What’s your first impulse when someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you roll down your window and shout expletives or simply wait for the driver’s actions to come back to bite them? Believing in karma can be comforting in these moments because it removes the desire to take matters into your own hands. And if you’re really lucky, you’ll even get to see the person’s punishment firsthand.
Netizens have recently been recalling moments when they witnessed instant karma, so we’ve compiled a list of their most satisfying stories below. Enjoy reading through these amusing tales, and be sure to upvote the ones that convince you that karma is real!
#1
Late at night, inner city Brisbane. I was the only one walking on a pedestrian crossing. The crossing light was green for me, and turning traffic had a red arrow. This entitled jerk in a ute ran the red and entered the crossing space, threatening to run me down, blowing the horn and cursing at me. He continued past me when I was no longer in front of his car. He was immediately pulled over by the unmarked police car that was following behind him.
69points
#2
I watched a guy being super rude to his gf/wife/sister/idk while they were walking out of a store. His statement ended with “that was stupid of you”. Right as he ran full-face into a locked door. She laughed so hard and he was FUMING.
61points
#3
My ex-girlfriend & I were on our way home at an offramp on a Friday afternoon. An unhoused woman was waiting to cross at the light. Some jerk in a truck started verbally attacking her – she was scared, we were furious, it was backing up traffic, & he was not relenting. A state patrol cruiser pulled up & THE most ripped woman I think I'd ever seen slowly got out of her cruiser, slowly and I mean SLOWLY walked towards the guy while he & all of us watched, holding her baton. It was glorious.
61points
In Indian religion and philosophy, karma is the “universal causal law by which good or bad actions determine the future modes of an individual’s existence.” The word is derived from the Sanskrit word karman, which means “act.” Originally, it was not used in reference to ethical versus immoral actions, but that meaning began to appear in the middle of the first millennium BCE.
Of course, nowadays we use karma as a way to motivate ourselves to do good deeds and to comfort ourselves after we’ve been wronged. We might think, "That was messed up, but karma will come for her.” And while we don’t often get to see the consequences of karma, the stories on this list may lead you to believe that there is something to it.
#4
I was eating at a restaurant on the patio that had direct access to the parking lot without going inside. Younger couple decided to dine & dash after order food and multiple drinks. The guy dropped his phone by the table and before he came back the server found it so he had to go inside, pay, and face the embarrassment.
57points
#5
I was in line at the bank and this old man tried to step over the velvet rope(old school) and tripped over it. I laughed. I left the bank and fell down all 50 stairs in front of the bank. I learned my lesson that day.
56points
#6
There was this girl at work, all the guys liked her and she walked around with her nose in the air everyday. Was very rude to the women at worked. One night one of our coworkers had a party at his apartment. She walked in, only greeted the guys, said “whatever other people” then walked straight into the glass sliding door so hard that it made a loud “boooong” sound. I’m a girls girl but it was nice to see her humbled in a room full of guys she was showing out for.
49points
According to a 2025 survey published by the American Psychological Association, 59% of participants say they’ve been rewarded with good karma for their positive actions before. 92% also said that they’ve witnessed karma strike down cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies, and terrible coworkers.
Karma is interesting because it allows us to feel better about our own actions while simultaneously experiencing a bit of schadenfreude when we see it come for someone else. Believing that suffering has some reasoning behind it can help us make sense of the world. However, thanks to attribution bias, if something bad happens to you, you’re more likely to attribute it to bad luck than to believe it was negative karma due to something you did wrong.
#7
A group of ladies I was waiting on at a restaurant were being total pieces of trash. They ate all of their appetizer and told me it "Tasted nasty" (all of this said in front of their four year old that was climbing over the back of their booth). I didn't give it to them for free, so when they left they dumped their leftover drinks and salsa and stuff all over the table. I didn't catch them doing this, but before I noticed I saw one come back in and pick her phone up off the table.
So she dumped water, margarita, and salsa all over her phone. One that didn't have a waterproof case. That felt good.
So she dumped water, margarita, and salsa all over her phone. One that didn't have a waterproof case. That felt good.
45points
#8
I saw a guy being an a-hole to a server at a restaurant a few weeks ago. The woman at the table behind him got up, walked over to him and said, “Hi, I’m (name of person) and I’m the area director for this region. Leave this restaurant, and you’re banned from all the other restaurants in this area.” It really doesn’t pay to be an a-hole!
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44points
#9
Ok so I had a tailgater on the freeway. I got over to the right to let them pass bc eff off. That idiot got behind me. Ok so now he’s just being a jerk. Coming up in front of me was an orange barrel, you know the ones, and it was sticking out too far in the lane. So I waited till the last second to swerve around it and tailgater hit it head on. I kept going.
43points
We would love to hear your thoughts on these stories in the comments below, pandas. Do you think they really were all caused by karma? And feel free to share any similar stories of your own. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another article from Bored Panda that might convince you that karma is real, look no further than right here.
#10
Someone squealed their sports car into the parking spot we were lined up for, cutting us off.
We came back out and there was a whole tree fallen across their car.
42points
#11
My in laws were on the underground (train) in London and someone on the train was swearing and swearing on the phone. This man nearby told him to stop swearing. He ignores him and continues. The other guy tells him again to stop. Guy on the phone continues. Train pulls into a station. The guy telling him to stop pulls out a badge and basically says “British transport police. I told you to stop the language. Get off the train”.
38points
#12
I was getting off of a train in Korea several years ago. An older woman walked past me as she was boarding, and she literally grabbed my iced coffee right out of my hands as she walked onto the train. I turned around, bewildered that someone would actually do such a thing. The doors shut and the train started to move, but I happened to get a perfect view of her tripping and my coffee flying into the air and landing all over her. That was ￦5,400) well spent.
35points
#13
I was 16 walking down a busy street in Greensboro. A guy pulls up alongside me and tries to get me to get in his car. I tried to ignore him. Walked faster. Guy looks in his rear view mirror, eyes bug out, he peels out.
Cop pulled up. Asks me if I am ok. Yes. He took off after the pervert.
Cop pulled up. Asks me if I am ok. Yes. He took off after the pervert.
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33points
#14
A dude was catcalling a lady that was walking by. She was clearly not interested and started walking faster. He apparently forgot we were standing on a raised sidewalk (one if them deals where the sidewalk is a bit higher than normal ones), went to step forward and stumbled right off and nearly faceplanted onto the road. Yes, he got laughed at.
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32points
#15
In the 80’s a woman in an expensive coat gets on the bus I’m riding. Sees another woman burping her baby. Promptly walks up and tells her she’s doing it wrong. Takes the baby puts it in her shoulder, taps twice and the baby chucks down the back of the jacket. Gold!
32points
#16
I was driving on a two- lane high way to Alexandria, Louisiana. I had my cruise control set to the speed limit. A car comes speeding up behind me and whips around me. The guys in the car mockingly wave as they pass me. Not even one mile up the road, they were pulled over by a cop. I made sure to wave.
30points
#17
I was 21, driving home from swimming at my parent’s house still in my bikini. While second in line at for the left turn signal the guy next to me rolled down his windows and started shouting and leering. I glared at him. Then when my left arrow turned green I took off and watched him rear end the car in front of him!!
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25points
#18
A guy was catcalling my ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, like 4th grade, and walked into a light pole HARD.
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24points
#19
My husband's story: he was bullied at school. Bullies told him to bring them sweets or else...
Husband told his mom he needs sweets for school. Mom got out a very expensive box of chocolates and gift wrapped it, thinking it was for a teacher's birthday.
The bullies were gobsmacked, but took the box of chocolates. Teachers started asking them questions about these expensive chocolates and they got into a lot of trouble when the truth came out.
Husband told his mom he needs sweets for school. Mom got out a very expensive box of chocolates and gift wrapped it, thinking it was for a teacher's birthday.
The bullies were gobsmacked, but took the box of chocolates. Teachers started asking them questions about these expensive chocolates and they got into a lot of trouble when the truth came out.
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24points
#20
I watched a nasty old man rear end a parked car IMMEDIATELY after he catcalled a girl I was walking down the street with(friend) when we were both like 10-12 years old.
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24points