I have been going to this gym for about six months now, and I always try to avoid going past 7:00 pm because the vibes are off. However, yesterday, I had no choice but to go around 8:00 pm.

To my surprise, the gym was almost empty, maybe because it was Friday. I took advantage of the empty gym to do five sets of sled pushes. I don’t like doing them when the gym is crowded because people walk through the track all the time and that annoys me.

I started doing my forty-meter sled pushes, and after every round, I’d put my water bottle (a Hydroflask, not a single-use plastic one) on top of the weights while I sat on the floor next to it to do my sixty-second timed rests. The water bottle being there and me being maybe two or three feet away was enough to let other people know that the sled was currently in use. However, even if you’re not sure, seeing the bottle should at least prompt you to look around and see who it belongs to.

I was sitting on the floor resting before my last set when a woman walked to the sled and KICKED my water bottle. I took my headphones off and addressed the woman in as friendly a tone as I could.

Me: “Hi, excuse me! That’s my water bottle; I’m using the sled at the moment!”

Woman: “You’re not using it, are you? You’re sitting on the floor.”

Me: “I’m in between sets, which is why my bottle is there — so people know it’s in use.”

Woman: “Well, you can’t use a water bottle to reserve a machine that you’re clearly not using.”

At this point, I got up and stood between her and the sled.

Me: “As I said, I was resting between sets. I’ve not finished my sets yet. But by all means, feel free to wait until I’m finished.”

I then started pushing the sled one way and then back. When I got to the start position again, she started walking toward the sled, thinking I was going to walk away. Oh, baby, no.

I sat on the sled weights while resting because, as she said, I couldn’t use my water bottle to show people it was in use, so I was just going to use my body. She got really angry.

Woman: “What are you doing?”

Me: “Resting between sets. I know now that I can’t reserve the machine with a water bottle, so I’m just going to sit here while I rest.”

Woman: “This is unbelievable. How many sets do you have left?”

Me: “I don’t know, a few more.”

I put my headphones back in and started another set. She was still waiting. So I did another set. She was still there. I did another.

At this point, my legs felt like jelly, and I could barely finish my sets, but she was still waiting for the sled. It had been like fifteen minutes, and I forced myself to keep going out of spite. She looked so angry and was trying to talk to me, but I had my headphones in blasting music, ignoring her.

I ended up doing twelve extra sets before she walked away. I started unloading my weights from the sled when a group of three gym bros asked if I was done. I said yes and that it was all theirs.

As I walked away toward the changing room, she saw me and walked toward the sled track just to find the three gym bros loading it. I could see the disappointment on her face when she saw them.

The best part is that if she had been a decent human being, I would’ve been done in a minute and she could’ve had the sled all to herself because I only had one set left originally.

When I was in high school, I had my first job, working at a gas station. It was illegal to use the clips that held the handle open for you so you didn’t need to stand there and pump, so none of the pumps had them.

One day, a guy wedged his gas cap in the handle and started to enter the store. I was standing outside watching him.

Me: “Sir, you need to hold the trigger yourself. You cannot use your gas cap.”

Customer: “I can, and I am.”

Me: “It’s against the law in this state to do that, and it’s a fire hazard.”

Customer: “F*** you.”

I hit the emergency stop on his pump.

Customer: “F*** you! Turn my pump back on!”

Me: “No. I asked you nicely, and you swore at me. I am refusing to let you get any more gas.”

Customer: “I’m not being denied service by some f****** kid! Get your boss!”

Me: “He’s currently across town dealing with a faulty pump at our other location. You’re free to find him there if you have enough gas to do so.”

He looked me square in the eye, realized I was not backing down, told me to eff off again, and drove away.

My boss told me later that the guy actually drove to our other location to complain and demand free gas. He was told there WAS no gas (I wasn’t lying about that faulty pump) and started shouting that he didn’t have enough gas to make it to the only other gas station in the center of town because he had driven all the way to both of our locations.

(I have just come home after running an errand and head downstairs to the basement. We are puppy sitting for a friend. Even though the puppy is only 4 months old, he’s already 30lbs! Half the size of our two full grown dogs!)

Me: Rawr! I am here to murder you all! *laughs evilly*

(My own dogs and the puppy all come running to greet me and the puppy jumps into me. I lose my balance, not expecting the extra weight, and fall back against the door.)

Me: Oh No! I have been vanquished by the adorable-ness! *ruffles the puppies ears as he tries to chew on my arm*

Husband: *stares quietly from the couch*

Me: I know, I’m kinda retarded. *still roughly petting the puppy who happily leans against my legs*

Husband: I love you anyways. *returns to playing his video game, smiling*

I am working as a sign language interpreter in a classroom. I’ve been working with one particular student since she was five years old, and it’s been a pleasure to see her growing up and keeping pace with her classmates.

The teacher has just gotten a new aide: a stern, older-looking woman who — and I don’t mean to stereotype — looks like she’s stepped through a timewarp from the 1950s. She immediately takes a dislike to me, and she seems to favor specific students using the Ayn Rand method of education.

After a few days, I notice that [Teacher’s Aide] is standing between me and my student, blocking her view. It’s not a huge classroom, so she must not have noticed. I move aside and restore my line of sight with my student… and then [Teacher’s Aide] moves again.

Me: “Excuse me. You’re blocking my view with [Student].”

Teacher’s Aide: “Yes, I know.”

Me: “So, you’re doing it on purpose?”

Teacher’s Aide: “I’m doing it so that she doesn’t rely on you too much. She can’t be expecting to have interpreters every step of her adult life, so it’s in her interest to learn this now.”

Me: “She won’t be learning anything if she can’t understand what’s being taught!”

The teacher steps over and asks what’s going on.

Me: “[Teacher’s Aide] is purposefully blocking my view with [Student].”

Teacher’s Aide: “I’m not too sure what [Student] is doing here in the first place! She should be with her own kind, learning at an appropriate pace—”

Me: “Her own kind?!“

I admit that I said that way too loud. The children start murmuring.

Teacher: “[Teacher’s Aide], stop blocking [Student]’s view of [My Name]. We will discuss this further after class!”

The rest of the day went by unhindered.

After school, I returned to the classroom to speak to [Teacher]. She told me that [Teacher’s Aide] was a substitute and would not be coming back, based on her outdated opinions not just in [Teacher]’s class but in every class she had “assisted” that day. Good riddance!

(I’ve just arrived to my PE class just as they were packing up the equipment at the end of the lesson (I was at an appointment). My teacher is asking me and three other girls to pack up the equipment and put it into a storage cupboard. The pack up is going smoothly until…)

Me: *tries to open the door, thinking* “Oh great, what am I supposed to do?!”

(I find out that [PE Teacher] had accidentally locked me inside of the cupboard! Knowing my class would be getting changed, I call my friend (in the same class) on my phone.)

[Friend]: “Hey! Where are you?”

Me: “I might need a bit of help…”

[Friend]: “How come?”

Me: “[PE Teacher] locked me into the equipment cupboard, can you get the keys off of her and get me out please?”

[Friend]: “What?! You’re not joking! I’ve been trying to find you! I’ll get the keys!”

([Friend] ends the call and runs to get the keys for the cupboard. About a minute later I hear her struggling with the keys.)

[Friend]: *slighty panicked, muffled* “I can’t get it open, let me get [PE Teacher]!”

(She runs off to get our teacher. I’m starting to get anxious as I don’t know what’s happening. Another minute later, there is a sound of the key unlocking, the door is open and I’m free!)

[PE Teacher]: *relieved* “Oh thank goodness, are you okay?!”

Me: “Yes, just a little dazed but I’m okay.”

(Cue my teacher laughing from embarrassment, and another PE teacher comes over to see what’s going on, and I fill her in on what’s happened before I go home (last lesson of the day).)

[Other PE Teacher]: “You’d better go now, [My Name] before she locks you in the changing room too!”

(Cue more laughter, and weird looks from the rest of my class!)