This company just kept stringing their coder along without ever paying a dime. 

Working a side hustle has become the norm for many Americans. Inflation means that prices have never been higher. We're all renting instead of owning houses. Lots of millennials are even still living with their parents to save a few bucks! Even if you work 40 hours per week like this programmer did, it still might not be enough to cover all your expenses and have a little extra fun money. It wasn't enough for this dude, so alongside their programming gig, they picked up a side gig as a coder. 

You can always tell when a person has experience as a freelancer already, because they often come prepared with contracts. These ensure that the freelancers get paid for their work by the hour or by the project. But, as this guy discovered, there's an issue with being paid by the project. What if the project never gets finished, and you have no way to get the cash you're owed? 

Next up, this person thought they were being nice by inviting their ex-wife along for their vacation, only to find out she was keeping a list of purchases she wanted to be reimbursed for. 

Some will say that being the child of a Karen is a character-building experience, although one would imagine most of these kids would beg to differ. They would probably rather be anyone else's child, especially when it comes to family gatherings and all kinds of public interactions with service workers. They would likely tell you that being the child of a Karen is less of a character-building experience and more of a role reversal in which the child has to rein in the parent.

Here, we have a rare instance in which the daughter of a Karen finally got to see her mother face the consequences of years of mistreatment and unruly behavior. She shared her side of the story via this thread on Reddit's r/pettyrevenge subreddit. Her mother had become close with an elderly woman in the neighborhood in the sense that she wanted all of this woman's money. Pat, the older lady, had promised to give Debbie, the Karen, her collection of rings to then pass over to her daughters. Of course, guess which daughter did not get her ring? That would be the original poster of this thread, who finally had enough and got in contact with Pat directly to tell her the truth about her mother.

Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more, check out this post about a Karen boss who demanded her employee's first class seat on a plane.

There are challenges in the food industry. Drama, anxiety, and unforeseen events abound every day and must be managed to keep things running according to plan. What would happen, though, if your manager—who specifically sought you out for the position—tried to play the corporate game with you? Do you stay in your current role and work alongside those who make you detest the career you once loved, or do you leave to pursue better and more exciting opportunities far, far away from it all?

The story that follows tells the tale of a frustrated chef. The Original Poster (OP) was approached by his previous employer to become a sous chef at his new restaurant. But even with the rather low salary, OP decided to accept the job and began working straight away. At first, everything was going great; OP was working really hard, and the restaurant was doing rather well for itself. However, all changed when OP received his paycheck and saw that he had been greatly underpaid…

Having said that, make sure to read the story below if you're interested in learning the specifics of what happened! When you're finished, don't forget to read the story of the guest who ignores the hotel policy and demands nonexistent membership points from a fed-up front desk clerk!

Most people try to be at least a little open-minded. However, as a spectator to the public and by watching people's interactions in the real world, it's tough not to get a little judgey on occasion. While reasonable people try to give others the benefit of the doubt (saying things like, 'maybe they're in a huge rush' or 'maybe they didn't even see that their dog left a stinky gift on the sidewalk') there are some things commonly taking place that are simply unforgivable. 

Our next collection pays homage to the abominables of society, letting folks know that any number of things can get you weird looks in public, but a handful of acts can turn you into a despicable pariah in the eyes of the public walking the high road. So scroll onward to enjoy some things that absolutely deserve our judgment and if you're guilty of any of the following crimes, it's time to rethink life.

One retiree realized he had the time and resources to make a difference in his neighborhood. As his grandkid wrote in a post to r/maliciouscompliance, "it's pretty amazing what you can get done with 8 business hours of free time." Being retired is great in that way—you can do anything you please, including getting well acquainted with your neighbors. 

This dude's grandfather seems like an ideal neighbor: the kind of guy who brings donuts when he pops over for a visit, and who always has his neighbor's backs. He was also confused about why he and his neighbors had suddenly stopped getting their mail. We all get junk mail of course, but if you're waiting on a check or an important letter, getting your mail daily is a big deal. This grandfather had the time to figure out the mail issue, which was a pretty minor one, as he discovered. The fix for this issue was a bit more complicated! The original poster, u/zanfar, shared this excellent story, and commenters added their own stories about mailbox trouble. 

Next up, check out these people who just can't stop oversharing online, like the couple who keep "airing their drama about cheating on each other."

Growing up, we're taught that it's important to always tell the truth and that we should, further, point out and draw attention to any wrongdoing that we witness in the world around us. 

These points are even beaten into our heads in the US in the form of various folktales about historical United States presidents and other prominent figures doing "the right thing" when the chance was presented for them to do otherwise. Of course, while stories like "Honest Abe and the Six Pennies" serve as great lessons and offer a great idealistic view of the world, you'll be very disappointed when you grow older and discover that most politicians would sooner go to that lady's house to rob the rest of her cash too then make a trip all the way up there just to return six cents.

Similarly, you'll be disappointed to find that people generally don't like having the things they're doing wrong pointed out, especially when those things are strategically financially benefitting them. You'll also come to find that generally there are people with a lot more authority involved behind the scenes who also won't like having these things pointed out and it's far less likely that everyone is going to clap and cheer for you than those stories would have you believe.

This machinist was fired, along with his coconspirators, for exposing the shady president's embezzlement scheme. This, ultimately, also led to the destruction of the company's expensive CNC machine by the remaining unskilled and untrained workers.

Do parents really give "unconditional" money or is there always "something" attached to it?

There is no sweet relief like the discovery that the empty seat next to you on the plane will remain empty for the duration of the flight… that is, unless you have to battle over the empty space with another passenger.

The anticipation begins when you board the plane and realize there is no one in that adjacent seat yet. You pray and pray to whomever until the boarding process is complete. Once the flight attendant confirms that everyone has boarded the plane, you can relax and enjoy the fact that you have a little extra arm and leg room. However, this Redditor discovered on her 14-hour flight from Los Angeles to Shaghai that she was going to have to fight for that extra space with an older woman two seats down who immediately usurped that extra seat for herself. The petty revenge that ensued involved consulting flight attendants, making it so that this woman could not get up to use the bathroom, and finally taking over the space when she did. Keep scrolling below to see what happened when the older woman finally had an outburst. 

For more stories like this, here is one about an entitled boss who threw shade at her employee for not giving her their first-class seat on a work trip.

It's our duty to keep the Karen inside of us all in check, though, sometimes you might need a little help from your partner to do so.

Too many bosses don't know or care to go through company policy. But a handful of them know exactly which rules will benefit them… and not their employees. You would think that a boss who purposely makes their employee drive 200 miles a day without being compensated should be fired. I find it hard to believe I'm the only one rooting for this dude's professional demise…

So what happened? This boss lied to his employee and worse, manipulated them into commuting 200 miles a day for 2 entire years without paying them a dime. He thought he could get away with it, but he was wrong. The truth always comes to light in the end. This employee inevitably found out and hatched a plan to get all their money back… But they had no intention of involving their boss. Let's just say that justice was served. Scroll down to read all about it, and then check out this engineering firm that lost a huge client after one of the higher-ups punished an employee by taking them off an important project. Can't say I'm sad about that one, either. You get what you deserve, I guess.

This woman managed to turn lemons into lemonade, even as she was getting fired from her job. We admire her can-do attitude, and her kid clearly did too, since they shared Mom's story to the malicious compliance subreddit. 

When companies do less-than-legal activities, they often try to make it seem totally normal. They need their employees to believe it's perfectly normal to bend the rules… and bend them some more… and keep bending them. By the time an employee has fully broken the rules, they won't have any way to defend themselves if legal issues come up. 

For this accountant, finding constant "small irregularities" was the norm. This did raise some red flags for her. She immediately knew what her boss was doing when he then hired another fiance person who had just graduated college: he was setting up the new person to take the fall. Read through this excellent story below. The original poster edited the post to add addition details, as well as noting that the positive reception "made their mom's day". 

Next up, read all about these people on social media who couldn't help but overshare, like one couple who aired all their cheating drama on social media. 

Everyone has to deal with a considerable amount of nonsense at work, but these fast food workers likely have you beat. Whether it's poor management or disruptive Karens or other ungrateful customers, these heroes have seen the full range of the human experience at these establishments.

Some of these stories range from bad drive-thru encounters to angry phone calls from anonymous customers. From McDonald's to Panda Express, every fast food spot seems to attract families with screaming children, entitled Karens who have no right to start a fuss, and rowdy college students at the tail end of a night out. What do all of these customers have in common? Well, they're difficult. They're a nuisance. It's a miracle that these folks have survived so many of these interactions with their sanity intact. 

Keep scrolling below for the full collection of stories, which were compiled from the following r/AskReddit thread. When you're done, feel free to take a look at this post about an entitled landlady Karen.

Never underestimate a customer's ability to be completely and utterly wrong. That's the lesson one baffled delivery person learned during one of their days on the job. 

Every job deals with clients or customers in some way, and at the most basic level, it's an employee's responsibility to assist them. Companies take this very seriously. For example, at call centers, most workers aren't allowed to hang up on callers, even if they're flipping out over the phone because they don't understand why they're being charged late fees (it's due to their own lateness). Or if you work in retail, you'll probably be hounded by customers who are searching for a specific green vest, only for you to insist to them that this store does not sell any vests. They will not believe this, and they'll think you're lying to them. A lot of customers just think they're right no matter what you tell them. You can walk them through the problem step by step, but they may still insist that you're way off the mark. 

This person actually gave some excellent customer service, in a way. As a delivery helper, they were dropping off various different packages at a shopping plaza. Although this dude was literally wearing their delivery uniform, one customer still insisted on being helped by them. 

Check out the whole story below, and then read the story of a ride-share driver who dropped off a difficult passenger in an entirely different country. 

It doesn't get much worse than having to discipline unsupervised children when that is so beyond your job description. Sure, kids are known to run amok in venues like movie theaters and malls, but that does not mean that it is the responsibility of the people who work at those establishments to take care of them. If your kids are known to be unruly in public, you should probably be the one to watch them. Furthermore, when they get in trouble as they did here, you better go pick them up. 

Here, we have a Karen who refused to pick up her kids after the manager of the movie theater was forced to kick the kids out due to their disruptive behavior. Hours had passed and the Karen still had not responded. The kids ended up walking home after dark, which led the Karen to come marching into the theater the next day demanding answers, as if she was not partially responsible for their need to walk home. 

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. For more content like this, take a look at this tale of a loud theater patron.

The last time most of us were tattle-tailed on was probably in high school. In an attempt to make themselves look good, some classroom goodie-two-shoes wanted to get in the good graces of the teacher and told them that you and your buddies were causing trouble in the seats in the back. Although being 'told on' is frustrating when it's actually true, having a snitch tell the authorities a flat-out lie is downright infuriating.

Nobody likes a lying blabbermouth… Then again, what lengths are you willing to go to get revenge on them? Does stooping to the snitch's level make you any better than them?

In our next story, one late-night employee stooped to the lowest levels to make a point about the office tattler. I suppose you gotta fight fire with fire, right? After she lied repeatedly to management about their behavior, this vindictive employee was tired of being made out to be the criminal in the office, so they set up a trap and framed the narc to give them a taste of their own medicine. Scroll onward to read all the details that have readers in a tizzy over the ethics of narcing on a narc.

If someone requests you make their handicapped mother's life easier, then there is no question that you should absolutely do so. Especially if all they ask you to do is park your car somewhere else. Preferably not on their driveway. More preferably not on the road that leads to their house, which would obstruct them from accessing their own vehicle easily.

This person uploaded a story to Reddit where they explained how their neighbor was purposely making their life harder. Their handicapped mother was coming to visit, and she was using a wheelchair, so they needed easy access to their car. Seems simple enough, right? Just move a bit. But no, this neighbor was for some reason, entitled to park wherever they wanted. Scroll down to read how the story played out and what commenters said regarding the fiasco. Let's just say that some ideas for petty revenge were displayed.

Next, a server gracefully left a customer a note explaining their card had been declined, only to face a very angry encounter. Be nice to customer service employees, they're doing their best.

This ride-share passenger is going to be telling this wild story for the rest of her life. You would too, if your ride-share driver took you out of the country without your knowledge! 

Ride-sharing apps are popular all over the place, from cities to rural areas to tourist traps. It's the thing to do if you don't have a friend to drive you to work, or the ride you take home from a party at 2 AM to avoid going on public transportation. It's a little treat for most people, but not everyone views it that way.

In the first few years that ride-sharing apps became popular, there were a few glitches and hiccups in the system that hadn't been addressed yet. Around 2018, when this guy was driving for an app, customers were giddy over their discovery of a "life hack" of sorts. It turns out that if customers canceled their rides while in the car, they wouldn't have to pay for the ride at all. Is this good for the person driving the car and paying for the gas? No, no it is not. If the driver didn't notice, they could easily drive someone to their destination for free… and I'm sure that customer wasn't throwing in a tip, either. 

Next up, check out the most funny and awkward wedding days ever, like one diva bride who "invited all of her previous husbands because she enjoys drama." 

Mailbox baseball—the act of hitting an unsuspecting mailbox with a baseball bat out of a moving vehicle—is a niche yet important part of the mythos of American life, a relic of Americana that lives on in classic coming-of-age stories and family folklore. If you've ever poked and prodded an older member of your family who grew up as a bored child back in the days when kids and teens roamed wildly unaccounted for, you've probably heard some of these stories. Beyond that, if you're living in a rural community, you've probably even heard of these hi-jinx taking place or been on the receiving end of a game of mailbox baseball yourself. 

Occasionally, these stories pop up online, usually in the form of victims of repeated attempts on their mailboxes attempting to reinforce their mail receptacles to unbelievable levels of toughness and indestructibility, to the detriment of the unsuspecting bat wielder and their vehicle. This thread was one such tale and the plethora of other shared stories in the comments made it a great read that was worth sharing.

Getting fired is not a fun experience, that is a no-brainer. Nobody likes getting fired, and nobody wants it. Most of the time it comes out of nowhere, but sometimes you actually see it coming. Whether by listening to a hushed conversation between your supervisors or when you see a suspicious-looking meeting was added to your calendar.

I always wanted to be one of those employees who dare to teach the boss a lesson when they decide to fire you. Some kind of way to say "You are going to be sorry for letting me go", but I always end up being nice about it and accepting it quietly. 

The employee in this Reddit story did not go quietly when he got fired. OP (original poster) discovers that his boss is planning to bring down the firm by selling it to a different company. Right before that happens, OP gets fired and is told to get his documents ready for the move. OP,  angry at his now-former boss, deleted all his documents in response.

Scroll down to read the full story. When you are done with those, click here to read a story of an entitled customer who was put in his place by store manager.

Why is it that so many bosses are too concerned with enforcing minor rules rather than focusing on what should be their priorities? The answers are almost related to money and ego. If it's money, you have a boss who can only think about budget, budget, budget, and nothing else. There's no concern for the wellbeing of your employees and, in some cases like this one, there isn't even much thought given to the overall wellbeing of the company (i.e. sometimes, overtime is necessary to keep things afloat, no matter how much you don't like properly paying your employees for their hard work). Now, as for the ego issue, it comes as no surprise that most people in charge feel the need to flex their muscles when literally no one is questioning their authority. 

With this story, it seems that we have a bit of both issues going on simultaneously. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit and follows the original poster's two-part malicious compliance following repeated lectures against working overtime. The first time, the employee noticed a major issue with one of their appliances but decided not to deal with it since he wasn't allowed to stay late. You can imagine how that went! The next part involved another instance in which the employee and his boss's roles were reversed.

Keep scrolling below for the full saga. When you're done, check out this post about an enraged boss who gave her employee an earful after they were upgraded to first class on a work trip and she was not.