We’ve all had moments in our lives that we look back on and cringe at how much of a jerk we were. But not all of us are willing to share those stories online…
Here are some people sharing stories of the worst they’ve ever met.
Many thanks to the Redditors who posed these questions. You can check out more answers from the sources at the end of this article!
1. Free meals
Bartending once, I picked up a table so a server could go home early and the guests at the table were super rude to me. They wouldn’t call me by my name just kept calling me different racial slurs.
I smiled and gave them great service, but it was clear they were trying to get something free. When they asked for my manager I couldn’t hear what they were telling him but the couple seated at the end of the bar near their table spoke up and told my manager they were lying.
We ended up calling the police when they refused to pay their tab which was over a hundred dollars. They ended up paying it then my manager comped $10 off so I could get a tip. I tried to buy the nice couple at the bar a round and my manager comped that too.
aquintana
2. Organ popping excitement
A friend of mine was having really bad stomach pains around our sophomore year of high school. Like most guys do, we made fun of him and told him to suck it up. He told me he wasn’t messing around so I told him to man up and gave him a quick but light punch in the abs. He crippled over in pain and started crying. He left school in an ambulance. His appendix burst because of me, and he spent three weeks in the hospital. We are now 20 and he is my best friend.
daveywavy
3. What can you say to that?
Whenever my friends brag about the cool stuff their parents bought them I say “I wish I had parents.” My parents are dead so it’s a downer for everyone.
code_reuse_boss
4. Twitter followers as a threat
I was at an Apple service provider waiting for an iPod Nano replacement when this guy who was talking to another Apple employee started threatening her.
He was furious because she wouldn’t replace his iPad. She was extremely (and unbelievably) patient and repeatedly tried to explain to him that the store was just an authorized service provider and not an Apple store and that they would need approval from Apple’s regional office to replace his iPad.
He asked for a piece of paper, scrawled his Twitter handle on it and repeatedly told the girl to check it to see how many followers he had. “You’ll be surprised,” he said.
“I’ll be tweeting about this. Show your manager and maybe they’ll change their mind.”
He also said his number of followers “will put a dent on Apple” and that he’ll never buy another Apple product again. He also repeatedly threw down his iPhone onto the counter to demonstrate that he couldn’t break it. He was still at it when I left. Nuts.
Wonderturkey
5. Price match gone bad
My store has a really bad price match policy. There are a few things we will not match, one of those is when you need to use a loyalty card to get the deal.
I had an older gentleman come in to price match 5 bottles of Pepsi. We sold them for $1.50 and a competitor sold them for $1. Couldn’t price match because the competitor deal needed their loyalty card.
This is where it went from zero to crazy in 3 seconds. The guy grabbed one of the bottles, starts to open it and says “Well, if you won’t match it I guess I have to pour this pop over your register, what are you going to do then?” followed with a smirk. I kept my cool, didn’t miss a beat and stated “OK, I am going to have to call the cops then.”
He got super upset and couldn’t understand why I would call the cops for him and I tried to explain that he just threatened to vandalize the store’s property. After he understood, he walked out.
All over $2.50.
jivesukka
6. Worth every penny
A friend of mine had his appendix taken out, and couldn’t eat solid foods for a week afterwards. He absolutely loves grilled cheese sandwiches, and after a few days of hospital food all he was talking about was eating a grilled cheese sandwich. So, just to be a jerk, I made a grilled cheese sandwich for myself every night for dinner. I took detailed pictures of preparing the sandwiches, cooking them, stuffing them in my face, and sent them to him every night just to be a jerk. In fact, we refer to grilled cheese sandwiches as ‘jerk sandwiches’ now.
The best part? I’m severely lactose intolerant. The sandwiches tasted awful, and I spent hours in the bathroom after each one. But it was worth it just to be a jerk.
stormkeeper
7. Enjoy your toys!
When I was 18, I worked at a Toys R Us, and a lot of people thought that it was a fun job because we’re surrounded by toys. It wasn’t. People get crazy about their toys and games for their brat kids. But one guy always stands out.
I was working the customer service desk which entailed returns, check outs, answering phones…One day I was working the desk and there was a long line of people. Everyone was being very patient with me answering phones and helping everyone check out, but this one guy had an attitude right away.
He kept mumbling loudly about how horribly rude I was, and that I wasn’t working fast enough. He bought his crap and walked away. I thought it was over, but he quickly came back into the store, and cut the entire line. He started telling me to find him a pair of scissors so he could open his purchase. I calmly explained that I didn’t have a pair of scissors (and I really didn’t). He then proceeded to come around the desk, physically push me out of the way, and start opening all off the draws. My manager witnessed the whole thing and came over and told him to get out of the store.
The guy then screamed at my manager to call the police and see if he cared. We didn’t have to call the police, because there was an off duty one in line, and he quickly explained to the man that he was being detained until police arrived. He quickly shut up, and was subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment. Enjoy your toys.
CatLadyofNY
8. Bitterness
I once worked at a little gaming store next to a big retailer. I don’t get commission or anything, just helped kids pick out games and whatever. Sell the odd Xbox here and there. Some guy comes in asking me to match the retailers deal on a Nintendo DS, for whatever management reason, I couldn’t do it. He starts to get pissed off, and there’s nothing I can do, my hands are tied. So he leaves. I think nothing of it, then he walks past about 15 minutes later and screams from the door “I GOT IT FROM (big retail store) FOR (whatever price) AND I’M NEVER COMING BACK, YOU LOSER”.
…I was a 15 year old girl.
DrinkingCoconut
9. Awkward
I worked at a local store when I was a kid. This shop was owned by a family who had kids in my high school, so I was pretty close with the owners. On a particularly busy afternoon I was whipping up someone’s ice cream when I overhear things getting heated at the cash register.
One of our owners Lynn was working there and an upset woman was complaining about the price of her order. Lynn broke down each item and how much tax was to which the customer responded that she deserved a discount and if she didn’t get one that she would be calling her good friends, who owned this establishment. Lynn calmly said, “I’m Lynn and I own this establishment. Please leave.” I’ve never seen someone turn red so fast.
apfeif
10. But really, don’t you?
Anytime anybody says “don’t you know who I am?!” …ugh…
GiantSquidd
I was in the gas station waiting behind this woman who just started freaking out because when she asked for “20 on 7” the man replied “premium or regular?”
This woman went berserk. Spouting racial slurs, asking why he needed to know what type of gas she wanted, and all sorts of things. She threatened to tell the manager that the man was harassing her and he would be fired. I stepped up and said “Lady, it’s his job to ask. He needs to know so he can activate the pumps. For you.”
She just looked at me and then stormed out. I got a free snickers bar from the employee.
ViolentOctopus
12. Some people…
I spent the past couple of days on a Greyhound that was going across the country (Canada) and we pulled into Quebec. The security guard spoke fluent English (Overheard a cell phone conversation) but seemed to be a massive jerk.
People who asked him if he spoke English usually did so in French, and he responded with yes and helped them out. A little girl who couldn’t have been more than 15 came up and asked him if he spoke English. When I chatted with her later I found out her English was pretty raw and she moved to Canada from Taiwan about 3 years ago.
The security guard said No English repeatedly and she looked distressed. She had asked a few others but no one had really responded and he looked like the only person working at the terminal at that moment. The ticket counters were closed, and no janitors or anything similar.
She went around asking others but the people who responded didn’t know the answers she was looking for. She promptly started crying. I went over and helped her as best I could. When the Security guy walked past he simply laughed at her and called a friend on his phone where he spoke nothing but flawless English.
Anonymous
13. That’s rough
A perfectly healthy 65 year old who decided to deprive a mother and her severely mentally handicapped child from parking in a handicap space. He went on to just scoff and walk away when she called him out on it. No justice was done, sadly. 🙁
xBrutalSandwichx
14. How all good stories start
I was drunk at this dive bar. Everyone was dancing and there was this table full of open beers. I sat on the table and it collapsed.
All the beers crashed to floor as I grabbed mine, a Guinness. The music stopped, everyone stared at me with anger as I took a swig… And said, “I still got mine.”
I walked right out.
Anonymous
15. Seeking assistance
Not sure if this is good guy or mean move. Half half I suppose. The story begins with me my best friends girlfriend – later wife. She got pregnant, and they got married because he thought it was his. They latter separated on terrible terms. She won custody, and would not let my mate see “their” son.
We were roommates at this time. I eventually told him the truth, and while he was angry at first, he eventually asked me to sue for custody, as he felt that she was not taking proper care of the child. Long story short, I won the suit and ending up living with my best friend, and what we eventually decided was “our” son.
myl1ls3cret
16. Shame
When I was in grade school, there was a girl in my younger brother’s class whose family was quite poor. One winter day while waiting for the bus home, I noticed that she was wearing these old, ugly, hand-me-down mittens and I made fun of her. A lot. In front of other people. I thought I was somehow being cool and funny, but my brother saw it for what it was and told our parents. I ended up getting a big scolding and had to publicly apologize to the girl the next day.
Looking back on my life, I have done some stupid things and some mean things, but this moment is probably one of the things I am most ashamed of in my life. And I’m ashamed that it took my brother and my parents for me to see that I was being a horrible person and needed to apologize.
stcompletelydiffrent
17. Rattling
I’m at the grocery store, and walk up to the express lane, to find myself in the middle of a confrontation. The blonde at the counter is yelling at the cashier, “Just shut up and do your darn job. If you’d just scan the items we’d be done by now.” I look, and she’s got WAY over the 8 item limit.
I pipe up, “What’s the matter, Sweetie? Can’t count to 8? You must be a real blonde.”
Well, she goes off on me, trying to justify clogging up the express lane. I just reply, “The limit is there for a reason. Why should I have to wait just because you think you’re special?”
Well, there’s a guy between me and her, and it turns out that he’s the Boyfriend. And he starts to get all puffy, defending his girl.
I looked him right in the eye, and I said, “To that cashier,” pointing at the blonde, “She’s just another bad customer. To me, she’s just a momentary source of amusement. We’ll probably both forget all about her in a day or two. But YOU, pal, YOU get to go home with her. So tell me, who’s looking at the fuzzy end of THIS lollipop?”
He had his back to her, but the look of deflation on his face was priceless. And the cashier must have been a little rattled as well, because I believe she neglected to scan an item or two of my purchase.
PJMurphy
18. Directions to the nearest burger place may have been useful
A few days ago while I was waiting for my food at an ice cream store, I witnessed a woman order in the most condescending tone imaginable by saying “Look, I don’t know your menu, I just want a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese, or whatever you call it here.”
The cashier, (who seemed like she was pretty new there,) excused herself for a moment to go check what she could ring up. Moments later, the manager walked up and asked her if she needed help with anything, and the customer responded with “I don’t know! I was trying to order food and the cashier just wandered away in the middle of my order without saying anything.”
lamaprettykitty
19. Informing someone of caused displeasure
My mother and I were at a fast food stop and this guy comes up to the counter and pushed my mother out of the way while we are ordering. He then proceeds to yell at the cashier because there was lettuce on his sandwich and he didn’t want lettuce. Being 12 and already a bit of an ass I had no problem informing him of my displeasure.
I first told him he should apologize for pushing my mother out of the way and should learn to act his age. Before he could respond I went on a tirade about people needing to be nicer to one another and that it was really easy for someone to remove lettuce from a sandwich and if he was having problems doing that he needed to move into a nursing home like my great grandmother because he was probably incapable of caring for himself.
fortknoxy
20. Defusing the situation
Some customer was snapping at the new person for making their drink wrong. And this new girl is fresh and fumbling with the drinks/reading the recipes for most of them, so it’s easy to tell she’s pretty new.
Asking how this sort of thing could happen, when she clearly told her exactly what she wanted, etc. The new girl didn’t hear the order firsthand because we use a sort of relay system when it is busy and was focused on the drinks.
I stepped in and used a line that has a surprising amount of potency. ‘Well, as humans, we’re prone to making the occasional mistake. We’ll get you another one. The issue was the milk type, right?’
syphiliticimnd
21. Chill pills should be available
I work behind the customer service counter at a local grocery store. I had a lady come up to me one day, already yelling and cursing, asking “Do you have any more of the meat on sale in the back?”. I calmly told her no, and that I would gladly write her a raincheck. She didnt like this response one bit. “HOW CAN YOU ADVERTISE SOMETHING IF YOU DON’T HAVE IT ON THE SHELF?!” I responded with “Other people shop here, you know.” She then said, “I know that, I’m not stupid.” I replied, “Obviously you are.”. She then turned away and left. Mind you my manager is behind the counter with me this entire time, all he could do was burst out laughing, and compliment me on how ‘bad to the bone’ it was.
rainbowddit
22. Nod and smile
I was assigned to call in delays on cars in the city for reservations we had that morning. We made sure to call accordingly, an hour before hand to let them know we’re aware of the situation and are hard at work on it. So I call this man to let him know and I of course get the usual “I need my car” speech which I assure him i’m working on and giving him priority because his need. He mentions he needs a car that will fit a babies car seat, I tell him i’ll make sure to note that and he flips insisting that he mentioned it before and that a note should have been made. I decided to delve deeper into the reservation and there was indeed a note, so I told him that it was there and I could not see it on the current screen and apologized. He paused, I said “sir?” and he responded with…
“First off, I don’t like your tone I am a partner at my law firm and if I don’t get a car I will come in on monday, pull the account, and I will say it is YOUR fault! I want my car and I don’t wanna hear any excuses!”
I paused, simply said “yes sir” and he responded “Good that’s what you should be telling me”. The whole thing just left me so shook and feeling low.
TheDood715
23. Disrupted recreation time
I lifeguard at a YMCA, and one day at the appropriate time, we all called adult swim. You have to be 16+ to stay in. There was a little girl (maybe 5 years old, at most) still in the shallow entry end of the pool. A lifeguard came up to the edge and said “Come on sweetie, it’s adult swim. You’ve gotta get out now.” The little girl looked at her, backed up deeper into the pool and said nothing. The guard repeats herself, a bit louder but not meaner. At this point the mom runs up to the guard and SCREAMS: “If you don’t back up, Imma slap you!”. Really? For asking your kid to follow the same rules as all the other kids?
[deleted]
24. Make a joke out of it
I worked at an Italian restaurant, and had a family come in. They seemed pretty normal, and I served the dad 3…maybe 4 glasses of wine. Little did I know (he didn’t show any signs of intoxication at dinner), that he was SHIT HOUSED. He paid for dinner and took the “merchant” receipt that had my tip on it.
Normally I can just turn in the customer receipt and the managers were fine with it, but there was always extra work involved around it, so I managed to catch him before he left the restaurant and politely informed him he’d left me the wrong copy, and if he could just trade me I would be grateful.
I’m at the host stand of the place doing this, and he seems VERY confused by the situation. Then he started getting very very angry. He finally figured it out, but not before yelling at me in front of a lot of people, “THIS IS INCOMPETENCE….ON YOUR PART”, followed by him signing the receipt and docking me half my tip.
My manager came up right after and asked what it was all about, I told him…he told me next time to just let it go. It was always a joke afterwards when something would go wrong that it was “INCOMPETENCE…..ON YOUR PART!”.
fooler2
25. Own it
I work in a cafe where we do coffee and food. People order a drink and then yell at me stating that they asked for it iced (mochas, lattes, etc). Same with food, people will order one thing and then try to claim that they ordered something completely different (the other day a woman mistook an Italian sub for a meatball sub and tried to pawn off the mistake on me). I always repeat orders and I always consult with my employees to make sure they heard the same order. If you make a mistake in your order, don’t pretend that it’s the barista/server’s fault. Such a jerk move.
gcvnn
26. Cameras can be your friend
Yesterday I went to go get McChickens with a friend of mine. We also needed to discuss a drinking night that would be going on in a week or so.
This woman walked up to the counter pushing us aside saying “I’ve been waiting for my food for 15 minutes now.” I told her “Excuse me, I don’t care what your problem is, you pushed us aside when we were ordering.” She told us “You idiotic kids, learn to respect adults.” I nearly lost my head and said “You’re obese anyways, maybe you should wait.”
She screamed at me and said “HOW DARE YOU. I’M CALLING THE POLICE AND TELLING THEM YOU BOTH HIT ME. THEN I’M GOING TO HAVE THEM SEARCH YOU GUYS AND YOUR HOUSES FOR DRUGS.”
Knowing she’s insane at this point, I silently look at her, then point at the camera near the counter and I say “It records audio, too.”
She then stormed out, one of the workers gave us free food which I declined, because I wanted to pay. I told them that I shouldn’t be rewarded for something as simple as not getting stepped on.
[deleted]
27. Snobbery
Just started my job at Safeway a couple weeks ago as a courtesy clerk. They really stress customer service at Safeway, especially the store I worked at. One of the most important things was to always make eye contact with customers when you’re walking through the aisles and ask if they need help with anything. So, naturally being a new employee I was doing everything by the books. I see a woman who looks like she needs something and I go ask her if she needs help. Unfortunately, the service training didn’t include how to visibly identify middle-aged jerks and avoid them.
Anyway, this woman asks where some “fruit flavoring pouches” are. “I’m going to make sure I don’t lose you because the last person who tried to help me just disappeared!”. I try to get an idea of what she’s trying to describe and she proceeds to get frustrated when I lead her to the wrong items. “No! No! No! That’s not what I’m talking about” I’m remaining calm and patient , still trying to figure out what she wants until she drops “Listen, I’m going to tell you a little thing about customer service”. This woman had already wasted 10 minutes of my time but I’m persistent to find what she wants despite her insulting my commitment to help.
I tell her I’m going to ask another employee where the item is. I walk over to one of my co-workers and explain how I have a huge jerk on my hands who needs some fruit flavoring rubbish. He shows me where it is (I can’t even remember what it was called) and I run back to find her and lead her to the item. She first asks “Did you find it yourself or did you have to have somebody help you?” in the snobbiest voice possible. I tell her I got help, but I think I’ve found what she needed.
She’s happy at first to see that I’ve found the right thing but apparently we didn’t carry the flavor she wanted. “Oh darn, you don’t have the chocolate one. Well, thanks for nothing”.
Meowschwitz420
28. The time in the bar
I was working at a bar in London, it was a Friday night and extremely busy (of course). So I’m already quite frazzled and frantic, trying to take care of everyone. A bunch of idiots come up to the bar, and ask one of my co-workers for my name. Then they start calling out “Kaaaate, hey Kate”, I ignore them for a bit but eventually I have to serve someone near where they are – so while I’m there, one of them goes “Kate baby come on, don’t you remember me? That night we shared?”
I just turned to him and said, “Mate. I’ve never been that drunk.” and walked off. Felt so good.
katesrepublic
29. Oops
So on Saturday I was at Wendy’s drive through with a friend and we had two separate orders. When the guy handed us the first bag of food and went back for the other I guess the guy behind me though I was just being slow and didn’t realize I had another bag, so he starts honking and flashing his lights. When the guy came back with my friends food I told him “Hey, the guy behind me is a friend of mine. When he pulls up, tell him Panama Jack says ‘blow it out you behind, jerk’ he’ll know what it means” and the guy said “Ok, Panama Jack says blow it out your behind?” “Yeah, he’s an old friend” then drove off. I never saw the guy at the Wendy’s again, I hope I didn’t get him fired.
wizard_of_gram
30. Anger issues
I used to work at a sandwich shop and my old boss was notoriously aggressive to customers. He would fight for his employees tooth and nail. One time, some irate idiot had something he wanted to discuss with my boss and being in a rare accommodating mood, my boss said, “Just give me a moment to help this line of customers and I’ll you’ll have my complete attention.” This guy, not knowing how lucky he was, pressed his luck. After enduring another onslaught of verbal abuse, my boss handed the guy his card and said to call him later. On the back of the card he had written, “UP YOURS.”
lanthilis