My husband and I have decided to run to our local convenience store for some late-night snacks. They’ve recently started selling a two-pack of mochi ice cream and it’s a treat I’m pretty fond of, so I grab a pack and take it up to the counter where the cashier starts ringing us out.

Cashier #1: *Getting to the mochi* “Mochi, huh? This has been real popular since we started selling it. What is it?”

Me: “It’s ice cream wrapped in a rice dough.”

Cashier #1: “Is it good when you’re sober?”

Me: “I… Wait… Sorry, what?” 

I’ve never had a question like this asked before and, to be honest, it completely throws me and I’m not quite sure I heard him right. Even my husband looks confused by how out of left field this question seems. A second cashier who is behind the counter making hot food answers.

Cashier #2: “You know, some food is just better when you’re drunk. Or high!”

I share a bemused look with my husband.

Me: “I mean it… it’s ice cream. I… I guess, yeah, it’s really good.”

Cashier #2: “Cool, I’ll have to try it sometime!”

Hope you enjoy it, dude, whether or not you’re sober.

I’m in line at a gas station where I’m a regular customer, waiting to pay for my gas and a few other items. The station has two cash registers served by the same line. Usually, only one register is open, but if there are a lot of people in line, another employee will open the second register to help clear the line.

When I get in line, only the first register is open. I wait patiently, with three or four other customers behind me. When I’m next in line for the register, an employee sees the line and opens the second register, calling for the next person in line.

I start to step over, and then a woman at the back of the line of customers SPRINTS to the register. I see her coming and take two long steps to make sure I get to the register before her. I place my own items on the counter and use my body to block her from reaching past me to put her own items on the counter. This makes her mad.

Woman: *Screaming like a banshee* “I WAS HERE FIRST! YOU CUT ME OFF! GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

I turn to the woman, calmly point out where the back of the line is, and turn back to the cashier. The woman continues shrieking, and the cashier and I both roll our eyes at her behavior.

As I reach for my wallet to pay, something slams into the back of my head, hard enough that I have to brace myself against the counter for a few seconds to make sure I’m not seriously injured. When I know I’m okay, I turn around to see the woman with an unopened but dented aluminum pop can in her hand.

Practically shaking with rage, I make a conscious effort to restrain myself from punching her and I pull my phone out of my pocket. As I dial and begin explaining the situation to the person on the other end of my call, the woman realizes what is going on and flees the store. I finish telling the 911 dispatcher what happened, including a description of the woman’s car while I watch her get in and speed out of the parking lot.

Two police officers arrive, and I give my official statement to them. Other customers and the employees also provide statements, and the store manager agrees to hand over the footage from the store’s security cameras.

I agree to press assault charges against the woman, and the store also presses charges for shoplifting — she took her items without paying — and for driving off without paying for her fuel. After giving my statement, I accept an ambulance ride to the hospital for a concussion evaluation and am diagnosed with a minor concussion.

A week after the assault, I go back to the hospital for a follow-up exam and am given a clean bill of health. I take all of the paperwork from the ambulance ride and my two exams to the county courthouse and file a civil lawsuit against the woman for the bills.

The woman chooses to fight her various criminal charges but is found guilty on all counts at her court trial. After declaring the sentence, the judge also rules in my favor in my civil lawsuit and awards me full compensation for my medical bills resulting from the woman’s assault.

This story is part of our Best Of 2021: Readers’ Choice roundup!

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I’m fourteen years old and going to a convention. I’m going with friends but I’m also quite independent. I’ve made a costume that includes ribbons, but when I get it out at the hotel to steam before the con, I realise I’ve forgotten to seal one of the edges. I seal them by carefully melting the edge of the ribbon to stop it fraying. I also realise I’ve forgotten the lighter Mum gave me that I use to do this, so I decide to head down to the local corner shop and head straight to the counter.

Clerk: “Hi, how can I help?”

Me: “Could I just buy a lighter? I don’t mind what colour.”

The clerk gives me a funny look and a man walks up behind me. Totally oblivious to the funny look, I hold up my ribbon.

Me: “I need to seal this, or it might fray, and my fabric shop doesn’t stock this ribbon anymore.”

Clerk: “Yeah… but you have to be eighteen for me to do sell a lighter to you.”

There’s a really long pause.

Me: *Whispers* “But my ribbon…”

Clerk: “Sorry.”

They don’t really sound sorry. I step out of the store and contemplate my life; naturally, fourteen-year-old me feels that this is a disaster.

Man: “Hey, girl.”

I turn and it’s the man who came up behind me. He’s holding out a lighter.

Man: “Stupid enough not to be a lie, so I bought you one.”

Me: “Ooh! Thank you so much! Really! Thank you! How much do you want?”

Man: *Handing me the lighter* “Don’t worry about it; just sort your costume!”

He heads off and I head back to my hotel. I note that the lighter looks very different from what Mum uses; it’s heavier, generally bigger, and much much easier to use. I don’t think much of it. I fix my ribbon and pack away the lighter. I enjoy the con and head home.

Whilst helping me unpack my stuff, Mum comes across the lighter.

Mum: “How much did you spend on this?!”

Me: “Huh? Oh, a man gave it to me.”

Mum: “What do you mean, a man gave it to you?!”

Me: “I forgot to seal the ribbon and went to buy a new lighter, but the clerk said no. The man behind bought me one instead.”

Mum: “This is a [Brand] lighter. They’re £5!”

Me: “Oh… Is that a lot?”

Mum: “Mine are 50p!”

Thanks, random man who helped a random fourteen-year-old. I still have that lighter fifteen years later.

Our convenience store has a collection and drop-off point for a parcel service. We have a handheld device for scanning parcels in, and it’s always breaking down.

Customer: “I’m just here to send this parcel back.”

Me: “No problem! I’ll just get it scanned through for you.”

I grab the device and try to scan the parcel, but the device gets stuck in a reset loop so I physically cannot do anything with it.

Me: “I’m sorry, the machine is just having some problems and has reset itself. I’ll give it a few seconds.” *Waits about a minute* “Sorry, but the machine isn’t letting me do anything right now. It is still constantly resetting itself.”

Customer: “Well, that’s not really good enough, is it?”

Me: “I’ll just try forcing it to power off to see if that solves it.”

I try, and the same thing happens again.

Me: “I’m sorry, but my scanner is broken. You may have to come back and try again later.”

Customer: “That’s ridiculous! I’m a loyal customer and have been here many times!”

The machine is broken; it won’t decide to work just because she’s a regular!

Me: “I am very sorry. The machine has been having issues lately. We are getting a replacement, but in the meantime, all I can suggest is—”

Customer: “Get me a manager!”

The assistant manager comes over and tries everything I tried. Unfortunately, nothing happens. The machine is still stuck in its reset loop.

Manager: “I’m sorry, but it’s having technical problems. It might resolve itself, so perhaps if you return—”

Customer:*Grabbing the parcel* “Ridiculous. I’m a regular customer here. I’m going elsewhere.”

My husband and two other family members are going fishing early in the morning. They stop by a convenience store to buy supplies and fishing licenses. My husband gets out of the car, walks up to the door, opens it, goes in, and starts looking around. The other two follow him in.

A short time later, a police car pulls up outside and the officer opens the door.

Officer: “Please set your things down and come outside.”

They comply.

Officer: “What are you doing here today?”

Husband: “We are going fishing and stopped to buy some supplies and our fishing licenses.”

About that time, the owner pulls up.

Owner: “How did you get into the store?!”

Husband: “I just opened the door and walked in.”

Apparently, whoever closed the store the night before didn’t lock the doors. When my husband pulled open the door, he set off an alarm that sent the police and the owner to the store!

About that time, the employee who was supposed to open up arrived at work. The owner believed my family’s story and allowed them to make their purchases. However, we don’t know what happened to the employee who forgot to lock up.