It’s no news that working in the food service industry is a tough and thankless job. Yet, the most difficult part may not even be the long hours, low pay, or cruel bosses. For many of the employees, it’s the nightmarish customers who feel entitled to treat other human beings like garbage.
Whether these people are physically assaulting servers, stealing tips, or letting their kids run around like it’s their playground—they deserve to be publicly shamed for acting like complete jerks.
Bored Panda compiled a list full of the most horrible clients that ever set foot in a restaurant. In fact, some of these pictures are so bad, you can't help but scratch your head and think what on earth is going on. Scroll down below to check them out, and don’t forget to upvote the most unbelievable ones.
Psst! If you’re in the mood for some more horrible customer stories, take a look at our previous posts about it right here and here.
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Customers Assaulted Me With Drinks And Food. My Back Is Bruised By How Hard A Grown Man Threw His Drinks At Me. Can I Press Charges?
Woman Gives Bad Review Because She Didn't Get Hired
Many restaurant workers are getting sick and tired of clients treating them like pawns on a chessboard. It often seems that customers are feeling a lot of anger and frustration and think that it’s completely normal to take it out on their server. The question is, why do some people believe that they are entitled to act this way?
Melanie Morrison, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said that when it comes to demeaning and disrespectful behavior, there are three contingents. First, there’s the issue of social dominance—people believing that they actually deserve to be more powerful and dominant over others.
According to her, these people are often the leaders in an organization with subordinates lower on a hierarchical structure: "There's still that belief that they have a socially dominant position, they have more power over this individual and they'll treat them in a demeaning way because of that."
This Server, Who Served This Iconic Line
The Shade
I hope that this was shared to social media, so that creep could be identified and arrested.
The second one includes the slightly marginalized groups that don’t actually hold any socially dominant position in our society. However, if they go to a restaurant, they can suddenly feel in control. "They can become somebody who has been given a bit of power over a server in that moment," Morrison said. "They can treat them in a demeaning way and be powerful in that environment because the conditions allow them to be."
Finally, there are people who are just plain impolite. The professor mentioned that people who fall in this group are just rude and it doesn’t connect to the sense of power at all.
I'm A Waitress. I Gave This Table Everything They Needed, Quickly, And Get This Lovely Tip
This Grown Man Throwing His Candy Wrappers For Me To Sweep Up During Work
She added that people who tend to be empathetic to a server’s mistakes are usually those who previously worked in the restaurant business themselves. However, there’s nothing wrong with having certain expectations.
"If it's something surrounding the food or the environment or something, then you can ask for some changes. … Take a breath. Think about it. Look realistically at the server—is that the server's fault?"
Instagram Is Killing Food
Letting Your 9 Year Old Kids Eat The Watermelon In The Salad Put It Back. They Were Also Poking The Fruit
Whatever happened to, "parents must accompany children to the buffet?" I hope they had to pay for the wasted food that their brat caused.
Ever since the pandemic began, there’s a recurring trend: humans appear to have forgotten how to be nice to each other. Especially when it comes to interacting with people whose job is to help and assist another person.
The lockdowns, isolation, and many other things that came with the pandemic have been with us for so long that it might have left a negative impact on our emotional health. People feel especially frustrated when it seems that life is coming back to normal but new threats and restrictions come their way. It doesn’t take long to realize that this unique situation will be the new normal, and many are still not prepared for it.
This Mother
One of my friends did this at my house once - just laid her baby down on the dining table and changed the diaper. She put the dirty diaper right on the table (just pee, but still) and didn't even wash her hands when she was done. My other friends and I were all too stunned to say anything, but it definitely made us see her differently.
Letting Your Kid Watch A Movie On Full Volume In A Restaurant
there's no need to be entertained all the time - kids should learn to stay sitted and quiet sometime
Bernard Golden, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of Overcoming Destructive Anger, told TIME that during this period, people’s threat system is at a heightened level. "During COVID, there has been an increase in anxiety, a reported increase in depression, and an increased demand for mental health services," he added.
It looks like the easiest targets to vent and express frustration are people who work in the service industry. "It’s displaced anger," Golden explained. "They’re angry about other things but they take it out in those encounters."
Restaurant Customer Caught Taking An Upskirt Picture Of Underage Host
This Lady Has Been On The Phone Since She Sat Down, While Her Kid Is Running Around Doing This To The Salt Shakers
He continued: "We don’t filter ourselves as much as we used to. On the internet, people feel like they can say anything. They no longer guard themselves. And I think they transfer that lack of filter into public life. I think from leadership that we’ve had in the last number of years, that’s only been more encouraged."
At My Local Chinese Buffet's Restoom, Why Are People This Way
Couple Prioritizes Their Food Over A Dying Man
Shoutout to the most selfish couple. Someone was having a heart attack at Roma’s and while the server was helping the man out, this couple started complaining about their food not being served to them immediately.
The Nerve Of This Lady
The treatment restaurant workers are currently getting from such nightmarish customers seems almost unbearable. At the end of the day, it does not matter if people think they’re better or more worthy than everyone else—acting like a total jerk to others should never be justified.
Trashy And Just Plain Stupid
If You Do This Because “Someone Is Paid To Clean It Up” Frick You
Entitled Military Spouse Demands Free Meals
Way To Put Essential Workers' Families At Risk Right Before The Holiday Season
This Is What Someone Left At A Buffet Because They Were Mad They Found 2 Dirty Plates And Were Asked To Wear A Mask
Just Chillin At The Coffee Shop
All You Can Drink
ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, and more ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww like what the actual fúck is this
Food Fight In Public
Seriously
Squatting On A Restaurant Table For A Picture
Watched This Family Put These Trays Full Of Food On The Ground Instead Of Cleaning It Up. I Only Cleaned It Up After I Watched Someone Trip Over It
He Found The One Good Seat
I Was Waiting For My Order At Pizza Hut When This Girl Comes Out Of The Bathroom With A Roll Of Toilet Paper. Needless To Say, She Left The Restaurant With It
Make Yourself At Home, But In A Public Starbucks
Nice Restaurant- Kid Watching Cartoons On Volume 100
I guess the phone is cheaper than getting a human babysitter and leaving the crotch goblin at home.
This Is My Home Town
That is absolutely illegal. Time to call the cops. Maybe he will end up on the sex offender registry
The Absolute State That People Have Left This KFC In
Gender Reveal In A Restaurant? Why Not I Guess
I am so grateful to not live in a rotten 3rd world country like that. Some students trashed a restaurant a few years ago, you know what happened? They were hunted down by the police and given huge fines. They were all over the newspapers. And their fraternity was reprimanded and had income deducted. Y'all need to do better and stop letting people get away with s**t just because they are the customers EDIT BECAUSE NITPICKING ASSHATS I'm saying the US is rotten and is a 3rd world country. I never mentioned other countries, I don't mean any other country. I am not shitting on any other country, developing or not. ALso I never said my country was perfect, that's completely besides the point
This Racist Note Left At A Thai Restaurant In My City
So My Co-Worker Got This Today
Dog Owners Who Think This Is OK In A Restaurant
They Continue To Sit At Their Table Hours After Closing Time, Totally Indifferent To The Fact You Have To Wait Around For Them To Leave So You Can Close Up
Said She Doesn't Come To The Mexican Restaurant For The Food, It's For The Free WiFi
This Family Let Their Kid Crawl All Over The Restaurant Floor, Nearly Tripping Several Servers
Treating A Server Like This Is Trashy (Facepalm)
Leaving This As A Tip
Pretty much sums Trumpsters up. Obnoxious, horrifically rude to people in service jobs and will tell them to get a better job but freak out when they have to wait for food service.
If You’re A Parent, Do Not Let Your Kids Make A Mess Like This
What A Disgusting Way To Not Tip
Smoking In A Non-Smoking Restaurant Because You Do What You Have To
It stinks, it won't be "secret" but its not a surprise. The pandemic has revealed how selfish and stupid people can be
He Took The Fan That Was Blowing Cool Air Throughout The Whole Café, And Turned It So It Only Pointed Onto Himself
Welcome To Oklahoma, Where Bringing Your AR15 To A Restaurant Is Normal
How to tell the world you are a Republican who is deeply insecure in your masculinity
She Demanded A Child Seat And The Confused Waiter Brought One
Its a 4 person booth. Is she really too fat to put it on the seat next to her?
A Customer Today Wanted To Return Some Produce Because "It Was Too Ripe", I Asked Him If He Had Already Tried Eating It In Anyway. He Said "Does It Look Like I Touched It?"
This Person Who Thought It Was OK To Put The Dog On The Counter Where People Eat
Absolutely asshole behaviour. But that is one cute pup. Asshole needs to leave, but the dog can stay (just not there)
The Friend Said "I'll Take The Kids To The Car While You Clean". The Mother Looked At It Said "Not My Problem" And Left
Tipping culture keeps you mad at customers when you should me mad at the people in power who allow you to be paid $2,53 + tips.
If you don't think people are mad at "the people in power who allow you to be paid $2.53 + tips", then you haven't spoken to anyone about it. It's no excuse to be trashy in public
Load More Replies...I stopped reading after number 10. Just couldn't handle these rude shitty people.
Sorry to say, but this is the American culture “customer has always right”. Come to Europe, i travel a lot and except the kids cartoons (but most of the time the manager politely asked parents to shut down the phone or pute headphones on and they did) never saw this type of behavior in restaurants even in food courts in Europe, but in America unfortunately yes, saw some of this many times….hate me…
This is the s**t-upon punching down because capitalism isnt actually working for them, but they are in denial as are most Americans. They won't tip the $3/hr waitress, but they will vote for corrupt GOP Senators who reward themselves with insider trading and top-rate tax cuts! 🤦🏼♀️ A perfect sample of US political and economic ignorance.
Load More Replies...Tipping culture keeps you mad at customers when you should me mad at the people in power who allow you to be paid $2,53 + tips.
If you don't think people are mad at "the people in power who allow you to be paid $2.53 + tips", then you haven't spoken to anyone about it. It's no excuse to be trashy in public
Load More Replies...I stopped reading after number 10. Just couldn't handle these rude shitty people.
Sorry to say, but this is the American culture “customer has always right”. Come to Europe, i travel a lot and except the kids cartoons (but most of the time the manager politely asked parents to shut down the phone or pute headphones on and they did) never saw this type of behavior in restaurants even in food courts in Europe, but in America unfortunately yes, saw some of this many times….hate me…
This is the s**t-upon punching down because capitalism isnt actually working for them, but they are in denial as are most Americans. They won't tip the $3/hr waitress, but they will vote for corrupt GOP Senators who reward themselves with insider trading and top-rate tax cuts! 🤦🏼♀️ A perfect sample of US political and economic ignorance.
Load More Replies...