My wife and I are in our early thirties, but my wife used to be my elementary school bully.

This happened all the way back in second or third grade I believe. [Wife] used to be a really big and mean girl in school. She was taller and broader than me. She would throw most kids around with no problem, including me. She would often push me around and call me names — typical school-bully-type stuff that you’d see in movies.

One day, I decided I’d had enough. After [Wife] pushed me to the ground, I pushed her back, and we got into a slapping and shoving fight. As soon as a teacher came to break us both up, I threw a fist and bruised the left side of my future wife’s face. She ended up on the floor crying.

We both got pulled into the office, and our parents were called. Our moms got into an argument while our dads tried to defuse it.

After that, [Wife] stopped picking on me, I apologized for punching her, and we soon became friends. We became close friends throughout middle school and high school, and we started dating right after school.

The next time our moms saw each other was on our wedding day. They were smiling, but I could tell they both still wanted to rip each other’s throats out. Our dads are good friends, however.

Now, we’ve been happily married for six years, and we’re expecting a third child soon. I still wonder how my child self would react if I told him that the girl who’s calling him a turd-monkey is going to be his future wife.

A woman is checking out with her maybe three-year-old daughter.

Customer: “[Daughter], help Mommy check out.”

Normally, I am wary of this when we’re busy, as some kids are slow or don’t really know what they’re doing, but this kid is diligently handing me stuff and I am ringing it in, so I let it go. None of the other customers in line seem to be bothered.

After I give them the total, the customer starts looking through all the items left to bag.

Customer: “Oh, we’re not getting that… or this candy, either… or this toy. Oh, not that, either…”

After it has become apparent that this kid has been chucking anything she fancies into the cart, the mother then turns on me in a wild personality change.

Customer: “D***, B****! DO YOU SCAN ANYTHING ANYONE GIVES YOU?!”

I can do a personality change of my own.

Me: “Yes, b****, because that is literally my job! If you don’t want something, you tell me before I scan it.”

We cleared all the items she didn’t want, and the kid started throwing a tantrum seeing all her spoils taken away, delaying things further.

At the check-in desk of our hotel:

Manager: “Sir, you said in your booking that you had a service animal.”

Guest: “Yes, he’s here in the bag.”

Manager: “Sir, that’s a chihuahua.”

Guest: “So?”

Manager: “Chihuahuas are not typical service animals. Can I see your ADA—”

Guest: “No! You’re not allowed to ask! That’s illegal! I have a hidden disability and—”

Manager: “Sir, I am not asking you about any of your disabilities. I do, however, need to follow ADA guidelines, and I am allowed to confirm if your service animal is registered—”

Guest: “No! Not allowed! Just check me in, and you’ll see! She won’t be an issue!”

We are a pet-friendly hotel, and we do have a long check-in line (there’s a big event in town), so my manager reminds the guest of the hotel rules for all pets and completes the check-in.

Later, the customer comes by the pool, and the dog starts barking and jumping up at other guests. The pool manager tells him off, and he leaves. He comes back sans dog. My manager is informed of this, and he approaches the guest:

Manager: “Sir. You claimed this was a service animal, and according to the ADA, service animals are to stay with their handlers at all times. You have now left your dog locked in your room, where it is currently barking and disturbing other guests.”

Guest: “You’re just discriminating because you don’t like my breed of dog!”

Manager: “Service animal or not, your dog is not meeting the standards for public access. Please return to your room and ensure that your dog is not being a disturbance.”

Guest: “I’m going to complain to your corporate office about how I’ve been treated!”

Manager: “I’ve already informed them of the situation, sir. Their recommendation was to add the $250 pet fee to your room.”

Guest: “You can’t do that! That’s so much money it’s immoral!”

Manager: “Almost as immoral as claiming a dog is a service animal when it is so clearly not, wouldn’t you say?”

The guest checked out early. The fees stuck.

Related:
Doing A Disservice To Service Animals, Part 10
Doing A Disservice To Service Animals, Part 9
Doing A Disservice To Service Animals, Part 8
Doing A Disservice To Service Animals, Part 7
Doing A Disservice To Service Animals, Part 6

I’m a middle-aged woman, and I volunteer at my kids’ school library once a week. One time, the regular librarian was gone and there was a substitute librarian. I’m not sure where she was from, but her accent suggested a region of the world known for being homogenously Christian (as in, a different one other than Alabama). We were alone in the library and started chatting.

Substitute Librarian: “And you do this every week? You’re such an angel! I can surely tell that God sent you to this school to witness through your good works…”

She went on in that vein for a while, and I mostly just nodded and smiled; I was raised Christian, but I’m no longer exactly practicing. I don’t remember what her exact question was that led to this, but then we had the following exchange.

Me: “Then, my wife and I moved here—”

Substitute Librarian: “Your wife?”

Me: “Yep.”

Substitute Librarian: “You’re married to a woman?”

Me: “Yes.”

Substitute Librarian: “But you said you have kids! Were they…” *makes a weird hand gesture* “You know, needle babies?”

Me: “Oh! No, actually, my wife was my husband for fifteen years first, before she transitioned, so they’re our biological kids. She’s just a woman now.”

Substitute Librarian: “But… how?”

She seemed genuinely curious and more baffled than judgmental (and the library was still empty other than the two of us), so I ended up basically explaining Queer 101: how transitioning works, how you can be bisexual even when monogamous, how transitioning doesn’t actually change your genitalia unless you opt for additional surgery (which many trans people don’t, my wife included).

Normally, I don’t answer intrusive questions like that, but I think she legitimately had no idea that this whole world existed! In the end, her conclusion came down to:

Substitute Librarian: “Well, I still think you are a wonderful person doing God’s work. It’s good that you’re staying with your husband even though he’s… going through some things… because divorce is a sin and too many people just give up.”

Sigh… So close!

I work for an electric company. It had been a quiet day. HAD.

A call came in with a popup for an account that hadn’t been verified yet. No biggie; we literally just had to verify it and that would be it. The account was under a male name. The caller sounded like an older lady.

And thus, I attempted to verify the account.

Me: “Thanks for calling us. How can I help you?”

Caller: “I wanted to make an extension on my light bill, please.”

Me: “Sure. In order to verify your account, can I please have the last four numbers of your license?”

This is when things went sour.

Caller: “What do you mean? I’ve never been asked this!”

Me: “I apologise for any previous confusion with other agents, but for security reasons, I have to verify this information.”

After trying to argue against it, the caller ended up agreeing and giving me the last four of the license on the account. (While I was 99% sure they weren’t actually the holder, they were claiming they were and were able to verify, so I was forced to assist.)

And then, their bill wasn’t even past due — it was due like two weeks later — so an extension wasn’t even needed.

After that whole debacle, they ended up hanging up by saying:

Caller: “Do not ever ask me those questions again, or I will sue your company for harassment.”

Me: *Completely flabbergasted* “… Excuse me?”

Caller: “Have a nice day!”

And they hung up.

I was confused for the entire rest of the day. People will get pissy about security but then complain when we try to prevent fraud or anything like that from happening.

Honestly, what pisses me off even more is that we can’t prevent this; it’s up to the caller’s criteria. If you claim you’re the holder and you verify the account, we HAVE to take the call and assist even when it’s obviously not them. It’s frustrating. We do have a password system, but 99% of people don’t use it.