(I am returning an item.)

Employee: “All right, you’ll be getting $4.24 back—oh no, I don’t have any pennies. Do you have any change?”

Me: “I don’t, sorry.”

Employee: “That’s okay. Here’s $4.25. Keep the extra cent.”

(I walk around the store, find something else I want, and head to the checkout. The employee at the cash register is the same one who takes my return earlier.)

Employee: “All right, that’ll be $4.24.”

(I give the employee back the $4.25 she gave me earlier.)

Me: “Keep the extra cent.”

Employee: “Thanks!”

(I tend to call my dad by his first name. We’re making sandwiches for lunch, so I take the bread over to him.)

Me: *sets bread on the counter* “It’s bread, Jim.”

Mom: “It’s bread, Jim, but not as we know it, not as we know it, not as we know it.”

Dad: *hangs his head in shame, trying not to laugh*

(In our college cafeteria, you can eat as much as you want. I make and cook and cut pizza and serve it on a tray, where students can serve themselves. I have just made two cheese pizzas and put one of them on the serving tray. I have made a backup due to the lunch rush. Two students approach.)

Student #1: “Excuse me; do you have any fresh pizza?”

Me: “The one that is there came out of the oven less than five minutes ago. I’m sure it’s quite good.”

Student #2: “But there’s two pieces missing.”

Me: “Well, someone came and took some pizza since I put it out.”

Student #1: “I want some fresh pizza. Why can’t you give me a piece of the one you have there?”

(The student points to the pizza I just put in the hot box that is used to keep food warm.)

Me: “That pizza came out of the oven at the same time as the one that’s out on the tray.”

Student #1: “But it’s been sitting out.”

Me: “For less than five minutes.”

Student #2: “Fine. Whatever b****.”

(I turn my back to continue making pizzas, when my manager approaches.)

Manager: “Hey, you need to get another cheese pizza out, pronto!”

Me: “Already? I just put one out!”

(A coworker approaches us.)

Coworker: “Dude, did you see what happened?”

Manager: “What?”

Coworker: “Those girls each took four pieces of pizza when your back was turned and threw it out so they could get ‘fresher’ pizza.”

Me: “Are you serious?!”

Coworker: “Yeah! Here they come!”

Student #2: “Do you have a fresh pizza out?”

Manager: “Did you just take an entire pizza and throw it out so that you could get a different one?”

Student #1: “Well she wasn’t serving fresh pizza!”

Coworker: “She’s lying! [My Name] had put that pizza out maybe two minutes before they came here. Two pieces were missing because the guy in front of them took them.”

Manager: “We’re going to have to have a little chat about wasting perfectly good food.”

(My manager had a long talk with the girls and got them to admit that they threw out an entire pizza. After that, my manager gave me permission to refuse service to those two. Thankfully, I never saw them again anyway.)

(I am 17 years old, and I volunteer at a local daycare center. It is part of my job to interview people if they want to send their children here.)

Me: “Hello and welcome to [Daycare]. I understand you want to send [Child] here?”

Mother: “Yes, I’m thinking about doing so, if you can meet my standards.”

Me: “Okay, then—”

Mother: “Well, don’t be useless, child! Show me around!”

Me: “Well, here is the main playroom where the children—”

Mother: “What cleaning supplies do you use?”

Me: “I’m sorry, what?”

Mother: “Don’t be daft, child! What cleaning supplies do you use here?”

Me: “We use [Brand #1].”

Mother: “Oh, I don’t like them. I demand that you use [Brand #2].”

Me: “Okay, I’ll tell my boss to see if she can ask the janitors to use [Brand #2] next time.”

Mother: “You had better, child!”

(At this point, her child begins climbing over the nap-time cribs.)

Me: “Oh, don’t do that, [Child]. You could fall and get hurt!”

Mother: “No, it’s okay, sweetie. I say you can.”

Me: “What? No, ma’am, she isn’t allowed to do that here.”

Mother: “You can’t tell someone else’s child what to do!”

Me: “When we’re watching her we get to set and enforce rules.”

Mother: “Well, if [Child] comes here, she will be allowed to climb over the couch.”

Me: “No, I’m sorry, ma’am. If [Child] comes here, she will be receiving no special treatment, and will not be climbing over the couch.”

Mother: “Yes, she will.”

Me: “No, she won’t.”

Mother: “YES, SHE WILL, BECAUSE I SAID SO!”

(The mother stamps her foot hard on ground. I am speechless.)

Mother: “Now, stupid child, give me the papers so that [Child] can be signed up. I request that you stay in another room from my little girl at all times!”

Me: “But, ma’am! It’s all one room!”

(My boss, who has been watching our exchange, comes over.)

Boss: “That’s okay, because you’re fired.”

Me: “Why? I’m really good with the kids! They like me! They do! And I work for $2.50 for every two hours without complaining! This job means everything to me! Please! I’ll work at $0.50 for every three hours! I need this job so much!”

Mother: “Serves you right for being a senseless b**** to these children.”

Boss: “No, [My Name], you are not fired. [Mother], you are.”

(The mother just stops and stands in awe.)

Boss: “[My Name] was being very helpful to you, and you kept cutting her off. Then, she enforced a big rule, and you told the child to continue to do so anyway. Then you called her a senseless b****, and laughed at her for begging to stay with these children. Now, get out before I call the police.”

Mother: “Fine! I don’t need this place! It sucks anyway!”

(The mother grabs her child and leaves. My boss turns to me.)

Boss: “Your next lunch break is on me, you’ve been promoted to $20 for every two hours, and you can go home now.”

(I am working the queue for a regional bank, when an absolutely furious customer calls in.)

Caller: “I want to cancel my account RIGHT NOW!”

Me: “I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am. Can I get some information from you to pull up your account?”

Caller: “Let me tell you WHY I am canceling my account. I went down to my branch today and do you know who you have working for you? A god-d*** [homophobic slur]. I refuse to do business with a bank who hires such immoral abominations against God! If you want to keep my business, you’ll have that flaming f** fired ASAP!”

Me: “Ma’am, the federal law states we cannot discriminate against a person’s sexual preference. So, no, we will not fire him simply because he is a homosexual. Secondly, in order to close your account, you’ll need to go down to your local branch. There are some documents the law requires you to sign.”

Caller: “This is bull-s***! Who do I talk to at the branch?”

Me: “You’d speak to the manager… the gay manager. He’s the only one who can close your account.”