understandably, gets lost on the large campus plenty of times. He doesn’t really have much of a family left, as he is much older, but he loves learning and says that’s how he wants to spend the rest of his life. Any time I see him, I always say whats up and walk with him to where he wants to go, because he tells some of the coolest stories.
One day I was walking in the hall of one of the campus buildings, and I saw him accidentally brush a girl with his cane, he immediately apologized. This girl was blonde, fake-tan, in Uggs boots and sweatpants (we have lots of girls like this on campus.)
Well, instead of being understandable to the fact that HE IS BLIND, she starts screaming at him and telling him to not be such a “pervert.” He keeps apologizing and saying he didn’t mean to bump her with his cane, but she isn’t having it, she is making a scene.
I’ve never moved so fast in my entire life, I sprinted across the hall and said “Hey, what is wrong with you?” She is shocked, since I guess she didn’t think there was anyone else in the hall watching, and she starts saying how he hit her with his cane and all I do, in the most I’m not angry at you, I’m just disappointed tone’ I can utter, I tell her:
“That man has more dignity and self-worth than you will ever have. Apologize to him, and leave.”
She got this ‘I just messed up’ look on her face, apologized without even looking at him (not that he would know the difference, I guess, also this all happened in like a split instant) and walked away with her head hanging down. My blind friend graduated last semester too.
YeahPhotography
19. When parents dont do anything about a screaming childwell, someone should!
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 drunks hitting on the flight attendants) but the one that sent me over the edge was when a 9-10 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 behaved 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.
Criclesmirk
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