I’m a janitor. We’re on snow shovelling duty. So, last week it snowed, and I was shovelling the driveway of this older woman on the street.

Woman: “So, you’re just shovelling the snow to the side?”

Me: “Yes.”

Woman: “Why don’t you take it with you?”

Me: *Laughs.*

Woman: “Why are you laughing? You need to put the snow in bags, take it with you, and dump it somewhere else. I don’t want it here!”

Me: “Frau [Her Name], what exactly do you think will happen to the snow?”

Woman: “I don’t care! Take it away!”

The weather report shows that the temperature will rise a degree or two above freezing tomorrow, and no more snow is forecast overnight. I tell her that I will get to the snow tomorrow, as I have to clear the path for the whole neighbourhood today. She finds this acceptable and sings me nothing but praises when she wakes up the next morning to see most of the snow gone, convinced that “I must have worked throughout the night”.

I landed at a German airport and was going through passport control. All along the way to passport control, they had large signs that said that the automated passport machines for EU residents were for travellers eighteen and older. I got in the machine line as it was shorter. So did a bunch of families with children. 

Unfortunately, I ended up with a fourteen-year-old in line ahead of me. His passport doesn’t work on the machine. His parents have made the bright decision of going through the machines without their children, so he and his sister, in the line next to us are stuck on the wrong side of passport control without their parents. 

I let the kid know that he has to get into the lines with an actual human inspector since he is not eighteen. Unfortunately, I have to follow him over because my passport will not scan at the automated machines. 

When I get to the line with the actual human inspector, I hear the dad of the kids that were left by their parents start up an argument with the inspector since he and his wife are embarrassed that they look like s***ty parents for going through without their children. He was arguing with the only passport inspector on duty, so he made it impossible for anyone not using the machine to get through passport control.

Father: “How the h*** do you expect us to know that those machines have age restrictions? If some random lady hadn’t told us that, my kids would still be standing there!”

Passport Inspector: “How do you think that lady knew? Because there are signs.”

Father: “No, she must have travelled here before. You need to have more than one sign and put them in more visible spots.”

Passport Inspector: “Sir, do you see that giant sign hanging over the entrance area for the automated control? It clearly states the age restrictions.”

Father: “Yeah, but that’s just one sign. It’s possible for people to miss just one sign.”

Passport Inspector: “There are several large signs leading up to passport control that say the same thing.”

Father: “Well, clearly I didn’t read those. I didn’t think I had to. I’m German. I live here. You should put up more signs.”

Passport Inspector: “You want us to put up more signs because you didn’t read the signs we already have?”

Father: “Yes. If you had more signs about the age restrictions made, I would have noticed them and thought that they were important and read them.”

Passport Inspector: “Sir, we are not going to put up more signs because you won’t read the ones we have.”

Father: “Then how will parents know not to get into that other line and end up in the situation I’m in?”

At that point, someone shouted out:

Other Passenger: “You know, if you hadn’t started this stupid argument, your kids would have made it through passport control already?! Can you shut up already so that the rest of us can get through and go home?”

I’m pretty sure if this statement hadn’t shut the dad up, I’d still be standing there listening to this logic.

I am telling on my own screw-up here: Back when I was fifteen or sixteen years old, I briefly worked for a local store of a large grocery chain as a cashier. Training was basically non-existent, and I was put on a register within an hour of arriving for my first shift. 

The only real rule we had was that we needed to ID anyone who looked under twenty-five for alcohol purchases. The register would alert us to alcoholic items, but the notice could be cancelled without entering any information.

At this point in time, I was living on roughly five hours of sleep per day due to my school, work, and family situation, so I was barely alive whenever I had a shift; most of them were very short-notice. As a replaceable temp, I got paid way below minimum wage, so I don’t even feel sorry for this situation, which happened about three weeks into my working at the store. 

A young boy, around ten years old, and an adult lady, who I can only assume is his mom, arrive at the register together, and both start putting groceries on the belt as I’m finishing up with my current customer. Then I start scanning their groceries.

I’m scanning a bunch of stuff, including a bottle of champagne, and clicking away the alert on the register.

Me: *Facing the customer who I assume is the ‘mom’ as she’s been standing super close to the young boy all this time.* “Your total is [total].”

Lady: “That’s not mine.”

Me: “I’m sorry, aren’t you his mother?”

Lady: “No, I don’t know this boy.”

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry for the mix-up.”

I address the boy who is already holding out the total:

Me: “Thank you, have a nice day.”

Boy: *Packs up his groceries and walks away.*

Lady: “Um… didn’t he have a large bottle of alcohol there?”

Me: “…Holy s***, he did. Um… what do I do now? He’s already out the door…”

Lady: *Shrugs.* “I won’t tell on you.”

I thanked her and scanned her groceries to get her on the way. Then I debated whether to tell my a**hole of a boss. I knew that the legal blame wouldn’t fall to me but to her/the store, but I was young and naive and terrified of repercussions from my boss, so I kept my mouth shut. Nothing ever came of it, nothing that I knew of anyway, as I quit just another two weeks later.

I am outside a classroom, waiting for the class to start. Since the activity we perform in the class is rather loud, most of us wear earplugs.

One of the attendees searches in his bag and sighs:

Attendee #1: “Oh gosh, I have forgotten my earplugs! Does anyone have a spare pair?”

Another attendee searches in his backpack, pulls out a little box, and hands it to the first one:

Attendee #2: “Here they are; they are brand new.”

Before the receiver can say anything, the giver continues:

Attendee #2: “No need to buy a replacement pair, just wash them and give them back to me at the next class.”

I take a mental note to never borrow anything from him AND to double-check that I never forget my earplugs.

Guest: “Where’s the nearest McDonald’s?”

Me: “It’s in the city centre. If you take bus number—”

Guest: “No, I want one walking distance.”

Me: “There isn’t, madam.”

Guest: “So what do I do if I want to go out and eat dinner?”

Me: “Our hotel has a restaurant.”

Guest: “I don’t want to eat here.”

Me: “There’s a local restaurant open at the other end of the business park.”

Guest: “I want a chain restaurant.”

Me: “There are none of those within walking distance.”

Guest: “None at all?! And your hotel is comfortable with that?!”

Me: “Madam, you’re paying €39 a night to stay at a budget chain hotel in a business park next to the airport. You’re lucky anything is in walking distance. Now, the town centre is a twenty-minute bus ride away, or you can order online for delivery.”

Guest: “…Can you call me a taxi?”

Me: “Certainly.”

Guest: “Will the hotel pay for it since you built a hotel in a place with no restaurants?”

Me: “…No.”

Guest: “Ugh! It’s like you want me to starve!”