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Everyone who has worked in retail knows that for every good customer, you get 2 horrible ones pulling up in the parking lot. It's a law. Like gravity.

But some people are so rude, so annoying, and so malicious, it's like they're on a quest to make as many workers miserable as possible. And sometimes they succeed.

When someone like that ruins your day, there's only one thing you can do. Vent online. I mean, you can't punch the jerk or anything—you're still in uniform. Pull off a stunt that damages the reputation of the company you're working for and you're out the door.

Bored Panda has compiled a list of these stories to show you that people in retail really deserve our respect; they go through these situations every day. For more similar experiences, check out our older pieces here and here.

#2

Customers-Stories-From-Hell

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pusheen buttercup
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Glory hounding. Trying to do the right thing for the sake of appearances whether it kills anyone or not

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Fabrice
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

why did she not tell this imbecile from the start that she was an EMT ?

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pusheen buttercup
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People always underestimate the young people. You can be both young and competent

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danielw
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm guessing she wasn't actually a teenager. it takes at least a year (iirc, in my state, it takes 2 years,) to get the EMT certificate, and most people graduate high school around 18-19. Still that man clearly was lacking in any current training, and was an ass who was about to crack a poor woman's ribs in. (CPR done right will break ribs. unless it's a child. kid-bones are somewhat more flexible.). Also, an EMT will most certainly announce the fact that they're an EMT. it's probably the fastest way to get control of the situation, and get the crowd to actually do what you say, (including calling for EMS.)

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Oskar vanZandt
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

(The guy being an arrogant d*ck trying repeatedly to do unnecessary CPR aside) I wonder why the young woman didn't introduce herself as an EMT or first aider?

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Hogswallop
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's what I thought at the end of the story. Also that she wouldn't have been a teenager if she was a fully qualified EMT.

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Anne
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

CPR on living people may kill them... (I doubt the story.. but felt it good to reiterate that fact :) )

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chrissy goodman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

im epileptic and had a seizure my own father went to do cpr bc he thought i stopped breathing wen i had a seizure. some people arent aware of what to do in that situation. some seizures actually look like other things like panic attacks or heart attacks so untrained people will either panic or do cpr if they feel its the right thing to do. since ive been in this womans position i can fully believe this story.

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Ross Keim
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds fake, like something a person who runs on a volunteer fire or ems would make up for attention

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Lord Ponsonby
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the EMT doesn't say "I'm an EMT, please stand back", she just stands like a little lady and waits for the man to let her do her job... please, stupid attempt at an anti-sexism story that is actually a really stupid sexist story.

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Zophra
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like the cow story better. Seemed more believable...barely.

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DDmaybeandor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG the cow story is completely believable. My husband's got 30+ stories on the same level of stupid from his 15+ years of working with the public. I was with him for one of them. A woman asked him how they kept the squirrels behind the fence (a little ankle high decorative rope fence around the landscaping). He told her it was an elective fence for squirrels and she believed him. We were working in a National Forest where squirrels are native and as common as birds. That was tame compared to the rest I wasn't present for.

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Gonna guess she wasn't that young a teen, and, FYI, yes, she's correct. YOU NEVER mess with a seizing patient. Turn on side, time seizure, speak softly, soothingly, and notify 911 to be safe.

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CrunChewy McSandybutt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At my youngest son's middle school graduation, a man fainted, and then a lady ran over and started doing CHEST COMPRESSIONS! No checking for breathing or pulse, just went into chest compressions until an officer in attendance stopped her. People who think medical dramas are real-life... they're a hoot.

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InfectedVoice
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is pure r/thathappened material, the amount of dialogue alone makes it complete bullshit.

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Marnie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Since this one is obviously fake, I will stop here. I hate reading stuff like this, then realizing it's all fake.

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Rob Chapman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you believe this story, I've got some beachfront property to sell you on Venus.

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sofacushionfort
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Since the man was arrested, there would be a public record of this incident? And the name of the stenographer who was present transcribing this word-for word interplay?

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Janice Best
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mansplainers gonna mansplain, even if it kills someone. Thank goodness for that woman, the teen girl was there and was able to fight off the guy.

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Christel Nellemann
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because.. “how could someone younger AND a female possibly know more than me, the Man, here to be heroic, and not wanting my thunder stolen. Because I am the important one “.

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Ingrid Collender
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually saw a similar scenario at a fun fair. A man in fact did have a cardiac event and required CPR. This woman shoved everyone aside, including me, (a registered nurse) to get to the victim and said loudly OMG! HE NEEDS CPR - LUCKY I KNOW HOW, and proceeded to do an ok job. I offered help, which was loudly refused . I was about to go to the visitor centre to summon an ambulance, when a lady walked up an offered help, which the glory hound refused. So lady said, " Well, when you are ready to call a doctor, HERE I AM!" The victim survived.

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Lana Jig-maker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what I learned was, you can be an EMT as a teen. I was probably playing video games at that age

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Christine Ladyman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds too familiar for me...I had a newly qualified nurse shove me back from a woman having a stroke(in our ward) shouting 'stay back, this is what we're going to do! ' He'd decided she was choking on her meal so was going to use the Heimlich manoeuvre on her... as she lay unconscious! Before I could speak, my colleague hissed, 'get out of the way and let 'me 'in! The nurse had been an ambulance driver and was inclined to take on the role of charge nurse from day one! He didn't stay long.

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Gel Davey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why didn't she just say to the man from the start, "I'm a paramedic, leave this to me".

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EJN
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd recommend to the lady with seizures that she find a new guy because that one could kill her!

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Mayo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh gosh, just be glad he didn't do worse farther and don't have child on his own.

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CharliAnn Olney
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a paramedic I have seen this happen. I was once quite literally PUSHED from a patient I was tending by a man Pretending to be a Doctor. Yes, he was arrested for assault and practicing without a licence.

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Patricia Kasprowski
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love this! As an RN have seen this type of stupidity way too many times.

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KCN
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Major kudos to the teenager for sticking to her guns!

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Paradise
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Great work! But doesnt she need to also find out if she has meds in her and what she ate last? How I was trained...not as extensively as her.

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Marianne
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Best story ever! (For the girl, I hope the woman was fine.)

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I I
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my mate had his first fit when we where playing video games , scared the crp out of me , but i remembered first aid training , made sure his airway was free , laid him away from things he could hit his head or anything off and phoned an ambulance

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Jennifer Szabo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't call her a teenager when it's obvious she is a working professional young woman. Teen had me thinking she was in high school. No, this young lady is graduated with EMT training. Call her what she is. A young woman.

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DDmaybeandor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of "Dumb and Dumber" scene when one of them "does CPR".

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fRozen_lava
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm equally amazed by the memory recall of the narrator. I'm guessing she is the teenage girl?

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MandaPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, that's an amazing amount of recollection for what was said. Nice story though.

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Mama Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think whenever anyone hears teenager, we think of someone under the age of 18. It took me a fast second to realize that she could be 19 and then she would be old enough to be an EMT.

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Lily
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

just because a person is young doesn't mean they're dumb, which was clearly shown here. mansplaining at its finest.

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KK
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The girl is a genius. The man–I'm glad he was banned from the premises.

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Ayia Grace
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine he actually did CPR and the girl couldn't get in because the people believed the man instead. When the paramedics arrived, just imagine the scene (of what I'm talking about).

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Panda squad
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really? If she knows what she is doing and seems familiar with it let her do it. I mean the man just got a big fat OOF. Seriously do not judge some or you will end up like Mr. Smarty Pants and look like a fool.

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Sathe Wesker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an epileptic, if this is true, the girl was definitely spot on. ESPECIALLY turning the woman on the side after the seizure stopped in case she would throw up and choke on it. Also, I can be combative when coming out of one. I always refer to the process as the brain literally re-setting itself. You don't know why you're on the ground, why you feel pain, why you're being told you can't sit up right away. It's like your bloody wasted.

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chrissy goodman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

im epileptic too. seizures r the worst especially in public most ppl panic. the feeling of wondering wat happened is the worst it always upsets me bc once i realize im forgetting how i ended up on the ground and missing a bit of time the thought "oh i had a seizure" sinks in and makes me feel even worse. epilepsy is no joke. ppl think it means someone who has seizures but it much more then that. im diagnosed with petit mal seizures but will have grand mal if i miss my meds. its a pain but it happens

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Roxy Eastland
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If someone is moving around, even if it's a seizure, then they are breathing and their blood is circulating. Absolutely no requirement for CPR. What an idiot.

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Arctic Fox Lover
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mind if I go give that man a kick in the nuts? Also maybe a good punch to the nose? Really anyway, as long as he's bleeding

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Jade Lynn - Panda's Brat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even if she did tell the man she was an EMT he probably would not have believed her.

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Logic and Reason
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The man was not only banned, but arrested? I’m no law enforcement officer but if this had actually happened I don’t think the man would have been arrested; he was doing what he thought was right.

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SiimplyLuna
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OH MY GOD! This is why to never judge a book by it's cover!

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In our piece on some of the most ridiculous customer demands ever, we mentioned one study that's relevant here as well.

Turns out, people treat retail workers worse when they're looking for bargains than if they were less price-conscious. The University of British Columbia (UBC) Sauder School of Business paper, which was published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in 2017, looked at several factors to determine how customers treated employees.

One variable researchers analyzed was the words customers used when speaking to customer service workers.

"When shoppers focus only on paying the lowest price, they become less attuned to understanding the human needs of others, or even recognizing them," Johannes Boegershausen, a UBC Sauder Ph.D. student who co-authored the study, said in a press release.

#4

Customers-Stories-From-Hell

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Sum Guy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would use that even if my father didn't die... you got served and I wasn't rude to you... smiling is nice, but you can't expect someone to be smiling the whole day

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Researchers also analyzed customers' feelings towards the employees by showing them pictures of a flight attendant in the Ryanair (bargain) uniform, the Lufthansa (luxury) uniform, and a neutral uniform. Customers viewed the Lufthansa and neutral flight attendants as equally human, but they saw the Ryanair flight attendant in a poorer light.

"We simply varied the brand, and found that people ascribed lower capabilities for experiencing emotions and feelings to the Ryanair flight attendant," Boegershausen explained, adding that this subtle dehumanization can take many forms and is not necessarily intentional.

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Another experiment had participants communicating in a live chat with a rude customer service representative. They were then offered the chance to punish the employee through a complaint. The researchers found participants were 18 percent more likely to give a rating that would lead to disciplinary actions against the employee when shoppers were adopting a price-conscious mentality than when they were not.

The researchers say the findings could help owners and management of discount stores, as the problem could affect their employee retention—previous research has shown that employees who experience rude and inconsiderate customer behaviors report higher levels of emotional exhaustion, job dissatisfaction, and burnout.

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Judging from these posts, retail employees deal with a lot of dumb stuff. At least they're strong enough to laugh from their misery.

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Ripley
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine being so small-minded that you have a meltdown over what fried potatoes are called.

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#10

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Sum Guy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get it... the mind is a stupid thing and will often do something like this

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pusheen buttercup
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ohhhh I've been there. I really have. There is genetic variation within every race... You can't say "you're not caucasian, because your nose is too big". I don't appreciate idiots who think they know your race better than you

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Ripley
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd say that lady is definitely going to miss her flight once the "grade-school educated" security person is through with her.

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pusheen buttercup
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's so sad... Even if you don't like lgbt, you could at least be civil enough. Surely there is some area between best buddies and worst enemies. I know this because I met people who believe i am going to hell, but they're still my friends :)

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Lunar Bicycle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I worked in a garden center, a really friendly customer laughed and told me he had just embarrassed himself at another garden center by asking employees there, “Do you have chlamydia?” He said they just stared at him for a moment, so he followed up with, “Do you know where I can find chlamydia?” He then realized that he meant to say “clematis” and immediately turned around and left. I helped him find our clematis, and, as he was leaving, said, “At least you didn’t say you were having trouble finding the clitoris!”

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#33

I Played Your Music For My Friends, So Give Me $400 Or I Will Sue! (X-Post - Clients From Hell)

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Ripley
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh no, I want to see them take it to small claims . . . I want to see how far it will fly when it's thrown out.

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#35

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WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok, we'll rename this fee to education-fee and raise it by 50%. The lesson you've learned is that you don't pretend to be rich when you haven't got a dime to spare.

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mulk
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's like: "make me appear first on google search when somebody search for [goddam words which have nothing to do with the customer's business]"

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Vorknkx
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Have you had one of those cases when you can't remember a password, ask for a reset, and when you type in the new password, it says that you can't use the old one :D

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Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.