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The summer job is a rite of passage for many kids, who are encouraged by their parents to get out of their hair and go and learn valuable lessons about responsibility, the value of money and hard work.
Whether you were saving for a bike, your first car, a prom dress or whatever, we all went in with high expectations of independence and feeling like a proper adult. However those expectations are not always met!
Jimmy Fallon did us all a service by asking people to share their worst summer job experiences in one of his legendary hashtag challenges. Needless to say, there are some absolute classics in there! Scroll down to check out a list of Bored Panda's favorites below, and feel free to share your own in the comments!
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Little Menace 8 years ago
Yeah, this one is just sad. I worked a lot in care and the woman probably had dementia. I could list about 100 more [and far worse] of these 'funny' stories but to me they are just sad and it isn't anything special either.
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Elina Kuusisto 8 years ago
I can't imagine it paid well, but I don't see how this would be a bad job. Heck, sign me up
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John Ashley 8 years ago
"Commitment to the community"? What kind of geniuses come up with notions like this? What a load of horse pucky. Starting a business isn't a commitment to a community. If anything it's a commitment to ones self. There's no commitment unless he was paid in advance. Highly unlikely in a service business like lawn mowing.
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Carol Emory 8 years ago
I worked for a service drive of a dealership when I was 19. Every man that came to the window would ask to see a manager for an explanation of their bill instead of asking me...even after I told them that I was the one that processed and coded their bill (meaning I had to know how to diagnose and fix any mechanical issues with the cars.) The revenge came one day when I told the guy that I needed to explain some thing about his new engine. He said "I'll talk to the service drive manager, honey." The manager didn't know what had been done. So the customer never got the note that he shouldn't take the car over 55 for the first 500 miles to give the seals time to set. He called less than an hour later to say his engine had blown out from under the hood and all over the freeway. Guess that sexist stereotyping finally jumped up and bit you in the a*s, didn't it honey!
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redheadwahine 8 years ago
Why would a 14 year old need a babysitter? Unless he was special needs which would be a more legit explanation for the adult diapers I suppose
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Carol Emory 8 years ago
I actually worked at a French Bakery one summer in Pike Place Market in Seattle. Every week I'd have the same customer, Antonio, come in and tell me I was beautiful, he'd sweep me away to Italy some day and that doing this would make him the happiest man on Earth. The problem was..he said this to every young girl at the shop.
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just a thought! 8 years ago
Why the f**k weren't you allowed to use the owner's toilet. This is just cruel.
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Vilem Marak 8 years ago
yes we are, but you need to hold up this 9 iron for 15 minutes before i let you in...
#52
Caitlin Smith 8 years ago
I babysat kids that would give me $20-$50 to take them to get ice cream, go to the pool, and so on. The boy once offered be $500 to NOT tell his parents he locked me on the roof. He was 10 at the time and actually had that cash to hand me. I haven't seen that much cash in one place since then...
#55
Kim Lorton 8 years ago
What the hell is wrong with people?! Crapping their pants , doing gross personal things in public??
#57
Carol Emory 8 years ago
Are you surprised? Abercrombie and Tommy Hilfiger are the same. They say the will not make plus size clothing because they only want their clothes on beautiful people.
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Blue Cicada 8 years ago
I was okay, until the last phrase. Sorry to laugh! I would've totally bought some of your artwork.
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Ashlyn Krell 8 years ago
oh wow. I might threaten to call the police - just like you would if an adult was threatening you I guess. :S
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Liz Wiseman 8 years ago
I once had a professor in college tell us to write down the grade we think we deserved in the class. I put "B" bc I felt the B I was already earning was fair. I was the only one who didn't know it was his last semester and had stopped grading after midterms. So everyone got A's - except me with my B. That day, I learned lying can get you farther in life.
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Carol Emory 8 years ago
Thank God the police have their own photo processing labs..or I guarantee it would be way way worse.
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Carol Emory 8 years ago
I had a boss that trained me how to do all the daily and weekly processing of tickets for a propane company in a matter of 1 hour..during peak season...the day before she was due to leave for a managers convention in San Diego for a week...leaving me to man the office on my own with 4 very belligerent and uncooperative drivers and a slew of pissed off customers. I'm surprised I didn't light a match on my last day. #TalkAboutFired.
#71
Gwinevere von Ludwig 8 years ago
People don't want to buy knives from door to door salespeople.
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GlassOfWater 8 years ago
We had a French exchange student at my school who was in my English class and all he did in there was watch porn. Seriously. You're in an English class in an English speaking country. Couldn't you at least listen out of respect for the teacher if not your own learning?
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Robert Morson 8 years ago
Every day? Did she not eventually get bored of it? Your sister sounds like she had way too much time on her hands.
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Blue Cicada 8 years ago
A BRA IS NOT A GIANT POUCH!!! Also, women's clothing needs more pockets.
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Naima Ivansdóttir 8 years ago
this is not a "worst summer job", this is "failing at following the directions you were given" and "sucking at doing your job".
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Carol Emory 8 years ago
If he'd done it these days, he'd have been tossed out, publicly humiliated, divorced and unemployed. And in my case, he would have had hospital bills too...
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Blue Cicada 8 years ago
Grew up in Ohio farm country. I can confirm, this is just about the worst smell. Although, processing seafood can't be much better.
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Alusair Alustriel 8 years ago
Did you hear about a washing machine or washing with soap with your hands?
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Wow. I'll bet there are a lot of levels of disturbing to this kid's story.
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weatherwitch 8 years ago
Before a school dance performance I sprained my ankle and thought I'd get out of it. Nope. My teacher had the great idea of getting me to blow bubbles before the start of the dance. I limped to the front, with a pissed off expression and blew a few bubbles to the bewilderment of the audience before limping off now seriously pissed off..... That trauma was over 30 years ago and I haven't forgotten it so I really feel for you!!
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Robert Morson 8 years ago
I'd be of two minds on how to respond to this. On the one hand, I'd want to not get involved ("Well, different people have different reasons. You'd have to ask the adults in question.") On the other hand, I'd want to mess with them ("So that the sex monsters who live in the drain can help out.")
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
If I was your mother, I would've had some stern words for your abusive boss. Threats, actually.
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Dan Carter 8 years ago
Should have sold Tri-Stars. In the end, I got $400 per machine sold. I sold about 4-5 a week, and I was 20 years old.
#143
Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Would've made more sense to send you 5 rows BACK (the rows already done), wouldn't it?
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Good thing none of your patients got into the rat poison---the neighboring business would've had a huge lawsuit on their hands!
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
I would've asked him if HE was going to eat it, to prove his point. Then sit back for the fun.
#152
Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
That's why I just don't buy that kind of thing at convenience stores...
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Hope your parents gave your neighbor a talking-to about child labor laws.
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weatherwitch 8 years ago
You should have patted her condescendingly on the head and said "There, there, chill out" 😂
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Not what you'd expect to be part of the job description of an educator...
#178
Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Weird, since that doesn't get rid of the weeds---they have to be pulled out root and all. Sounds like your uncle was a d**k.
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Guess mom never learned the lessons her parents taught her. Or she thought she was being funny (she wasn't, btw)
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thepotatogirl 8 years ago
Sounds a lot like my summer job in 2016... worked as a cashier at the local convenience store, only they didn't train me well enough, so they just gave up on me and ended up making me clean the bathrooms and floor every day, along with stocking items... that and they only gave me about 3 hours every two weeks >:(
#216
Robert Morson 8 years ago
I feel like that isn't the job's fault. Unless they didn't tell you in advance you'd be working with flames.
#219
Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Just one anonymous call to the Health Department would've solved that problem
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Kevin Braid 8 years ago
better of in the kitchen than being front of house dealing with a*****e customers
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Would've been funny if that same kid then started digging in the sand at that exact spot. Poetic justice.
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Should've called the Health Department on her instead---or threatened to.
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Amazing how some companies think that an extra $2/week before taxes could qualify as a "maximum raise". Maybe for 1930...
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
You could parlay that into very high wages for jobs no one else can do. That is, if you want to...
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
I would've lasted 5 minutes working for a micromanaging a*****e like that.
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Jose Antonio 8 years ago
i have a feeling thats how it is with any conveyor line job, had same types a nightmares about the battery factory and also meatpacking plant.
#354
Kevin Braid 8 years ago
sorry but you are an idiot, if your talking about a microwave anyway, if not then my bad,
#356
Kevin Braid 8 years ago
i wouldnt tweet this lol, wouldnt the religious police arrest you for bad mouthing the republic or something?
#357
Kevin Braid 8 years ago
tbh id rather deal with a woman if going to a male dominated place like mechanic or hardware store etc, usually if a woman is there she knows her stuff and has an interest in it etc.
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
I apologize in advance. Cutting cheese? Did it smell like Limburger? I'll let myself out now.
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surprised pikachu 5 years ago
we still haven't gone back there after the TV incident. basically, we went there when i was little, and either it was a really weird ad or a movie but some serial killer thing started playing on the tv, i remember crying in my mom's arms while the employees frantically changed the channel
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
Should've reported him, or at least given his number to your father to call.
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Kevin Braid 8 years ago
oh hell the fother mucking NO, id have made damn sure the idiot was blamed and woulda decked him hard. as an ex chef, i know all about these dangers. they coulda f*****g died
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thepotatogirl 8 years ago
seeing a hamster in a bathroom couldn't have been THAT bad... hamsters are cute! X3
#485
Heather Vance 8 years ago
Am I missing something here? How is this bad, and why would you feel guilty?
#488
Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
You should've called the cops, or at least to,d your parents---especially if you were underage.
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Mikyla McEwen 8 years ago
It seems like you need to go back to school and learn how to write properly.
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Kathy Baylis 8 years ago
So you made the jobs of people who made minimum wage even more miserable by taunting them? I hope Karma is a real b***h for you.
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What do you think ?
diane a 8 years ago
My first summer job - chambermaid at a local hotel age 14 on 35p per hour (that would buy you 10 cigarettes back then) The owner would "inspect" rooms before we cleaned them and pocket any tips left for us
diane a 8 years ago
Miss Cris - leave it somewhere unobvious that the person cleaning will finf
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Jeanneke van Berkel 8 years ago
When I was about twelve, an older boy said to me he could blow cigarette smoke out of his ears. He took a cigarette, inhaled, and asked me to push on his tummy with both my hands. I did, and he pushed the burning tip of the cigarette on my hand. I still have the scar to prove it.
Jeanneke van Berkel 8 years ago
I forgot to say it was during my summer job in his parents restaurant. They shouldn't have hired someone that young. I never got payed. It's 50 years ago.
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diane a 8 years ago
My first summer job - chambermaid at a local hotel age 14 on 35p per hour (that would buy you 10 cigarettes back then) The owner would "inspect" rooms before we cleaned them and pocket any tips left for us
diane a 8 years ago
Miss Cris - leave it somewhere unobvious that the person cleaning will finf
Load More Replies... Jeanneke van Berkel 8 years ago
When I was about twelve, an older boy said to me he could blow cigarette smoke out of his ears. He took a cigarette, inhaled, and asked me to push on his tummy with both my hands. I did, and he pushed the burning tip of the cigarette on my hand. I still have the scar to prove it.
Jeanneke van Berkel 8 years ago
I forgot to say it was during my summer job in his parents restaurant. They shouldn't have hired someone that young. I never got payed. It's 50 years ago.
Load More Replies... 
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