We sometimes cross paths with people who don’t know how to treat other people, or are just arrogant by nature. Too some extent it’s still okay if that person is just a spoilt teen, but sometimes they are adults who never really grew up. Well, in both cases, a little scolding from a stranger can go a long way. The situation might heat up, get awkward or even humorous, but it does put things in better perspective for everyone, just like in the following cases..
My little brother was at supermarket with mom and they were walking down one of the food aisles when they see this complete idiotic person following a woman wearing hijab, she was with her kids.
Then this idiotic guy starts calling her names and making fun of her, saying how she needs to get her crap out of “America” because she’s obviously a terrorist. My brother, who was 15 at that time, was so angry that he stormed over to this man, who was probably in his 40s and yelled, “Mind your own business big guy and leave the woman and her children alone.” I think it took the guy completely off guard. He couldn’t respond and just walked away. I was really proud of my brother when mom later told me what happened that day.
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, etc. 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, simultaneously yelling at 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 looked away and 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 kicking 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. I’ve already spoken to you about this, and so has the flight attendant. Now I don’t care how you deal with your kids when you’re home but I’m 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 you shouldn’t be on a plane.”
Then I turned to the daughter who was smirking while her mom was being reamed out, “You think this is funny?” with a death glare until her smirk disappears
“Answer me. DO… YOU… THINK… THIS… IS… FUNNY…?”
The girl 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 NOT going to kick my chair or yell for the rest of this flight… understand?”
She slowly nods back at me.
I say “Good,” and turn back around in my seat, 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. I don’t feel bad at all.
I’m fresh out of High School flying with my volleyball team to nationals. I’m fairly tall and already crammed into the middle seat when the lady in front of me puts the seat the whole way back. Typically this wouldn’t bother me but the seat she leaned back was for her toddler, who she was currently holding.
I asked her kindly if she could move the seat back up. She immediately snapped at me in a very rude tone, “Don’t you see that I have my baby with me, and my baby NEEDS all of this room.”
My mother is a 2nd grade teacher and is sitting next to me. She quickly gets vocal when confronted with rude people. Without missing a beat she responds in her best ‘teacher voice’ and ‘teacher glare’, “Well, I also have my baby with me, he is 6’4” and extremely uncomfortable with your UNOCCUPIED chair resting on his knees. Could you please move it back or are we going to have an issue?”
The lady looked a little shocked, realized her mistake, apologized, and moved the chair back up.
I went to a salad bar yesterday to get myself a delicious footlong.
Upon arrival I see three girls ahead of me in the line, probably about 17/18. The first two order and move forward, then the server asks the last girl what toppings she wants. This girl’s on her phone, she ignores and doesn’t answer.
After a brief pause the server asks again – not being impatient or rude – just asks. The girl snapped, “Can’t you see I’m on the PHONE here? God, can you be more RUDE! Just wait till I’m done.”
I was standing right behind her, offended and embarrassed for the server. Also, waiting for my turn. I couldn’t help interrupting this conversation, “Hey! That was extremely rude. Don’t yell at people for providing service you asked for. You came here to get your food – now just get off your phone, order your toppings and stop acting like a child, or move out of this line.”
She looked at me with contempt and anger, but got off the phone and finished her order. She didn’t say anything back. The server looked at me, smiled, and mouthed the words thank you.
One summer night, several years ago, my friends and I were walking around the town. Little buzzed and goofing around. As we were about to turn left inside a park we hear a guy yelling, and then what sounds like a puppy yelping. We turn and see our assumption was correct.
This guy had a puppy, not more than 10 pounds, on a leash and was yanking him around because the pup wouldn’t poop on command – Everyone could hear him yell that to the pup.
I absolutely love dogs and could help but shout, “Yank that pup one more time and see what happens.” The owner looked me dead in the eye and yanked the dog so hard that I thought he broke his neck. We spent the next 3 minutes handing him the beating of his life, left him on the sidewalk and my friend still has the dog.
I know what we did was fundamentally wrong, but sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils. The guy was ruthless to this innocent little pup.
I was in a convenient store making a purchase once when this raging lady interrupted my transaction. She angrily told the cashier that her coffee wasn’t hot. The cashier immediately apologized and told her that he’ll make another pot right away. She said, “No, I’m way to busy to wait for that!” He then offered her a refund and she went on again “No, I don’t want a refund! I want a hot cup of coffee RIGHT NOW!”
I felt so bad for this cashier who, judging by his accent, hadn’t been in the country for very long and was shocked by her rudeness. I snapped and said “Listen you stupid lady, he apologized for your not so hot coffee, offered to make you another pot and even a refund. What are you expecting him to do now? The only way for him to comply with your request is to get on a time machine and brew another pot before you get here. Does he look like some time traveling wizard to you!? You need to just shut up, get back into your ridiculous SUV and try to think like an adult!”
She 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 and told me, “It’s good to know that some people stand up for strangers in this country.”
I had to yell at a lady in a movie theatre.
She had two young children with her. After the lights went down and the movie was starting, the kids started running around like little maniacs. I just said, “Shhh.” and she screams at me, “They’re children!”
I was so taken aback that I yelled something along the lines of, “We didn’t pay to watch your children run, shut them up or I’ll have to ask the manager here to get you out of here.”
I was at the theatres watching 300, and suddenly I hear some one pick up their phone. I see this chatty lady blabbing on her cell phone, disturbing everyone around. People aren’t used to people chatting on phone like that, and everyone tends to be polite and non-confrontational in general so nobody said anything at first – thinking she’ll get off the phone soon enough.
After a minute or so, a guy with down’s sitting one behind asked her to shut up. She pulled the phone away, turned around and yelled at him “You shut up, you retard” and then finished her call. Nothing happened after that, everyone watched the movie quietly.
After the movie finished, as everyone was assembling on the stairs to leave the theatre, she stood in the middle of the stairway facing sideways, talking with her friend. I am thinking why “friends” don’t ask people like these to stop being idiots, isn’t it embarrassing for them to be seen with these kinds of people; when suddenly the Down’s guy came down the steps, stopped a step or two above her and yelled out:
“This!
Is!
Spartaaa!”
Then proceeded to lean back and kicked her in the chest, causing her to fall down the steps backwards, screaming!
About one year ago there was this blind man at my university. A really nice guy. He took full schedule of classes and was always somewhere on campus.
He used a white cane to help guide himself, but still, understandably, got lost on the large campus plenty of times. He was much older than others and didn’t really have much of his family left, but he loved learning and said that’s how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Every time I saw him, I always greeted him and walked with him to where he was going – not because I thought he needed help, but because he always had the coolest stories to share.
One day I was walking in the hall of one of the campus buildings and I saw him accidentally brush against girl with his cane. He immediately apologized.
This girl reacted like a complete snob. Instead of being understandable to the fact that he is blind, she started screaming at him, telling him how big of a pervert he is. He keeps apologizing and saying he didn’t mean to bump into her with his cane. The guy hadn’t even physically touched her.
I’ve never moved so fast in my entire life, I sprinted across the hall and said “Hey, what is wrong with you?” She looked at me shocked, I guess she thought the hall was empty, and started saying how this blind man HIT her with his cane. All I do, in the most ‘I am really disappointed with you.’ 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, with an embarrassed look on her face, apologized without looking at him and walked away. Me and my blind homie graduated together last semester.
Last week I was at the supermarket.
There was a woman who had about 3 items on the belt and was speaking away on her phone when an 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,” Then strolls in her husband with a cart that was almost over-flowing with things. Turns out all this while this women had been hogging the space on the belt and talking to her husband on the phone, telling him what to get!
When I saw this I couldn’t take it well. I told them to just go behind the line the long line they had caused. I was in the next line over, they both got upset demanded to see the manager. They called the manager and I explained how vile and selfish they had been. The manager sent these guys to the back, helped the old lady with her groceries and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
When I was in High School, one of the lunch ladies was deaf. She was always the one to cash the students out in the most awesome lunch line (Taco salads FTW).
Once I heard some dude saying how he pretends to not understand her, basically mocks her, and how he doesn’t pays what he owes.
I got so mad at him and just went off on him from behind the line – telling him what a horrible person he was and how I hoped he loses one of his senses so he could see what it was like.
It wasn’t much but I think I got my point across, as I didn’t hear him talk about her anymore. She, the lunch lady, was super nice and was really pleased when my school started offering Sign Language courses. Some students could communicate with her later.
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 seeing some people were making efforts to actually talk to her, instead of pretending she wasn’t there.
Anonymous
We were in a theatre, waiting for the movie to begin.
A group of 13-14 year olds were throwing popcorn at people. I saw them but didn’t didn’t really do anything until they threw it at my girlfriend.
I warned them. After 5 minutes they did it again and sniggered. I stormed over to them ripped their drinks from them, took their popcorn and told them if I heard one more word I would kick the ghost out of all of them. Then I threw their drinks and popcorn in the bin while telling them they didn’t deserve them.
I got applauses, and when they tried to get me kicked out everyone backed me up and they got kicked out instead.
Anonymous
I was at a coffee shop around the holidays a few years ago. This was shopping season and the coffee shop was next a shopping malls, so it was extremely busy.
I was waiting for my turn when I saw this older couple order coffee. The lady behind the counter gave them a to-go cup saying “I’m sorry, we ran out of clean mugs. The dishwasher is running now, but I don’t want to make you wait,” very politely. The old lady got furious and started screaming about bad service. She 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 came out and gave me a free loaf of their holiday bread for being patient.
My buddy and I were at a movie theatre and there were these “dudes” who were bashing the movie, making rude comments, and laughing. Well my buddy tells them to “Keep their volume down” and they flip him off but quiet down.
After the movie we see the pack of 6 or 7 guys who being rude right beg=hind us. My buddy goes, “That was really rude to everyone how you were behaving” and the loudest one of them whips out his military ID, then says “Yeah, Well I’m a marine and I fight for your and your friend’s freedom while you snack in these theatres.”
My buddy, who just happens to be a military officer by the way, whips out his ID and says “This ID only gives you the honour of wearing a uniform and serving your country, it doesn’t give you the right to be a worthless big mouthed douchebag .”
Then he made them stand at attention right at the door of the movie theatre and apologize to every patron exiting.
I worked at a high end store and it was Christmas time. A sense of entitlement was a little too common among people we served.
There was this guy who was being absurdly rude to me and my co-worker. I had already told him quite clearly that there was a line and that he should be waiting in it. He asked for my manager and called him an idiot after us having to re-ring the manger to get him to the front desk.
Suddenly a customer behind him, about half his size, taps him on the shoulder and says loudly “Would you mind shutting your big mouth up and let these people do their job, you are seriously getting on my people’s nerves now.”
The bigger dude threatens him and the smaller guy goes again”If you were as tough as you like to think you are you wouldn’t have to be such a prick, just keep shut and get in the line like all of us.”
I magically found a 50 percent off coupon for my new favourite person and thanked him.
I was at a grocery store on my lunch break when this older woman, who looked like was having some problem with walking, was moving towards a checkout like. Suddenly her salad fell out and opened up, going everywhere. She starts crying, apologizing for the mess and saying how she can’t afford to buy another salad. A grocery store clerk and I go over and start helping her.
The clerk tells her this happens all the time and that they won’t charge her, but the woman is still visibly upset and continues apologizing and crying. Then I hear two 45-50 year old ultra styled women – hair all done, expensive clothes, etc. giggling to each other and having little laughing outbursts every time the old lady said something. I was appalled, but didn’t bother.
Soon they started openly mocking her, loud enough for all of us to hear, and flat out laughing at her.
At this point I stood up, grabbed my basket, walked over to them and quietly said, “Come on, quit it.” They both stopped laughing, but were still giggling. One of them then says, “Excuse me? Who do you think you are?” I calmly replied, “She’s upset, she can hear you over there, and this is embarrassing for both of you and her.” This is when they both lose it and one of them said, “Don’t ever talk to me like that!” To which I replied, “Listen, I know you’re both really unhappy because you married a man for money and now he’s cheating on you with a much younger woman, and your kids probably don’t respect or like you because you’re obviously not a likeable person, but that doesn’t give you a license to be mean to strangers. If you want to laugh, laugh, but don’t start mocking people. Try to contain yourselves and act like the adults you can never really become.”
They were shocked, and just walked out, leaving their food behind. The checkout clerk just started laughing and I joined him. The guy behind me gave me a hi5. It was fun actually.
Anonymous
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.
That kid’s mum was too busy talking on her phone to care. I glared at them, but she couldn’t care less. Soon I walked up to her to confront her and she 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 gave her a stare she’d remember for long.
She left. The manager of the restaurant gave us a free meal. Apparently that particular woman was known for just letting her kid run riot.
I used to work at a fast food restaurant when I was in high school so I always sympathize with other teenage fast food workers.
Awhile ago I was in a local fast food chain. Although the cashier seemed to be doing okay, I could tell that it was his first day working there. He entered something wrong and asked his manger how to fix it. The manger came over and started tearing into him in front of all the customers, calling him “A worthless idiot” and “an inbred monkey” and so on.
After I received my order at the counter, I called for the manager to see me. Then I told him, “Just because you are a day shift manager at this resturaunt does not mean you are a superior human being. You have no right to treat others, especially your employees, like dirt. Do not talk to that cashier that way ever again.” After I sat down another manger came over, brought me some apple pies and thanked me for standing up to that guy.
Have you ever had to scold a stranger? If yes, share your experience below.
We all need to be gentle and caring, but at the same time speak up and be radical if someone’s going insane. Share and inspire others.