40. Overworked and Underpaid
When I was much younger and more spineless, I made the grave mistake of agreeing to do a weekend (three days two overnights) with a 3M without discussing payment first. I wasn’t too worried about it because I’d babysat and dogsat for these people before and they always paid generously. They were also clearly very wealthy. Even though I knew 3M was a handful I was still excited to do it because I was sure I’d make bank.
Ok so first of all, I had babysat this kid for a few hours at a time before but never for a full day. He was always high energy and sometimes defiant but nothing I couldn’t handle. However, the combination of his parents being out of town (they also took his baby sister with them so I’m sure jealousy was a factor) and him having more time to get comfortable with me awakened the demon within him. I was hit, spit on, scratched, and screamed at countless times. He woke up multiple times per night and always eventually ended up in my bed (parents said this would probably happen and was ok). He woke up at 5 am every morning, took no naps, and was a destructive, manic mess 99% of the time. I also didn’t drive at the time so we were stuck within walking distance.
The whole time I am like omg, I’m never ever doing this again. BUT, I’m gonna get paid so much money and it’s all gonna be worth it. They get home and are like “how did it go?” I totally sugarcoat it but tell them honestly that he really missed them and was definitely acting out a bit. They’re so so so thankful, spicytoasty you’re the best, we are going to have you do this all the time, 3M loves you, we love you, etc etc etc. They ask me what I think is fair for payment.
Here is where I go wrong. I go so so so wrong. I say “Oh, I trust you guys! I’ve never done an overnight before so I’m not sure what’s standard. Whatever YOU think is fair” Guys, who says that??? WHO SAYS THAT? This moment haunted me for so long. I was young, I was inexperienced, and I wasn’t aware of this amazing subreddit yet. I didn’t know my worth!
Anyways, this b**** writes me a check for $125. That’s literally less than she would pay me for a weekend of DOG SITTING. I was so stunned that all I could do was say thank you, take the check, and get out of that godforsaken house as quickly as possible. I never babysat for them ever again, even though I ran into them for years afterwards at the daycare I worked at the time. MB would always wrangle me into an awkward hug and a conversation about how much they missed me.

Midjourney
39. The Worst Feeling For Any Nanny
This is a little long but absolutely insane.
I was nannying for a 7 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. At 3pm, I went to get them both off the bus from school. The boy got off by himself, and I asked him where his sister was. He told me that he hadn’t see her on the bus, so I assumed she had missed the bus and was in the office at school or something. I called the office, and the secretary told me that NK had been “picked up by her grandfather around lunchtime”.
This was INCREDIBLY concerning, because all of their grandparents lived out of the county. I called the parents, and they had no idea who could have possibly picked her up. We were all panicking and I called the police because we were 100% certain that she had been kidnapped. The parents both rushed home from work from two extremely high powered and un-leaveable jobs. The police came to the house, and a few officers also went to the school to get more information. We answered a bunch of questions and they started gathering more officers to start looking for her.
About two hours passed by, and I got a call from a random number on my cell phone. It was a mom of another kid from school. Apparently what had happened was my NK got off at the wrong bus stop and went home with another girl she barely knew. After awhile the mom got suspicious of why this random child was at her house (why she let it go two hours without being concerned, I have no idea) and she went through NK’s backpack until she found my number on a notecard and called me. MB immediately left to go pick her up.
Once MB and NK got home we were all SO relieved, but we had no idea what happened with the wrong information at the school. Eventually the police came to the conclusion that the school accidentally recorded the pickup of another girl with the same first name as NK as NK being picked up. It was a huge mistake on the schools part, and they apologized profusely.
It was by far the most chaotic day of my life, and the most terrified I have ever been. I’m so happy everything turned out okay but…yikes.

Midjourney
38. No Wonder The Kids Wanted Nothing To Do With Them
I had a family with 6 kids. Dad was a family law attorney, Mom was a paralegal in his office while studying to take the bar. I only took care of the 4 youngest kids. The older 2 were 16 (girl) & 17 (boy). The ones I took care of were all boys…7, 7 (twins), 9, 10.
The twins were sweet. 17 was seldom at home. Told me his dad was “a frigging nut job”.
Dad was not to be left home with 16 unless someone else was there. She was also the only one dad was not allowed (moms word) to discipline. He couldn’t ask where she was going. If she asked him for a ride another kid had to go.
9 threw a pot of boiling water at me. Because I wasn’t fast enough getting the pasta in for mac & cheese. He also opened a cabinet door slamming the knob into my head. Intentionally. He continued to try to do this to get me to bleed.
10 tried to push me down the stairs. Like, two hands on my back, pushing.
I ended up being fired after the stair attempt. According to the mother me yelling “oh my god!” as I grabbed the railing constituted me abusing the children.
Mom passed the bar. And within 6 month was in a mental hospital. She had a complete break down from the severe abuse she suffered as a child.
16 & 17 moved away for college and were no contact with their parents. I haven’t had an update for over 20 years though.

Midjourney
37. Neglectful Parents Leads To This…
I had a NF living in a luxury building, going on trips and I had to trick the parents into buying shoes for the kids even after the soles fell off. I started buying cheap TShirts for them because they would outgrow the clothes and they would be ripped and they would not want to replace them.
Same family of 2 boys, used to violently fight each other. One day during tennis class they started fighting and the older child swung and brought the tennis racket down on the brother’s face spitting the the eyebrow open. I took the kid to the Dr and the parents were ticked because it cost them money. They actually laughed at my horror.
One day they were fighting and the younger one maced me and the older one and it was H-E-L-L.
I finally had enough and gave notice and they refused to accept it. I finally told them I wouldn’t be coming in Monday no matter what and ignored all the calls and nasty messages.

Midjourney
36. Mom and Dad, You HAVE To Believe Us!
I have a story about what our nanny did while we were children. This dude was really odd. Liked to show us amateur kung fu and drop us with random shots to our pressure points. Blasted the band “sweaty nipples” or maybe that was the album name, hard to say. We could only have two ice cubes in our water.
One day though, he decided to take us kids on a hike. Now this is Alaska in the summer, lots of dangers the least of which is bears. We lived next to a huge wildlife reserve which had bears. He brought me and my siblings out to the forest, maybe 10 minutes in. We are 8, 9, and 10 at this point. All of a sudden he gets out his backpack and inside it is a rope.
He puts us in birth order and ties himself to my older brother, me in the middle and my sister bringing up the rear. The rope was tied around our hands. (He) proceeded to drag us up and down all these hills, I’ll never forget looking behind me and seeing my sister being led up this hill by just her arm.
The worst part is that our parents didn’t believe us..! He continued to be our nanny for the rest of the summer.

Midjourney
35. Driven To Madness
I had my first nanny job about 2 years ago and it was a nightmare. I got the job because, previously, I had been working at a camp for 3 years and I loved every second I had with the kids. It’s how I found my love for childcare. But I had a horrible boss who never paid me right (would only pay me for 8 hours on 11 hour field trip days), so I quit that job and began working for a MB with two NKs. They were fraternal twins, one 7M and one 7F. MB paid me very well (250/week for school, 400/week for summer) for only having been 16yo, but I could only bare staying with them for 5mo because of how awful the children were.
When I started working there, the family seemed very laid back. The NKs went to an Organic School and the mom was very hippyish. The day I went for my interview, the children were both hot messes and neither of them had had their hair brushed for what looked like days, but MB didn’t expect me to bathe or provide hygiene care for them, I was essentially just their to make sure they didn’t hurt themselves or burn down the house. All MB told me to do in being there for the kids was to just keep them on their tablets or videogames and take them to the park every now and again. As a 16yo, I didn’t think anything of it, I was basically thinking “sweet! easy money!”
After 2mo of being with the NKs, I was ready to rip my hair out. These children were spoiled rotten. Their parents had just gone through an awful divorce and dad was essentially out of the picture, so MB and grandparents spoiled these children in hopes of making sure they weren’t traumatized by the divorce. Now, as a child who personally lived through a divorce and as a childcare provider who had seen children go through divorces, I knew this was the worst possible way of treating these kids. All it does is create spoiled rotten children. And that’s exactly what happened to these kids.
It started off well, I would play Super Smash Bros with the 7M and play princess with the 7F everyday after school and we would have a good time. Well, summer came around and I had to spend 8+ hours with them every weekday.
Things turned sour the first time I had to take them out of the house. I took them to the park. Well the 7M wanted to bring his iPad, but he had been playing on it pretty much a morning and it was dead, so I told him there was no point to bring it, because we were about to go to the park and it was almost dead.
The kid lost his mind. Started screaming crying about how I hate him and how he wanted MB and that I was mean. And I honestly had no clue what to do. I was young and hadn’t experienced this before, so to calm him down as soon as I could, I just told him we would go to the park that day.
Well the 7F then got upset because she wanted to go to the park, but she wasn’t freaking out like he was, so I just told her we would go the next day. (We did and he brought his fully charged iPad just to leave it in the car). The fits became an ongoing situation and I didn’t feel comfortable telling MB because I thought she had enough on her plate and I didn’t want to stress her out.
But it got so bad with the kid, one day I just sat on the floor in the hallway and just cried. I couldn’t take it anymore. I bawled like a baby. But I calmed myself down and just dealt with it until the end of summer, when I told MB I was too busy with clubs to work. It was the worst summer of my life, I had never cried so much
(Ashmai)

Midjourney
34. Not Sure That’s What The Mom Meant By ‘Go Outside’
This won’t take the cake but my siblings and I had a nanny one summer, we were all 7-11 years old ish.
There were a lot of issues but the most obnoxious was that she’d lock us out on HOT summer days. Like my mom would say “make sure the kids go outside”, so nanny would literally just lock the garage door & watch TV in the cool A/C all day lol
She also borrowed books on my library card and never returned them so my mom had to pay a significant amount of fees. Also stole makeup and a few other things. Also would just sleep a lot lol. Carrie you were mean (I’m sure our family was a pain too though)

Midjourney
33. That Feeling Of Always Being Watched
My first ever NF had cameras in various places in the house and would actively watch/record me. they also added in another camera in an area that didnt have one previously that i played with the kids in so they could watch me there. when the weather got warm, id play in the yard and MB would reposition a camera so she could watch me interact there as well.
MB also wanted me to not do the kids dishes so she could see how much they ate that day. they also had a journal for me to write about the day in as I had time. on days I didn’t have time, MB would ask about where the entry was. one day, NB5 and NG2 got into her headband drawer and NB put on one of her headbands. MB wasn’t even home and texted me asking why he was wearing one.
that all being said, I am now with an amazing family who appreciates my hard work, and I feel safe, comfortable, and happy there. they trust me with NK, and even though they WFH (ik there’s a general disdain) they truly are great at ensuring we have space that’s for NK.

Midjourney
32. So That’s Where All The Leftovers Went
Not sure this fits: we had a night nanny when I was younger ( my mom is widowed and worked nights as a nurse). My mom was pretty laid back about things and said she was welcome to eat whatever, just have us in bed by 8 and on the school bus at 7:30. Every night she’d arrive with Tupperware to take more than half of the food my mom made. She’d sneakily do this while we slept and text my mom we ate more food once she left.
My mom finally mentioned it to us about why we were eating so much each night when we just had dinner. My sister and I innocently mentioned how nanny carried out her bag of food each morning. She wasn’t fired but definitely stopped taking half the fridge. I never really understood why she did it, she worked a full time job and just basically slept over our house and got us on the bus. She took the job to help pay for her wedding.

Max Rahubovskiy/Pexels
31. A Nasty Exit From The Worst Job Ever
I had started working at a Montessori preschool last October as the morning assistant. My hours were usually a little under 4 a day. Sometimes I would stay later because it’s a small program. I was suggested by my boss (lead teacher) to take their Montessori training, which had been ran by my boss and the owners of the school (an older couple). I took it and the entire training was basically them talking about why their program was better than others. This was a 40hr training over 2 weekends and I was working another job at the time as well. I fell for all of it honestly. I thought I was in a great place…
My boss would praise me all the time and would regularly say that she appreciated my work and efforts. Over time, that faded away. She started making backhanded comments to me and my coworkers (she had always been this way but she was putting on a show for me). Comments were often “I think we need to have another training” and “I wish I could give you guys my brain”. Which is really discouraging and discounts for the fact that everyone does child care differently. She would write us long aggressive emails that were clearly directed towards one person (6 employees total at this school). She was also VERY inconsistent with the way she wanted things done, so you could never win.
Well, I had been a nanny for my aunt at the same time. My aunt lost her care provider for her youngest, I was getting burnt out from working 12+hr days, and I was struggling with moving because of financial struggles. My aunt asked me to take on all 3 of her kids. After serious consideration, I decided to quit at the preschool. I sent about a 25 days notice with a little bit of an explanation about why.
My boss emailed back stating that I agreed to stay till the end of the year and asked me to stay. Which I had not. I spoke as though I would be there for a while, which I honestly thought I would. I apologized for the inconveniences that it may cause and thought that would be the end of it. My boss and the owners turned around with how dissappointed they are with me and threatened me with no reference. I basically said F your reference (in a responsible adult way). The emails went back and forth for a couple of days with my boss mostly saying the same things over and over. In my last two days, she came to me and said “I can’t morally let you leave without a reference so you can use me as a reference”.
It was an AWKWARD 25 days to say the least. I miss those kids, but that first experience at a preschool completely ruined it for me.
(deleted)

Midjourney
30. Kids Weren’t So Bad, But The Parents…
I briefly worked for a family that needed a night nanny as MB was a night nurse, and DB worked late and varied hours.
Apparently, MB used to be (in her words) “morbidly obese,” and she went on an intense diet and exercise regime and lost 150+ pounds. She then had twins, a boy and a girl, and immediately went hard to drop any baby weight.
The twins were around 18mo when I was hired, and she told me that their meals were as followed:
Breakfast: she would go to starbucks every morning and bring home one pastry that the twins would share.
Lunch & Dinner: They would split a Lean Cuisine for each of these meals.
Snacks: cheerios or fruit. One snack a day.
These children were so hungry! Half a lean cuisine is like 150 calories, maybe.
I felt like the worst person feeding these babies so much sodium packed diet food. But MB worried they would get fat.
To add to this, the kids were “free range” in that they frequently had massive bruises and cuts on their heads from being allowed to climb on very high things in order to “learn from natural consequences.” This resulted in chaos because there were 2 of them, and if I made it to catch one, sure enough, another would be climbing something else.
The cherry on top was DB coming home and asking to show me his guitar collection in the garage. When the kids fell asleep, he played me a bunch of random guitar solos as I sat there feeling incredibly awkward.
I eventually left this job because I felt so uncomfortable with the parents.

Midjourney
29. Dogs Are Man’s Best Friend, Not Baby’s
Nannied for a family with a probably 9ish month old baby and 2 rescue pits that according to MB were rescued from a dog fighting situation. Baby was getting pretty mobile and crawling all over the house. One day he was crawling toward me on the couch while one of the dogs was near me on the carpet. I’m not sure if it was him getting between the dog and a toy or just crawling face down in our direction but the dog attacked the kiddo and bit his head. There were puncture wounds on the top of his head and the soft tissue on his ear had been completely ripped off. It happened so fast.
I shouted which scared the dog enough to get off the baby thank God. I jumped up and grabbed the terrified screaming baby holding his bleeding ear to my chest to hold pressure on the wound and quickly kenneled the dog. Thankfully the parents lived like 5 blocks from the hospital so I tossed the kiddo in a carseat and sped down the road while I called MB. Kid ended up having minor plastic surgery on his ear but no major injuries.
To make it worse, the family refused to re-home the dog or put it down even though they were legally required to after the hospital had reported what happened. (I believe it had also bit mom’s leg before too.) The dogs lived in the 3 season porch off the kitchen and the baby got the rest of the house. For months! In MN in winter! MB ended up quitting her job to be home to manage it while they tried to buy a doggie day care so the dogs could live there full time. I drove by the house a few months later and the dogs were playing in the back yard.

Sarah Chai/Pexels
28. Hiring A Nanny Does Not Excuse You From Being A Parent
I was pregnant when I was a nanny. I’ve done LOADS of regular babysitting my whole life but this was my first job as an actual nanny. So my boss at the frozen yogurt place I worked at asked me if I could nanny for them bc their other nanny had left. He paid shit but I didn’t know that then bc I was like 25 (young and naive) and it was above minimum wage and having watched kids for forever I figured it would be relatively easy.
Found out later that their previous nanny worked next door nannying my kids best friend so me and her would chat while the kids played. Plus the mom over there was the sweetest ever and didn’t mind if he played over there and I relaxed for just a bit bc he was very high energy and I was pregnant.
Anyway, so me and the previous nanny are chatting one day and I was curious about why she left and she told me that on her day off she was asked to come help the father put up a ceiling fan and while she was on the ladder she fell off and broke her foot badly. She was a student in college when I knew her and the family refused to pay for any of the work she had to do despite them being VERY well off. Like living in a neighborhood full of Drs and lawyers kind of well off. And refused to pay a penny.
Luckily the family she currently worked for knew her bc they were the neighbors and again, the son’s played together all the time. Their dad was a foot surgeon and did the surgery and everything on her foot probono and then hired her and paid better and took her to Italy with them for each summer bc they had family they would spend the summer with.
The father for my family (who I worked for at his frozen yogurt shop as well) would instruct me to wear his son down so he was tired when he got home and he could put him in front of the TV while he holed up in his office and wouldn’t bother him.
He also asked me to do house work that he didn’t want his wife to do “because she’s pregnant and I don’t want her straining herself”…..but yet I was a whole trimester further along than her. Stuff like house work that I didn’t agree to do and cleaning and wrapping Xmas gifts etc etc. Just blew my mind.
All the neighbors absolutely hated him bc he would regularly leave his kid at their house to “run a few quick errands for a couple of hours” and then would be gone well into the evening regardless of the neighbors plans. He was aweful. But you wouldn’t know it unless you saw behind his mask.
I always wonder how their child is doing now. He would be about 15 or 16 now. Wouldn’t be surprised if they are divorced. Sorry, that was long and not very exciting but it still blows my mind what an a**hole the dad was.

Midjourney
27. The Most Unprofessional Employers
Probably a few years ago me telling NF that I was leaving at the start of Feb, told them MULTIPLE TIMES from early November to organize care under the assumption that I would be unavailable come the Feb 1st because I was starting study. End of Jan receive a frantic text telling me I have “left them in the lurch” and how unfair it is to have “left us in the position of no care.” I of course panic and tell them I’ll help out for as long as I can.
By the end of Feb (whichever year this was) I am working two jobs and studying full time. Not good!
Now I’m older I’m like, I informed them multiple times, I told them the dates but they pulled an emotional manipulation on me!! Never do this to a person guys! If someone says I’m out by x date you can ask them if they may be flexible but if you forgot to search for a replacement don’t expect nannies to go the extra mile like I did. Saying something long the lines of “if you don’t come to work after your agreed end of contract then no one will pick up LO and they will be scared and alone at school” is incredibly manipulative and basically assumes that your nanny cares more about your own flesh and blood than you do.
DO NOT DO THIS!

Midjourney
26. No Eating Until The Baby Says So
Do au pair stories count? When I au paired in China I was paired with a family where the dad beat the mom and the two year old was the most spoiled brat I’ve ever seen in my LIFE
The mom had a rule: to not say no to her kid. I’m not kidding; she meant it. If the kid took my stuff, I had to ask/wait for it back. She said that I had to make sure everything is out of reach because it’s my fault if her kid touches it.
That included my passport. We were at the police station registering me (if you stay in China for past a certain amount of days you just have to confirm w/ cops your presence). She brought the kid during it and she grabbed my PASSPORT. I of course, kindly took it from her hands as that is a book with pages that can easy rip. Not to mention, uh, IT HAD MY VISA!
mom yelled at me in the car not to say no to her kid.
The best part? I also could only eat when the kid allowed… so if I tried to sit and eat with the family, the kid would cry (she didn’t talk yet but could make it clear she was upset). I had to.. GO BACK INTO MY ROOM and WAIT to come out.
And then if she didn’t cry when I sat down and ate, I could eat. Yeah I got the fuck out of there quick. I was 18 at the time so I didn’t know how to stand up for myself that well. I went to another Chinese family but they sucked as well.
I studied Chinese in high school for 3 years and had been there before I au paired so I was disappointed by the experience. The first time I went, I was in the Chinese country side, but au pairing was all Beijing/city folk.

AMSW Photography -Alisha Smith Watkins/Pexels
25. Did You Set Me Up To Fail?
I had a DB who worked from home and was secretly following me everywhere that I took the kids. He was in the middle of a nasty divorce and there was a no contact order against MB. He was paranoid and convinced that I was taking the kids to go meet with her somewhere so she could take them.
One day he asked me to take the kids to haircuts at a salon down the street. It was a test apparently. The girl NK got her haircut there, but boy NK wanted to go to sports clips instead, and it was close by so I said sure. We drive to sports clips and I park and we get out, and then I see DB running across the parking lot at me going full speed. He literally almost tackled me.
He ripped my purse off my shoulder and dumped everything on to the ground and screamed “WHERES YOUR PHONE? I KNOW YOURE MEETING HER HERE. LET ME SEE YOUR TEXT MESSAGES NOW.” Dude was following us the entire time and when I deviated from the original plan he could not be reasoned with. I was 18 years old and I was literally terrified that he was going to harm me physically. I didn’t even quit after that incident (🤦🏽♀️) but everything fell apart very quickly from there.
He starting constantly questioning me about everything with this venomous accusatory tone. Like his face was red and he would practically spit. And at the start he was one of those “you’re apart of the family, we love you, you can sleep in the guest bedroom whenever you want” type of overly nice people. Then the mask came off.

Midjourney
24. You Don’t Have To Fire Me, Because I QUIT
This was the last nanny job I will ever take. I was a nanny for a 3F and MB was pregnant when they hired me. DB was a SAHD and was always just kind of lurking around, working out, watching tv etc. He would usually leave for a few hours a day to run errands. DB definitely came from money, MB would be gone all day most of the time at work.
When I started at $20/hr we agreed on light housekeeping. This turned into me coming in everyday to both sides of the sink overflowing with crusted dirty dishes and just a generally dirty house. They had cleaners coming every week when I started. When I complained that I was doing far more than light housekeeping they bumped me up to $22/hr.
Then they had the housekeepers come every 2 weeks. These people would not even sweep or wipe off their own countertops in between cleanings so their house would become very unsanitary. Especially with two dogs, one of which was extremely aggressive and almost attacked me while I was holding the 3wk old baby. So I was constantly cleaning and organizing for my sanity and just generally feeling overworked and underpaid.
When it came time to update our contract as I’d been caring for the baby for 3+ months without an updated one, they tried to add in all kinds of sketchy/illegal stipulations. Like being paid a salary and the requirement to be seen at MB’s Urgent Care if I wanted to use any of my 16 hours of sick pay for a whole year.
They were not paying for or compensating my health insurance at all. Oh and the best one was her trying to add that if I failed to stay employed through their Vegas trip they had planned then I would be responsible for the airfare. I told her we didn’t see eye to eye, I would not be signing and would instead be giving notice (4 weeks on our contract.)
A week after this discussion they return home to relieve me late and when I said something about it, MB responded ‘do you want freaking $2?!’ I told her it’s not a big deal and we could end the contract as early as that Friday if she wanted. This turned into them yelling and cussing at me in front of the children, almost 20 minutes past when I should have been let off work. I told them I had to go and we could pickup the conversation the next day.
She fired me via text that night and then tried to withhold all of 20 worked hours for that week and all of my remaining vacation pay. I filed for unemployment and with the DOL. Both sided with me but she did not provide the DOL a forwarding address so I rescinded their involvement and am now in the midst of suing the nanny parents. She left a shitty review for me on Care but it doesn’t matter because they made me never want to nanny again.

Anna Shvets/Pexels
23. Does Batman Live Here?
Are one off babysitting stories allowed? Shortly after I got home from college, I did a babysitting job for a neighbor. I had just fed the girls and was putting away dinner when out of the corner of my eye I saw something above me. Turns out there was a bat flying over my head. After 30 seconds of panic, I piled all the kids into the bathroom and called the parents they caught the bat a couple days later and turns out it was huge!
We are in the suburbs, so bats in the house is not at all common! I know more country areas, it happens occasionally

Mirian Fischer/Pexels
22. Forget My Number
So it’s the holidays and I’m looking for some fill in work. I have a 2yo and 5mo of my own. Interview with this family that needs some housework done and someone available in case 4yo gets sent home from school (should have been a red flag in itself). They can only pay me $15 an hour. Oh well, I’m used to getting low balled since I bring my own kids with me.
Go in the next day and mom had decided to just keep 4yo home so he can get to know me. Okay. Older kiddos go off to school and I start working on the literal mountain of laundry piled in the hallway. Later my baby goes down for a nap and I decide to tackle the pantry that mom asked me to organize. This is when it got bad.
Not only is over half the food expired but there is a massive bug infestation. I start chucking out bags and bags of food while trying not to vomit (especially after discovering bugs in the cereal the kids had for breakfast including my own son). Eventually I can’t take it anymore and older kiddos are home from school so I tell them we are going to the park. (I desperately needed fresh air).
All goes well until I say it’s time to go back for dinner. 4yo is upset and decided to take it out on my 5mo by punching him in the face while he’s chilling in his car seat. Then as I’m trying to load everyone in the car he bolts across a field I plop my littles in the car with the older kids and take off after him. Carry him back kicking and screaming and wrestle him into his car seat.
Get back to the house and 4yo is in a rage. He keeps trying to attack my infant and I spend the next hour standing guard over baby while trying to keep my oblivious 2yo close to me. 4yo finally sends to calm down and asks for a glass of water which I provide. He goes off and I start to relax… until older brother comes up and angrily demands if I have 4yo a glass of water.
I, bewildered, say yes and he says that I can’t do that when he is in a mood and that 4yo has dumped water all over his electronics. Older brother then takes it upon himself to corral 4yo and I leave him to it and immediately bolt when dad gets home, messaging mom that I am unavailable the rest of the week.

Kristina Paukshtite/Pexels
21. I’m Not Getting Paid Nearly Enough For This
I nannied for a woman who wanted to salary me at 400$ a week and then once I started working for her I realized I was there 4 days a week working 7 am -7pm with my day absolutely filled with things to do. I was only 19 at the time and didn’t realize I was getting exploited by her.
On top of that she had a 7 month old un fixed male puppy who she wanted me to walk for a minimum of 4 hours a day! Regardless if it was snowing or raining outside. She often sent me out in the car in snow storms to take the dog to the park because she wanted him “tired” when she got home.
When the dog was excited to see her when she got home she would accuse me of not walking him. She even one time accused me of abuse saying I wasn’t letting him out because he kept pissing on this one corner of the couch aka just marking his territory like I had told her.
This is only scratching the surface but at the end of it she basically decided to fire me but not tell me and kept saying “ I don’t need you this week I’m working from home” but also left me without pay. I finally confronted her and we agreed to part ways.
When I when to get my last 400$ check she tried to pay me 25$ for the entire week I worked because she felt it was “what I deserved” and said I broke things of hers. It took me weeks of harassing her to get her to pay me what she owed me. Absolute b****, I heard they got rid of their dog as well

Alotrobo/Pexels
20. Something Is Up…
The summer of my (20F) 16th birthday I went to work for a rich Parisian family in their castle in the countryside (I come from France). When I saw their luxurious flat with a garden in the most famous district of Paris, I suspected their wealth. But when I arrived at their castle, the ground collapsed under my feet.
I was first impressed by the size of the castle with a main building and two wings, all on 4 floors and surrounded by a park of several hectares. They had an Olympic swimming pool and several ponds, fields of grapes, a flamboyant vegetable garden and 3 other houses.
But on top of all that, they had an army of employees at their service : a home cook and her assistant, two butlers, two housekeepers, a year-round gardener and finally us, the three babysitters (there were seven children in all: the three cousins of the two I was babysitting and two daughters of friends who were staying in the castle at the same time as us).
So far the story is quite pleasant: it’s another world but you can accept it. Until I found out that all the employees except the cook were Sri Lankan employees, all from the same family and working for this rich family for 2 generations now.
They all slept in a rather shabby house (and were separated in Paris : some were living at the grandfather’s place when others were staying at each of his daughters house (the one I was working for and her sister) in some small servants rooms). Only this fact is shocking but there is more unfortunately… The younger ones of the Sri Lankans had two children : a boy and a girl of the same age as the children I was looking after.
But everytime all the children tried to play together, the grandfather would come after them and forbid them to talk to each other.
The staff were not allowed to use the pool even when no family members were there and seemed to be working 7 days a week overall.
To maybe reassure you, I was not staying in one of the most luxurious rooms and I was very badly paid (250€ for 12h of work / day for 7 days so around 3€/h), but I was treated well.
But anyways, I felt like I was going back 2 centuries during this week…

Pixabay/Pexels
19. A Serial Offender Who Should Be Reprimanded
I worked in a nanny share.
MB1 and DB1 had 3 kids (g5,g3,g1). MB2 and DB2 had 2 kids (b2.5 and b1). Moms were sisters and lived right next to each other.
I started when g5 was 3.
DB1 was a chiropractor and gave “free” chiropractic care as a bonus to whoever they hired, weirdly enough he doesn’t give me any adjustments like this in the office.. he has me lie down on his ‘c’ shaped sectional couch.. he’d put his hand (no gloves) under my leggings which I didn’t wear underwear under, place his fingertips right above my **** and press hard while moving my leg bent to the side..
Unbeknownst to me, DB1 was sexually assaulting me and telling me it was an adjustment only ‘elite’ chiropractors know. It felt uncomfortable. Something was off. I never speak up for myself. So I stayed silent. Something I shouldn’t have done, but it is what it is, I can’t go back and change it.
I’ve never been to chiropractor. And at this point I’ve not had health insurance, or even knew how to verify. So I believed him.
I quit in Feb 2020, because MB1 was just too passive aggressive and just not a nice human.. they hired a new nanny who I became friends with. I revealed what happened to me to new nanny and said that I’ve done research and it’s not an adjustment.
Week goes by, new nanny calls crying saying he did it to her.
45. that’s how many chiropractors her mom called around central columbus, and none of them knew if that adjustment.
We go to chiropractic board, just to verify or deny that it’s an adjustment. No hear back. Come fall 2020, I get an aggressive call from MB2 how I’m lying, ruining his career, why would I do this blah blah blah. The board showed up at his office to start an investigation. MB2 then in a 1 month period ‘attacks’ me 3 separate times to get me to recant my statement. I quit Dec 2020.
Court happens, they lie on stand how I was a shitty nanny. Judge looks at MB2 when she’s on stand and says “if she was so bad, why did she continue working for you after she quit with MB1 & DB1?” She looks ridiculous in her seat bc she doesn’t have an answer.
Months go by, it’s now Feb 2021. Close to my birthday, still haven’t heard anything.
One day. One day after my birthday I get the call. He’s suspended from chiropractic care… for 6 MONTHS.
Do you know what he and his family did in those 6 months??
Took a f***ing “sabbatical” to their lake house to spend needed quality time with each other.
I feel so f***ing cheated.

Karolina Grabowska/Pexels
18. Here For The Kids, Not For You
In college I nannied on a regular basis for a few families but I would also occasionally babysit other random families I met or found on sittercity here in there if I needed extra cash.
It was about a couple months or so before I was set to move into my own place (out of state with my bf) and so I was picking up a lot of random occasional sitter jobs. I meet this single dad through sittercity who needed a sitter for 2yoB. I make it clear that I’m only available on an occasional basis and that I’m moving WITH MY PARTNER very soon. He says that’s fine.
The first time I go over I get a weird vibe from DB. He’s very overly touchy with NK to a point where I feel uncomfortable and it doesn’t seem like NK is comfortable either. He also more than once touches my back and I don’t know why I never said anything but I just kinda jerked away from him and try to brush it off. He ALSO tells me that if I need to use the restroom I can just keep the door open and he “probably won’t walk by” WTF?
So yeah he has already given me the ick after the first meet but I keep going cause I need the money and I really loved NK he was so sweet and adorable. But yeah DB keeps being weird and I keep just brushing it off until finally it got really weird and I just stopped going but thennn he hits me up again to come and offers me $50 AN HOUR to come help him decorate NK new nursery (he had just moved in to this place pretty sure him and mom had just separated).
I agree to go cause that’s like double what I got paid usually. But as I’m talking to him I’m like wait … NK is gonna be there right. DB is like oh uh no he was actually supposed to be with his mom but I can have her bring him if you’re more comfortable. Im like uh yes please. So the day comes I go over there and guess what NK IS NOT THERE.
He does the weird touching my back thing again and I pull away and I’m like um where’s NK and he’s like oh yeah he should be here soon I told his mom to bring him at 11. In my head I’m like okay well why was I told to come in two hours before he got here like what. I keep trying to make a point of mentioning how I’m moving in literally like 5 days with my BOYFRIEND.
And he keeps saying how I shouldn’t move and should stay there and work for him. Keep in mind I’ve probably only gone over there a total of 5 times. Finallyyy the kid gets dropped off and I just try to focus all my attention on NK even though DB is just lurking around and talking to me still. Also we don’t decorate anything so that was all a lie lol.
Basically I think he just realized I wasn’t gonna come anymore and he wanted me to come so bad he offered me an insane amount to come and used “interior decorating” as an excuse.
Also DB tells me him and mom are in process of potty training NK and at one point he’s like oh it’s time for NK to try to go potty and he literally takes NK and forcibly holds him down on the toilet and makes me stand there and try to console NK while he’s screaming bloody murder and hyperventilating.
I was literally appalled and almost started crying like he literally traumatized that little boy what kind of PT tactic is that. NK ended up peeing on my feet a little bit on accident and the dad was like adamant about insisting I shower and I’m just like “no thank you I’m okay”.
When I left that day the little boy clung to me so hard and was screaming for me to stay and I’d only met him like 5 times it was so sad I just knew he felt so unsafe with DB ):
After that the dad would text me constantly for MONTHS asking how I was and saying he wish I still lived there so he could take me out and it was soooo weird I never responded to him but a few months ago I got a message from sittercity saying he had been terminated for unacceptably inappropriate behavior or something along those lines.
I hope that what I experienced with him was the worst of it and that he didn’t hurt any other girls who were employed by him

Ksenia Chernaya/Pexels
17. Eight Pages Of Rules Is About Seven Pages Too Many
I’ve been nannying for so long and have worked for so many families I could write stories all day. My two favorite moms to talk about are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, one being the most over protective parent I’ve ever encountered, and the other being the most permissive, never telling her children no (when she was present).
The first was a first time mother, so I was a bit sympathetic to her obsessive (nee annoying) behavior, but she eventually just drove me away. I worked for this family over the weekend each week, and at first even though she seemed very protective, she was still very nice.
The child was about 8 months old and just starting to scoot along on the floor. The mommy was very adamant about you never being less than a few inches away from her in case she bumped her head while trying to scoot on the floor.
Now I’ve never been a mother, but my philosphy is that we are going to have bumps and bruises along the way. I am going to do everything I can to provide a safe environment that encourages learning and development, but for heavens sake-follow her around with your hands poised to catch her at all times?
Each time this mother came home she would inspect the child and question you about any mark that she found (or made up). She left passive agressive notes around the house addressing things she didn’t like you doing that she had watched on the videos after you left. These are things like “Wash silverware very well before putting them in the dishwasher” posted on the dishwasher….
What took the cake was the day I arrived to an 8 page set of house rules, laying out everything she had watched her sitters do on her nanny cams that she did not like and that were not allowed.
The typical “Don’t use cell phones while in our home” etc etc were on the list but the things that took the cake were things like “Don’t eat in front of our baby because it’s unfair to her feelings.” and “Don’t leave the baby in her crib while you use the restroom”.
This is what I did since she also said the baby was never to be left unattended and I felt she was the safest in her crib. Another rule listed was to never take the baby into the bathroom with you because there were no cameras in there.
I was so utterly offended by what that rule insinuated I never went back. The nanny agency I worked for her through told me she sent 4 page emails on a weekly basis detailing and complaining about each sitter they had sent her up until me.
The rules went on and on…this mother was a nutter and quiet frankly was being more harmful than helpful to her child. There really has to be a balance for a healthy child to learn and explore in a safe encouraging environment.
(deleted)

energepic.com/Pexels
16. The Nightmare Assignment
I had a child so evil, so effed up, so destined for prison that I still cringe when I think of him four years later.
I was 21 and nannying for the first time for a family with two girls (11 and 8) and a boy (5). The two girls worshipped me and I never had any problems with either of them. The boy, though, from day one, was absolutely determined to hate me and make my life a living hell. This child was very smart and used to getting anything he wanted. He knew exactly what he was doing.
There were so many times that I should have quit because I was stressed and unhappy every day, even outside work.
I should have quit the time I took him to the video store, and when I told him he couldn’t get the Power Rangers DVD he wanted because we needed to get a movie his sisters would like too, he threw himself on the floor, started screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of the store, and hitting me with an umbrella.
I should have quit the time he was disobeying me so I told him he had to have a time out, and when he wouldn’t move I tried to pick him up and carry him to time out, and he started punching me in the arm repeatedly, so I just gave up on time out.
I should have quit the time I asked him what he was drawing, and he said it was a gravestone with my name on it.
I should have quit the time the dad found me crying alone in the kitchen out of sheer frustration, and when I tried to communicate to him how disrespectful the child was to me, he proceeded to tell me that he and his wife encourage their kids’ “strong personalities,” which somehow justified the little bastard’s behavior. (I thought my brain was going to explode at that moment.)
Those are just some instances I can think of off the top of my head; I’m sure I can think of many more. Every day with that child was a nightmare.
After only about two months, despite my best efforts to bond with the kid and be firm with him, the kid, a fucking 5-year-old, had broken my spirit. It’s crazy to think of now, but he really did.
One day he was being his normal little shithead self, and I muttered under my breath “G___, you are the meanest little boy I’ve ever met.” The kid heard me, told his dad and I was fired on the spot.
I know that it may sound pathetic that I let a damn kindergartener get to me like that, but this kid was hell-bent on driving me away; I have no doubt of this whatsoever. And maybe I shouldn’t have said what I said that day, but considering all the times I stopped myself from screaming expletives at the kid, I think I showed a lot of restraint.
I was upset for all of two days that I got fired and then realized that I was MUCH better off without that family, because it was taking a toll on my mental well-being. (Not to mention that I know now, working with another family, that I was grossly underpaid.)
I also learned how to recognize signs in kids right away that signify similar behaviors to the little hellion, and to avoid families with children like that. NOT worth it.

Midjourney
15. ‘Shadow Man’ Causing Problems
I have a good one here. I had a very open family in which I was very comfortable with both of the parents. I felt like one of the fam, it was a great job.
One night the mom and dad were going out to a function at a local brewery, and were meeting there. Dad was feeding the kids dinner when I got there and was being picked up by a friend so that drunk driving wouldn’t be a problem later on.
No big deal. Normal night. Normal day the next day…
But on the third day, I get there, and we’re having a sit down conversation with both parents…
Oh shit. F, the oldest boy, had told of an encounter with a ‘shadow man’ that was there when I was watching them that night. All F had told them was that a man that was not my boyfriend, whom the kids know, was in their house drinking beer and it was already dark outside.
They were concerned, and had right to be I suppose. They questioned me for days, all kept asking F for more info. It turns out the man in question was the guy who came to pick up dad.
He came in, had a beer, and they left together.
F just failed to mention to mom that dad was also there with the shadow man. I looked like a horrible person. Kids don’t communicate well at 3 1/2!!!

Barik5ive/Pexels
14. Sure, I’ll Just Switch All Of My Plans Around Just For You
Mine also has to do with a controlling Mom. Not so much with the children, but with me. The kids were pretty much allowed to do whatever they wanted. If i told then they weren’t allowed to have cookies because i was cooking dinner, they would call her at work and she would tell them they could.
I had a month long vacation planned before i interviewed for the position, they knew about it and had approved. A few months before i was set to leave, they had to change their summer plans. They asked me to switch the month of my trip. Since it wasn’t TOO much trouble, i did.
This involved switching weekend with various people, hotels, and campgrounds we would be staying with since it was a road trip. Two weeks before we were set to go Mom asks me to come home a week earlier than planned from trip. Since this was a carefully planned road trip coming home more than a day or two early would definitely ruin most of our plans.
I told her this to which she replied, “you can’t just fly home early!?” I’m still unsure as to whether she didn’t understand what a road trip was or she wanted me to leave my boyfriend alone to drive the last 7 days of the trip alone.
Either way i just said no and eventually she let it go. Things weren’t the same after that though. I had always said yes to everything in the past and she was obviously pretty Pissed about me denying her anything. Lol i found another job soon after and continue to love it (2 years later).

Anna Shvets/Pexels
13. Live-In Nanny With The Absolute Worst Conditions
I started working as a live-in nanny for a family in February. Everything about them seemed perfectly fine–no red flags during the interview or in our correspondence–so I happily took the position.
Within the first few days, everything changed. I had been told that she had a mild seizure disorder (and had gone over emergency administration of medicine), but I learned the next morning that she would be having a physical therapy session–in my room!
There were more therapy sessions throughout the week: daily physical therapy, twice weekly occupational therapy and once weekly speech therapy.
The sweet little girl that I had mistaken for shy was actually developmentally disabled and the family had failed to disclose this vital information! Still, I needed the job and had already moved in. I took it as an opportunity to learn, and gained a lot of experience.
More medical conditions were revealed as I went on. Eczema, neurological problems, separation anxiety… Still I stuck with it. The harder I worked though, the more duties were piled on. I had already negotiated a higher salary (she tried to pay me $350 a week to start!), but I was basically working 60 hours at minimum wage.
My accommodations were poor and I had intermittent access to a shower, so I was already unhappy. I stopped doing favors and only provided the services that were clearly outlined in our verbal agreement. I decided to resign because my boss couldn’t provide a decent wage for special needs care.
I had to give TWO MONTHS notice, but wait for it… I ended up leaving an entire month early without severance pay because SHE TURNED ME OUT OF HER HOME THIS MORNING.
An officer came and watched as I packed up my things at 7:00AM. I waited at the police station for over an hour while my boyfriend drove to pick me up. And why? Because I was following our verbal agreement. My start time was set at 7:00AM and I refused to start at 6:00AM because I’m still recovering from an infection. I didn’t have sick days or benefits.
If you’re looking for work in Mahwah, NJ, message me and I’ll forward her name. You do not want to work for this person.
(Bot695)

Midjourney
12. “Can You Make Sure To Use Premium, Too? Thanks”
Professional Nanny here for many different families. I’ve got a TON of family horror stories! Once, I was a nanny for infant twins. The parents would have me come in early 1 day a week so they could go on a little lunch date. They’d go in their room to get ready and then go out. Nbd. Til one day I got there and the mom turned to dad and said “Are you ready to go have our shower?!” Ew no, T.M.I.
Also I had a family who expected me to use my own money to fill up the tank of their giant SUV I only used once a day to pick them up from school. I told them no, as a young, 20 something year old, college student, I sometimes don’t have that amount of money available. They said that was I was incredibly irresponsible and proceeded to try and give me “financial counseling.”
Then, when I finally left that job to move to another city, the mom told me I could use her as a reference. But she gave me a bad reference and told my potential new job the SUV/gas story. Luckily that mom still hired me and said “Sounds like your old job was challenging, her issues with you aren’t reasonable concerns to me.” And I proceeded to work there for 3.5 years.
(deleted)

RDNE Stock Project/Pexels
11. Well, That Was An Unreasonable Response
I’ve got a good one.
I used to nanny for an attachment parenting raised four year old named L. L was a little beast of a child. Constantly threw tantrums, hit, spit, kicked, the whole shebang.
One day L had a playdate and while I was feeding L’s baby sister, I hear this blood curddling scream coming from L’s bedroom. I run upstairs to find her little friend scream-crying while his nose gushed blood.
I rush him into the bathroom and tend to his face while L stays in her room singing and playing. When the bleeding stops and her friend has stopped crying I ask L what happened. Word for word with a huge smile on her face:
“I told Milo that I wanted to play farm and if he didn’t want to play farm I was gonna kill him. So I hit him in the face with my bucket.”
Her parents were told what happened and she was never punished. I quit soon after. Girl was crazy. She would trip her sister on purpose and giggle about it. F****** attachment parenting..

Midjourney
10. You Tested Positive For Covid? No Problem!
Made me work the day after I told them I tested positive for covid after I said I wasn’t comfortable doing that
Makes me buy dinner at restaraunt everyday, haircuts, other expenses on my card and then gets mad of how much they cost and yells at me
I drive their kids around for like 3 straight hours a day following the moms instructions and then she yells at me for “always being out of the house” and doesn’t pay for car deterioration/miles.
And so much more.

Katerina Holmes/Pexels
9. Cleaning Up After The Kids And The Parents
The first family I nannied for was a NIGHTMARE. The parents were sweet people, but complete hot messes. I was basically treated more like a housekeeper than a nanny (or “babysitter” as they called me, which I despised because it makes my job sound cute when I’m actually a professional!)
They were both huge slobs— I’d spend hours cleaning the downstairs, only to come back the next day and have it all be wrecked again. Toys strewn about, clothes I’d folded and put in baskets knocked over on the filthy floor, crumbs and bits of food everywhere. And the best part is that I was being paid $13/hr, part-time!
At the time I thought I was making bank (I was coming from working retail), but now I make almost $20/hr at my current job and want to laugh at myself for what I put up with.
On top of all of that, their oldest child had major anger issues and had to go to therapy twice a week. He was a sweet kid, but one time he flew off the handle and wrecked the house while I was there— complete with punching a hole in the drywall. All at 6 years old!!!
Eventually they let me go because the parents were separating, but I couldn’t help but be relieved, honestly.

Midjourney
8. When You Work Two Jobs For The Price Of One
I worked for a family a while back who lived in a very large home: 7 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, built in pool, very famous mansion in the suburbs. When the cleaning lady wasn’t there, ( she came every other week), I had to clean everything. So I was considered a nanny/housekeeper. It was crazy cleaning all those bathrooms. Boss lady would ask me to:
sew/mend her underwear ( ugly Hanes underpants).
Polish silver trays and platters.
Use an old toothbrush to scrub bathroom fixtures.
Wash “door jams”,
Iron her suede pantsuit. I had no clue how to iron! She never asked me again.
There was a girl I nannied for in the middle of all this. She was a nice girl, raised by self-important parents.
Oh, there was more, but I’ll stop. You get the idea.

Pixabay/Pexels
7. Can You Just…Let Me Be, Please?
Ok I don’t know if this is really a horror story but… there was one day I came into work with a ton of anxiety (a lot in my personal life plus my 25-minute commute was all ice and fog, it was just tough). I immediately let MB know I was on edge, then we did a normal handoff.
I was not feeling well, my anxiety escalated into a panic attack, but put NK down for first nap regardless. I then let MB and DB know I was having a panic attack and was going to take an anxiety medication to manage this. Note: it was not required that I mention this sort of thing, I did it out of courtesy because my anxiety medication does have a physical impact on my body to lower heart rate and such.
I wanted to maintain transparency and in previous conversations they had been open about how important it is to be accepting about mental health, etc. They made it clear that they wanted to create an environment without stigma around mental health. My mistake for believing them
MB hovered over me most of the day, badgering me to tears at times. She was yelling at me in her sons bedroom, I actually had to remind her to take that sort of conversation elsewhere—and that created even more argument.
It got to a point where I just laid in the baby’s nursery quietly during his nap to avoid her finding me. She still found me tho. That whole day she would come over to us and look in horror, as if she was witnessing a crime. It only made me cry more tbh.
I was feeling upset and she made me feel like I was putting her child in danger. And when I would cry or get upset, baby would also get worked up and confused of course. I don’t know if I can express how awful this whole experience was, but I’m so glad I don’t work in that environment anymore.
I even made a point to discuss medications with my current NF during our interview; it was important that I work with people who trust me to take my own medication as prescribed and as needed. Go figure, I haven’t had any anxiety with this job…. I feel trusted and I feel safe.

Engin Akyurt/Pexels
6. Started Off Great, But It Took A Turn…
My 2nd nanny job I was super excited for, queer family with one 6 y/o girl. They told me when I started that they wanted a mix of nanny and house manager but not at the same time. I was getting paid 22/hr under the table, and they gave me so much flexibility during the day. They’d give me gifts all the time too they they just didn’t need, like apple pencils and other things.
Originally the plan was for me to tutor the kid at home with her online school because they suspected some sort of special needs but hadn’t had her tested. MB1 worked long hours and was either not home or needed to sleep for the shift. MB2 was dealing with mental health issues, going back to school, and “house work”.
Little by little, more responsibilities were added. They also had loads of cats, in a small 2bd condo so it was cramped with everyone in the house all at once.
First off, the girl was much more significant needs than I originally anticipated. I’m guessing severely autistic, nonverbal (to put it on perspective, I have more luck understanding what my current NK2 needs, than I ever did with her) and they couldn’t get her tested due to some red tape. There were constant meltdowns, potty accidents, no way to communicate, and she couldn’t do any school work.
I was eventually fully her teacher, carer, chauffeur, activity planner, the house maid (sweeping, dishes, litter boxes etc) handyman (fixing drawers and replacing their front door) personal shopper (either groceries delivered or I would run to the store for things) organizer (entire balcony full of stuff I cleared out) car detailed (old convertible needed to be revamped for MB1 to drive again) and personal assistant (fielding calls and doing research for various house projects, taking quotes, setting up people to come check things) All of this on top of a 1hr commute each way.
I was making good money but I was driving a s***** car with no AC in a super hot state, so the drive got old fast. Eventually I couldn’t handle any of it anymore and left that job for my current dream job, and I’ve been with NK2 for a year now.
(its_cal_)

JESHOOTS.com
5. Surprise Attacks While Driving On The Freeway
I took on a summer nanny job when I was 19 and studying to become an elementary teacher. The NF knew kids at my parent’s church who I would watch when I was in town. I needed the money to help pay for tuition for the fall that my loans didn’t cover and my mom was a stickler about not quitting things, even when they were absolutely terrible.
The NK were 6 and 8 and the 6M kid was AWFUL. I would go to the park and other parents would literally whisper saying “There’s the devil child.” At one point, he attacked me while driving on the freeway because he didn’t want to go to the guitar lesson he had planned. I’m still not sure how I didn’t crash and die that day.
Whenever I would tell MB about these things, she would brush me off. And because I was staying with my parents that summer and had nowhere else to go, my mom made me feel like I couldn’t quit (even though I would work 40hours a week and then go to my retail job on nights/weekends)
Happy I survived that summer. I now have a teaching degree, have taught kindergarten for 5 years, and have a very strained relationship with my mother lol.

samer daboul/Pexels
4. With Parents Like These…
I was a summer nanny (au pair) in college in the late ’80s. One baby, MB didn’t work, DB traveled all week and only home on weekends. They didn’t need a nanny, MB was just bored and lonely.
MB was the epitome of a Rich B****. Boarding schools, world travel, never actually worked a full day in her life. DB was Midwest nice and completely normal. (Their marriage did not last long, lol.) They lived in Greenwich, CT, which…well, you know.
ANYWAY. Here are my stories from the summer of ’88.
I first met them on the plane in Atlanta for our flight to her family’s “estate” in Bermuda. Not just at the gate – I was already seated (flight attendant told me to) and they were the last ones to board. When we landed, she told me that if they had missed the flight, she would have just called the airport in Bermuda to ask me to wait in customs for them to arrive. I had never flown before ever, and I didn’t even have a passport, only a copy of my birth certificate. It was a late-arriving flight, and the airport closed overnight.
While in Bermuda, they rented a yacht for the baby’s “christening party.” I got violently seasick and came very, very close to falling down a flight of stairs while holding the baby.
She told me not to bother trying to talk to any native Bermudians because “you can’t understand them anyway.” When a grandmotherly member of the cleaning staff (native) tried to do peek-a-boo with the baby, Rich B**** literally grabbed the child off my lap and took her into another room without saying a word. During the week-long stay, she never once even made eye contact with the local staff. Most native Bermudians have very dark skin, btw.
As we boarded the plane to fly to Greenwich, she whispered to me: “I’m glad customs didn’t check my bag too carefully, I’m over the limit on the amount of cash they allow.” The limit was $10,000. The woman carried MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CASH in her carry-on bag. When we got to their house, she put in the floor safe in the basement, adding it back to the even bigger pile of cash on hand. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $25,000+.
For baby’s first birthday, she threw a party for 20 (twenty) one-year-olds and HAD A CLOWN SHOW UP. A clown with full wig and makeup. And balloons. And a horn.
The one that broke me: Their dog was a Giant Schnauzer. The poor thing was so over-bred it peed on the floor every time the phone rang. Rich Bitch stated that this pupper was the best guard dog because it could…wait for it…”smell the difference between Black people and white people.” I s*** you not. I don’t think I said more than two words at a time to her the rest of the summer. I think she’s now a realtor, probably red-lining gated neighborhoods and arranging predatory mortgages.
The next summer I nannied for a Jewish family from Queens who adopted me into their giant extended clan and they were the BEST and I cried the entire flight home because I didn’t want to leave. Their one and only flash of wealth was going to a niece’s Bat Mitzvah where Kylie Minogue was the live entertainment.

Oleksandr P/Pexels
3. Nanny Horror Story From Both Sides
I baby sat for a few families in my neighborhood from ages 12 to 15. Someone referred me to a family that I didn’t know – they ended up having 5 kids and one was severely disabled. There was hardly any food in the house and no instructions were left for meals or their disabled child. I had arrived at about 3 pm and they said they’d be home by 8 pm. At 9 pm I started calling their contact number – no cells yet. No answer. They finally arrive home after midnight, no apologies and then short me $. I refused a ride and walked home and started working in fast food. They called me for months to come again. Nope.
Decades later I re-injure my spinal cord while my (now ex) hubs was deployed. We scrambled to find someone to care for our Autistic, Epileptic 2 year old child. Hub’s family are Midwestern Southern Baptists, siblings are preachers or married to them. Very pious, close community. They recommend a church member’s daughter to come Nanny for us.
At first she was great, then she met a married marine and started going out with him and drinking. Non married sex, married partners and alcohol are very taboo in their religion. She charges up my Visa and phone bill, although we paid her very well and she had full use of a vehicle, cell (she used our landline?) and no expenses. Plus, a lot of time off and independence for exploring the island and beaches, etc. I would have fired her immediately, for lying, stealing, etc., but our child loved her and she was good with him.

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2. Would Have Never Expected This…
When I babysat as a teen, one of the families I work for was a little… off? Very quiet, kinda dorky, but the kids were so, so sweet. They were my neighbors and my mother had always said she got a really creepy vibe from the dad, who was a world renowned pediatric oncologist.
I worked for them for years; they treated me well, paid generously, and I usually worked late nights so after I put the kids to bed i would just hang out and do hw/read on their computer until the parents got home and the dad would walk me back to my house.
I eventually got a different job that took up all of my time, and a few months later the father was arrested on THOUSANDS of CSA image charges. Mainly of girls about the same age as me. There were cameras in almost every room of that house, he had a daughter, and even worse, his wife was the president of the kid’s schools yearbook, so she had THOUSANDs of pictures of all the kids they went to school with.
He plead guilty, but from what I understand, they never ended up telling their kids why “daddy was going away”. I think he’s getting out of federal prison this year. I don’t remember anything specifically inappropriate happening to me, but it makes my heart stop every time I think about it.

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1. An Absolutely Horrifying Scene
Nannied for a family who seemed so nice and normal. Wealthy. Orange County, California. The mom worked out of the home in sales and the dad worked from home full time but I would not see him at all. Their den was converted into his office and he had a little fridge and microwave in there for his lunch and stuff. I was not keen on nannying with a parent home but he never even opened the door to come out while I was working. So, pretty easy. I’d been working for them for about 8 months and they told me they were taking a family vacation and wanted me to house sit and pet sit while they were gone. Perfect set up.
They had 3 sweet cats and one pit Bull. I’d interacted with the dog a handful of times and even walked him a few times without issues. 99% of the time, he was in the office with the dad while he worked. I head over the day they’re leaving to help them load the car etc and they give me all the instructions. Seems easy peasy.
I get settled in and take a shower. When I get out of the shower, the dog is sitting on the bath mat dripping blood. I panic thinking he’s cut himself or is injured but then I realize that I’m wiping the blood off and there’s no injury. So I start following the blood trail only to find one of the cats literally ripped apart.
I panic and call my boyfriend at the time because I have zero clue how to handle the situation. I immediately call the family to tell them but they’re on their flight so it goes right to voicemail. I didn’t know if they’d want to cremate any remains or anything but I didn’t want to wait to find out. My boyfriend helps me clean it all up and I’m literally shaking from the whole thing.
I put the dog in the crate and try to figure out what to do next. The other 2 cats are terrified and hiding under the master bed. I bring food and water in there to help them relax and I shut the door. The next day, I still haven’t heard back from the family and I’m getting pretty concerned. I head out to run a few errands for about 2 hours.
When I get back to the house, it’s an absolute bloodbath. There’s blood all over the floors, walls, furniture. I see cat hair everywhere and I literally turned around and walked back outside. I called my mom and boyfriend because I was hysterical. My boyfriend got there and went inside, the dog had slid the bottom of his crate out and clawed the crate until he busted it open. He then ripped apart both cats limb from limb and was playing with the body of one of them in the backyard. He tells me to call animal control because the dog is growling at him when he gets near to attempt to remove the cats body.
I get animal control on the line and they’re heading over. I begin calling the family non stop. Probably 30 times, no answer. On their emergency contact sheet they left the name of their resort so I decided to call the resort and tell them it was an emergency.
I FINALLY get ahold of the mom and she’s totally nonchalant about it and says “oh ya, Bitty (dog) doesn’t really like the cats, this has happened before” and is TOTALLY casual about it. Tells me to clean up what I can and that she’ll send professionals over in the AM. I tell her that I had to call animal control because the dog was in the backyard growling over the cats body and she legit goes “ah he’s so silly” and LAUGHS. I hung up the phone in tears.
Animal control gets there and takes the dog with them after hearing the story of what happened. I left and never went back. She sent me a check for $500 about a month later and I heard from friends that not only had the dog done that to multiple other cats, it had also ended up attacking the dad 2 days after they got back from their trip.

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Family Drama: People Share Their Nightmare Mother-in-Law Stories
Are you ready for some juicy gossip? Well, let’s talk about mother-in-laws. Specifically, the ones that make you want to pull your hair out and run for the hills.
We’ve all heard stories about the dreaded mother-in-law who wants to control every aspect of your life, from what you wear to how you raise your kids. They can be overly critical, passive-aggressive, and sometimes even manipulative.
It’s the type of situation where you find yourself nodding and smiling, but on the inside, you’re screaming. And don’t even get us started on the ones who try to sabotage your marriage or make you feel unwelcome in their family.
But fear not, because we’ve got some stories that will make you feel like you’re not alone in this struggle.
30. Catfished By My Own Mother-in-Law?
MiL is a witch. I don’t mean that figuratively. She identifies as a witch and “curses” people. Just a very eccentric person in general but she’s just been lowkey annoying with her behavior for a while. She did try to put a spell on our wedding and ruined it, but that was years ago and the husband and I were VLC as she lived far away.
My husband and I have an open relationship. We’re kinky swingers. No judging, please. What we do is entirely between us and it’s nobody’s business. This is important. We BOTH have other partners.
In November last year, MiL moved without telling us that she was coming. We got the call from her after she’d set herself up in her new house about thirty minutes away from us. Her proximity and lack of anything to do with her life gave her the opportunity to spy on us and over time she saw many of our “guests”. For some reason, she thought they were all mine and could never have been my husband’s.
So she comes to my husband saying she believes I am cheating on him at Christmas. He laughs her off and told her that it’s not like that. I think his explanation went in one ear and flew out the other.
What she then did was set up a facebook profile using pictures of her friend’s son from the region she’d lived in before moving. She messaged me as this dude. Basically went by for a while and then proposed sexual relations. He’s a cute guy, my husband agrees. So, I set up a meeting at Starbucks.
Imagine my surprise when I arrive with my husband and find MiL waiting for us with printouts of all our messages. She waves her proof at us, doubles down on me cheating on my husband, and only stops when the staff ask her to leave. The argument moved to the sidewalk and we all got very loud. Finally, husband and I drove off and left her still yelling because she’s just stupid.
That was a week ago. Today she called to let us know she’s going to put a hex on me to make sure I leave her baby alone and stop ruining his life.

Motortion/iStock
29. All Heroes Drink Red Wine
This story is about my friend’s MIL, and her wedding. Strap in guys, this is a wild ride in which I did THE THING that got me banned from any of her family functions. (Plus a few threats of dismemberment and bodily harm)
A good friend of mine from university was getting married! They had been a couple since Junior year of college, through her 2 years in the peace corps and currently her return to this continent. 6 years in total. She had been to all manner of family functions and always came back with a strange story about how she thinks her MIL secretly hates her. But she being a very quiet and sweet person pushed those thoughts aside.
Point 1: She is vegetarian and Jewish, husband is not. She was invited and went to Christmas dinner and figured she would just eat sides, as well she brought a vegetarian casserole. MIL, after knowing her for THREE years, and being told by husband a few weeks before about not to forget friend doesn’t eat meat… proceeded to put meat in every dish. Friend drank water and ate her casserole the whole night while MIL cried to everyone that friend was so rude for not eating her cooking.
Anyway, back to the story. A few friends and I were asked to be in the wedding. Friend has a HUGE family and so this was not going to be a small affair. Neither of them is particularly religious, but friend said it was would be nice to be married under a chuppah. (Think an arbor but 4 poles and covered with a white cloth and lots of flowers) Husband said he could care less, and told her to go and rent one for the wedding.
I was at the bridal shower when MIL found out the “pretty canopy” was actually a chuppah. She almost lost her s*** in front of a bunch of people, but managed to compose herself and laugh angrily that “if the Jews were being represented so would the Catholics.” In my head I heard a record screech, guys… they aren’t catholic.
So after much fighting, a lot of screaming, crying, threatening to pull money (which is funny because she contributed nothing), MIL lost. The boot was firmly placed, and nothing was moving it. Chuppah yes, catholic priest no.
Things got stupid quiet, my friend texts me the night before the wedding that she has a bad feeling. I tell her it’s probably just nerves, she is getting married and this is a big deal! Oh how wrong I was.
We all show up, get our hair and makeup done. Slip into our bridesmaid dresses and hang out waiting for the bride to be finished with her hair. She makes a comment saying she hadn’t seen MIL all day and that she skipped her hair and makeup appointment. We all side eyed each other, took a few sips of wine and hoped the eerie feeling would go away.
30 minutes later as we are helping the bride into her dress; guess who shows up. If you guessed MIL, you win a cookie! Flushed from coming up the stairs, (she is not a light woman) in full hair and makeup…and a white dress. Not ivory, not cream, full snow-f******-white. The dress was clearly a wedding dress; it was even from David’s Bridal (which she would later shout at me). Floor length satin with a sweet heart beaded top, a bit of a train and off white lace on the bottom. The dress was even tailored to her, this has been a long con she has orchestrated.
The bride burst into tears and aunts and friends ushered MIL out. We did our best to console the bride, touched up her makeup, and I made her a promise that the dress would never be seen in a photo. She looked me dead in the eye and nodded. The game was on.
The venue only supplied white wine and champagne for the wedding party. But I grabbed my purse and ran down into the reception area and managed to flag an attendant by the bar and bribe him with a cool 20$ to give me a bottle of red early. I cracked the baby open, filled a solo cup to the brim with it and stalked outside. After a few swigs from the bottle for courage, I went over to where everyone was getting ready to take photos.
With one last hard stare at my friend, I got her nod of approval. I pulled out my phone, held it in front of my face like I was reading a text and walked straight into MIL. I poured the entire cup of red wine down the front of her dress, jumped back and gasped.
The look on her face was murderous. She screamed, yelled, threatened, and promised she would sue me. People had to hold her back because she wanted to fight me. Eventually she switched from screaming to sobbing and sank to the ground and threw a tantrum on the floor. Everyone moved back and just let her go at it and walked away to go take photos. It was surreal, as if everyone just hit their limit and noped out from around her. The 12 year old flower girl whipped out her phone and snapped a few photos much to our amusement.
This is already super long, but I will say that MIL went home and changed (only 20 min from venue) into a nice dark green too small and low cut dress. Because of this she missed all of the photos. Wedding was beautiful; I got death glares from everyone she told that I attacked her with wine. No f***s were given as I drank and danced with friends. Bride thanked me in secret and 3 months later took me to the spa for a day of pampering. But I am officially “that **** ****” to MIL, and I’ll take it with pride.

j81 Studios LLC
28. MIL’s Will-Power Is Nonexistent
My MIL wants us to have children, and we won’t. Hubs finally told her about his vasectomy, which seemed to shut her up, and all further interactions with her have been of the annoying BEC type.
Well, yesterday MIL told us all that she had purchased a burial plot for her and FiL, and how she’s pre-planned a funeral and wanted to start working on their long term medical requests and power of attorney docs. All good things!. Then she starts to tell us about her estate. FiL tries to change the subject, but no no, we have to talk about this as a faaaamily.
Well, MIL gets this smug look on her face and then goes on about how thier estate will be divided up, which basically gives my husband almost nothing because we “don’t have children, and the money is to support their family line”.
Y’all. Her face when hubs and I both nod approvingly at this and confirm that this seems like a smart plan. I’m fairly certain that she wanted us to either fight back or cry and make a scene or beg her for money.
(The person who made a scene was SiL- she’s a whole thing- at the very idea of her mommy and daddy not bring around because she “loves them soooo much”).
She controls two of her children with money but not us, and it drives her batty. She sent hubs an email last night “apologizing” for her decision and giving him a “method of communication” about this without me involved. 100%, she was Trying to get him to beg her for money or change her mind.
So, he popped me on the email and responded, “Mom, OP and I want you to enjoy your money and have a happy and secure retirement. This is your money, you can do whatever you want with it, and we’ll never criticize you for your decision about this.”
Ha. The rest of her kids are already fighting over their bones, but not us. I’m using good manners as an insult.

Kindel Media/Pexels
27. Maury The Mother-in-Law
My husband had a child from a previous relationship. Blue eyed blonde beautiful little girl. When my husband and I were pregnant with our first child, my MIL became a truly horrible person. Or should I say she showed her true colour. Once our daughter was earthside, she came to the hospital to see her. My daughter was dark haired and had hazel eyes.
In my MIL’s mind, she could not have been her son’s. Whilst she was holding our daughter, she demanded that my husband take a DNA test to prove that the child was his. I was utterly shocked and broken hearted. Not only was she denying my baby, she was insinuating that I had slept around.
Fast forward to the next six months, she was continually asking for a DNA test. In the end to shut her up, we took the test. My husband was her father. We both had no doubt about it and were proved correct. She then said the test was obviously wrong. That was it for us.
No contact going on 21 years and couldn’t be happier. Our dark-haired 21 year-old looks so much like her dad it’s uncanny. It’s a shame that she chose this but we reap what we sow.

Chokniti Kongchum/Pexels
26. MIL, You Have The Right To Remain Silent
Yesterday I came in for my shift in the morning, without thinking about MIL at all. I got changed, had a cup of coffee, looked who I was going to be paired with and when my partner and I walked out of the police station to go to the patrol car, I saw MIL.
She did kind of come up to me, not close enough for a conversation but close enough so that I could hear her. She started to say something about my boyfriend and the money she needs. I saw her but I totally ignored her. I just walked past her without saying a word and went straight to the patrol car to start my shift.
And the fact that I ignored her, annoyed her pretty badly, I guess. She stepped back a bit, waited till we got into the car and just before we turned on the engine and started to drive, she grabbed a rock from a nearby flower bed and threw it to the windshield of our car.
The windows of our patrol cars are quite durable, fortunately. It cracked but didn’t shatter and I didn’t end up with a face full of glass. I wasn’t driving, my partner was driving and it was obvious that she aimed her throw right at the passenger seat where I was at.
Then she probably realized that doing that to a police car in front of two police officers in front of a police station wasn’t the smartest thing to do and she turned around and took off running. I got out and ran after her, this pursuit wasn’t very long, she only made it till the park that’s not far from the police station when I caught her. And that’s when she started to make the biggest scene I had ever seen.
MIL had no intention of calmly letting me put handcuffs on her. Instead, she dropped to the ground and started to yell for help. Mind you, it was an early morning but there were already quite a lot people in the park – some were walking their dogs, some were jogging, some were just walking through to get wherever they needed. She was yelling at the top of her lungs ” People, good people, help me! I’m being abused! Call the police, this one is not a real police officer! He’s trying to kidnap me! ” and things like this.
She was yelling for help so loudly that everyone in that park stopped whatever they were doing and looked at us. Everyone – men, women, children, dogs, and cats. There was not a single person that wasn’t looking at us. You might think that I’m a man and she’s a woman, so I should be able to hold her down but really it’s not that simple. She was hitting and scratching and biting, she was spitting at me. Also, during the struggle, she kicked me several times, quite hard and painful. Honestly, at this point, I had all the rights to tase her. I didn’t.
My partner came with a car, he helped me and together we managed to handcuff her. The next problem was getting her into the patrol car. Our patrol cars are like vans, the back door opens and there’s like a cage with a bench where you can put the person in. And MIL wasn’t going to get in there without a fight. Even with her hands cuffed, she was kicking the door, spread her legs very wide so that we couldn’t get her in and when we got her in, she was putting her feet in the doorway so we couldn’t close the door. While she was doing all this, she never stopped to yell that we’re breaking her bones, that we have no rights to treat her like this, that this is against the law and still asking the people to call the real police.
During my whole career as a cop, I had never had an arrest like this. I have arrested many drunk people, many aggressive people, many weird people, but this right here was the stupidest thing ever.
We took her to the police station and if we had troubles getting her in the car, now she didn’t want to get out. She held on to the bars and we literary had to grab and pull her out. Once inside, MIL immediately demanded to see the captain. She wasn’t listening when we tried to explain that the captain isn’t going to do anything for her and shouldn’t be bothered with this. She insisted that she has the rights to see someone superior and technically she’s right. So we went to get a captain for her who recognized her from the last time and wasn’t too happy to see her.
MIL said that she wants to complain about ” this officer ” while pointing at me. She said that I abused my power, used way too much strength on her and didn’t even care that she’s a fragile woman, that I twisted her hands and brutally pushed her into the car. The captain asked to see my body camera, this is one of the reasons why we use body cameras all the time. If the suspect says one thing and the officer says something different, then you can watch the recording and see what actually happened.
So, the captain played the recording for all of the present to see and he asked MIL ” What’s this, ma’am? ” as she was clearly ignoring my orders on camera.
MIL was like ” This is me fighting for my life! It’s a survival instinct. I thought he would take the gun and shoot me right in the head! ”
The captain was like – ” No, ma’am, this is you resisting arrest. If an officer is giving you a lawful order, you’re supposed to listen, and if you don’t listen, the officer has the rights to use a certain amount of force to detain you. ”
MIL said ” I take no orders from f***! ” while glaring at me.
She was charged with vandalism, fleeing from the police, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. And just as she was going to be taken to jail, MIL suddenly started to complain that’s she’s not feeling well. She said her heart hurts and she’s dizzy and her blood pressure is too high and she wanted an ambulance. Everyone realized that she’s faking but just to be sure that we’re not mistaking and she doesn’t die when arriving at the jail, we called an ambulance.
The medics came and examined her. Just like we thought, she was fine. Her heart rate was normal, her blood pressure was normal, she had no need to be hospitalized. I was just thinking – what do you think would have happened, MIL? The charges don’t disappear just because the person is taken to hospital. She probably didn’t know that even if she was hospitalized, an officer would have gone there with her and stayed with her all the time. And as soon as she was ok again, she would be transported to jail anyway. She wouldn’t sneak away if that’s what she was thinking of doing.
The ambulance left and even though our captain is a very calm and composed man, at this point he seemed very irritated, he was like ” Ma’am, is the circus over or are you going to give us more nonsense? ” MIL then asked him if he was going to punish me and he answered that no, he’s not going to punish an officer simply because I was doing my job. And then MIL looked straight at him and went ” Are you gay too? ”
I froze. I couldn’t believe that she really just asked that to a captain. I know he’s not gay but this was probably the most inappropriate thing she could have done. He knows I’m gay because I was forced to come out to him when MIL tried to cause troubles for me the first time. He ordered her to be taken to jail immediately and even then she still had the audacity to speak. She insisted on having a phone call so that she could call her son and he could pay her bail.
I’m not sure why she thinks my boyfriend is going to bail her out this time when he didn’t do it last time. I called him first and I told him that his mother is arrested, and he seemed quite delighted as he’s so tired of her. The captain offered my boyfriend to come to the station and see the recording if he wants but we really don’t want to show ourselves as a gay couple more than absolutely necessary.
MIL did call my boyfriend and he refused to bail her out, so she’ll have to stay in the cell till her trial. Since she already has a record, I’ll be surprised if she’s not given jail time this time.

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25. Does a lump of coal cost $10?
My ex MIL set a price limit for gifts for all the kids at ten dollars… except when it came to her daughter’s kids. She got them games, clothes, electronics etc. She has three sons and one daughter. The daughter and her kids are treated way differently.
The “steps” have it even worse. They’re not allowed in any family pictures – not even the kid her oldest son adopted. Her reasoning is that she deserves pictures of her “actual” grandkids without other people’s kids.
Anyway, I knew the limit was ten dollars. But I figured since she broke it (showed me the favorite’s gifts), there’s no reason I couldn’t. Her favorite grandson had a Nintendo DS. He’d never let his adopted cousin play with it and was always rubbing it in his face.
So I got the other kid a DS and some games. Cue the hysterics. When he opened the gift, he was over the moon excited. She ran to her room and slammed the door. She swore I ruined Christmas, saying I knew there was a limit and did it to A. Make her look bad and B. To pick on her other grandson(?)
That was the last Christmas I ever attended at their house. By choice. They’re all terrified of her.

Goran Grudic/Pexels
24. “He’s A Firefighter, Why Didn’t He Save His House?”
We made a big mistake when we didn’t take MIL’s threats seriously enough. We thought that she’s like a dog that barks but doesn’t bite. Speaking of dogs, the only hero in this story is actually our dog, heavens bless our dog. It happened at night. My husband and me, we’re heavy sleepers, we were dreaming sweet dreams and didn’t notice anything. If our dog hadn’t jumped on our bed and barked, waking us up, we would probably both be dead now.
I’m a firefighter myself and I realized that the fire was too big already, we couldn’t put it out by ourselves. We escaped through the window, fortunately unharmed. Somebody had called the firefighters who happened to be my colleagues, which was a weird situation, it was the first time they had to work on their buddy’s house. They tried to work as fast and as efficiently as they could but our house is damaged beyond repair, we can’t live in it anymore.
MIL got caught and basically dug her own grave because she herself said that she was hoping till the last minute that her son would come to his senses, break up with me and start to date women but he didn’t and she felt ashamed that she has created such a deformed human being, so she decided that it is better to have no son than gay son. She basically said she wanted to kill him.
So even though at first what happened was classified as ”arson with the intent to damage the property” which would mean softer sentence, after those words it became ”arson with the intend to endanger life” and that means much more severe punishment, even up to life imprisonment. Our lawyer said that most likely she will not receive the maximum sentence because no one has died but she will receive at least a couple years behind bars. And there’s not much her lawyer can help her because she confessed.
And she said such a stupid thing ”Well but my son’s f***** husband is a firefighter, why didn’t he save his house?”
In the middle of the night, just awoken, no gear, no tools, no equipment, caught completely unaware by the fire. Are you serious, MIL? You think that just because I’m a firefighter means I can put the fire out with my bare hands? Many people think that housefire is like they see in the movies – flames and light but actually it is a complete darkness. The smoke makes the room so dark within minutes that you can’t even see your own hands. Housefire is always like a dark night.
Now we’re living with our friends while we find another place to live. Our clothing, our documents, passports, marriage certificate, everything is gone but of course, those are just things, we can buy them again. We’re alive, that’s the most important thing. My husband is done with her. He’s so very upset that his own mother wished him dead just because he’s gay.
If before this he still hoped that their relationship could be fixed, now he doesn’t want to hear a single word about her no more. Her homophobic hate almost killed us. And it is our own fault as well because we didn’t give her actions and words the seriousness they deserved. We know some gay people who also have homophobic parents but they have never tried actually killing their children. I guess that’s why we didn’t think that it might happen to us.

Darth Art
23. MIL Claims Dog Died, Spotted At Pound 4 Days Later?
My dear husband has an ugly history with his Step Mother who is a terrible person. His father was a really great man who has since passed. There are a few other dog related stories in their history but this was the only one I was involved in.
We adopted a beagle named Winston from the shelter when he was already over 12 years old. His owner had passed and he was so sweet and sad we decided to take him home. He was with us for about a year and had a few health problems but nothing major.
One weekend we went out of town and asked our in-laws to watch Winston while we were gone. When we got home, my FIL was reluctant to return him as they had bonded over the three day weekend. My in-laws had a small shepherd dog at the time named Minnie. I hadn’t ever heard them complain about her in the past, but when we picked up Winston, my MIL started making a huge deal about how Minnie was digging holes in their yard (which wasn’t some fancy yard but whatever).
After a week or so of FIL bugging my husband, we decided to trade Winston for Minnie. I figured it was a quiet environment for him being a senior and I hated to see Minnie wind up in a shelter which was what I suspected would happen.
They had Winston for about a year when my husband and father-in-law went on a trip together. A few days after they left, my MIL called me all upset. She said that Winston had a seizure and she took him to the vet and the vet wound up putting him down. I was in shock. He had one very mild seizure when we had him and I knew he had a few when he was with them, but they said he was being medicated.
After we got off the phone, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with her story. She added the detail that the vet didn’t charge her for putting him down because he felt sorry for her. It struck me as an odd, unnecessary detail. I decided to call their regular vet and ask about what happened. They told me that they hadn’t seen Winston and didn’t know what I was talking about. I decided to call another vet in that same area but I had to leave a message. This was on Friday afternoon.
The vet was closed over the weekend and the boys returned home on Sunday. My husband and I went over the story and both picked out things that we thought didn’t add up. My husband asked his dad which vet she took him to and he said it was the first one I called.
Monday morning, the second vets office called me back. I asked if someone had brought in a beagle having a seizure and after a pause the woman told me that a woman in a bathrobe and slippers (no doubt my MIL) had brought in a beagle and said she hit it with her car and didn’t know who it belonged to. They turned it in to the pound.
The pound is not open on Monday, so I had to wait until they opened on Tuesday to see if it was really him. I was there as soon as they unlocked the doors. When I walked into the dog kennels, I heard him barking and burst into tears. I couldn’t believe that after everything he had been through, he had to spend 4 days in the pound abandoned again. It cost me over $200 to get him out, which we did not have to spend, but there was no way I was leaving him.
When I got home, my husband couldn’t believe his eyes. We took him straight over to my in-laws to confront her. She dug in and said that he was having a seizure, that the vet told her he was putting him down, but HE must have lied. We knew we weren’t getting anywhere, so we left with Winston and went no contact for about a year. My husband still had a relationship with his dad, but we never trusted her again. So we wound up with both dogs and Winston was totally fine. He lived two more years before he developed cancer and had to be put down. Minnie never dug a single hole in my yard.

David Baileys
22. Facebook Stalking Doesn’t Make You A PI
So basically I (24f) am half-white half-Asian. My dad is Dutch, my mom is Singaporean (Chinese). We’ve been living in the US for almost 20 years now. We moved when I was 5.
So, I met my boyfriend’s mom a few weeks back, and it went okay I guess. A few days ago I found out she’s Facebook stalked me.
She found a picture of me with my dad at a black tie event. I was holding his arm. The Asian features really came through with me, so I don’t really ‘look’ like my dad.
We meet again, and halfway through the conversation she casually goes “where’s your sugar daddy?”. Conversation stops. I’m just like “no? I don’t have one?”
She pulls up my Facebook profile and shows me the pic. I just laugh it off and explain that’s my dad. She then asks me whether I was adopted. I again laugh it off. She lets it go for a while.
She brings it up again! “Well, I hope your dad did a DNA test when you were born” At this point I’m just like what it up with this woman? Maybe I just had a really sheltered upbringing but I’ve never met anyone who was this brand of weird?
I tell her very plainly that I don’t appreciate her insinuating that my mother cheated on my father and left. That night I get messages saying “I took a joke too seriously” from my bf and “she was just making fun of the fact you don’t really look that much like him.”
Shockingly, we are no longer dating.

shironosov
21. That’s Not Your Job
My husband and I live with his mom and I don’t know if I’m just a b**** and being dramatic or what. My son is 15 months old and he has been able to recognize that I’m his mom and his dad is his dad, so he says mom and dad a lot now. Well, every time my son says momma/mom/anything that has to do with me, my MIL will respond and this drives me insane.
I could literally be in a separate room and if she hears him say this, she will still answer! I’ve lightly mentioned this to my husband and he just brushes it off. The second thing is she just baby talks NONSTOP to him. And I get that it might just be the grandma in her to talk to him like that, but it’s just the words she uses when she speaks to him (she has spoken to him in Spanish since he was 6 months old). The context of the words just don’t sit right with me.
She makes it seem like he’s her son and this has been a huge problem since the day I brought him home. My SIL and I think she’s making up for not being around as much as a mom for our husbands, and tries to be a mom to our kids because she does this exact same thing with our niece.
I can never say anything about it to her because she will just blow up and play victim, which I know from a past incident. I just don’t know what to do anymore, she makes me feel like a s***** parent.

Rene Asmussen/Pexels
20. 25-Year Break As Family Member
I’m a single father. I have raised my son alone because when he was just a few days old, his mother suddenly decided she doesn’t want a child anymore. She claimed she’s not ready to have a child and refused to even feed him or hold him. I wanted to give her some time, I thought that maybe it’s just postpartum depression or something, I was ready to be there for her but she was serious. She packed her stuff and left the hospital, her last words were that she wants to see neither me or our son ever again.
I have never seen her since. And I kind of feel like MIL had something to do with it because during her pregnancy she was talking all the time about how young her daughter is and how impropriate of a moment this is for her to have a child. I don’t have any proof and I can’t tell anything for sure but I feel like MIL somehow secretly persuaded her to take this step for whatever reason.
So I was left alone with an infant in my hands. It definitely wasn’t easy. I was just 21 years old, I had to leave college and work very hard to give my son everything he needed. Fortunately, I wasn’t completely alone. There were people who helped me to get through the hardest period, people who babysat him while I was working, who gave me advice on how to take care of a baby and I’ll be forever thankful to them. When he grew up a little, it became easier.
I could send him to kindergarten and work without asking people to take care of him while I’m not there. During all this time I hoped to hear from his mother, I hoped that she’ll eventually come around and realize you can’t just leave your child like a worthless piece of trash. But, even though I had left her my contacts and she could call me or write me a letter or something, she didn’t. I never heard from her. She never once used her rights to visit him. When he was little, he often asked me why did his mother leave him, why didn’t she want him. And I didn’t know what to answer because I always tried not to speak badly of his mother in front of him.
Now my son is 25 years old, he’s a hardworking, educated young man and I’m so proud of him and I’m proud of myself that I was able to raise him to be a good person. We stopped talking about his mother a long time ago, it was his initiative, he was like – well, if she doesn’t want to be with us, then it’s her loss and there’s nothing we can do about it.
So recently MIL appeared on our doorstep. Without a call, without any kind of notification, she was just there and she had come to visit her grandson. I couldn’t believe my ears and at first, I almost didn’t recognize her, because so many years are passed after all. And she was behaving as if she was a caring grandmother who had come to see her grandchild like she does all the time. Not like she was gone for 25 years.
When my son saw her, he didn’t recognize her either. I have shown him pictures of his mother and his grandmother just in case they show up one day but I never really thought that they would. She ran up to him and hugged him just like a loving grandmother would, asking how he’s doing and how big and beautiful he has become, and he pushed her away and looked kind of confused. I told him that it’s his grandmother who has randomly shown up to visit him and he was like ”oh” and walked away from her.
MIL didn’t take this reaction very well. She looked at me and was like ”What have you taught him if he doesn’t even say hello to his grandmother? He’s looking at me as if I’m a stranger! Haven’t you told him about his mother and me or shown him our pictures?”
Well, technically you are a stranger, MIL. He had never seen you in person, so why are you so surprised? You show up out of thin air after 25 years when he’s all grown up and expect him to treat you with love. Isn’t it kind of delusional?
My son said, ”Dad did show me your picture, but I needed no picture, I needed you to be there for me.” He was quite hateful with her, throwing question after question at her and MIL’s responses were so incredibly narrowminded, it looked like she wasn’t expecting him to ask any questions. He asked her where his mother was and MIL was like ”Oh, she’s doing very well, she’s living together with a great man and she has two nice kids. She has gotten over that misunderstanding about your birth.”
She was acting as if her daughter was the victim here. As if we were the ones who left her. He asked her why did his mother abandon him, MIL said ”Well, she was such a young girl, it would be craziness for her to have a child at that age! She had her whole life ahead of her and a baby would only be an obstacle. You must understand it, she didn’t want to lose her freedom!”
Honestly, her daughter was older than me when our son was born, she was 24. I don’t think it’s too early to have a child, it’s not like she was 14 or something. Actually, age has nothing to do with it. I could have given up my son too, I was very young as well. But I didn’t because I loved him and I wanted to be his father. At this point I wanted to show MIL the door, obviously, she wasn’t welcome in our house, but my son stopped me, he had one more question. He asked why MIL didn’t want to be his grandmother. His mother left him – fine, but why did MIL leave him too?
MIL said ”Well, I had no time to take care of you. I was a young woman too, I had my life too. And grandkids are only obligated to take care of grandparents when they’re old and that’s why I’m here.”
Then my son told her to leave and never come back, he said he doesn’t want to see her ever again and he won’t help her with anything. And as she was leaving, she attacked me like ”That’s what I thought, a man alone cannot raise a proper human being! Such a rude and impolite boy, he would have turned out better in an orphanage than with you!”
So according to MIL, the conclusion is – don’t have children while you’re young or if you do, feel free to leave them and then come back a few decades later and they’ll love you even though they have never received any kind of care from you.
But seriously, what the hell was she expecting?
RichardBmn

TeoLazarev
19. Religion For The Win!
My extremist Catholic soon-to-be-mother-in-law has told me:
That because I am building my career in a town two hours away at my good job for a year before we get married, it’s proof I’ll be a terrible mother and wife.
If we don’t start having sex with the goal of having a baby immediately after marriage and pop out a kid 9 months after the nuptials, we are living in sin. (Sex is strictly for procreation.)
If I lie and tell her I’m barren in order to avoid the fact that we won’t have had a kid at 9 months after the marriage, she’ll tell us our marriage is invalid and that we have to go see our local priest.
I am going to hell because I drink.
Best actual story? When she opened the door to my fiance’s roommate’s freezer to help him pack to move out and saw the 12″ dildo we keep in there. She opened the door, looked inside, shut the door, stared at the door for a second, closed her eyes and prayed, and walked away.
Thanks, Catholic church.
jalean11

cottonbro studio/Pexels
18. MIL Is Pro-Death?
Ever since my husband and I married and wanted to start a family, we realized that we’re having a problem with conception. After seeing many doctors, it turned out that we both have some fertility issues and it’s highly unlikely for us to have children together. That was an unexpected turn in our lives and we discussed adoption from time to time but this option didn’t seem to sit well with us. We wanted our own children and the fact that we cannot was really depressing and upsetting. But we didn’t even consider divorce, we do love each other and we were like – well, let’s just live the life the way it is for us.
Half a year ago, my sister and her husband died in a car accident. Their car collided with a truck that went into the opposite lane, killing them both instantly. Her death was unspeakable pain to me because my sister was my only living relative, there’s no one else left from my blood family. They left behind three children whom my husband and I got custody of. They’re 11, 7 and 1 years old. The youngest didn’t realize what has happened because he’s so little, but the older children both were thankful that they can come and live with their aunt instead of going to an orphanage.
Our lives changed significantly, of course. We moved to a bigger house, so that every child would have their room, bought a stroller, crib and lots of baby things for the baby nephew. In autumn I’ll leave my job for a while as my youngest nephew is too young for kindergarten and my niece and another nephew will go to school, so someone will have to stay at home to look after the baby.
And my MIL thinks this is the best thing that could have possibly happened to me and my husband. Ever since she heard that the children will be living with us now, she looked overjoyed and was like ”It’s so great, it’s so great! It’s so amazing how life always fixes everything!”
Excuse me, MIL, what’s so great? That three small children lost their parents? That I lost my sister? What the f*** do you mean – it’s so great? Yes, it is good that they had a relative who was willing to take care of them but stop acting as if it should have happened this way. As if my sister should have died so that I could have her kids. MIL’s excitement about this whole situation just makes my blood boil.
She was like ”You couldn’t have children and then God gave you some! You should be happy too! That’s more than great! Now you can raise them, a house full of kids if the best thing that can happen to a person.”
Yes, I’m going to raise them but I could never be the mother my sister was. She was a wonderful mom and the kids are still mourning for her. I’d rather stay childless my whole life and have my nephews and niece be with their real parents than have children this way when they’re in my care because their parents died.
And then she said something that made me almost smack her across the face. She said ”And you should tell them to call you ”mom”. You’re their mom now and they need to understand it. Especially the youngest one.”
Hell no, MIL! I’m their aunt and my husband is their uncle and that’s how it’s going to stay. As the baby grows up, we’re going to tell him that we’re not his real parents, we’re his aunt and uncle. How the hell does she thinks it could happen, the eldest niece and nephew know their parents and knows what happened to them, how could I ask from them to call me mom? It’s just so very wrong.
It’s like MIL doesn’t considerate children’s feelings at all, she thinks it doesn’t matter to them who to live with. I’m sure they’d prefer thousands of times to live with their parents, not us. They’re still mourning. Have some respect, MIL.
My husband is mad at her too. Maybe she thinks she’s going to have grandkids now. Well, no. First of all, because she’s no one to them and secondly because her priorities are all mixed up.

PeopleImages
17. “Love”, But Don’t “Like”
I’ve reached a breaking point with my own mother, and I know my fiancé feels the same way about his future MIL. For context, my mother is very controlling, cares way too much about appearances, and acts like she’s above everyone. And nothing is ever good enough. Since starting therapy last month, I’ve come to realize my mom’s narcissism and my therapist has helped me uncover why I am so self-conscious and have perfectionist/people pleasing tendencies (you guessed it – thanks mom!)
Since starting therapy, I’ve kept my mom at arm’s length and only text her on a need-to-know basis. Last week, she guilted me into inviting her and my dad over to our house for dinner. I was just finishing making dinner when she walked in and immediately started criticizing the food. Then she insisted I fix my fiancé a plate, even though I was taking the last part of dinner out of the oven.
Then she acted like our kitchen table wasn’t good enough (our house isn’t as grand as hers and we have a modest-size kitchen table from IKEA, but she acted like she could barely fit) and told us for the 5th time how ‘domesticated’ the house looks since I moved in and that we need new front landscaping. Then she started asking questions about our wedding, which she knows I’d rather not discuss because my fiancé and I want to do it ourselves.
She then proceeded to judge our venue for looking too drab, didn’t like our restaurant reception idea, and told us how she expects it to be decorated. Then she tried to interrogate me on why I’m so concerned with how much it’s all going to cost. I tried telling her it’s not about cost, it’s about what my fiancé and I like and our decision to do a small, nontraditional wedding. She still didn’t listen, I truly think she chooses not to.
My mother is the type where, if you try to defend yourself to her, she will retaliate by playing the victim and make you feel very guilty for what you said. I know this because I have tried to stick up for myself many times and am made to feel that way by her. My dad is checked out from it and letts her do whatever she wants. My fiancé helped deflect as much as possible when they were here last night, but even he knows what my mom is capable of and tries to keep his distance like I do.
I don’t know if this is wrong for me to say: I love her, but I don’t like her. I’m thinking my falling out with her will happen organically as I plan the wedding, or I will say something next year after she complains about the wedding and embarrasses herself doing so. I say that because she 100% is the type of person that will state her dislike for something loud enough for others to hear.

Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
16. Where Was That In The Baby Books?
I can’t tell all my MIL stories, so I’ll just list the two things she did this weekend that made me want to punch her:
I’m nursing my 5 month old baby now. Anybody who has nursed or watched a woman nurse knows that occasionally the baby pulls or bites. I was talking about how I am not looking forward to teething because of the biting.
My MIL tells me (again) that the best thing to do if a baby acts up while nursing is just to hit her across the face. Just smack her on the cheek or flick her on the temple. Just hit her a little. She goes on and on until I snap at her that I’M NOT GOING TO HIT MY INFANT IN THE FACE. She got pissed off and wouldn’t speak to me for an hour.
Also on the baby front, I was talking to my mom about how we were giving the baby a sippy cup occasionally and letting her taste water (at the pediatrician’s recommendation). But the baby’s not interested. My MIL told me to fill the cup with Sprite and give the baby soda because she’ll like the sweet taste.

Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels
15. We’ve Just Never Seen Eye-To-Eye
I’ve never loved my MIL (or any of my husband’s family, for that matter). The first time they met me, they commented on my weight. My husband (then boyfriend) told them it was unacceptable and he would cut them out of his life if they ever made a comment like that again. His mom is really controlling and opinionated and when we bought a house together I thought she’d be there all the time but we’ve lived in the house for 7 years now and she’s only been in our house like 4 times.
When we found out I was pregnant she seemed super excited and bought the baby so much stuff like really went overboard and I thought she’d be over visiting the baby every week once he’s born. They’ve been to visit 3 times in 7 months and never stayed more than an hour (one time it was 30 minutes).
My husband is really upset by this. My mom visits all the time. Our son doesn’t even recognize my in laws and screams when he sees them. It’s easier for them to visit us because all his stuff is here. They literally drive through our town every weekend to go shopping and they never stop in.
I think the issue is my MIL is a control freak. I’ve noticed that has my husband has taken steps away from home and to start his own life with me things have gotten worse and worse. Even if we visit them she makes rude comments like she doesn’t want us there.
The last straw for me is they recently got a new dog… and they named it my nickname. Like think “Alexandra” to “Alex”. I mainly go by my full name but use the nickname quite often too and they’ve even called me it. I’m honestly so offended. The worst part is, the MIL has always hated people naming their dogs people names so this just seems super deliberate to me.

Ivan Samkov
14. Dealing with a Delusional MIL
My MIL is constantly inventing reasons to hate me. She likes to manipulate people to make herself the advice giver, so when my wife and I bought a house an hour away she lost her grip on her and my stepson (wife was a single mom before we met) and this is her pathetic attempt to remain relevant.
She told my wife she thinks I never served in the military, which would mean I am a true psycho since I’m covered in military tattoos. Although my wife didn’t believe her I was happy to provide all my paperwork, but MIL said I could have faked that all. I guess I photoshopped the pictures too.
She told my wife our house looks like a bachelor pad, presumably because I don’t let my stepson leave legos all over the kitchen island and dining table, or stuffed animals covering the couch. She’s also upset he isn’t allowed in our bedroom, as if not allowing him to come in whenever he wants is some form of child abuse.
Most recently we bought a second Tesla for my wife and when my wife showed up at brunch MIL made a bunch of comments about how we could afford that. My wife’s friend jokingly said it must be from selling drugs so MIL called my wife after and asked if I was really selling drugs. MIL makes all these little comments to my wife, my wife’s sisters, and the rest of her family so now I really don’t even want to be around most of them. My SIL is great and just dismisses it since she knows how their mom is, but the rest of the family doesn’t know me well and probably takes her “concerns” seriously.
To be clear, there was never any indication my military service was fake, or that I am a drug dealer, it is all based on the my MIL claiming she has some kind of psychic gift and she sees my dark energy or some crap. I am reaching the point where I don’t want MIL in our home or around my children when they are born.
On the flip side my wife doesn’t really care what her mom thinks, her parents are divorced and her dad is the one she respects and values his opinion. He loves me and I’m grateful to have a great father in law.
(deleted)

Nicole Michalu/Pexels
13. Mother-in-Law’s Jealousy Takes Center Stage
I’m writing this on behalf of my sister. My sister (25f) got married to her now husband (26m) in July of 2022. Their wedding was so sweet! But there was a problem that happened and I didn’t know about it until very recently…
My sister’s future MIL arrived at the venue about an hour and a half before the wedding started. And surprise! She was wearing a WHITE dress, almost identical to my sister’s. My sister had on a sleek fitting, snug, white lace dress with a few crystals around the waist and she had white flowers in her hair. She looked beautiful.
My sister’s MIL showed up in almost the exact same sleek, white, laced dress and of course, white flowers wrapped in her hair. So at this point the only people at the venue were my sister, her fiancé (he was in a completely different area of the venue and hadn’t seen either of them) and his mom who had shown up VERY early. My sister almost threw up when her MIL stepped out of her car and saw her dress. She told me she could feel herself going pale.
She greeted her future MIL and asked her what she was wearing. Her MIL looked confused at this point and told her it was her outfit for the venue. My sister described to me how she could see a somewhat evil smirk creep on her MIL’s face. My sister saw red, she flipped out and said that her MIL was gonna have to change outfits or leave because this was her special day and white is what brides wear.
My sister’s MIL kicked off and called her a brat, and said she couldn’t believe her son was marrying such an ugly diva. My sister told me about the tears forming in her eyes and how she screamed as loud as she could for this woman to get the hell out of the venue and not to go near the after party or associate with her again.
MIL left and didn’t show up. She texted her son to say she had fallen ill and wouldn’t be able to make it. My sister hasn’t told her now husband as she feels it would break the marriage since she didn’t say anything. Every time she sees MIL all she can see is the jealous green flecks in her eyes and the evil smirk.

Leah Kelley/Pexels
12. Overstepping Boundaries
My mother in law re-organized my house and my newborn’s entire room when I was in the hospital after I had my baby. My significant other had lended her a key just to feed the cats and she completely overstepped her boundaries. It’s been almost a month since then.
My breast pump broke and I had an extra one put away in my newborn’s closet and when I went to go grab it, ONCE AGAIN, something was not where it was supposed to be. My significant other then called her asking her where it was and told her to never do this again that we still can’t find stuff. When he got home he looked for it himself and finally found it, but not where it should’ve been.
He then went to go say how he’s going to call his mom and apologize. I told him that we have nothing to be sorry for that she should’ve never touched my things without asking, let alone go through all of our stuff and re-organize it. He told me she was crying and she now feels uncomfortable to even come here. How about she puts her big girl pants on and apologizes for what she did?

Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels
11. Always A Watchful Eye
My MIL lives next door and every time she leaves her place, she has to pass ours. And she doesn’t just pass — she slows her car and visibly scans every window in our house. Sometimes we make eye contact and it gets awkward.
I guess she likes to keep track of where we are. She’s made comments like “I’ve noticed you’re not in the living room much lately — where in the house do you go?” It’s super weird and invasive and I literally don’t know to handle it. I feel like I’m a zoo animal.
And yes, I know we need blinds, though she’s commented in the past how much it would hurt her if we have blinds closed because that would “look unfriendly”.
I’m going nuts.
OutrageousSea5212

RDNE Stock Project/Pexels
10. Parental Intruder
I know this will sound silly, but it’s just starting to upset me. My husband and I live in an estate at unit 402, my mother-in-law moved into the same estate (after we moved) to unit 419, just so you can get an idea of how close that is.
My MIL has this thing where she thinks it’s hilarious to move stuff around my house (fridge magnets move in my bathrooms, my bathroom candles under my pillows, she moved my husband’s funko pop I got him as a gift to the bottom of my tv stand which my dog got a hold of and destroyed, etc).
Last time she did this, she broke the fridge magnets that my husband and I collect from our trips together—on top of that she steals alcohol from me. Due to this, we don’t ask her to pet sit for us when we go out because I don’t want her in our house.
She is now helping herself into our home to use our Wi-Fi, to take our pool key, or to just lay on the couch with my dog. I feel uncomfortable with her just going into my house and being able to snoop. My husband thinks I’m just getting upset because I don’t like his mom and he doesn’t get it. Maybe I am just being harsh and it’s fine, but I still get so angry when I think of her in my house without me.

Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
9. The Passive-Aggressive “Influencer”
After 10 long years of a rollercoaster relationship with my MIL, my husband and I had cut her off for the foreseeable future. As a typical narcissist would, that conversation didn’t go well (textbook narcissist response). This is ultimately the safest option for our marriage and importantly, our two children.
I hadn‘t removed her from my social media, as she tends to post things that are passive jabs towards us (mainly me) and it helps me to feel safe and in control to see them. She has recently decided to block me, which I understand is probably a blessing in disguise for my own mental health.
However, I had my husband check her feed and she’s posted another passive “You have deeply hurt me, and now your life will suffer too because of it” (You know those randomly specific quotes that that generation seem to find and reshare).
Is this something my husband should call out? Or is this something we need to ignore? I am really at a loss because clearly after 10 years of this same s***, we haven’t done a good job boundary-wise. I don’t know whether we need to call out these smaller things or protect our peace.

Tofros.com/Pexels
8. This Doesn’t Seem Like A Ridiculous Request…
I informed my MIL that my son will not be meeting her brother who will be released from prison this week after his 25-year sentence for molesting his stepson. Among many other very young boys. This was his second conviction by the way.
She was PISSED! Telling me I’m unreasonable and that he’s changed now and that he won’t hurt my son.
Well mom, if he molested his stepson, I’m pretty sure he’ll molest his nephew that he’s never met. My son is the same age as his step son when he molested him so no… thank you.
She watches my son while I work and said that (even though I said not to) she would let her brother into her home while my son is there. So she’s not watching him anymore. I cannot believe someone could be so idiotic.
deleted

Kristina Paukshtite/Pexels
7. Thanksgiving Costs 9 Lives
My MIL and I went to dinner and she asked me our plans for Thanksgiving. I said we may go to my sister’s because my whole family will be there, or my husband’s aunt’s on his dad’s side (her ex in-laws). She didn’t say anything there, but about a week later, when she came over for dinner, again just us, she let me know we cannot spend Thanksgiving with the aunts.
She said holidays are for parents only. So because my parents would be at my sister’s house, we could go there, but not my husband’s aunt’s because no parents are there and we should spend it with her instead (my husband’s father has passed, so we consider spending time with that side of the family the same as if we were to spend it with him).
I was really mad and said I didn’t think it was right she was trying to tell us what we can and can’t do. It got awkward and she left shortly after. She complained to my husband that she thought it was rude I didn’t include her in our plans. Normally, I would agree, but she’s our neighbor and we see her all the time. I wanted to spend it with family we seldom see.
She obviously isn’t welcome to the aunt’s house as it’s her ex sister-in-law. I apologized and invited her to my sister’s (after checking it was ok) and she said yes, but she didn’t end up going because her cat died. I was also kind of mad about that after she made such a fuss to be included.
I think it’s ridiculous that she feels she has any say in our holiday plans. On one hand, I understand her frustration because she’s single with just the one child so her options are limited, but on the other hand, I feel like it’s not our problem and we shouldn’t be weighed down by her.
She doesn’t have a close relationship with my husband so I know he is indifferent. I know this will happen again this year, and my husband has already told me he wants to go to his aunt’s. When she gets upset, what do we say?
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6. Really Know How To Make Someone Feel Left Out
I had a son when I was a teen – his dad and I didn’t work out. I married my husband and had 2 more kids. My mother in law has never accepted my son that isn’t biologically related to her. She doesn’t tell him Happy Birthday, doesn’t get him anything for Christmas, nothing. It’s been almost 10 years of this crap.
A lot of the time, I avoid going there or sending my 2 other children with her. In 2019, I decided to not speak or step foot in her house anymore, and I rarely let my younger ones go over. After Christmas passed, my father in law reached out asking if the kids can go over to open the gifts and have pizza.
I told my husband to call and ask if they got my other son anything, so he wouldn’t feel left out. She said yes, they have gifts and money. They picked up the younger two. When pick up time happened, she said, “oh sorry, I thought we had gifts but we didn’t, I didn’t know what he liked.” So she lied just to get the younger ones to go over.
She said, “oh well, I can just cash app you some money,” completely missing the point and forgetting she lied. My husband gets into really depressive episodes whenever he knows his family is wrong. It’s so draining. They never change.

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5. Returning The Wedding Gift
I’m engaged, planning on getting married next fall to my fiancee. We want something very small, we have a guest list of 11 people and we want to wear clothes we already own (when we first met she was in a suit and I was wearing a white dress). We have a mutual best friend who is helping us design custom rings, and we want a short ceremony where we just sign the certificate and we’re done, followed by a meal at our favorite restaurant.
My parents transferred me £10,000, and her parents did the same. We did not ask for this.
We both called our parents and explained that we were fine for money, but they said it was a “wedding gift”, so we thanked them and agreed with each other to put both amounts it in our ISA.
MIL wanted to know how we were doing the outfits and we told her that I’d be in a dress and Fiancee would be in a suit. She has spent 2 weeks trying to convince Fiancee to wear a dress so she will look “pretty” for the wedding. Every time either of us has tried to say we’d already chosen our outfits and explained why she insisted that we both had to buy wedding dresses.
My parents, meanwhile, have been nagging both of us about our guest list. We said small and intimate from the start but they’ve given me expanded guest lists, which includes cousins/uncles/aunts I’ve never even met. When we tried to reinforce the “small and intimate” aspect they brushed us off.
We met both sets of parents for lunch earlier. They said that there was a miscommunication and the money from her parents was actually a “dress budget” for both of us, meant to only be used on dresses, and the money from my parents was for “the guest list” so it was meant to cover venue and catering for an expanded guest list.
We both went away from the table to talk. We discussed it and agreed that the money wasn’t worth it, so we brought up our banking apps and transferred the money back. Then we went back to the table, sat back down, and told them what we’d done.
They responded that we were acting like children, and we said that we wouldn’t be told what to do. My mum and my future mother in law promptly burst into tears, and both fathers looked pretty angry. They told us that the money was meant for us, and we said that we wouldn’t accept anything from them that came with strings attached. We repeated that we had all wedding elements, including our outfits and guest list already decided. We said it was final and we wouldn’t be taking suggestions, to which they said we were being unfair by not giving them a say. We then thanked them for the meal, put down a £20 each (our meals came to about £15) and left without another word.
We felt justified at the time, but since then we’ve both gotten messages from our siblings, saying that we were rude to our respective parents when they were just trying to do something nice, and now we feel like we went too far. Did we?

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4. Unreasonable Expectations
I’m not a lady, and my mother in law loves me. She constantly tells my wife to treat me better, to take better care of me, etc. – you know, basically drives my wife insane.
That however is far from the only thing she does. My mother in law constantly compares my wife to the children of her friends and relatives.
It starts with “Look what a dutiful son Li is,” “See how well your cousin Xiu is doing in school,” did you hear about your cousin Xiangfeng? She just bought a beautiful house.” Why aren’t you doing as well as they are?
The insane thing about this is that my wife is doing so much better than the people she is being compared to.
E.G. Li has run off with his girlfriend and dropped off the face of the Earth, his parents have no idea where he is – not very dutiful. In the meantime, my wife convinced me (a Caucasian American) to allow her parents to move in with us so she can take care of them like a dutiful daughter (my wife is a product of China’s “one child” policy, so there is no eldest son to take care of them. Makes her a pretty damn dutiful daughter if you ask me.)
Xiu got pregnant and dropped out of school and is now living with her father. While my wife finished college here in the US and is now a working professional.
Xiangfeng bought ONE house, while my wife and I purchased 5 and are renting out four of them.
After a while, you might think the comparisons would stop, but Nooooooooo! They just go on and on and on until my wife is ready to scream bloody murder and I get to calm her down.

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3. The Visiting Full-Time Resident
My mother law isn’t that bad, she’s just EXTREMELY nosey. She loves to do our laundry and clean our house. Nice, right? Yeah, but it depends on how you would define that. I have a clean room but she goes through ALL my drawers, socks, underwear, bra, etc. You name it, she has gone through it.
She folds everything nice and neat, whereas I usually just jam everything in. She then goes through my walk-in closet and organizes everything by color. I once said out loud in the kitchen, I’m gonna wear that little purple sweater coverall, and she tells me what coverall, you don’t have any purple coveralls?
She also goes through all my suitcases where I store personal items (in my closet). Yeah, I cried when I noticed everything back in its original packaging. Embarrassing? Yes. But I didn’t lock it because who in their right mind would go through other people’s suitcases in their closets.
She doesn’t live with us, she just visits us for long periods of time during the summer, winter, fall and spring…
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2. Weddings Are Just For The Cake?
My ex-MIL threw a screaming fit right before my wedding started because I had forgotten the crystal cake topper that she had purchased. I believe the line, “that f-ing b**** did this ON PURPOSE to embarrass me!” was the one that rang out the loudest once people were stunned into silence by her behavior. Sadly, this is one of many many many stories about that awful woman.

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1. It Wasn’t The Milkman
The first time I met my significant other’s family, I was shocked to see that he looked absolutely nothing like them. He’s tall, lanky, pale, dark haired and dark eyed, while his mother, father, brother, and two younger sisters all have red hair, freckles, and are sort of box-shaped people. Without thinking, I said “Wow, talk about getting friendly with the milk-man!”. His mother gave me a death glare and immediately got up and left the dinner table. I’m told that it was not the milkman but her former boss.
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The Ultimate TV Show Showdown: Fans Debate The Greatest Series Ever Made
Television shows have been a staple of modern entertainment for decades, captivating audiences with their unique storylines, lovable characters, and unforgettable moments. While there have been countless TV shows that have left an impact on viewers, there are always a few that stand out from the rest, capturing the hearts and minds of fans worldwide.
We’ve reached out to fans of different television shows to find out what makes their favorite show the greatest of all time. From classic dramas to hilarious comedies, we’ve compiled a list of reasons why these shows continue to hold a special place in the hearts of viewers, long after their final episode aired. So sit back, relax, and let’s take a trip down memory lane as we explore what makes these shows so timeless:
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is the best TV show of all time because it revolutionized the sitcom genre, set a new standard for comedic writing and acting, and remains relevant even today. Its unique brand of observational humor and witty banter, coupled with iconic characters like Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer, captured the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. It tackled complex social issues with intelligence and humor, challenging the status quo and breaking down barriers.
Its timeless humor has transcended generations, inspiring countless imitations and becoming a cultural phenomenon. Seinfeld’s legacy as the greatest TV show of all time is a testament to its enduring influence and its ability to make us laugh and think even decades after its initial release.
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Friends
Friends is one of the best TV shows of all time because of its iconic characters, memorable catchphrases, and relatable storylines. The six main characters – Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe – became cultural icons and remain beloved by fans worldwide. The show’s blend of humor, drama, and romance created a unique viewing experience that resonated with audiences of all ages.
The show tackled complex issues such as relationships, career aspirations, and family dynamics with sensitivity and humor. The show’s witty dialogue and quick-paced humor set the standard for many sitcoms that followed it. Friends continues to be a timeless classic, with new generations discovering and falling in love with the show every day.
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The Office
The Office is undoubtedly one of the best TV shows of all time due to its unmatched blend of humor, heart, and satire. The show’s innovative “mockumentary” style allowed viewers to feel like they were a part of the action, creating a level of immersion and engagement rarely seen in television. The diverse and nuanced characters, from Michael Scott to Dwight Schrute, brought the show to life with their unique personalities, quirks, and flaws.
Its themes of office politics, relationships, and personal growth were relatable to audiences of all ages, making it a timeless classic. The Office’s use of cringe humor, observational comedy, and meta-references set it apart from other sitcoms and made it a cultural phenomenon. The show’s clever writing, impeccable timing, and genuine heart ensured that it will remain a beloved favorite for years to come.
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Succession
Listen, if you haven’t seen Succession yet, you are seriously missing out on one of the greatest TV shows of all time. This show is a rollercoaster ride of drama, humor, and cutthroat business maneuvers that will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s about the rich and dysfunctional Roy family, who are fighting tooth and nail to maintain control of their media empire.
The writing is so damn good, the characters are so damn compelling, and the acting is out of this world. Seriously, Brian Cox as Logan Roy is a force to be reckoned with. And don’t even get me started on the twists and turns in this show. You never know what’s going to happen next.
If you’re looking for a show that will keep you entertained and engaged from start to finish, you need to give Succession a chance. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
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Mad Men
Mad Men is simply a masterpiece. This show set in the 1960s ad industry in New York City has it all: incredible writing, impeccable acting, and stunning visuals. It’s a show that will transport you back to a time when cigarettes were cool and sexism was rampant, but in a way that’s both fascinating and thought-provoking.
The characters are complex, flawed, and so real that you’ll forget they’re not actual people. The attention to detail is unparalleled, and the show’s exploration of themes like identity, power, and morality is nothing short of brilliant. If you’re a fan of great storytelling and want to see some of the best acting on TV, then Mad Men is a must-watch.
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Stranger Things
Stranger Things is an absolute must-see for anyone who loves sci-fi, horror, and great TV. This show has it all: an intriguing and captivating storyline, complex characters that you’ll root for, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a love letter to the 80s, with amazing visuals, a killer soundtrack, and tons of references that will make you nostalgic for a time you may not have even lived through.
From the amazing child actors to the standout performances from the adults, the cast is top-notch. And let’s not forget about the creepy monsters, the secret government experiments, and the Upside Down – it’s a show that will keep you guessing until the very end. So if you’re looking for a show that’s both thrilling and nostalgic, Stranger Things is the one for you.
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Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul is a masterclass in storytelling. With its slow-burning pace and attention to detail, this show keeps you hooked from start to finish. It’s a prequel to Breaking Bad, but it stands on its own as a brilliant series that delves into the complex character of Saul Goodman. The writing is superb, with clever dialogue and intricate plotlines that will leave you breathless. And the performances are top-notch, with Bob Odenkirk delivering a career-defining performance as Saul.
But what makes this show truly great is its ability to blend humor and drama seamlessly. It’s a show that can make you laugh one minute and break your heart the next. So if you’re looking for a show that’s both smart and emotionally resonant, Better Call Saul is the one for you.
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Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is a true masterpiece of television. From its gripping plot to its unforgettable characters, this show has it all. Bryan Cranston’s performance as Walter White is nothing short of astounding, and the supporting cast is just as excellent. The writing is exceptional, with each episode building on the last to create a complex and nuanced story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
What really sets Breaking Bad apart is its willingness to explore difficult moral questions and tackle the dark side of the human psyche. This is a show that isn’t afraid to push boundaries and take risks, and it pays off in spades. If you haven’t seen Breaking Bad yet, you’re missing out on one of the greatest shows of all time.
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Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a cultural phenomenon that redefined what television could be. With its intricate plotlines, larger-than-life characters, and stunning visuals, this show captivated audiences around the world. From the beginning, the writing was razor-sharp, weaving together multiple storylines and introducing us to a vast array of memorable characters.
As the show progressed, it only got better, with epic battles, shocking twists, and moments that left fans on the edge of their seats. But what truly sets Game of Thrones apart is its commitment to exploring complex themes like power, politics, and morality.
This isn’t just a show about dragons and magic; it’s a deep dive into the human psyche and the forces that shape our world. Simply put, Game of Thrones is one of the greatest shows of all time, and it deserves to be remembered as a true masterpiece of television.
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Lost
Lost is a show that captivated audiences with its intricate storytelling and mysterious plot. From the very first episode, viewers were hooked on the mystery of the island and the diverse cast of characters who found themselves stranded there.
The show’s ability to seamlessly blend genres, from science fiction to drama to action, is a testament to its brilliant writing and direction. Every episode was a rollercoaster ride of emotion and excitement, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats.
What really sets Lost apart, however, is its exploration of deeper themes such as redemption, forgiveness, and the human condition. The show tackled complex philosophical questions and ethical dilemmas, making it more than just a simple adventure series. Lost was a true cultural phenomenon that still resonates with audiences today.
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24
24 is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, with each episode packed with more twists and turns than you can count.
The real-time format of the show is what sets it apart from others in its genre. Each episode covers an hour in the day of counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer, with each season spanning a single day. This format creates a sense of urgency and tension that is unmatched by any other show.
Kiefer Sutherland’s performance as Jack Bauer is nothing short of remarkable. He brings a sense of gravitas and intensity to the role that is unmatched by any other actor. The supporting cast is equally strong, with each character adding depth and complexity to the story.
24 is a show that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you breathless. If you’re a fan of high-stakes thrillers, this show is an absolute must-watch.
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The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an iconic show that has stood the test of time, and for good reason. The series boasts a brilliant cast of talented actresses, who bring humor and heart to every episode. From the hilarious antics of Rose and Blanche to the dry wit of Dorothy and Sophia, there is never a dull moment in the Golden Girls household.
But what truly sets The Golden Girls apart is its ability to tackle important issues with grace and sensitivity. The show tackled issues such as aging, illness, sexuality, and death in a way that was both thought-provoking and entertaining. Its ability to address complex topics with humor and heart is a testament to the show’s writing and performances.
The Golden Girls remains a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences today. Its themes of love, friendship, and acceptance are just as relevant now as they were when the show first aired. If you’re looking for a show that will make you laugh, cry, and think, The Golden Girls is the perfect choice.
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ER
If you’re searching for a medical drama that’s both thrilling and heart-wrenching, then ER should be at the top of your list. This award-winning series follows the lives of doctors and nurses working in a Chicago emergency room, facing challenging medical cases and personal struggles on a daily basis. With a talented ensemble cast including George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, and Anthony Edwards, ER will keep you on the edge of your seat with its fast-paced action and emotional depth.
From life-saving surgeries to personal tragedies, this show will leave you feeling invested in its characters and the intense world of emergency medicine. So if you’re looking for a show that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking, don’t miss out on ER.
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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
If you’re looking for a classic sitcom with memorable characters and hilarious moments, look no further than The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Starring Will Smith in his breakout role, the show follows the antics of a street-smart teenager who moves from the mean streets of West Philadelphia to the upscale neighborhood of Bel-Air to live with his wealthy relatives.
Along with his eccentric family, including his lovable Uncle Phil and sassy cousin Hilary, Will navigates the challenges of fitting in with his new surroundings while staying true to himself. With its iconic theme song and timeless humor, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a must-watch for anyone in the mood for some lighthearted entertainment.
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The Wire
The Wire is one of the best TV shows of all time due to its gritty realism, exceptional writing, and powerful storytelling. The show, which premiered in 2002, explores the interconnected worlds of law enforcement, drug dealers, and politicians in Baltimore, Maryland, delving into the complex social issues and systemic problems that plague inner-city communities.
Its commitment to authenticity, including the use of real-life former police officers and drug dealers as consultants and actors, gave it a level of realism and authenticity that few other TV shows can match. The show’s multi-layered storytelling, complex characters, and exploration of themes such as institutional corruption, social inequality, and the human condition made it a critical darling and a cultural touchstone.
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The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is a groundbreaking series that has had a lasting impact on science fiction and horror genres in popular culture. Its unique blend of suspense, mystery, and social commentary captured the imaginations of viewers for decades and continues to inspire new generations.
With each episode exploring a different theme or scenario, the show’s ability to both entertain and provoke thought is unparalleled. From the iconic opening sequence to the twist endings that left audiences questioning their perception of reality, The Twilight Zone remains a timeless classic that has stood the test of time.
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The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is one of the best TV shows of all time due to its unique blend of humor, heart, and pop culture references. The show, which aired from 2007 to 2019, followed a group of socially awkward scientists and their friends as they navigate the ups and downs of life and love. The show’s blend of witty writing, clever pop culture references, and heartwarming moments struck a chord with audiences, making it a cultural phenomenon.
The show’s ensemble cast, including Jim Parsons as the iconic Sheldon Cooper and Kaley Cuoco as Penny, brought their characters to life with nuance and depth, making them feel like real people viewers could root for and relate to.
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Star Trek
Boldly go where no one has gone before. This iconic phrase from Star Trek perfectly captures the spirit of the show. Set in the distant future, Star Trek follows the voyages of the Starship Enterprise and its crew as they explore the unknown depths of space, encounter new life forms and civilizations, and boldly go where no one has gone before.
Star Trek has captured the imaginations of viewers around the world for over half a century, with its thought-provoking stories, complex characters, and groundbreaking visual effects. From the original series in the 1960s to the many spin-offs and reboots that have followed, Star Trek has become a cultural phenomenon that has inspired generations of fans.
At its core, Star Trek is a celebration of human potential and the power of exploration and discovery. Its messages of hope, unity, and exploration continue to resonate with audiences today, making it one of the most enduring and beloved franchises in television history. Boldly go and experience the wonder of Star Trek for yourself.
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I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy has been entertaining audiences for generations, and for good reason. The chemistry between the main characters, Lucy and Ricky, is undeniable, and the humor is both clever and slapstick. The show also paved the way for sitcoms to come, introducing elements like the laugh track and multi-camera setups.
But beyond its technical achievements, I Love Lucy is simply a joy to watch. The charming performances, witty writing, and memorable moments make it a true TV classic. So if you haven’t seen it yet, give it a watch and see why I Love Lucy is still beloved today.
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The Simpsons
The Simpsons is one of the best TV shows of all time because of its innovative humor, iconic characters, and cultural relevance. The show’s blend of satire, pop culture references, and absurdity revolutionized the animated sitcom genre, paving the way for shows like Family Guy and South Park. The Simpson family and their neighbors in Springfield became beloved icons, with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie each possessing their own unique personalities and quirks. The show’s ability to tackle topical issues and political commentary with humor and nuance made it a cultural touchstone, influencing generations of viewers and spawning countless imitators.
The Simpsons‘ impact on popular culture cannot be overstated, with catchphrases, merchandise, and memes permeating the zeitgeist. The show’s incredible longevity and consistent quality over 30+ seasons is a testament to its enduring legacy and cultural significance.
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Atlanta
Atlanta is one of the most unique and thought-provoking shows out there. It tackles tough social issues with humor and grace, all while providing captivating characters and stories. The show follows the life of Earn, a Princeton dropout who returns to his hometown of Atlanta to manage his cousin’s rap career. What makes Atlanta so special is its ability to seamlessly blend genres, incorporating elements of comedy, drama, and surrealism to create a truly unforgettable viewing experience.
The show also addresses timely topics such as police brutality, mental health, and race relations with a nuance that is rarely seen on television. It’s a must-watch for anyone who craves something truly original.
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Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is one of the best TV shows of all time due to its groundbreaking comedy, cultural relevance, and impact on the entertainment industry. The show, which premiered in 1975, revolutionized sketch comedy with its bold and irreverent approach, introducing audiences to memorable characters such as the Coneheads, Wayne and Garth, and the Blues Brothers.
The show’s diverse and talented cast, including comedic legends such as Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, and Tina Fey, has helped to shape the world of comedy and entertainment for decades. Saturday Night Live‘s ability to comment on current events and satirize cultural norms and trends has made it a cultural touchstone, shaping the way we think about comedy and popular culture.
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South Park
South Park is one of the best TV shows of all time due to its biting satire, irreverent humor, and fearless approach to tackling controversial subjects. The animated series, which premiered in 1997, follows the adventures of four foul-mouthed boys living in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado. The show’s use of animation allows it to tackle taboo subjects in a way that live-action shows can’t, making it a groundbreaking cultural phenomenon.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s sharp writing, memorable characters, and iconic catchphrases made it an instant classic, and its ability to tackle difficult subjects such as religion, politics, and social issues with equal parts humor and insight set a new standard for satire in the world of television. South Park‘s influence on popular culture is as strong as ever.
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The West Wing
The West Wing is one of the best TV shows of all time due to its intelligent writing, exceptional acting, and timely political commentary. The show, which premiered in 1999, follows the inner workings of the White House under the fictional administration of President Josiah Bartlet, played masterfully by Martin Sheen. The show’s fast-paced dialogue, complex storylines, and sharp writing made it a standout in the world of political dramas, setting a high bar for the genre. The show’s ensemble cast, including Aaron Sorkin regulars like Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney, brought depth and nuance to their characters, making them feel like real people grappling with complex issues.
The West Wing‘s ability to tackle tough political issues with intelligence and grace, and its unwavering commitment to the ideals of democracy and public service, made it a cultural touchstone and an inspiration to viewers around the world. The show’s influence on the world of television and politics can still be seen today.
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Living With Terrible Roommates: The Stories You Can’t Unhear
We’ve all heard stories about nightmare roommates – the ones who never clean, steal your food, or blast music at all hours of the night. It’s hard to imagine living with someone like that, but for many people, it’s a reality. That’s why we’ve collected some of the craziest and most cringe-worthy roommate experiences out there.
We’ve got tales of messes you wouldn’t believe, roommates who never leave the house, and even some horror stories that will make you grateful for your own living situation.
Whether you’re currently sharing a space with someone or just looking for a good laugh, these stories are sure to make you shake your head in disbelief. So sit back, relax, and prepare to be shocked by some of the worst roommate experiences you’ve ever heard.
Spooky Sleepwalker
The worst story I have is just really creepy. She was a great roommate but i couldn’t sleep right for a month after.
So it’s literally the first night we are sleeping in the same room, so things are already a little awkward since we only know each other’s names. But night falls and we go to sleep. I wake up to the sound of her yelling “NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOO” and then she flings all of her blankets off of her bed and onto the floor.
At this point I’m freaked out so i ask if she’s okay and she doesn’t reply. Instead she sits up and looks around, sees the window and kind of whispers “not the window…” then she stands up and walks to the window. At this point i realize she must be sleep walking, or crazy.
She gets to the window grabs the lock with both hands and is locking and unlocking the window over and over again while whispering to herself. She never opened it, but after about 3 minutes of that she let’s go and says “that’ll do”. And then starts walking back to her bed, but when she was passing by my bed she stopped and turned to face me.
Then she just stood there sleep (i hope) staring at me for a good 2 minutes. Then she started whispering to herself again walked passed her bed to the door, dragged her hand down the middle of it, turned around and walked to her bed and went back to sleep.
I was terrified, but i never told her about it. She never did it again.
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Snoozer With An Attitude
My freshman year, I had a crazy roommate. He was a bigger guy with a stache who thought all the women around him desired him. He tried very hard to make people like him, and failed miserably. He also had some s***** roommate habits.
For example, he would set multiple alarms in the morning and not wake up when they went off, which forced me to get up and wake him up every time (it was a college dorm where we slept in the same room). He would also drive like 80 MPH on residential roads to to try and impress people.
Anyway. After 4 weeks of creeping everyone out in the hall and alienating himself, someone took his iPad as a joke. He freaked out and threatened multiple people, saying he would hack their computers and destroy their lives. Eventually someone told him his iPad was in one of my friend’s rooms.
He went inside, grabbed the guy, put a knife to his throat, and asked him where the iPad was. The cops came and he was expelled. But after that I didn’t have to share my room the rest of the year, so that was cool.
Image Source: Pexels/Anete Lusina
Vile Vagrant
I made the mistake of living with someone who had no regard for the way they lived. He would complain about his lifestyle from time to time, but wouldn’t do anything to fix it. In the year I lived with him, his room was cleaned once.
That one time sent a wave of stench through the apartment after he awakened it from it’s slumber. This was also the type of guy who complained about not having cash, or constantly felt sick, but chose to spend a majority of his nights at the bar.
Not sure what he’s up to now, he wanted to become a teacher, so good luck to him.
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Was Just Trying To Help A Friend
I made the mistake of living with friends, and it all went to s***. They were all slobs and I got really tired of cleaning up after them, but that wasn’t the worst of it. No, the worst of it was my one friend’s boyfriend. You see, she had previously been in a bad relationship, and all of us we would say if we thought she was in another bad one.
Did that work? lol no.
Everyone hated her new boyfriend but I was the only one that flat out told her she was being used and she should get out. I became Enemy #1, as suddenly everyone else was so supportive of her relationship. They plotted ways to get back at me. I actually overheard them saying what they were going to do around the apartment to piss me off.
Jokes on her. They’re divorced now, and one of the others in a spiraling-to-hell relationship. The one I remained friends with (she didn’t plot, she was just a slob) is still contently married.
I did get a half-hearted apology one time, but it was cut off when I said I wasn’t sorry for anything.
Image Source: Pexels/Cottonbro Studios
Thank The Frogs
Hope I’m not too late. I had a roommate who was extremely conservative and really religious. She was also VERY frugal. She insisted on doing the dishes every night, but would only use 1 drop of soap for the entire load. It got to the point where it became habit to pull “clean” dishes out of the cabinet and quickly wash it before we could use it.
I also had pet frogs that summer. Frogs that like temperature control. Well this frugal roommate went on a rampage during the hottest week of the summer and tried to ban us from using the air conditioning to save money. We would all fight back and turn it on when she wasn’t home. After a few weeks of this, one of our other roommates did some research.
Turns out, the breed of frog I had likes to get frisky when their environment gets too warm. So we all agreed to let her control the a/c for awhile. We also moved the frogs to a more prominent location.
About 2 days in, little miss conservative walked in to see the nicely displayed frogs humping each other to no end. She screamed, demanded to know why we were letting this happen. We told her about the research and that if she wanted it to stop, then let us have air conditioning.
We spent the rest of the summer in air conditioned bliss. The weird thing is that she was pretty well off, so we don’t know why she was so cheap.
Image Source: Pexels/Jeffrey Surianto
Terrible Trumpeter
I lived with a guy who drank rum like water and played the trumpet. But that’s just the beginning. Although he couldn’t play the trumpet. He would play the theme to “The Flintstones” but always got stuck on one note, I wanted to take a shovel to the trumpet right at the moment he would mess it up, put us both out of our misery.
In addition, he had a salt water fish tank. No fish could live in it because it was a green algae cesspool of filth. The smell was that of a soggy swamp sneaker in a hot gym locker. He would stand and stare at it and chuckle to himself.
He also cooked pounds pounds and pounds of kale then would try and get the stalks down the garbage disposal, which alway broke it. He would wear a purple robe with no clothes on under it. Granted the guy meant no harm, he was just so annoying to live with.
I still wonder to this day where he is. He went by a name other than his original so I don’t know how to find him.
(mfwater)
Image Source: Pexels/Mart Production
Cleanliness Is Optional
Refusing to buy toilet paper for several days when it was your turn because she didn’t “feel like” going to the store, even though she had literally nothing on her schedule that day. No work, no school, no outing with friends…
Like toilet paper is optional, or is something you can skip for a few days with no repercussions.She also refused to call maintenance for any issue, ever. Ceiling leaking right beside her bed, onto the carpet? Nope. Toilet severely clogged? Nope. Air conditioning broken? Nah.
Image Source: Marcus Spiske/Pexels
Extreme Makeover: Roommate Edition
My housemate (who owned the house) asked me to swap rooms with her, she was moving out in a month and used a lot of my cupboard space as storage so it would (apparently) be easier for her to pack up if she was in my room (turned out she actually just wanted the better room for when her boyfriend came to stay).
I said I’d really prefer not to, the thought of having to go through everything and move rooms, just to move out again in a month, was a bit much. But I said I had no problem with her coming in and out of my room to pack, as that would be way less of an inconvenience, and she agreed to that.
The next day I went out for a few hours with friends and when I came back she announced ‘surprise’ with a big smile on her face… she had swapped our rooms.
(Zinzidec)
Image Source: Pexels/Rodnae Productions
Bringing Chemistry Class Home
My roommate in college wanted to clean the silt stains out of our shared bathtub so he poured bleach and vinegar (don’t even know why we had that in the dorm) for a “super potent cleaner”. After using the restroom and getting light headed I asked what was in the bathtub and when he told me I didn’t think it sounded right so after a single search the first result said it was deadly. It produces chlorine gas which can kill in minutes. So while he’s done some stupid s*** that takes the cake.
Image Source: Pexels/Matilda Wormwood
Flood Warning In My House
I had a roommate who absolutely refused to buy toilet paper. After weeks of her stealing ours, the other 3 of us started hiding it so she would be forced to buy her own. Instead, she started taking heaps of napkins from restaurants and stealing rolls of our paper towels.
One night we all went out to dinner, came home, and the entire basement was flooded because she backed up the toilet with god only knows how much s*** that shouldn’t ever be flushed. That and she would keep piles of old food laying around her room…never did laundry…most disgusting human being I’ve ever met.
Image Source: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska
We Know The Culprit
Got a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue for my birthday from a friend. I went out of town. Roommate proceeds to drink half the bottle and then fill it up with water like I wouldn’t notice. And then had the audacity to lie about it and continues to til this day.
I do believe he doesn’t remember though. He got laid off after getting a dui. Proceeded to drink himself stupid for eight months and was eventually taking our rent money to pay his car bill. Didn’t realize til we had an eviction notice.
Forced him to get his parents to pay for our three months of rent he didn’t pay but I still have an eviction on my record. I have a copy of the notice that says I was not evicted so wherever I go I have to show that to future landlords or when I buy a house so we don’t get denied.
Image Source: Pexels/Castorly Stock
How Many Roommates Does It Take to Change A Lightbulb?
I had to work abroad for three months. I came home to discover the bathroom light bulb had blown just after I left. Roomie felt she couldn’t change it herself so called an electrician. Electrician laughed at her and told her she could save a fortune and do it herself. She still hadn’t done it by the time I got back.
Needless to say I fixed it in about 5 minutes. It would have been sooner but I couldn’t stop chuckling at the thought of her s***ing in the dark for months.
Image Source: Pexels/Burak The Weekender
Perhaps A Vetting Process Next Time?
Circa 2001. It was my first apartment and I wasn’t a good judge of roommate character back then. I was working at a welding shop and had befriended this big Mexican guy after driving him home from work enough to start hanging out at his house after work for a few beers and his mom’s excellent biscuits and gravy she’d make for us.
Naturally, we thought it would be a good idea to roommate at my place to cut down on expense. Little did I know, he was one of those drinkers that black out and destroy everything. Each day after work was him with a case of beer and getting in arguments with kids in Yahoo chat rooms over a mic until he would pass out.
It escalated. He quit going to work and I’d come home with him passed out, vomit all over the floors, p*** in the corners, half-eaten pizza face down on the couch, the works. I started telling him he needed to leave but he wasn’t hearing it.
Eventually he got arrested for something and ended up in jail. I was free. For a while. He got out and I woke to banging on my door. I didn’t let him in. (His mom collected all his things when he got locked up)
Fast forward to recently, I’d been overseas for 6 years and moved back to my home state afterward, and recently stumbled across his Facebook page after not having seen or heard from him in 13 years. We talked. He’s doing really well now, training to be an addiction counselor, and I’m happy for him.
Image Source: Pexels/Element5 Digital
House Up In Smoke
She was making pie (great baker, great person – just kinda…not all there in the head), had some extra crust & decided to cook it up as a sort of crispy cookie-like snack. Put said extra strips of dough on a pan on the bottom of our oven & proceeded to give a friend a ride home.
I was on my way home from work- about a block away, and wondered why my neighborhood smelled like toast all of a sudden. Open my door to be greeted by a plume of smoke & my terrified dogs who probably would’ve been goners if I had stopped somewhere on my way home.
Great times trying to air that charred dough smell out of the house & comfort scared animals.
Image Source: Pexels/Kelly
When Were You Going To Tell Us?
Walked out without a word one day (fairly common). After a few days my other roommate and I realize he hasn’t been back at all in days. How do we contact this f***ing kid. His phone is shut off (didn’t pay) and he doesn’t log onto facebook. We don’t know how to contact his family either. What the f***.
Over 2 months after he just left, he shows up again, apparently lives with other people now, and wants all his stuff. And he doesn’t have any money for us, despite ditching out and missing bills. F*** that kid. It turns out, he can just take his stuff after disappearing and not paying bills, because us keeping it would be stealing. But him not paying? Gotta take him to court to get that back.
F***ing lame.
Image Source: Pexels/Torsten Dettlaff
Selective Listener
I had a deaf roommate who used to steal my pillows because his sucked. When I tried to tell him to knock it off he would pretend not to hear me. Finally I threw his bedding out the window. He would also wash his chicken or trim veggies in the bathroom sink instead of the kitchen which had a garbage disposal.
For the longest time my other roommates couldn’t figure out why the sink kept clogging until we caught him. The worst was he kept cooking strong curry and extremely pungent chili peppers. For 6 months after he moved out my place smelled like curry.
Image Source: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio
Living With A Night Owl
My South Korean roommate in college played StarCraft (2? not sure) welllll into the night. We’re talking like I’d be getting up to go to class and he’d be logging off.
It cured my insomnia. Listening to a game in a language I didn’t understand was very soothing, apparently, and I went from taking 3-4 hours a night to fall asleep (if I would at all) to falling asleep within 30 seconds of laying my head down.
Image Source: Pexels/Erik McLean
My Roommate, The Mafioso
My roommate in college claimed he was involved with the mafia. He was constantly sweaty, was very jumpy, and always had a lot of cash in his car. He never was around on the weekends, and I never saw him drink. Strangest of all, is that he never once slept in his room.
He was always on the couch by the door. He eventually told me that it was because if someone ever broke in looking for him, he wanted “them” to find him right away, so no one else would get hurt. I still don’t know if he was telling the truth but nonetheless I ALWAYS locked my bedroom door at night.
Image Source: Pexels/Pixabay
Late-Night Snacking
I used to cook dinner and always made enough to offer to our room mate. He paid his bills and rent always but sometimes he didn’t have enough for food so I would cook and say “hey man, wanna have dinner with us?”. He would usually say he didn’t like whatever I was making. Fastforward to morning…all the leftovers were gone.
His explanation? He must have been sleepwalking and ate it in his sleep. This happened 15 to 20 times over a year period. Minimum. He would make these big song and dances about how what I was making was gross, so I would put up enough leftovers for two (my boyfriend and I) then go to bed.
What was to be lunches for work gone and often dirty utensils in the sink. Fast forward another 5 years and he called me at 3 am after not talking to me or my partner for 3 years, and told me my now husband (aforementioned BF)was doing Crack in front of our 4 year old. I called my husband, who was asleep.
Neither of us had talked to him in years…what was this? Fast forward another 5 years. He’s on death row for killing his roommate. His defense? He did it sleepwalking.
Image Source: Pexels/Ron Lach
Where Did All Of The Groceries Go?
There are PLENTY, but one of my roommates used to sleep walk and sleep talk almost every night and I was the only one who’d be awake whenever it would happen. I’d witness her cleaning our fridge, sealing our opened bag of chips, and I’d hear her quote Shakespeare in her sleep.
What made her go back to bed was me asking her to sleep and she’d look at me and close her eyes. Whenever I ask her if she recalled any of it, the answer was always no.
Image Source: Pexels/Pixabay
There’s Been A Robbery
My freshman year college roommate was a random pairing. This kid partied all night and slept all day (legit wouldn’t wake up until 5pm) He goes MIA for like a week. I call my mom because I’m not sure he’s even alive. She searches to see if he has been arrested. Before she can call me back the cops are knocking at our door and ask “have you seen ____” and I say no.
Mom calls me back a few minutes later, he had been booked for robbery at a convenience store which was in our dorm building! He tried to hide in an air vent…he made the front page of the campus newspaper, was expelled and I got the whole dorm to myself for the rest of the fall and spring semester.
(Rich_2)
Image Source: Pexels/Pixabay
Should I Say Something?
I spent over a year falling asleep to the angry, muffled, whisper-but-not-really arguments between my roomie and his girlfriend. Just muffled enough that I couldn’t understand what the problem was, but they were clearly not happy together.
So I’d just lie in bed wondering, what’s my duty of care here? Like they weren’t violent with each other, and it wasn’t like one person was terrorizing the other, it was just two young people in a consensual and mutual spiral of despair.
Image Source: Pexels/Timur Weber
That’s Just Disgusting
First college roommate rarely did laundry and would “borrow” my underwear – especially for dates – and return them dirty (unwashed).
I told him in unequivocal terms to keep his hands off my junk, but he’d borrow whatever he needed anyway.
Image Source: Pexels/Rodnae Productions
You Should Definitely Get That Checked Out
She was majorly depressed. She worked a lot and for very little money, so she would mostly come home and lock herself in her room. At some point, she stopped cleaning or doing laundry.
She worked at a childcare center, and at some point contracted impetigo. Gross, but treatable. She wouldn’t get it treated, however, because it was too expensive. So I lived in fear I would contract it, let alone the other kids she was watching (she told her work it was being treated and was no longer contagious, they just believed her).
She had these massive, crusty patches all over her face and just didn’t care. After five whole weeks, she FINALLY went to the doctor.Things were tense until her mom came to visit a few weeks later and convinced her to be committed.
She had been sending suicidal messages to her mom every day for weeks. Her mom paid her rent for the next three months until the lease was up, and she moved back home. Never spoke again. Hope she is doing better.
(deleted)
Image Source: Pexels/Polina Tankilevitch
A Collection Of Unpleasant Roommate
I had a college roommate who was obsessed with CSI. She had a CSI pillow and sheets/blankets. She refused to turn on any lights and kept all blinds shut. She hated light and would sigh loudly if I would turn the lights on to do anything.
I went to college right around when you needed a college email to make a Facebook, and she would tell me that Facebook is how they spy on you… she said she would never have a MySpace or anything of the like. (She might have been right on that one) and she would always say I was a sheep and that I would have my identity stolen by “them”.
My other roommate (we were 4 with two bedrooms and a common area) was extremely loud at all hours, and if you ever asked her to keep it down, even very politely, she would purposely start doing cartwheels and banging on things and singing. She claimed to be Jay Leno’s niece.
One more: I had a roommate that slept with a new guy every weekend and we could hear her LOUDLY through the wall. We would tell her we heard her and she vehemently denied every time that she slept with anyone. Come on, girl.
Image Source: Pexels/Edmond Dantes
The Cat Was (Almost) Worth It
This is my only roommate story. After this, I swore never again. A childhood friend and her boyfriend. He was a “chef” (line cook at a chain restaurant) who would cook mediocre meals when the urge took him, which took damn near every pot and pan in the kitchen to make, and fucked off without cleaning up after himself.
He also had a cat, kitten really, who he never bought food for, so I had to feed it because I’m not a monster. She was an unemployed student, like me, who would use the cups from my dinner set as ashtrays, and load up a single plate of food, take it to her room, eat from it throughout the day, and keep it.
Rinse, repeat every day until we were out of plates. I said I’d clean them if she just brought them back to the kitchen, but nah. I’d have to wait until she was out then go get them, complete with mouldering food remnants.
Eventually, my boyfriend joined our happy little household, and I started setting boundaries because it was no longer 2:1. That led to a blow-up screaming match, and me and him moving out.
My only regret is that I didn’t take the cat.
Image Source: Pexels/Kelvin Valerio
Two-Faced Two-Timer
My last two roommates were a married man and his side chick. We lived in a shared house and the man recommended his girlfriend to the landlords after another roommate left (I had no say in it). His wife lived and worked in Germany while we live in the US so he easily got away with it.
They were cool with me but it was very uncomfortable to watch, especially since I met his wife when she came to visit him (before I knew about the girlfriend). He was so much meaner to his wife too-he’d complain about her cooking and make her cry but with the girlfriend he was Mr. Nice and Mr. Helpful. I don’t know if the girlfriend knew he had a wife or not.
Image Source: Pexels/Mikhail Nilov
Working During The Most Unnecessary Times
Had a roommate freshmen year in a shared room who was training for a bodybuilding competition. He would wake up at 5, make a ton of noise, go for a run, come back at 6, go to the gym, come back and pose in front of the mirror (sometimes in the nude) all while I was clearly awake.
He would also go to bed at 8pm and get pissed if any noise was made, the clicking of the keys on my phone once set him off because he needed beauty rest.
Image Source: Pexels/Victor Freitas
Bunch of Bullies
I’ve posted this before, but my first roommates invaded my privacy by stealth installing screen viewer software on my desktop and cyberstalking me. They would do shit like ban my MAC address from the router (which belonged to me), type while I was trying to do homework assignments on my computer, harass me by typing expletives, putting a hard drive in my computer and cloning my main drive onto it, and out me to other roommates and online friends to a certain fandom I was part of at the time.
I genuinely believed I was being targeted by an online hacker. I was just a naive, sheltered child with social anxiety. It wasn’t until the only decent roommate I had opened up to me and told me what was going on. There were other things, like threats of ganging up on me, and shit like saran wrap on the toilet seat and peanut butter in my shoes.
(deleted)
Image Source: Pexels/Mart Production
Those Aren’t Yours
When I first moved in with my roommate, everything seemed fine. But then I started noticing that my food was disappearing. At first, I thought I was just forgetting that I had eaten it, but then it started happening more and more frequently. I confronted my roommate about it, but she denied taking anything. I even labeled my food with my name, but it didn’t help.
One day, I came home to find my roommate eating my leftovers straight out of the container. When I asked her what she was doing, she just shrugged and said, ‘I was hungry.’ I ended up having to buy a mini-fridge for my room just to keep my food safe. Needless to say, I didn’t renew our lease.
(FoodThiefNightmare)
Image Source: Pexels/Mart Production
These People’s Airline Stories Prove “Flightmares” Are Real
Forget Snoring — How About Screaming!
I’m from the United Kingdom and was working at a summer camp in Pennsylvania. After travelling around the United States for a few weeks, I had to take three planes just to get home. I was so tired. I fell asleep on the last flight back to London.
I woke up with the flight attendant’s hand on my shoulder asking if I was okay. I then noticed that the woman next to me was very heavily breathing. Turns out I’d just started flat out screaming in my sleep. Naturally, this woman was freaked out. I didn’t go back to sleep on that flight after that!
Image Source: cottonbro studios/pexels
The Worst Travel Day Ever
When I was going back home from Tomsk, Russia, I experienced a horrible day of travel.
I was supposed to get on three different planes: Tomsk to Moscow, Moscow to Chisinau, and then Chisinau to Rome. The first flight was late, and I ended up missing the other two
I somehow got a refund for my ticket by screaming and crying a lot in (poor) Russian. From there, I ended up booking a direct flight from Moscow to Rome.
The catch is that this other plane departed from the OTHER Moscow airport, so I had to pay over $200 for a taxi to get there on time. Even then, I almost missed my flight again.
I was supposed to be home at 2 p.m. However, I didn’t get home until 11 p.m. I was almost dead after a day of dragging two heavy suitcases around. Not to mention, I went the whole day without eating!
(melmoths)
Image Source: Victoria Akverel/Pexels
“Sir, You Need a Ticket to Board This Flight”
I was flying to Toronto from the UK. We boarded the plane, and I heard some dispute going on. Eventually several armed police boarded and told everyone to get off. Turned out a guy had got on-board without a ticket. He was then sitting in someone else’s seat. We were delayed for almost 10 hours.
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A Lesson I’ll Never Forget!
A flight instructor was showing me for my first time how to do a takeoff from a grass strip. At this point, he has the controls. I notice as we are picking up speed he’s distracted by the gauges. He’s then looking inside the plane.
We lift off at an extremely slow speed, and he starts banking to the right — making us drift off the runway. We then start falling back down and bounce hard off the grass before finally climbing out. I don’t think he ever noticed the entire time what was going on. However, I was scared! I then proceeded to do three perfect landings and take-offs on the grass.
(3800L67)
Image Source: Jeffry Surianto/Pexels
GET ME OFF THIS PLANE!
I was flying from Toronto to Dallas in August, and then got diverted to Oklahoma due to storms. Sat in the plane for two hours on the tarmac with no air conditioning. It was over 100 degrees that day.
While waiting, the plane engine caught on fire. It caused a mass exodus of all passengers to leave the plane. We waited in an abandoned office building on the airport grounds. Air Canada was trying to figure out what to do.
3 hours later, we were bussed down to Dallas. The bus had no air conditioning — which wasn’t pleasant considering the fact it was still 90 degrees out at night.
I sat next to a very loud woman who spent the entire trip talking about what food she was going to eat when we finally got to Dallas. Everyone was starving, and having to listen to hours of someone loudly gush over burgers, fries, and ice cream was torture. Another hour, and I think me and the other passengers would have killed her.
Longest day of my life.
(deleted)
Image Source: pexels
“So, uh…where’s the rest of the tire?!”
I took a plane once from Mexico City to go to Acapulco with the Mexican state airline. We’re taking off, when one of the tires explodes. Due to this, the pilots turn around to get it fixed. We have to wait in the airplane without air conditioning for about 3 hours. Then, we are ready and take off, but have to turn around once again –because they forgot to remove the dowel pin from the landing gear as it doesn’t retract. The passengers were really annoyed.
Then, there was the time flying from Miami to Bogota that a fire started in the passenger cabin. Smoke was coming out of the panels on the side of the plane. There weren’t many passengers on the plane, so there wasn’t much of a panic, but we had to turn around and go back to Miami. We were about half way to our destination, but the pilot felt it was safer landing in Miami than in Bogota in the mountains. They took us off the plane and put us on another, and had to do the trip all over again (we had just done the equivalent of the trip since we were halfway there and came back). It was kind of tense sitting there with the air getting more and more full of smoke.
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Put The Cap on The Water
4 hour flight.
Some fellow passenger put a water bottle in the overhead compartment.
It was not capped.
Water bottle spilled and leaked all over me through the bin’s latch as soon as the plane was in the air.
Airplane was FREEZING. Since it wasn’t an overnight trip, there were apparently no blankets. I was wearing a thin blouse and was shivering so hard I wanted to die.
I now take a waterproof, insulated jacket on every flight I board.
(daitoshi)
Image Source: Maddy Freddie/Pexels
Get Your Hands Off Me!
I was on a late night flight from Las Vegas to Charlotte. Clearly, the best thing for me to do during the flight was to sleep through it. Maybe about an hour before we were scheduled to land, I was woken up by a grab on my breast. Then, a hand down my side. I remember jolting myself upright (I had my head down at the time).
I came face-to-face with this man, grinning and absolutely REEKING of alcohol as if he had bathed in it. He started to reach towards me again, so I pushed him away. He turned and walked away after that, but after a few steps this dude collapses. The flight attendants scrambled over to see what had happened, and of course there was a nurse on board who hopped up to see what was going on as well. Feeling guilty, I put my head back down to “sleep” so I could eavesdrop on what was happening an aisle behind me.
Apparently this dude was so drunk when he got on the plane the attendants had refused to serve him alcohol multiple times during the flight. Also, he was on all kinds of crazy heart meds, and shouldn’t have been drinking in the first place.
Image Source: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
A Truly Poopy Surprise
I was flying back to the upper Midwest from Jamaica (fairly long flight) and hit a big storm over the ocean before hitting the mainland. My buddy was sitting next to me, and had just gotten back from the bathroom. We hit some major turbulence, and he didn’t have his seat belt on when the plane dropped a good 20 or 30 feet.
It was like a full freefall moment out of the movies — everybody’s drinks and all — and he flew up and hit the ceiling before coming back down. Meanwhile, a lady that was part of the one of those Jesus trips — like the groups all wearing the same t-shirts, in the row next to us — starts hyperventilating.
She then starts screaming that she doesn’t want to die over and over. She also straight up pooped her pants. Turbulence eventually went away, but the smell of her poop lasted the remaining 3 hours of the flight…
Image Source: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
Excuse Me, Can I Move Seats?!
I flew direct from Moscow to Houston on a Singapore Airlines flight. Behind us sat an an elderly Singaporean couple who took off their shoes, and used our armrests to put their feet up. The smell was unbearable. I was in the middle seat, my boyfriend on the window side and an older guy on the aisle. The older guy starts by complaining nonstop about the smell. He’s berating the flight attendants over it.
They keep asking the elderly couple to move their feet but they keep putting them back. The man eventually decides to calm down. He introduces himself to me by telling me that I better not have to use the restroom during the 13 hour flight because he won’t feel like moving. He spends several hours telling me, through my headphones and obvious disinterest, about all the languages he speaks, the places he’s worked and all the money he makes.
At one point, he was telling me about his childhood in Louisiana and I (having no idea what to say because I don’t want to talk) mention I have family in Shreveport. He takes the opportunity to make it clear how stupid I am because it’s not relevant because it’s several hours from his hometown.
About half way through, I told him to let me out to use the restroom and watched him storm around the cabin like a toddler in anger. He berated me about my timing (?) when I returned to my seat.
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What Does The Fox Say?
My dad was a first officer (co-pilot) at the time. I won’t disclose the airline or the airport.
They had lined up the plane on the runway, ready to take off when a fox ran across the runway. It stopped in between the runways to hunt, and my dad and the pilot called into the tower telling them they were gong to have to wait for a fox to exit the premises before they could take off (don’t want to suck it up in the engines and crash the plane as you pass).
Tower asked them to confirm it was a fox, and asked which area they were in so they could send someone out to take care of it. They said they’d had prior experience with said creature and would get out there right away. The captain responded and the plane waited. So after watching the fox jump around a bit, the captain got on the intercom and informed the passengers why they were being delayed. The captain then indicated where the passengers could look to see the fox.
Suddenly, an airport maintenance truck drove into view and headed towards them. This is no big deal (most airports have dogs or something to chase off wildlife that they can then call back). My dad and the captain noticed that the truck wasn’t slowing down. The truck hit the fox going at full speed. My dad said it was terrible and sent the fox tumbling. Obvious that it was dead, the truck drove off.
Awestruck with horror, my dad and the captain turned to look at each other. The captain then got on the intercom and apologized to the passengers for what they had just seen. They indicated that was not the standard practice they’d been expecting, and gave out numbers to the passengers that witnessed the event so that they could call the airport staff and report what they had seen.
My dad told me that both he and the captain felt terrible because they had, unknowingly, called in a hit on the poor little guy (the airport clearly had some strange past with it). Unintentionally, they then let all of the passengers watch.
Clearly, not a great flight for anyone.
Image Source: Dmitry Devidov/Pexels
A Very Cruel Joke
I think I was about 7. It was right after I’d started flying by myself when visiting both of my parents separately. I was sitting next to this older kid when the plane started rumbling. I didn’t exactly know what turbulence was, so I asked the kid. “Oh yeah, we’re going down,” he said. I was like… “What?” And he goes “Yeah I’ve done it a couple times, only a few die every time so you have nothing to worry about.” Amazingly I didn’t start crying, but the idiot was actively trying to scare a 7 year old girl travelling alone.
(deleted)
Image Source: Oleksandr Pidvalnyi/Pexels
The Worst Seat Neighbor
Have you ever thrown out your clothes in an airport bathroom?
I have.
You know how certain passengers are forced to buy a second seat? You know how sometimes do to issues of improper hygiene or excessive drinking, some passengers are prohibited from boarding?
I was seated next to a woman who managed to evade all of these restrictions. She was drunk, unwashed, and overflowing her seat (occupying most of mine).
Through the duration of of the flight, she sweat, spilled, drooled, sneezed and coughed all over me. By the end of it, I was covered with a stranger’s bodily fluids and about three rum and cokes.
It was horrible. It was also a fully booked flight, and moving was not an option (I checked).
I should also add, my television was inoperable for the duration of the 5 hour flight. The ample girth of my neighbor had enveloped the controls, and my feeble attempts to access them were met with drunken aggression.
Needless to say, at the end of it. I tossed my favourite hoodie and jeans in the trash of an airport bathroom. I changed into some dirty shorts from my luggage, and ventured out into the Canadian winter to brave my journey back home.
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Flight School is No Joke
I was doing one of my required five jumps in airborne school during Army training. It was a combat jump, so we had our weapon and gear strapped to our harnesses (which made it difficult to cinch up the harness properly). Later when we were on the plane, we had to circle the drop zone because of some ranger candidates ahead of us. During that time I got the worst motion sickness I’ve ever experienced. I was sweating profusely and fighting the urge to vomit with everything I had.
We finally got to jump when my parachute caught me in a very bad way. It fully bunched up on my groin area. All hell broke loose and I vomited all the way to the ground. Still had to gather my parachute and run to the rendezvous point.
(shnozdog)
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Don’t Fly During a Monsoon
Usually pilots inform the passengers if the aircraft is going to experience turbulence in the near future. The pilot on my flight to Hong Kong during the peak of the monsoon season didn’t do that. We encountered some turbulence midway through the flight, but the flight attendants began serving the vegetarian meals to passengers that requested it.
All of a sudden, we hit a massive air pocket and dropped a few hundred feet. The meals went everywhere and nearly all passengers near me began praying to every God they knew. I more or less accepted my fate and continued watching Braveheart.
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Is There A Nurse On-Board?!
When I was an infant, I was sitting on my fathers lap. The flight attendant leaned over him to give coffee to the person sitting next to him. Her hand slipped, and the boiling coffee spilled on my bare chest. I was bare-chested because my father happened to be changing my shirt right as the coffee fiasco occurred. I had a massive scar for a year or two after. Apparently, the flight attendant broke down crying during the flight.
(ut2018)
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Get Some Air Freshener in Here, ASAP!!
The woman sleeping next to me started to convulse. From there, she then began vomiting all over my right arm and lap. All I could do was reach up and hit the call attendant button. After 30 seconds, she woke up with no recollection of what happened. She acted as if it had never happened.
They relocated the woman, and I excused myself to clean up.
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Where’s the Pepto-Bismol?!
I just boarded a flight from Sri Lanka to Singapore. I noticed that something smelled funky. I looked around and saw an Australian tourist looking very uncomfortable. This dude ran to the restroom and came back to his seat a few minutes later. Unfortunately for him, he needed to go use the restroom a minute before takeoff. Flight attendants didn’t left him and he ended up vomiting. The cycle of pooping and vomiting continued for 2 hours until he passed out. In the meantime, the flight attendants were tending to him and spraying the cabin with air freshener because the smell was unbearable for everyone.
Well, everyone except for me because I had similar symptoms a little more than a week before the flight. I had gotten used to endless cycle of pooping and vomiting. My guess is this poor man caught whatever virus me and thousands of other people had at the time. Unfortunately for him, sickness came during the flight.
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Sitting Next to a Giant
I was coming back to the United States from Korea. It was the second leg from Japan to Texas. I had a bad stomach flu, and I puked into a large garbage bag. I am 6’8″ and 340. When I throw up, I wretch LOUDLY. Multiple times. The poor Japanese people around me were trying to move as far away from me as they could. My wife was sitting behind me, and wouldn’t take the bag so could fill a new one.
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DON’T TELL MY BOYFRIEND!
Oh boy. My boyfriend will KILL me if he ever knew I posted this. It’s bad but HILARIOUS.
The whole day was chaos. I was on my period and emotional, and wanted pizza more than anything on Earth. I literally cried when we got to the pizza place. They said it would take 30 minutes even though I wanted a slice right away. So after my meltdown we got on the plane without pizza, and I naturally needed a nap after crying. Well, reason we didn’t get pizza is because my boyfriend needed to drink a bunch of beer with his brother who was going to another city. It’s understandable…drink with your brother but make sure you get your crazy girlfriend some pizza!
I slept hard. Woke up to the pilot saying we’re on our final descend. My boyfriend was gone. I assumed he was in the bathroom, so I looked to the front and back at the overhead signs and they both said the bathroom was free. I was thinking “Where is he then?!” Panicking I was looking front to back as the ground was getting closer. I asked the stranger next to me, “Where is he?!” And he says, “[Your boyfriend] went to the bathroom like 30 minutes ago.” Even the male flight attendant knew he wasn’t in his seat, so they checked the bathrooms. Grounds getting closer, and here comes my boyfriend. He sits down just in time for landing and he smells God awful! Like the worst smelling person ever.
I was like “God you stink!” He says “Stop. We’ll talk later.” I literally cannot breathe next to him because he smells so bad. I feel bad for aisle guy. We get off the plane and he tells me. He accidentally pooped his pants trying to get to the bathroom. Knew he needed to go pronto and nearly passed out trying to make it up to the bathroom. However, someone went in ahead. He turns around heads to the back and doesn’t make it.
Now if you remember, I said the signs said they were vacant. He didn’t lock the doors during this panic. Naturally, he needed to get rid of the evidence so he was trying to flush his boxers down the toilet and IN WALKS the male flight attendant asking him to return to his seat. Catching him flushing his poop covered boxers! I died when he told me this. It’s now an on-going joke to not poop his pants on the plane.
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Sandstorms Are No Fun
Flight I was on attempted landing in Abu Dhabi in the middle of a huge sandstorm. Winds rocked the plane, visibility was pretty bad. The pilot had somehow come in too fast, as he was rocketing down the runway we were supposed to land on. The tires touched ground a couple times, but suddenly he guns the engines and we take off back into the air. It’s a few minutes before he gets over the intercom and tells us we’re gonna try that again. Second time around, it’s rocky as hell but we eventually land safely. Also apparently the stress of the botched landing sent a lady a few rows up into a seizure or stroke, so it exacerbated the panicky feeling around us and then we had to stay on the plane while the EMT’s came aboard.
(hmm103)
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An Embarrassing Situation
So I fly a lot, and can probably fill a book with my stories. However, there’s one specific situation which totally stands out among them all.
I don’t get to travel internationally a ton, but last week I was traveling through Heathrow Airport (London, England) on a layover. I had to naturally go through security. They made me take all my electronics out — including my big UE Boom Bluetooth speaker. When taking it out, I accidentally turned the speaker on by accident. I had been watching the show The Expanse on my phone, and they synched as the speaker was in the machine.
The dialogue that came out at max volume: “NO NO, OH MY GOD…HELP ME HES DYING!”
Very embarrassing as heads whipped around.
(lemongrenade)
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Parents Who Weren’t On The Same Page
It was my first time flying on Southwest (this is like 8 yrs ago) and didn’t know about the open seating thing. As such, I didn’t check in ahead and got stuck with boarding as C59 or something. Basically, I was the last person on the plane.
I took a seat in the middle because that’s all that was left. Turns out I was sitting between a couple that was fighting. They had an infant with them. It was a redeye from San Francisco to Baltimore, so I was really trying to get some sleep.
Instead, the couple was super passive aggressive to each other the whole flight. They kept passing the baby back and forth in front of me. They never once said anything to me either. It was like I was invisible.
I also unexpectedly got my period half way through the flight.
(vvml)
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“Sir, Can You Move Your Fake Leg?”
I was in a puddle jumper for a shortish flight (less than 2 hours, I think). The man seated next to me had a prosthetic leg, did not speak English, and slept for most of the flight.
We were on a tiny plane, and this guy took up most of my leg room with his prosthetic. He was sleeping and didn’t speak my language, so I had no way of asking him to move his leg.
The only open place to put my right foot was covered in freshly discarded bubble gum. It was an uncomfortable flight.
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Horrible Experience Before It Started
“Go to Thailand!” It would be fun they all said.
Traveled from my small hometown to Albuquerque to fly out of, and stayed in an airport Ramada Inn the night before. I thought I would eat something light and healthy the night before, and had a salad. Unfortunately, for me, the tomatoes were bad.
I woke up feeling a little nauseous and pale. Made it to my 5 a.m. flight, and the flight attendant barely let me on the plane. I convinced her I was just hungover. I spent that entire flight to LA puking on an airplane toilet…for literally four hours.
I then flew from Los Angeles to Beijing. I spent the entire flight dry heaving, freezing, then overheating, then freezing, and wrapped around the worst Air China flight ever. This took 14 hours.
Flight from Beijing to Bangkok was spent curled up in a ball on the floor of the plane trying to sleep, and still dry heaving. Another six hours.
24 hours of absolute misery. I got to Thailand, and wanted to puke at the smell of everything. Anywhere I went, everything smelled disgusting. I didn’t eat anything for an entire week. The next week I barely drank any water and ate a few teaspoons of rice and broth. After two weeks I could finally eat Thai street food.
(luouixv)
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A Flight Feast!
This is more of a funny story than anything. My family and I were on our way home from a cruise trip, getting a plane from LA back to Toronto. It was a fairly long flight, and I was sitting beside my mom on the plane, while my brother, dad, and grandparents were seated further back in the plane. None of us hadn’t eaten dinner before getting on the plane. Given that it was a lengthy flight, my mom had made the assumption that the plane was preparing full meals to hand to the passengers.
Every time a stewardess came around asking if we’d like anything to eat, my mom assumed they were talking about snack food, said no thanks, and waved them off. After getting off the plane with no food in our system, we found out that the rest of our family ate like kings. They had gotten stuff like full-sized cookies, pretzels, chips, apparently full slices of pizza, sandwiches, plenty of soda, etc. My mom and I still joke about it whenever we get on a plane.
They also shipped our luggage to the wrong place, which sucked because it was right after Christmas, and it had some of my brother’s presents.
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An Unintended Marathon
Flying from Hong Kong to Vancouver with my 6 month old son who cried inconsolably the entire way. I never sat down except for takeoff and landing, possibly becoming the first person to walk across the Pacific Ocean. Nearly everyone was very understanding. I was mortified, grateful and exhausted.
(jobrody)
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What…uh…Happened?!
The woman sleeping next to me started to convulse, and she began vomiting all over my right arm and lap. All I could do was reach up and hit the call attendant button. After 30 seconds, she woke up with no recollection of what happened, and it had never happened before.
They relocated the woman and I excused myself to clean up.
(AztecDinosaur)
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The Worst Flight Ever
I was on a school trip to Ecuador. On the way back, we flew from Quito to Manta, to Bonaire, to Amsterdam, and then to Cardiff. All in all that’s about 17 hours of flying.
Anyway, since I always have like fifty books with me, one of the girls I was with asked to switch seats with me at Manta since she was sitting on her own. I ended up in the window seat next to a screaming toddler and his exhausted mother. Over the course of the flight, the kid knocked coffee on me, knocked his soda on me, and headbutted me so hard in the face I got a nosebleed while his mom was sleeping. I didn’t want to wake her up, so I was kind of screwed. Someone passing noticed and handed me a tissue. However, my nosebleeds are terrible, so I soaked through it. In the end, I had to use a spare T-shirt to stem the flow out of desperation.
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Paris Isn’t a Vacation For Me
Tough call. Either my emergency landing in Paris where I swore I was going to die (and accepted death quite quickly). Or — the time I had a fever and passed out for 8 hours straight. That also felt like death, and happened to be a flight out of Paris.
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Getting Squeamish Mid-Air
On an eight hour flight, I began watching a movie they offered. The movie showed someone getting a needle. I ended up passed out (I have an issue with blood). But for whatever reason, I first got deathly white and threw up all over my family. The last thing I remember was my dad rolling his eyes, and my mom was yelling for flight attendants. She then demanded that they land the plane. The rest of the flight went smoothly, I think.
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Come See The Cockpit…And Watch Us Crash
My dad is a pilot. We were coming into Sydney Airport when he called me up to the cockpit to tell me that the landing gear light wasn’t coming on. That meant maybe the gear was down. However, the light was broken — or maybe it was not fully down. He said he’d make two more attempts. If that didn’t work, he’d then wing it by hand. If neither of those things worked, we would have to ditch into the ocean.
It was very, very nerve-wracking. Eventually, we had the light come on and ATC confirmed our gear was down. Fortunately, we landed without a hitch.
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