It’s important for children to be raised to believe that everyone’s needs are equally important. This helps them develop empathy, respect, and a sense of fairness in their interactions with others. But some moms and dads model the exact opposite behavior, prioritizing their own demands above everyone else’s.
Reddit user Em367 asked kids who were raised by “I want to talk to your manager" parents to share their cringiest experiences and received thousands of stories. From grocery stores to restaurants and airports, these seemingly regular situations quickly turned into public scenes.
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#1
My mom used to run restaurants. My step father used to be a chef in high end restaurants and is the kind of guy who expects to be treated better than he is currently being treated, regardless of whatever that treatment is. They are not fun to go out to eat with.
The “most embarrassing experience” is actually their most embarrassing experience, one where I Embarrassed them.
My wife and I pride ourselves on being a “relief” table when we go out to eat. Both of us have been servers, and there’s always the counterpoint to the difficult table, that’s us. Barring horrible service or bad food, we are super easy customers, tip well, and try to have a good time with our server. Furthermore, we just treat people nicely. So you can imagine our distain when my parents act like they’re royalty at a dinner service.
My wife and I went out to dinner with them. They were being particularly tough. My mom was acting like she was Gordon Ramsey analyzing the business, critiquing everything down to the amount of bubbles in her seltzer (“looks like it’s time to change the CO2”) My step dad was getting more and more heated over stupid things like the amount of ice in his drink and how the waitress didn’t top off his water, that he was barely sipping on, fast enough.
It came to a head when my step father ordered a steak medium well, it came back medium well, and for some reason he changed his mind that he wanted it medium rare while it was cooking and they didn’t read his mind, so he gave attitude, as did my mom. They jumped really quickly to demanding free stuff.
I’m an adult and this may be the first time they realized this. I interrupted in front of the server and said something like “really? This is what you’re doing. That’s what you ordered...” I turned to the server and said “We do not need anything comped.” I then pulled out my wallet and handed her my card and said “this is for the bill. We’ll happily wrap up with what we have here. I’m very sorry for their behavior, you’re doing great.” Then the line that stung them so deep they still bring it up years later ...”I was taught to treat people nicely, a lesson that seems to be forgotten. Thank you.”
They turned red, the server walked away, I looked down and cut my steak, and didn’t say a word. They were so flabbergasted that the meal was virtually silent except me asking my step father how his steak was a few minutes later. I signed the check, gave a big tip, and we walked out and said goodbyes.
They’ve been nicer to servers each time that we’ve gone out since.
The “most embarrassing experience” is actually their most embarrassing experience, one where I Embarrassed them.
My wife and I pride ourselves on being a “relief” table when we go out to eat. Both of us have been servers, and there’s always the counterpoint to the difficult table, that’s us. Barring horrible service or bad food, we are super easy customers, tip well, and try to have a good time with our server. Furthermore, we just treat people nicely. So you can imagine our distain when my parents act like they’re royalty at a dinner service.
My wife and I went out to dinner with them. They were being particularly tough. My mom was acting like she was Gordon Ramsey analyzing the business, critiquing everything down to the amount of bubbles in her seltzer (“looks like it’s time to change the CO2”) My step dad was getting more and more heated over stupid things like the amount of ice in his drink and how the waitress didn’t top off his water, that he was barely sipping on, fast enough.
It came to a head when my step father ordered a steak medium well, it came back medium well, and for some reason he changed his mind that he wanted it medium rare while it was cooking and they didn’t read his mind, so he gave attitude, as did my mom. They jumped really quickly to demanding free stuff.
I’m an adult and this may be the first time they realized this. I interrupted in front of the server and said something like “really? This is what you’re doing. That’s what you ordered...” I turned to the server and said “We do not need anything comped.” I then pulled out my wallet and handed her my card and said “this is for the bill. We’ll happily wrap up with what we have here. I’m very sorry for their behavior, you’re doing great.” Then the line that stung them so deep they still bring it up years later ...”I was taught to treat people nicely, a lesson that seems to be forgotten. Thank you.”
They turned red, the server walked away, I looked down and cut my steak, and didn’t say a word. They were so flabbergasted that the meal was virtually silent except me asking my step father how his steak was a few minutes later. I signed the check, gave a big tip, and we walked out and said goodbyes.
They’ve been nicer to servers each time that we’ve gone out since.
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57points
#2
My mom has been this person regularly throughout my life but I do have one positive story with it.
She and I went to eat at portillo's when I was a teenager and we sat in the back of the restaurant where it was more private so we can eat in peace. About 10 minutes into our meal two people come into the empty area and sit down two tables away from us.
Turns out it was a manager and an employee that was getting written up. the manager was being a complete jerk towards the employee criticizing and belittling them. My mom put down her food and walked over and started yelling at the manager for being such an jerk.
She went on a rant about how rude and wrong it was of him to do this in front of the public two tables away from customers and really let him have it. She demanded the phone number of the manager above him and we left after she received it. I was pretty embarrassed at the time but as I got older I realized that she was standing up for that employee and how wrong that manager really was. I'm not a hundred percent sure what she did with that phone number because I lived with my dad and I had to go home after that meal.
She and I went to eat at portillo's when I was a teenager and we sat in the back of the restaurant where it was more private so we can eat in peace. About 10 minutes into our meal two people come into the empty area and sit down two tables away from us.
Turns out it was a manager and an employee that was getting written up. the manager was being a complete jerk towards the employee criticizing and belittling them. My mom put down her food and walked over and started yelling at the manager for being such an jerk.
She went on a rant about how rude and wrong it was of him to do this in front of the public two tables away from customers and really let him have it. She demanded the phone number of the manager above him and we left after she received it. I was pretty embarrassed at the time but as I got older I realized that she was standing up for that employee and how wrong that manager really was. I'm not a hundred percent sure what she did with that phone number because I lived with my dad and I had to go home after that meal.
39points
It’s very difficult to be around such people. “Being demanding is a sign of an entitled person,” says Craig Knippenberg, a therapist and author of Wired and Connected: Brain-Based Solutions To Ensure Your Child’s Social and Emotional Success.
“They want to go right to the top instead of dealing with the person at hand. They still feel entitled despite a logical explanation by another party, almost as if they feel wronged.”
And parents who are entitled will often be unreasonable toward everyone, including their own kids.
#3
When I was a young child on a long distance flight my mother let me and my brother sleep on the floor. For safety reasons the flight attendants told my mother that we were not allowed to sleep on the floor. She started to argue with the flight attendants who then turned to the pilots. The pilots threatened to turn the plane around unless we get up from the floor but she continued to argue. The pilots announced they were about to turn around because of my mother, so all the passengers got pissed. Eventually she caved in when she had all passengers and flight crew on a Boeing 747 against her.
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35points
#4
I was with my parents on vacation and the hotel put charges on the bill by accident. My mom marched to the front desk and demanded to see the manager. There was a long line, but she cut right in front of it. The manager wasn't very helpful, probably because she was rude.
So my mom, went to all the other customers in line and told them that the hotel was a scam and they were ripping us off with fake charges. She made a scene. The hotel called the police and we were escorted off the premises by actual cops. I died inside.
So my mom, went to all the other customers in line and told them that the hotel was a scam and they were ripping us off with fake charges. She made a scene. The hotel called the police and we were escorted off the premises by actual cops. I died inside.
31points
#5
I worked at Best Buy. I stopped in with my mom one day because she wanted to buy me the Star Wars DVD box set for my birthday.
I had a huge, HUGE crush on the girl that was working the customer service counter. Well, the DVD set rang up $10 more than it was priced, and my mom deliberately didn't say anything until after the transaction so she could claim the effing $5 Michigan Scan Law bounty.
My crush didn't know how to process it and the manager was busy, so my mom tore into her about how it was her job and how she should understand how to do things.
At my job.
To a girl I liked.
My life was misery for a while afterward.
I had a huge, HUGE crush on the girl that was working the customer service counter. Well, the DVD set rang up $10 more than it was priced, and my mom deliberately didn't say anything until after the transaction so she could claim the effing $5 Michigan Scan Law bounty.
My crush didn't know how to process it and the manager was busy, so my mom tore into her about how it was her job and how she should understand how to do things.
At my job.
To a girl I liked.
My life was misery for a while afterward.
30points
A lack of compassion is common in entitled people, and they’re generally not inclined to apologize or make amends for their behavior because they believe they’re always right.
They knock others down to make themselves feel better, don’t know how to compromise, and gaslight people when they don’t get what they want, so you can probably imagine what reaction these children would have gotten if they had criticized their parents for what they did.
#6
We got screwed once in a Taco Bell drive thru (not the usual way), which sent my mom into a complete meltdown.
The people running the place had - I kid you not - run out of lettuce. And I've never dealt with dumber people. Instead of just... telling people they were out and letting it go, they were being idiots and saying "There'll be a small delay..."
It was a super hot day, the AC was broke, we're exhausted, all we *really* want is some water, but we're stuck in the drive thru line waiting and waiting as ... they try to figure out how to make lettuce out of thin air? You'd think there'd be another bag somewhere or something but... maybe that was too complicated for them.
So - twenty minutes into sitting cooking in the car trapped between other cars in the drive through and unable to go forward or back or even sideways ( speaker and signs, even if we wanted to jump the curb) and my mother is just cursing up a blue streak about the stupidity of the people involved, screaming her head off about 'just make some lettuce free tacos you dumb jerks, what do you use for brains, the fettid remains of your blasted out bum' - I remember much of this very vividly as I was about 12 or 13 at the time, and I was learning all sorts of new words and phrases. My little brother took notes.
That's when we see some taco bell teenage idiot employee boy make a break from the building and go sprinting across the parking lot over towards the grocery store across the way. *They sent out someone to go buy some lettuce...*
The cursing rises a few notches. NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE F LETTUCE. JESUS F CHRIST JUST LET US OUT OF HERE YOU LITTLE ... etc etc etc. Volume. Variety. Viciousness. Mom hits all the good Vs.
Forty five minutes or so after we got into this - the car at the window (a couple ahead of us), which is probably the real villain of the story (why wouldn't they leave without lettuce?) finally gets handed something ... and they don't leave immediately they have to talk for a while before they drive off.
My mom is a volcano past it's sell by date and just frothing at the mouth now, but *eventually* ... they pull off and leave and we can pull up to the window.
What I've left out of this story is... my family, for a few years, would participate in parades as clowns, handing out candy to the kids at the side of the road and dancing our way through the parade route to the rocking tune of "Cel-e-brate good time To-Night!" on repeat.
And this day was one of those days - we were all in full costume. Makeup, super baggy rainbow pants, rainbow wig, big flower on the suspenders, big ole ridiculous shoes... the whole deal.
So the car finally pulls away ahead of us, and my mom, who for the last hour has been a spitting bulldog of bile and vindictive rage and a constant criticizer of the drive thru window people's ancestry and breeding... realizes she has to pull up and face them in full Clown Regalia to get our stupid tacos.
I remember that moment when Mom realized it. The mix of anger, embarrassment, ridiculousness of it - and eventually the humor of the whole situation - went through her and she started laughing so hard she was crying.
And when the people behind us started honking for us to just GO (they'd been waiting too) - it just got funnier somehow.
So now mom is not just a crazy angry lady - she's a Crazy Angry Clown Lady, and more than that - she's a crazy clown lady who's been sweating and now crying too. So she's not even a crazy clown lady with good makeup anymore, she's just a wreck of a crazy clown lady.
Which makes her laugh even harder.
My brother and I thought she was going to die. I mean, she couldn't breathe, and those outfits, the heat, hell - the whole reason we pulled into this place was we needed water...
To give mom credit, she didn't just squeal out of there flipping everyone the bird - she got herself together, pulled up to the window, looked up at the girl through the car window with her ruined clown make up and big rainbow wig, and handed her the money very calmly, said thank you and took the bag, and we drove off.
I hope to hell they remember us. I know I'll never forget the look on the drive thru girl's face as we drove up and she started to try to apologize for the delay and... just ... stopped. Staring at us.
Good day.
The people running the place had - I kid you not - run out of lettuce. And I've never dealt with dumber people. Instead of just... telling people they were out and letting it go, they were being idiots and saying "There'll be a small delay..."
It was a super hot day, the AC was broke, we're exhausted, all we *really* want is some water, but we're stuck in the drive thru line waiting and waiting as ... they try to figure out how to make lettuce out of thin air? You'd think there'd be another bag somewhere or something but... maybe that was too complicated for them.
So - twenty minutes into sitting cooking in the car trapped between other cars in the drive through and unable to go forward or back or even sideways ( speaker and signs, even if we wanted to jump the curb) and my mother is just cursing up a blue streak about the stupidity of the people involved, screaming her head off about 'just make some lettuce free tacos you dumb jerks, what do you use for brains, the fettid remains of your blasted out bum' - I remember much of this very vividly as I was about 12 or 13 at the time, and I was learning all sorts of new words and phrases. My little brother took notes.
That's when we see some taco bell teenage idiot employee boy make a break from the building and go sprinting across the parking lot over towards the grocery store across the way. *They sent out someone to go buy some lettuce...*
The cursing rises a few notches. NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE F LETTUCE. JESUS F CHRIST JUST LET US OUT OF HERE YOU LITTLE ... etc etc etc. Volume. Variety. Viciousness. Mom hits all the good Vs.
Forty five minutes or so after we got into this - the car at the window (a couple ahead of us), which is probably the real villain of the story (why wouldn't they leave without lettuce?) finally gets handed something ... and they don't leave immediately they have to talk for a while before they drive off.
My mom is a volcano past it's sell by date and just frothing at the mouth now, but *eventually* ... they pull off and leave and we can pull up to the window.
What I've left out of this story is... my family, for a few years, would participate in parades as clowns, handing out candy to the kids at the side of the road and dancing our way through the parade route to the rocking tune of "Cel-e-brate good time To-Night!" on repeat.
And this day was one of those days - we were all in full costume. Makeup, super baggy rainbow pants, rainbow wig, big flower on the suspenders, big ole ridiculous shoes... the whole deal.
So the car finally pulls away ahead of us, and my mom, who for the last hour has been a spitting bulldog of bile and vindictive rage and a constant criticizer of the drive thru window people's ancestry and breeding... realizes she has to pull up and face them in full Clown Regalia to get our stupid tacos.
I remember that moment when Mom realized it. The mix of anger, embarrassment, ridiculousness of it - and eventually the humor of the whole situation - went through her and she started laughing so hard she was crying.
And when the people behind us started honking for us to just GO (they'd been waiting too) - it just got funnier somehow.
So now mom is not just a crazy angry lady - she's a Crazy Angry Clown Lady, and more than that - she's a crazy clown lady who's been sweating and now crying too. So she's not even a crazy clown lady with good makeup anymore, she's just a wreck of a crazy clown lady.
Which makes her laugh even harder.
My brother and I thought she was going to die. I mean, she couldn't breathe, and those outfits, the heat, hell - the whole reason we pulled into this place was we needed water...
To give mom credit, she didn't just squeal out of there flipping everyone the bird - she got herself together, pulled up to the window, looked up at the girl through the car window with her ruined clown make up and big rainbow wig, and handed her the money very calmly, said thank you and took the bag, and we drove off.
I hope to hell they remember us. I know I'll never forget the look on the drive thru girl's face as we drove up and she started to try to apologize for the delay and... just ... stopped. Staring at us.
Good day.
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24points
#7
We travelled alot when we were younger and would skip lines at the airport since we were kids.
But now we were all in our early teens and my mom faked having a heart condition to skip the long line to get on the airplane.
Flight attendant would have none of it and told us to go back to the end of the line. I still remember the smiles and looks of everyone there.
But now we were all in our early teens and my mom faked having a heart condition to skip the long line to get on the airplane.
Flight attendant would have none of it and told us to go back to the end of the line. I still remember the smiles and looks of everyone there.
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23points
#8
Not the child, but I think this fits.
I had this *awful* annoying af terrible neighbor who, because I'm a giant sucker, I was kind to. She asked me to come with her to dinner because it was her birthday, and I knew I was the only person on the planet who would go with her and goshdarnit it's her *birthday* how could I say no?
So she and I went and we brought our kids (all girls, one mine, two hers). She makes her oldest do her math homework right there at the table. When the child asks her for help (mind you this is like third grade math) the mom says it's too hard. I end up helping.
The waiter is just fine. He comes by and takes our orders. She is already acting weird but she always acted weird so I didn't think much of it. Waiter comes by again and asks if we need anything. She dismisses him and waves him off and tells him no. Then like 30 seconds later turns to me and is like "Can you believe how awful the waiter is? He won't even refill my drink!" and just goes on about all these "issues" that literally don't exist.
I'm like "He just asked if you needed anything..." she cuts me off "I'm going to talk to the manager"
Oh God....
She talks to the manager like this is the worst experience she's ever had in the history of her miserable existence. I'm in shock, her kids have their heads down. Mine is oblivious, lol.
The manager gives her like half off the meal. Oh and the kicker? "That's my half so you only need to pay the rest!" OH GEE THANKS!!
I left a big tip and a note on my receipt telling them the waiter was great and apologizing for the complaints that were totally not warranted. It was the second-most embarrassing restaurant experience of my life.
I had this *awful* annoying af terrible neighbor who, because I'm a giant sucker, I was kind to. She asked me to come with her to dinner because it was her birthday, and I knew I was the only person on the planet who would go with her and goshdarnit it's her *birthday* how could I say no?
So she and I went and we brought our kids (all girls, one mine, two hers). She makes her oldest do her math homework right there at the table. When the child asks her for help (mind you this is like third grade math) the mom says it's too hard. I end up helping.
The waiter is just fine. He comes by and takes our orders. She is already acting weird but she always acted weird so I didn't think much of it. Waiter comes by again and asks if we need anything. She dismisses him and waves him off and tells him no. Then like 30 seconds later turns to me and is like "Can you believe how awful the waiter is? He won't even refill my drink!" and just goes on about all these "issues" that literally don't exist.
I'm like "He just asked if you needed anything..." she cuts me off "I'm going to talk to the manager"
Oh God....
She talks to the manager like this is the worst experience she's ever had in the history of her miserable existence. I'm in shock, her kids have their heads down. Mine is oblivious, lol.
The manager gives her like half off the meal. Oh and the kicker? "That's my half so you only need to pay the rest!" OH GEE THANKS!!
I left a big tip and a note on my receipt telling them the waiter was great and apologizing for the complaints that were totally not warranted. It was the second-most embarrassing restaurant experience of my life.
20points
#9
My mom needed to return some shirts at the mall because they didn't fit right. It was past the allotted time that she had to return them, so the employee said that there wasn't anything she could do. My mom started SCREAMING at this girl who was probably about 16 or 17 calling her names and demanding to speak to the manager. When the manager told my mom that they couldn't do anything and that the return policy was on the receipt, my mom threw a fit and knocked over a display that was next to the register and stormed out of the store. I was probably 6 or 7 at the time and I was mortified. I apologized for her behavior and picked up what I could before she started calling for me to follow her. The manager was super sweet to me though and told me that I was a good kid and to stick up to my mom when I could get away with it.
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19points
#10
About once a month my dad gets drunk and calls various customer service centers demanding stuff. Once he finally gets off the phone (frequently 45+ minutes later) he spends the next few days telling us all about how he slew the customer service dragon and boy people sure don't appreciate their customers nowadays blah blah blah. (No duh, dad, you're being an jerk, no one appreciates that.)
If you've worked for DirecTV customer service any time since 1996, I apologize on behalf of my dad
Another story for y'all: I also remembered one time McD's was having some kind of 2-for-1 breakfast sandwich deal going on where the total was about $3. He gets his breakfast, drives ~25 mins to work, realizes he's missing one of the sandwiches...and proceeds to call McD's customer support every evening after work for a week to complain about his wasted $1.50. They gave him apologies. They gave him coupons. But he just wanted to yell.
If you've worked for DirecTV customer service any time since 1996, I apologize on behalf of my dad
Another story for y'all: I also remembered one time McD's was having some kind of 2-for-1 breakfast sandwich deal going on where the total was about $3. He gets his breakfast, drives ~25 mins to work, realizes he's missing one of the sandwiches...and proceeds to call McD's customer support every evening after work for a week to complain about his wasted $1.50. They gave him apologies. They gave him coupons. But he just wanted to yell.
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17points
#11
Not exactly the question, but my Dad was great with those customers. We had a small family business selling and installing fireplaces (for context). He, on more than one occasion, when getting the customer call or come in, after the installers had finished up and left the job site, to complain about one of the men being rude or something, he could get this look of grave concern on his face. He would then go into a backstory, saying things like "oh no, not again" or do the open mouth, closed teeth inhale thing and just 'tsk tsk tsk' and then start on with some nonsense about having told the guy before that it was his last warning and go on about how he was going to 'have to let them go'. The blood draining from people's faces or the dead silence on the other end of the phone line was magical - followed by the customer frantically explaining that 'maybe it wasn't that bad' or blaming themselves... He was never going to fire anyone, but he'd find out real quick who was just complaining for fun. Many of those customers have no qualms about getting the employee in trouble, but in general folks don't want to jeopardize people's livelihoods.
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16points
#12
Right so my mum and me went shopping, and she dropped a melon on the way out. She then claimed it was bruised and demanded a full refund. When she refused, she shouted at customer service and demanded the manager. I just sat there with a “end me now” expression on my face.
After, one of the customer service employees gave me a chocolate bar, so 7yo me was happy.
After, one of the customer service employees gave me a chocolate bar, so 7yo me was happy.
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15points
#13
My dad just loved to argue, and he loved a deal.
We were shopping in a department store, and I found a pair of pants I was mildly interested in. The pants were tagged at (let's say) $40, and the sign on the rack was "All pants $25".
I was mildly interested, I asked the salesclerk if they had them in my size, the clerk said "those aren't supposed to be on that rack".
My dad lost his mind and insisted on getting the pants for $25, and started asking for a courtesy discount on top of that. Escalated to the floor manager and the store manager.
Meanwhile, I didn't want the pants. They were ok pants I guess, nothing awesome, I just didn't care very much about them. I was more than happy to move on. I told my dad I didn't want the pants, by then he didn't care about what I wanted, he wanted the pants at the better price.
Eventually after like an hour of arguing the store manager said "we're not giving you the pants at that price. Take them or leave them at $40". So we left them. Which suited me just fine, because I didn't want the pants.
We were shopping in a department store, and I found a pair of pants I was mildly interested in. The pants were tagged at (let's say) $40, and the sign on the rack was "All pants $25".
I was mildly interested, I asked the salesclerk if they had them in my size, the clerk said "those aren't supposed to be on that rack".
My dad lost his mind and insisted on getting the pants for $25, and started asking for a courtesy discount on top of that. Escalated to the floor manager and the store manager.
Meanwhile, I didn't want the pants. They were ok pants I guess, nothing awesome, I just didn't care very much about them. I was more than happy to move on. I told my dad I didn't want the pants, by then he didn't care about what I wanted, he wanted the pants at the better price.
Eventually after like an hour of arguing the store manager said "we're not giving you the pants at that price. Take them or leave them at $40". So we left them. Which suited me just fine, because I didn't want the pants.
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15points
#14
One time I was in a record store with my dad. He bought a record that was 19,99 euros. He paid using a 20 euro bill. The clerk took the money and put it in the register and gave my dad the cd in a plastic bag. I started walking off when I noticed my dad wasn’t moving. As I turn around I hear him say to the record store clerk “You still have to give me my cent back.” The clerk replies that they don’t return one or two cents because they don’t accept them and as such don’t have them in the store. My dad replies by saying that is “Judicially impossible” and asks for the manager. To make a long story short; one of the clerks gave my dad a cent from his own wallet.
15points
#15
I don't like going to restaurants with her, she thinks that because she worked as a waitress for a year 35 years ago, it gives her the right to act like a complete jerk to them. She also thinks not tipping them will encourage them to "get their act together". Jokes on you mom, I always find our server after seated, give them a $20.00 and apologize in advanced for your poor behavior.
Edit: Yes, she knows what I think of it. She doesn't care. She believes she's sticking to her principles, and that tipping poor service (read: never had "good service", something will always be wrong), will encourage their laziness. It's not going to stop. If you wait on her, I am very sorry.
Edit 2: She waited tables at a pizza hut when she was 20. She looks back at her time through rose colored glasses. "I worked hard, went above and beyond to get my tips" then she yells at the waitress for trying to refill her drinks "Excuse me! Did I ask for a refill?". Obviously logic and empathy are not her strong points.
Edit: Yes, she knows what I think of it. She doesn't care. She believes she's sticking to her principles, and that tipping poor service (read: never had "good service", something will always be wrong), will encourage their laziness. It's not going to stop. If you wait on her, I am very sorry.
Edit 2: She waited tables at a pizza hut when she was 20. She looks back at her time through rose colored glasses. "I worked hard, went above and beyond to get my tips" then she yells at the waitress for trying to refill her drinks "Excuse me! Did I ask for a refill?". Obviously logic and empathy are not her strong points.
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15points
#16
My grandmother wasn't only a "let me talk to your manager" type she was a racist and advancing dementia completely turned off her filter for that. I've blocked out all the context behind it other than I took her to buy yarn and *something* went wrong. I think maybe they shorted her a couple bucks or wouldn't honor a coupon or something. Whatever it was ended in a "let me talk to your manager" followed by a tirade to the manager about how they shouldn't be hiring Mexicans.
I just remember having to talk over her and say, "Oh my god you *can't* talk to her like that. Nothing you just said is ok" followed by me trying to push her wheelchair out of the store as fast as possible with her digging her feet into the ground trying to get me to stop so she could go back to trying to ruin someone's day and me wondering if I'd go to jail for hurting elders if her ankles snapped in the process because nothing was going to stop me getting her out of that store. I got her into the car and then went back in and apologized till I was blue in the face. I wish I could say it was an isolated incident but it definitely wasn't.
If by any cosmic chance any sales clerks or phone reps that had to deal with my grandmother read this thread I am so so incredibly sorry, I apologize on behalf of my whole family and I'd give you a hug if I could.
As an interesting side effect of caring for her, I have a tendency to wander off and pretend to look at things when we get to the register if I'm with someone and I'm not the one paying. I think she gave me an honest to god phobia.
I just remember having to talk over her and say, "Oh my god you *can't* talk to her like that. Nothing you just said is ok" followed by me trying to push her wheelchair out of the store as fast as possible with her digging her feet into the ground trying to get me to stop so she could go back to trying to ruin someone's day and me wondering if I'd go to jail for hurting elders if her ankles snapped in the process because nothing was going to stop me getting her out of that store. I got her into the car and then went back in and apologized till I was blue in the face. I wish I could say it was an isolated incident but it definitely wasn't.
If by any cosmic chance any sales clerks or phone reps that had to deal with my grandmother read this thread I am so so incredibly sorry, I apologize on behalf of my whole family and I'd give you a hug if I could.
As an interesting side effect of caring for her, I have a tendency to wander off and pretend to look at things when we get to the register if I'm with someone and I'm not the one paying. I think she gave me an honest to god phobia.
14points
#17
My mom asked me to call her a taxi via an app.
She ended up calling me multiple times complaining about how the driver didn’t use the route she thought was best (she never owned a car and doesn’t know how to drive), even though the guy just used the best possible route the navigator suggested.
She ended up getting out halfway and using subway. The driver proceeded to call me in tears, completely shocked, unsure of what he did so wrong, and apologizing. I felt like a total jerk.
I never called her a cab again.
She ended up calling me multiple times complaining about how the driver didn’t use the route she thought was best (she never owned a car and doesn’t know how to drive), even though the guy just used the best possible route the navigator suggested.
She ended up getting out halfway and using subway. The driver proceeded to call me in tears, completely shocked, unsure of what he did so wrong, and apologizing. I felt like a total jerk.
I never called her a cab again.
14points
#18
Not my parent but grandparent. When I was around 10 years old my grandmother went out and got us (her, my brother, and me) McDonald's. We got home and we didn't have napkins in the bags. No big deal, right? We have paper towels and napkins in the house, also me and my brother are pretty good with not making any messes while we eat.
Nope. Grandmother got us in the car, drove back to McDonald's, demanded a manager, and screeched about how upset she was that we didn't get any napkins. I wanted to just melt into the floor and disappear. It's just napkins, Nanny....
Nope. Grandmother got us in the car, drove back to McDonald's, demanded a manager, and screeched about how upset she was that we didn't get any napkins. I wanted to just melt into the floor and disappear. It's just napkins, Nanny....
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14points
#19
Not me, but my sister in law. Her step dad and mom took the family out to eat at a Red Lobster. They get there and it is super busy. So the step dad walks up to the host and says "Yes, we have a reservation".
The problem is, Red Lobster (or at least that one) doesnt take reservations. The host explains this and says it is going to be 20 min wait for seating. Her step dad FLIPPED out and started screaming that he had called 3 hours before hand and made a reservation. The host politely told him this was not possible as they do not take reservations (again).
He continues to scream at the guy, and says he wants to talk to a manager. So the manager comes out and she tells him the same thing. They dont take reservations, so its not possible that he had made one. He continues to cause a scene and people started leaving just to get away from this toxic guy. Finally, the manager says, "Fine, we will put you ahead of everyone else that has been patiently waiting their turn". He says "Thank you". They get seated.
Once they get to the table and the waitress walks away, he slyly winks and says to my brother and the rest of the family "THAT is how you get things done. I wasnt going to wait 20 min".
My brother refused to eat or order for fear of getting food that had been spit on.
The problem is, Red Lobster (or at least that one) doesnt take reservations. The host explains this and says it is going to be 20 min wait for seating. Her step dad FLIPPED out and started screaming that he had called 3 hours before hand and made a reservation. The host politely told him this was not possible as they do not take reservations (again).
He continues to scream at the guy, and says he wants to talk to a manager. So the manager comes out and she tells him the same thing. They dont take reservations, so its not possible that he had made one. He continues to cause a scene and people started leaving just to get away from this toxic guy. Finally, the manager says, "Fine, we will put you ahead of everyone else that has been patiently waiting their turn". He says "Thank you". They get seated.
Once they get to the table and the waitress walks away, he slyly winks and says to my brother and the rest of the family "THAT is how you get things done. I wasnt going to wait 20 min".
My brother refused to eat or order for fear of getting food that had been spit on.
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14points
#20
Scene: Any fast food drive-thru
Worker: Ma'am, can you please drive forward a little bit while your food finishes up?
Mom: No. *folds arms*.
Worker: Ma'am, can you please drive forward a little bit while your food finishes up?
Mom: No. *folds arms*.
13points