‘I’m very busy and very important’: 20+ adult temper tantrums from entitled Karens, neighbors, and coworkers

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jan 22, 2024 8:00 AM EST

Just like Peter Pan, some folks will never grow up. Sure, the idea of what it means to be a grown-up is mainly shaped by societal expectations. For instance, what do you mean I can't have Pop-Tarts for breakfast or Pop-Tarts for dinner or Pop-Tarts at all times?  Since I am technically an adult somehow, shouldn't I be allowed to do whatever I want at this point? 

Clearly, many of us suffer from some form of arrested development. However, when these folks did not get what they wanted, they really let out their inner child. From the Karens of the world to the frustrated coworkers out there to the pettiest of neighbors, it looks like there are plenty of children posing as adults in disguise these days. Keep scrolling below fort his collection of adult temper tantrums as compiled from this r/AskReddit thread. When you're done, check out this list of cruise ship horror stories from current and former employees below deck. 

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  • 01
    r/AskReddit Posted by u/HuitzilopochtliMX 22 hours ago What has been the worst adult tantrum you've seen? HS-oso 19 hr. ago My mother went on a hunger strike when I told her I would stop going to med school to go to law school. 276 Reply Share ...
    via Elisa Ventur
  • 02
    r/AskReddit. Posted by u/HuitzilopochtliMX 22 hours ago D What has been the worst adult tantrum you've seen?
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 03
    Sunday MorningTrisha 22 hr. ago Jury duty for county court, around 2000. I was in the selection pool for a m trial. I didn't get picked for the trial, but this one skinny, middle-aged man in a nice suit did, and immediately said: "No, I don't have time for this! Don't you know who I am?" Judge: "No." Angry man: "I'm [local used car dealer]!" Judge: "So?"
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 04
    Angry man: "I'm VERY busy and VERY important and I don't have time for this! I'm [local used car dealer]!" The judge called him back to chambers, and after a few minutes, the angry man sheepishly took his place in the jury box. Never thought I'd see a juror flip out in court. 2.6k 2.6k Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 05
    sumacbabe 21 hr. ago i am an attorney and see them literally daily. but the worst one i saw was while negotiating a settlement for a client. his case was already not great but the other side supplied me with evidence that made things way worse. i still managed to get an offer well into the 6 figures. he threw a hissy fit complete with ripping out his hair and holding his breath threatening to asphyxiate himself, insisting that he deserved millions of dollars. which wasn't even legally possible i
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 06
    Where AreMyDragons 19 hr. ago My dad. In a T-Mobile store losing his mind and threatening the staff because he couldn't do something on his phone and blamed the store manager for doing it on purpose. Reader, he phone at home. 1.5k I up his Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 07
    Schlapschticksam 22 hr. ago A well known video game developer stomping his feet, flailing arms, and voice screeching/cracking while screaming like a mall 5 year old due to a small delay in the schedule ↑ 1.0k ↓ Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 08
    BoneshakerBaybee 20 hr. ago edited 20 hr. ago A month ago from a now ex- coworker. The gas station I work at has multiple signs around the registers not to take transactions over the phone. We get emails and community messages 3-5 times a month constantly reminding everyone not to take any transactions over the phone. The registers ask you twice if you're on the phone when doing money orders and gift cards, there's even another screen that tells you to hang up if someone tries to do a transactio
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 09
    I get a voicemail later that night, sounded so proud of himself because he figured it all out without help. "Store support called and wanted me to test a system update by ringing up a pack of cigarettes and a $1000 gift card. I wrote down all the prompt numbers they gave me and everything went through just fine. Just wanted to let you know."
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 10
    The day prior to this, there was a community message reminding us, yet again, that no transactions are to be done over the phone. Store support, law, government, or anyone will never call to perform a transaction over the phone. We have a binder where we put all these emails and messages for everyone to read and sign and ask questions on, basically a store bulletin board. Rob's initials were on that message.
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 11
    I sent a quick text to my boss telling her everything and I would be there in the morning with her to deal with this. We both show up before opening and Rob is in the parking lot waiting for us with this big boy news. He starts spewing everything that happened and "ohmehgosh look at me figuring something out without help." My boss stopped him and simply told him he was fired. Out came the most 3yo tantrum a late 50's adult could throw. Huffing, feet stomping, banging his head against the glass i
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 12
    breosaighead 21 hr. ago Once I was in Philly for New Year's and I watched some lady get in an argument with (I assume) her boyfriend. She thought the best way to win the argument was to jump in front of an oncoming box truck. Thankfully, they weren't going fast and hit the breaks in time, but I still remember that silhouette of her with her arms out in front of the headlights thinking I was about to see someone die. After she didn't get run over, she just went back to arguing loudly with the guy
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 13
    notstephanie 19 hr. ago I used to work at a small cafe that serves coffee, sandwiches, soup, etc. A woman can in one day and ordered a sandwich on gluten free bread. We had just run out, and I informed her. Her: well I called yesterday and someone told me you had gluten free bread! So why can't I get a sandwich?! Me: I'm so sorry ma'am, we do carry it, but we're out at the moment. We'll have more tomorrow.
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 14
    Her: I haven't eaten ALL DAY because I was going to come have a sandwich! Now you tell me you don't HAVE GLUTEN FREE BREAD? This is unacceptable! I'm going to make sure EVERYONE KNOWS you FALSE ADVERTISE! Me: Ma'am, again I'm sorry, it has been busy today and we ran out. That's all. We have other GF options, including desserts, if you'd like to look at the menu.
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 15
    Her: No! I CAME HERE TO HAVE A SANDWICH AND YOU FALSELY ADVERTISED YOUR GLUTEN FREE BREAD! (At this point, people are staring and she's pacing back and forth in front of the register.) I'M FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU! You all just LIE and TRICK PEOPLE. Me: ok ma'am, if you don't stop, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. She just went and sat at a table in the corner. I don't remember if she ordered anything but I'll never forget her losing her absolute over gluten free
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 16
    Colonel_Moopington 21 hr. ago A customer once threatened to throw his liquid damaged computer through the glass panels behind the Genius Bar. A grown man scream, cry, and headbutt the steel wall because I asked him if he had an appointment. Various threats, lots of yelling, threats of writing to Steve Jobs.
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 17
    People showing up to Genius Bar appointments absolutely Ofaced. I worked at the Genius Bar from Pre-iPhone through 2013. I literally have a thousand stories of all sorts of shenanigans. Not all of them are bad though, I did meet some very interesting people too. Learned a lot from that job, probably more about people than I did computers in hindsight. 483 Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 18
    littlescreechyowl. 18 hr. ago Christmas Eve, working in a high end mall, the store is closed. Someone forgot to lock the outer door and a grown man is standing in the foyer, banging on the interior door and screaming that I'm ruining his Christmas because I won't let him in just to buy a few things. Sir, we are closed, you need to leave, lather rinse repeat. It's like, 625 after a 6pm closing time. We can't leave, because I can't go out there and lock the door and he will not leave. He ended up
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 19
    baby_armadillo 20 hr. ago I was supposed to drive to a party with a friend of mine, but she was running late. I was getting impatient, so I told her I would drive myself to the place we were meeting and I'd just meet her when she got there. She locked herself in her bedroom and had a screaming crying fit where she loudly and repeatedly sobbed through the walls that everyone hated her and how she was a terrible burden to everyone and etc etc etc. After a while I just left, and when she arrived ha
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 20
    Nezrite 19 hr. ago My father, Christmas -1990ish. Had a meltdown because the mashed potatoes I brought to dinner had lumps (my then-husband preferred lumpy spuds because "I like to know where my mashed potatoes came from") and tore into me, viciously letting me know I had RUINED CHRISTMAS with my side dish. 348 Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 21
    azulweber 19 hr. ago i work in a bar that charges autogratuity for groups of six or more people, which in my experience is pretty standard in the US. it's like 20% of the pretax total. a few weeks ago we had a group of 8 people come in. everything is going fine until we drop off their checks. for context, they only had two rounds and each person paid for themselves so even with gratuity each check was maybe $30.
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 22
    one of the women decides that she doesn't like that, complains to the server who explains that it's policy and doesn't budge. the woman goes to argue with another server, who also doesn't budge. then she goes to the owner, who was bartending and drowning in orders. at that point i guess she was in the mood to take this all the way because i see her go from arguing with the owner to somehow propelling herself over the bar and launching herself at him. he, of course, moves to try and get her out o
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 23
    HS-oso 19 hr. ago My mother went on a hunger strike when I told her I would stop going to med school to go to law school. 276 Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 24
    Consistent-Active106 22 hr. ago I was 19, my co worker was 50. He got upset over something at work and threw his food to the ground, then threw a piece of our equipment across the shop bay. I've also seen plenty of my older adults scream in rage, kick in trash cans till they're broken, and other things. I've also seen people my age smash their monitors and their cars. I personally have never thrown a temper tantrum since I was 5. 175 Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 25
    thesean366 18 hr. ago I saw a 30ish guy in American flag board shorts and slugging from a can of Monster at 10:30am absolutely berating an his mother in a motorized cart at Disney World. It was Mother's Day. 158 Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 26
    mrmonster459 - 17 hr. ago Some dude at Dairy Queen, sitting with who I assume are his wife and son, went ballistic after finding out his burger had ketchup, threw it at the wall, and stormed out. Having that level of immaturity on its own is shocking, to do it in front of an impressionable young man that you should be getting a good example for is just appalling. Saddest part was his son, probably 11-13, saying "Sorry" to everyone as they left in a hurry. Takes real character for a child to be m
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 27
    __The_Accountant__ · 22 hr. ago Whenever people break golf clubs for attention I'm just like okay ↑ 142 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 28
    Gretchenmeows. 17 hr. ago When I was 21 I moved from Australia to be an assistant manager of a resturant in Singapore. The manager of the resturant was a 40 something man on probation from jail for torturing his maid. He made it very clear to me from my first day that he has zero respect for women. One day, we were reorganising the resturant and he moved a table to an inappropriate spot so I told him so. He completly snapped and started stomping up and down the area behind the counter, very loud
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 29
    southcentralLAguy. 19 hr. ago I worked with a 45 year old grown man who was almost brought to tears and quit his job because our bosses didn't tell him happy birthday when he got to work.
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX
  • 30
    Serious-Spite-6331 · 18 hr. ago Was working on a truck repairing an attachment. I had to install a pin in a tight space. My manager got o was tapping the pin gently. Out of nowhere. He yelled at me. Took my hammer out of my hand. Then he hits it hard. The hammer hits his thumb. ! He throws the hammer across the yard and upper management watched the whole thing. He had to go to anger management classes. He was known for yelling and running around like a chicken.
    via u/HuitzilopochtliMX

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terrible coworkers karens neighbors adulting work coworkers askreddit entitled people karma karens in the wild entitled reddit thread Bad Neighbor Reddit karen entitled people
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