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Photo of an Angry Woman. | Source: Pexels
Photo of an Angry Woman. | Source: Pexels

35 Times People Met Real-Life-Karens Who Think They Own the World

Naomi Wanjala
Nov 28, 2023
03:10 A.M.

Meet the real-life "Karen" – the kind of person whose entitled and demanding attitude can turn a regular day into a stressful ordeal for everyone around them. Most people have encountered them at some point, but if you haven't met one, count yourself lucky.

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A real-life Karen can be a handful. Picture this: a neighbor who always has something to complain about or a customer in a store causing a scene over minor issues. These real-life Karens don't just ruin moments; they create discomfort and tension.

Their behavior affects everyone around them and makes people question how empathy and kindness seem to be losing ground in our daily lives. Dealing with a Karen is more than an inconvenience; it's a stark reminder of the need for understanding and compassion in our interactions.

While only a few Karens have had their way, many people have mastered how to deal with them and put them in their place. These Reddit users shared their experiences encountering a Karen and how they handled the situation. Let's check out what they what they had to say.

Comments have been edited for grammar and clarity.

1. She Blamed Me for Her Misfortunes

A passenger using a card machine. | Source: Pexels

A passenger using a card machine. | Source: Pexels

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u/deadlysyntax: A woman left her card in the EFTPOS machine at the McDonald's I was managing as a teenager. She rang me to say I needed to drive it out to her, that I ruined her night, ruined her family's night, owed her free food, and that she'd file a formal complaint if I refused the above.

She showed up almost an hour later with steam blowing out her ears, asking for her card back. It was the last time we heard from her.

2. We Couldn't Meet Her Demands

A woman taking a drink from the refrigerator. | Source: Pexels

A woman taking a drink from the refrigerator. | Source: Pexels

u/o0quiksilver0o: I deliver appliances for Best Buy. We had a woman call and complain that her fridge was not pre-cooled before it was delivered and that she had to wait for it to come down to temperature. No one in the office was prepared for that one.

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3. She Tried to Play Dirty

A person holding a chocolate cupcake. | Source: Pexels

A person holding a chocolate cupcake. | Source: Pexels

u/cabernetcat: When I worked at a bakery, Karen bought a chocolate cupcake and ate half of it. Karen then asked if she could return her half-eaten chocolate cupcake, not because she didn't like it, but because she wanted to exchange it for half of a vanilla cupcake, "something less decadent."

Like most bakeries, we did not sell cupcakes "by the half." She became offended when I asked if she wanted to purchase a vanilla cupcake.

4. She Tried to Get Me Fired for a 99¢ Sticker Joke

A person wearing a black shirt. | Source: Pexels

A person wearing a black shirt. | Source: Pexels

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u/gotteemboi: I worked at a grocery store, and a coworker put a 99¢ sticker on my shirt. We were two of five employees, so we were all good friends. Everything is funny when you gotta pass the time on a shift, so I just left it there.

Some woman came through my line and asked me why I had a sticker on my shirt, and I just kinda laughed it off. She asked if I thought it was funny, and I said, "Not really, but sorta." She asked if my coworker put it there, to which I responded yes.

She told me she would speak to the store owner because it was "disrespectful" to behave that way at work. She told me to call my manager, and I did, but he was a super cool guy and knew this lady was an idiot.

She talked to the store owner and my manager about firing me, to no avail. She accomplished nothing and looked like a fool in the long run.

5. My Encounter with a Racist Customer

An angry woman. | Source: Pexels

An angry woman. | Source: Pexels

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u/Trompdoy: When I worked at the Home Depot, Karen told me she didn't want any black men to install her flooring. I was in charge of arranging her order and told her we don't select which individuals will install her floor and that she'll get who she gets.

She had a fit about it, demanding white installers and asking to speak to my manager. I'm so glad she did because my manager's name was Dwayne, and he was a black guy. Turns out she didn't want to speak to the manager.

6. She Blamed Me for Her Expired Coupons

Pink Coupons. | Source: Pexels

Pink Coupons. | Source: Pexels

u/d0n7w0rry4b0u717: When I was working retail, this one woman had a big bag of coupons. Most of them were unusable because they were either expired or duplicates. She scolded me because the system was rejecting most of the coupons.

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She called me stupid, amongst other names, telling me I wasn't doing it right. Then, as a typical Karen, she asked to speak with my manager. My manager came and asked what the problem was. The woman ranted about my incompetence, claiming I didn't know how to scan a coupon.

My manager looked at the coupons and noticed the coupons were the problem, not me. My manager called out the customer for disrespecting me and asked her to leave the store.

I hated working there, but I'm so grateful that I had managers who didn't follow the "customer is always right" rule and weren't afraid to stand up for their employees. That was just one of many incidents.

7. She Got a Taste of Her Own Medicine

A woman and her kid standing at a booth. | Source: Pexels

A woman and her kid standing at a booth. | Source: Pexels

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u/Timcos1246: When I worked at a popular arcade chain, a Karen was criticizing me because I wouldn't give her kids a prize they didn't win. So she asked to see the manager, and when my manager came, he called Karen out until she left. The manager also asked the security guard to escort her out. Best day of work ever.

8. Lattes and Lectures

A person holding a cup of latte. | Source: Pexels

A person holding a cup of latte. | Source: Pexels

u/HushTheWise: I worked at a coffee shop where a woman came up to me to complain that her lattes weren't filled to the top(I had seen her husband sneak sips on the walkover, but I wasn't gonna say that).

So I gladly offered to remake both drinks, but she said, "I don't want you to fix this; I just want you to know I am disappointed in you."

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9. Karen's Demand for Special Treatment Sparked Menu Mayhem

People standing in a queue while operating their smartphones. | Source: Pexels

People standing in a queue while operating their smartphones. | Source: Pexels

u/[deleted]: I used to work at a fast food in a theme park when I was 18. Karen held up the line cause she was demanding us to assemble a portion of food for her daughter, which we aren't allowed to do because we go by the menu.

She kept complaining, saying things like, "My daughter can't have that." "Well, what can you do for me?" "Do you want her to starve?" These were among the most irritating lines I ever encountered.

10. She Called Me Rude for Chatting with My Friend

A cashier serving a customer. | Source: Pexels

A cashier serving a customer. | Source: Pexels

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u/Elba-3: I was working as a cashier at a local supermarket. We were swamped with people; I had at least seven people waiting in line. One of my good friends from high school was in the queue, and I talked to him as I was ringing up his stuff.

After he left, I welcomed the next lady in line and asked the usual stuff, "Did you find everything okay?" "How are you doing?" Etc. Before I could get a word out, she asked me to speak to my manager. Apparently, I was rude to her for not including her in my conversation with my high school friend. She didn't even chime in, and I had never seen her in my life.

11. Her Request for a Refrigerator Delivery Took an Absurd Turn

A woman cleaning a refrigerator. | Source: Pexels

A woman cleaning a refrigerator. | Source: Pexels

u/MadameMothman: She asked for my manager's personal cell phone number to complain that I (seven months pregnant at the time) would not carry a refrigerator that she had not paid for. She wanted me to carry the item up to her second-story room, and we did not have an elevator.

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Rather than just accept an upgrade for free, she didn't want to unpack her stuff. She refused to believe we had rooms without fridges and that I was just fat and lazy.

When I refused to give her the cell phone number, she asked for the corporate number. I wrote it down on a sticky note with a smiley face. She came down later and asked to move rooms. I made her pay the difference.

12. Karen's Hair-Raising Complaint Caused Managerial Intervention

A woman holding a plate. | Source: Pexels

A woman holding a plate. | Source: Pexels

u/goodytwotoes: One time, Karen put her hair in her half-eaten plate of food and then caused drama, demanding that her meal be compensated and that she wanted to speak to the manager.

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I went into the back of the restaurant, pulled out the orange hair with 3 inches of regrowth, and asked the Mexican guys in the kitchen, "HEY, DID ANY OF YOU BRING A WIG TO WORK TODAY?" They told me to f*** off.

I returned and told Karen that nobody on our staff had red hair with blonde roots (while staring directly at her disastrous dye job), but the manager said we would be HAPPY to buy dessert for the whole table to make up for this strange phenomenon.

The four other people at the table were mortified and declined dessert. She ordered cheesecake, and they all sat there and glared at her while she devoured it.

13. Drama at the Gas Station

A woman in a yellow top fueling her car. | Source: Pexels

A woman in a yellow top fueling her car. | Source: Pexels

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u/ghaupt: Some woman pumping gas at a gas station accused me of cutting in line at the air pump station because she didn't see me waiting before another guy pulled up. That was the first time I ever called somebody "lady" in that sarcastic tone, and I both loved and hated it.

14. He Caused Chaos over the Milk Shortage

A glass of milk. | Source: Pexels

A glass of milk. | Source: Pexels

u/sixhoursneeze: I used to work at a coffee shop, and this one male Karen got pissed that we didn't have the small individual-sized cartons of white milk. The guy was so angry to the point where my coworker decided to intervene.

My colleague offered to give him some milk in a cup, but this just wouldn't do. He continued shouting and hollering about the principle of the matter.

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15. This One Got Pissed over Unavailable Product

People at a store. | Source: Unsplash

People at a store. | Source: Unsplash

u/darthwacko2: I worked at Home Depot one summer during school. A lady came in with a friend and asked me for BBQ parts. I walked them to the aisle, pulled a universal part off the shelf, and told them it would work.

They look at me like I'm a fool and say, "Well, we want this specific brand of part." I tell them, "Sorry, we don't stock that brand at all; this is the part I have; it's universal and will work." They launch into a tirade about how Walmart (a whole four blocks away) carries it; therefore, she should be able to buy it here.

This commotion went back and forth for several minutes before they stormed off, yelling how unhelpful I was. The assistant manager was in earshot the whole time and just walked over to me and said, "What a b****."

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16. Our Conversation Took an Unexpected Turn

Two people in a private jet. | Source: Pexels

Two people in a private jet. | Source: Pexels

u/alienbanter: I was sitting next to a lady on a plane, and she instigated some small talk before takeoff. When I told her I studied earth science, she asked if there was any real proof that plate tectonics existed and what my Lutheran church thought about that. I'm not religious, and there had been zero talk of religion in the conversation before that, haha.

17. My Monday Morning Showdown at the Photography Store

Photography store. | Source: Unsplash

Photography store. | Source: Unsplash

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u/Pien85: I used to own a photography store (sold cameras and took pictures for passports, etc). We opened at 1 p.m. on Mondays, but I happened to be at the store on Monday morning because I needed to get something.

I was planning on grabbing what I needed and heading home when Karen tried to get in through the locked door. The door had a sign that said we were closed and a sign with our opening hours. I didn't turn on any lights, so it was also very dark inside.

Karen started banging on the door; I was just about to leave, so I went outside to tell her we were closed. Karen didn't take it well and immediately demanded to speak to the manager.

I said I was the owner, and she then proceeded to shout and curse, so much so that the supermarket manager across the street came out to help me. She then tried to make the supermarket manager force me to open my store almost four hours earlier. It didn't work. I have never seen that woman again.

18. Karen's Christmas Tree Drama at My Store

A lady decorating a Christmas tree. | Source: Pexels

A lady decorating a Christmas tree. | Source: Pexels

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u/Leluwater: On my second week at my first job, Karen bought a discounted mini Christmas tree. She yelled at me for not having the box for the tree "in the back." The trees didn't come in boxes; believe it or not, they came in pieces in large bags off the delivery truck.

19. How I Stood up to Karen's Demands

A boy riding a bike. | Source: Pexels

A boy riding a bike. | Source: Pexels

u/Jummatron: This random lady that lived in my neighborhood said I couldn't bike in front of her house without wearing a helmet because she was afraid of getting sued by my parents if I were to fall off my bike in front of her house or something along those lines. I was like eight. I told Karen the street wasn't her property and rode away. I didn't really look back for her reaction.

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20. Karen's Language Complaint Turned into a Free Egg Roll

Egg roll place on a chopping board. | Source: Pexels

Egg roll place on a chopping board. | Source: Pexels

u/chenyu768: Once, Karen came into the restaurant I was working at and told me it was rude not to speak English. I told her sorry, I was talking to the cook. She asked to see the owner, so I called my mom to come out. Long story short, Karen got a free egg roll.

21. Karen's Sneezing Complaint Left My Manager in Stitches

A person laughing. | Source: Pexels

A person laughing. | Source: Pexels

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u/gigabytestarship: An old woman went to management because I sneezed; she said bless you, and I didn't say thank you. I didn't hear her, and if I had, a "thank you," would have been my automatic response. My manager came up laughing his ribs out over it.

22. She Caused Drama over Refund

A woman writing on a piece of paper. | Source: Unsplash

A woman writing on a piece of paper. | Source: Unsplash

u/SlapahoWarrior: I used to manage a restaurant. I had a lady complain about an issue with a previous order, and she wanted something replaced. She didn't have what she wanted to return.

She had a receipt dated October of last year. She came in to complain about it in January of this year. She went on to say the manager was a tall white guy who told her she could replace it.

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I was the only manager at that time. I'm black. So she threw a tantrum, saying how she was never coming back and was talking about complaining on Yelp. I'm glad I don't have to see her again.

23. She Took My Brother's Cartoony Snake Shirt a Bit Too Seriously

A little boy wearing a decorated T-shirt. | Source: Pexels

A little boy wearing a decorated T-shirt. | Source: Pexels

u/TheChocolateMilk: My family and I were flying to Australia for a holiday, and my little brother was wearing a shirt with a snake on it. When we got through passport control, a middle-aged Australian lady who worked there demanded that my mom turn my little brother's shirt inside out because the cartoon snake on it might scare the elderly.

24. Drama on Christmas Eve over Cranberry Sauce

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Cranberry dessert. | Source: Pexels

Cranberry dessert. | Source: Pexels

u/nutmonster7: It was Christmas Eve; I was working the last dash shift for people to get all their essentials. It was 9:30 p.m., and 10 p.m. was close.

Karen comes to my counter and lets rip that she can't find any cranberry sauce. "I'm sorry but we don't have any sauce left," I reply. "Why?! How can you not have any cranberry sauce at Christmas?!" I replied, "Because it's Christmas Eve, and we've sold out."

25. She Caused a Scene over Expired Voucher

A person holding voucher tickets. | Source: Pexels

A person holding voucher tickets. | Source: Pexels

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u/Memer_Deja_Vu: During my work shift, entitled Karen came to my shop and asked for a discount with an expired voucher. Karen came and caused drama at the shop when I told her that this voucher/coupon had expired. I called her out and made it clear that I would call security if she didn't leave.

She ran as I called security to come and force her to leave. After that, I saw a lot of bad reviews that dropped my store from 4.6 to 4.0 stars. The reviews were too common. I could tell that Karen was sending these reviews. I told her husband about her and how I needed money for her awful manners.

The husband came to my shop the next day to hand me five thousand worth of money. He told me about Karen's stupidity and how he used her for a home. She sucks like crap.

26. I Put Her in Her Place for Asking Unnecessary Questions

McDonald's restaurant. | Source: Pexels

McDonald's restaurant. | Source: Pexels

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u/samg461a: I work at a convenience store, so I see my fair share of entitled people, but this one woman just baffled my mind the other day. To explain the situation, My store is right next door to a McDonald's that is struggling to stay open due to a lack of employees.

Sometimes, they have to close the lobby and just open the drive-through because there isn't enough staff on the floor to serve both counters. However, that means that people come into my store and question me about the opening hours of McDonald's.

I always say that I don't know if they're open because I'm at work right now, and I don't work for them, so how should I know their schedule? I ask people if they tried pulling on the door (some people will just see that it's empty and conclude that it's closed even if it's not), and if they did and it didn't open, then I say, "Well, I guess it’s closed then."

But this woman turned to me incredulously, "Are they even allowed to do that?!" …??? Um, yes, Karen. Funnily enough, a business has the right to close if it can't serve people. The world does not revolve around you and your entitled attitude. It's just McDonald's. It's not a hospital or school. Just go to the A&W restaurant down the road.

27. Mom vs. Mystery Lady

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An angry woman on phone. | Source: Pexels

An angry woman on phone. | Source: Pexels

u/[deleted]: It's been long enough that I think anyone involved has long since forgotten. Now, I should say that this didn't happen to me personally, but it occurred in real-time while I was (indirectly) present.

I was working for a Phone Company in a call center. We were in training for a new scope of service, and part of that training involved listening to some of those calls that "may be recorded for training purposes."

Normally, the recordings are selected semi-randomly, but this one was specifically selected because it had happened to a supervisor in our center ten minutes prior.

Karen called us in a fury. It seems that she had discovered that her son had replaced her number on his 'five favorite numbers' list with the contact information of an unknown female. She wanted us to change it back.

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We legally could not do that. After all, it's not the woman's phone, and her son made the changes intentionally. When the agent on the call told her this, Karen flipped in the way only a true 'Karen' can.

It's the full package: screaming, shouting, accusing us of being crooked, unfair, and the customer is always right, etc. At this point, I should mention that Karen was calling from the store in her local mall. After about five minutes of Karen rage, we heard the following exchange:

Serious 'Authority Voice(SAV): "Ma'am, if you can't calm down, you'll have to leave the store." Mostly incoherent, Karen was raging (sounds like "I will not calm down; they're cheating me," and so forth).

SAV: "Okay -- ma'am? -- you're under arrest."

Karen: Disbelieving pause in K-Raging* "I'm what?"

SAV: "You're under arrest, ma'am, for [something muffled and unintelligible]."

This final declaration is followed by the sound of a mobile phone clattering to the floor/countertop, from where the salesperson retrieves it: "Uh...yeah, sorry about that. I don't think you have to worry about this anymore; she just got arrested."

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28. Karen Turned a Fruit Shop into Chaos

Grocery store. | Source: Pexels

Grocery store. | Source: Pexels

u/Wafflesattiffanies: The mother of a girl I went to school with comes into the shop where I work at 5.58 p.m. (we close at six). The lights are half off, the front door is closed, and the roller door is half down.

She goes, "Hi *my name*! I'm just running in to grab a few things!" Before I tell her not to, she has already gone into the aisles. When my manager notices this, he says, "What are you doing? We have to be done by six!"

He then goes to find her; she's already got a basket full of things going. "Where are the capsicums? Can I just grab...?" she asks. Remember, this is a fruit shop - half the items come off the shelves and into the cool room.

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My manager is the nicest guy ever and agrees to ring up her items as long as she pays the card as the cash is all packed into the safe. "No, that's ridiculous. I only have cash! Hun can you tell him I only have cash?" she says.

So I told her the same thing, that we can't access the cash once the safe is closed for the day. "Oh. Well can you just pay for it on your card and I'll get my daughter to pay you back?"

I tell her that I can't do that, and she starts shouting about how unprofessional we are, that the shop is awful because half the items are gone (WE WERE CLOSED), and that she's "never coming back!" (thank God).

She avoids me at school events now, and I honestly feel sorry for her daughter; the stories I hear about this woman are shocking. Is the icing on the cake? Her name is actually Karen.

29. The Sweatshirt Saga

A woman holding a shirt. | Source: Pexels

A woman holding a shirt. | Source: Pexels

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u/Lovebuttonmyface: I was working retail one afternoon, and here comes Karen with a return. At first glance, it's no big deal; she was just coming in to return a shirt. She walked up to the register, handed me the receipt to start processing, and we exchanged pleasant greetings.

I take the shirt out of the bag to examine it, and it is beyond disgusting. There were brown sweat stains from the pits to the stomach to the shoulder. It looked like whoever wore it rolled in mud or some nonsense.

I told Karen that I could not return the product because it had been used and that only unused and resellable items could be returned. Karen, through a fit, started screaming at me and accusing me of calling her a liar and whatnot. I hold up the shirt, point to the brown pit stains, and say, "Karen, can't you see this stain?"

Oh man, did that make it worse? She continues making a huge scene and demands to see the manager. News flash, Karen. I am the manager and am not budging. After 20 minutes of complaining, she finally left, saying she would be complaining to corporate and getting me fired.

Fast forward a few days later, a guy walks into the store, finds the first store associate he can, and immediately asks for me by name. Uh-oh, here we go again. Anyway, my associate brought the guy over to where I was standing, and I politely greeted him.

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The guy spent the next ten minutes apologizing for his crazy wife Karen verbally abusing my staff and me a few days prior. Apparently, the guy went to the beach and did some CrossFit / HIT training class IN THE SAND. Karen knows all of this; she was in the class with him!

The guy did not like the shirt for some reason, and Karen thought she could pull a fast one on us by making a scene. Think again, Karen.

30. Grandpa's Influence Saved the Day

An elderly man smiling while holding money. | Source: Pexels

An elderly man smiling while holding money. | Source: Pexels

u/SaltySolicitor: My grandparents live on a lake, and the first 20 feet from the lake is communal property. I was about ten years old and feeding the geese corn on the lake across from my grandparent's house.

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I saw Karen walk halfway around the lake just to tell me that I wasn't allowed to "encourage" the geese to poop on her lawn and that I had to stop feeding them immediately.

When I told her that my grandfather said I was allowed, she matched me up to his house, rang the doorbell, and only deflated when she realized my grandfather was the president of the homeowners association and was pissed at her for grabbing his granddaughter. From that point on, I made it a habit to scatter corn on the 20 feet directly in front of her lawn.

31. The Stubborn Customer

A cashier handling a customer. | Source: Pexels

A cashier handling a customer. | Source: Pexels

u/r/entitledkaren: This happened at a going-out-of-business sale for an upscale ( read pricey) furniture and home decor store. They only let in 15 people at a time and had an area where you could put the items you wanted to buy while you continued to browse, as they didn't have any carts or bags available. I placed all my items there and got in the 10-person deep line.

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A lady started to browse this hold section casually and was promptly told by the sales associate this was a holding area and that she couldn't take anything. She freaked out.

EK: "But I want this item!

Store Employee( SE): "Sorry, ma'am, it's already on hold. Please continue to look at other items not on the hold rack.

"Whatever," she responds, then yells, "I'll just find whoever it is and offer to buy it then!!" She then sneaks up to the rack, grabs it, and runs away. She walks to everyone in the store and asks them if it's their item and if she can have it.

People in the store are just genuinely confused about this crazy lady. The store employee had to stop ringing people out, go up to her, and tell her to put it back. She then yells, "You just don't want to make a sale, do you? This is a guaranteed sale!! What is your problem?"

The store employee then grabs the dish from her, takes it to the back room, and tells Karen to leave. Karen keeps looking around at everyone in line as if we will agree. When she realizes we think she is crazy, she just walks out of the store.

For reference, when stores go out of business, they usually hire a 3rd party to do liquidation; employees aren't making any sales !!! Plus, everything was going fast; the employee could have cared less. She wasn't the first to try and get the stuff, and I doubt she will be the last. She was the only one creating drama out of it.

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32. I Stood up for My Daughter

Mother and daughter bonding. | Source: Pexels

Mother and daughter bonding. | Source: Pexels

u/[deleted]: I was at the park with my daughter(she was three at the time). She and a couple of other kids started to play together. Then she attempted to use the monkey bars(she's a very adventurous child).

About mid-way through, she fell. I didn't do anything because she had fallen before, and I wanted her to learn to get back up on her own and not be scared to try again.

Anyway, one of the boys was about to get on the monkey bars, too, until I heard a woman run toward him, screaming to stop. She picked him up and looked at my daughter.

She told her it wasn't "smart" of her to go on the monkey bars if she wasn't fully ready because others might get that idea. That's when I got up and went to my daughter's defense. I sternly told the woman not to speak to her that way, and it was no fault of hers that she wasn't scared to try something new. She took her kid and left.

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33. The Ungrateful Karen

An elderly woman. | Source: Unsplash

An elderly woman. | Source: Unsplash

u/Telcontar86: A little late, but here it goes. Years ago, I worked as a back driver at a fast food joint, and older Karen came driving in to give her order.

This location doesn't have a speaker due to neighborhood ordnance, so all the orders in the drive-through are taken face to face. She ordered a double cheeseburger without onions, and I rang it in, completed her order, and sent her on her way.

About five minutes after picking up her food, she returns through the drive-through and says, "They put onions on my burger." I apologize, then print her a duplicate receipt to confirm to her and myself that I rang it in without onions.

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I then tell her that if she goes up to the front window and tells the manager who's working up front, they'll replace the burger for free if it is made correctly, but that I can't do anything about it back here.

She does so, and they give her a brand-new burger and an apology. I thought that was the end of the situation, but boy was I wrong. Karen called the state government on me by name, demanding I be fired.

If I recall correctly, I was told she called the food safety department, the Chamber of Commerce, and the governor's office. The franchise owner called to say that it turned out that Karen is allergic to onions.

She straight up accused me of deliberately ringing her sandwich in the wrong and trying to poison her, then printing up a false, duplicate receipt of her order to make her look like a liar (keep in mind that I read the receipt back to her and she confirmed it was her order).

I didn't get along with the manager who was working at the time, but even he was like, "That's complete bullsh**; it wasn't even his mistake it was the kitchen',s and we fixed it for her."

The franchise owner was told by whichever branch of the state government called them that Karen had demanded that I be fired. I wasn't. I wasn't even written up, but I did stop wearing my name tag at work when I could get away with it.

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34. My Encounter with a Karen While Handling a Medical Emergency

A person covering her face with a scarf. | Source: Pexels

A person covering her face with a scarf. | Source: Pexels

u/laminte: I used to work retail, so I have come across my fair share of Karens. There is a huge reason why I went back to school and no longer worked as a cashier. Anyway, one day, while manning the registers with a few other coworkers, I had a massive nosebleed right as I was finishing a transaction.

I grabbed a tissue and quickly excused myself to run to the restroom to get it to stop bleeding; this meant that I couldn't say goodbye to Karen and give the little spiel about how I was so grateful for her shopping with us.

Anyway, after about ten minutes, I finally got my nose under control and returned to the registers. I saw her waiting to the side with a scowl on her face; arms crossed over her chest, the whole nine yards.

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She proceeded to scold me about how rude I was for not saying goodbye. After apologizing and explaining that I had an unexpected nosebleed, she told me I should have tried holding it in and that the customer would come first. I was so shocked at how insensitive that woman was.

35. She Called the Cops on Me for Doing My Job

A female doctor attending to a patient. | Source: Pexels

A female doctor attending to a patient. | Source: Pexels

u/andrewfoxs: Doctor here. I used to work in a public night shift service, kinda like an emergency room, but for non-emergencies, to keep the hospitals clear of white codes (anything from a fever to a sore throat to prescriptions for urgent treatments).

A Karen walks in at 3 a.m. asking for a prescription for hypertension drugs, which isn't unusual, as people (old people, more often than not, but she looked 55~) sometimes don't notice they're running low.

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Anyway, the law (not a rule, not my decision, the law) states that this service can only write prescriptions for potentially life-threatening conditions drugs for a maximum of 72 hours coverage, so if you take one pill a day, I can only prescribe you a single blister.

Here, we don't have bottles, but blisters), and while I was writing the prescription, Karen casually mentioned that she was insomniac. While cleaning the medicine cabinet, she realized she was down to her last full blister.

My pen stops; I ask her to repeat, "Full blister?" "Yeah," so I take the prescription, tear it in half, then again, and throw it in the bin, explaining the law to her. She gets mad, starts yelling, and threatens to call the cops. I told her to go ahead.

The cops came, and she triumphally announced that I was refusing to treat her. I explain the situation, and they ask her if it's true that she has a full blister, and she, of course (being a Karen who is always right no matter what), confirms it.

The cops look at her (still with a look of triumph, waiting for them to arrest me), and to her surprise, they ask her politely to leave, as I'm in the right. She's livid.

The day after, my boss called me and cracked up cause she went there during the day to talk to "the manager." And she (my boss) told her the same thing. I never saw her again in there, weirdly enough.

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36. Mega Karen

Woman | Getty Images

Woman | Getty Images

Deleted user: She was a MEGA-KAREN! I own a small coffee shop. One evening, Karen comes in, grabs a bunch of pastries, and just runs off without paying... I was so tired and had to pick up my kid from daycare, so I just let her go...

The next morning, the same Karen shows up with three police officers behind her.Karen (pointing at me): She tried to POISON me!Arrest her!

Me (confused): 'Wh-what??'Karen: 'GET HER NOW! SHE’S CRAZY!'The officers take out handcuffs.Me (exploding): 'STOP THIS CIRCUS! Because here’s what really happened.

The officers paused, and I showed them the security footage from last night, clearly displaying Karen's theft. As they turned to confront her, Karen's face turned white. Realizing her situation, she fell to her knees and begged me for forgiveness. I did not forgive her.

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37. Сunning plan

Woman | Shutterstock

Woman | Shutterstock

Deleted user: So, my neighbor is a MEGA MEGA Karen! Yesterday morning, out of nowhere, Child Protective Services show up at my door. I open it and immediately hear my Karen neighbor screaming, "IT'S HER! ARREST HER OFFICERS! SHE LETS HER KID CRY ALL NIGHT!"

Me (confused): What are you talking about? Officers, there's some mistake here. (For context: I'm a responsible mom, but yeah, sometimes kids cry at night, can't help that.)

Karen pushes past me, and the officers enter my room. And THEN THEY FROZE. The officers looked back at me and began to pull out handcuffs, but then they noticed Karen sneaking off with my child, trying to slip away through the back door. Naturally, they caught up with her.

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Turns out, Karen wanted to frame me to take my child because she was infertile but always dreamed of having kids. That was her twisted plan.

38. Mega Karen and Her Kids

Pizzeria | Shutterstock

Pizzeria | Shutterstock

Deleted user: This MEGA Karen gets humiliated in the funniest way So, I'm waiting for my sister at this pizzeria near our house, sitting at a two-person table in the corner. Then, this Karen shows up with her two little kids.

She pushes me and says, "Get up! I need this spot, can't you see I'm with kids!" Me: "Ma'am, this table is reserved..." What she said next made my hair stand on end. She goes on, "I'm the owner's wife, I can have you thrown out!" I decided to teach her a lesson.

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What I did next made her face turn red.First, I calmly pulled out my phone and dialed a number. "Hey, is this the owner of the pizzeria?" I said, loud enough for Karen to hear. Turns out, the real owner was an old friend from college.

When he showed up and revealed that Karen was just bluffing about being his wife, her face turned beet red. She grabbed her kids and scurried out, leaving behind a silent pizzeria erupting in laughter.

A woman yelling. | Source: Pexels

A woman yelling. | Source: Pexels

Encountering a real-life "Karen" prompts reflection on the importance of kindness towards each other. Their disruptive behavior serves as a call for people to advocate for empathy. As we navigate a world filled with diverse personalities, embracing compassion becomes our superpower as we counter entitlement with genuine connection.

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