Hero or villain? Man buys 23 Burger King apple pies to spite screaming child

[emsimon33]

And sometimes you just can't take another thing!

"A man treating himself to a Burger King after a long day’s work ended up buying all 23 of the restaurant’s remaining apple pies – because a screaming child standing behind him wanted one."

Read the rest of the article here:
http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/07/hero-or-villain-man-buys-23-burger-king-apple-pies-to-spite-screaming-child-4825201/?ito=facebook

[CBGLuthier]

1. Most likely not true but if true the guy is a jerk.

Actually true or not whoever wrote it is a douchebag.

[Divernan]

2. Voting results - 96% hero, 4 % villain

I voted hero. Sounds like the foul-mouthed brat got his first life lesson that actions have consequences.

In a post on reddit, the user explained that a child was screaming and demanding pie from his mother, who was on the phone and ignoring him completely.

‘This kid was out of control, screaming, punching his mother, throwing around a gameboy whenever something didn’t go right in the game,’ he posted on the sub-reddit offmychest, where users make confessions.

‘She gets up in my face telling me I can’t tell her nothing about raising her child and to mind my own business,’ he goes on, saying that he asked the mother kindly to settle her child down after he screamed: ‘I want some f***ing pie!’

[DesertFlower]

51. so do i. the mother learned

a lesson too -- get off the damn phone and discipline your child.

[Demit]

3. If it made him feel better, why not? His money.

Also, I suspect there's another Burger King down the road, if the only way the mother can placate her child is with a Burger King apple pie. My vote is neither hero nor villain, just another small story in an overstressed world.

[marble falls]

17. 'cause Apple pie causes over stress and the Kochs all aggree, "Its my money, I can do with it what..

I want, and most importantly, IN YOUR FACE, Junior! Woo hooooo! Number 1, I'm number !!"

[Demit]

19. Don't you make your own decisions how to spend your own money?

I might think your decisions are foolish, but then it isn't my money, it's yours.

[Inkfreak]

4. Imma say hero.

But that's cause I don't like kids and love pie.

[get the red out]

7. LOL

[msongs]

5. how sad that this kid got the mother he got nt

[Louisiana1976]

37. That's right. Some people just don't know how to teach their kids manners.

[hlthe2b]

6. Sounds like a bad day all around...

but, ooh... those deep fried pies? Not a fan.

[Wait Wut]

8. If true, word for word...hero.

I've seen little monsters like this and their parents have been the cause. I scared the crap out of a kid in a grocery store. He was running up and down the aisle, then sat his ass down in the middle of the aisle and started spinning around on his ass...so...I ran into him with the cart (relax, barely touched the little shit). He jumped up and grabbed his mother, who was talking on the cell phone (gossiping LOUDLY). She turned to give me what she thought would be a lecture and evil stare...until she saw the look in my eyes. She stopped, mouth open, grabbed her kid's arm and told him to stay next to the cart.

If parents don't want to parent, you'd better believe I'll do it for them if it affects my right to not getting freaking stressed the fuck out at the damned grocery store, restaurant, mall, etc. I raised a son with ADD on my own. He didn't dare act like a complete ass in public.

I should probably add that before I ran into the little brat, I did try to get 'mom's' attention...a few times...progressively louder. All she did was glance over her shoulder and turn away to carry on with her conversation. Her kid looked at me defiantly. That was the fucking trigger.

I also told the parents of two teenage girls that were having races up and down two aisles to control their spawn. This was after they almost ran an old couple over, scared the crap out of another old lady and ran into my cart.

I don't tolerate inconsiderate and rude behavior from kids or their parents.

[avebury]

15. Totally agree!

[marble falls]

18. And adults getting one over on a kid is really sweet, right?

[Thor_MN]

21. My scenario. Kid runs training wheel bike into me in store and tells me "Move!!!"

With a very commanding edge in his voice. I glanced down at him, then went back to what I was looking at on the shelf. I made absolutely no effort to move. He was about 8 or so. He tried to push past and managed to start tipping the bike over. I didn't help him right the bike until he realized he was in over his head and started calling for help from his mother. She was talking to a clerk about what bike to buy the little brat.

Did I "get one over on a kid"? I don't think so. Did I maybe give him a lesson that he doesn't always get his way instantly? Maybe.

Does it change your opinion if I tell you that in this kid's culture males are very much dominant over females? He was obviously used to bossing his mother and aunt around. Not sure if father was in the picture as he was not at the store. My guess is the kid was quite used to trying to dominate adults. If the scenario happened again and bikes were as cheap as pies, I'd consider buying out all the bikes in his size.

[marble falls]

25. First of all, there was a warning misworded as it may been. Secondly, we all clipped some adult....

some adult at some time in our lives - I hit Mr Novak with my new bicycle with no warning because in my nineyearold mind it was either hitting him or Mr Majors who was the tenet in my parent/s rental house. Mr Novak sprayed me down with a water hose he was watering his lawn with and ratted me out and I lost the bike for several weeks.

He's the adult, we have all been that kid, NBA rules: 'no harm, no foul."

How do we know this guy never answered a phone in the middle of making an order at Starbucks?

[Thor_MN]

40. Huh? Warning? what?

I had no problem with the kid hitting me with the bike. He could barely keep upright with the training wheels and was barely moving.

What I did take issue with was his notion that he could command me to "Move!!!" I didn't but could have used the same tone to tell him off. Instead, I let him try to solve the problem he created himself. And the solution to the problem was not ordering another person to get out of his way.

Face it, children can be wrong and learn lessons from being wrong all the time.

[marble falls]

44. "Move!"

[Thor_MN]

49. Ah, I see... You were traumatized as a child for running your bike into someone...

And never got over being scolded... So now you always take the side of child, regardless if the child is misbehaving or not.

You do realize that 96% of the people hat took the poll at the link disagree with you?

Sorry, I don't move for brats.

[marble falls]

55. What a nasty retort. Shame on you. The worst thing was the coffee man taught that kid a new trick...

You don't move for brats because you have to give way for others the rest of the time, right?

A real, non passive/aggressive way of handling it might have been, "Say please?", but no. You don't move for brats. How about adults? Do you go for the knuckles or do you move? Your wife? Your boss? The guy with 20# on you, missing teeth, tattos, colors? Move? Buy all the pies? Or make way?

He coulda said, "Say please!" But he left a louder longer more unpleasant scene for the people behind him to enjoy. Nice guy.

If I was the guy behind cell-phone mom, I'd have been pissed more by coffee man. What if I had wanted an apple pie? He tweaked my buzz just to Booyah a child. And I got to hear a dysfunctional mom booger a minimum wage/tip dependent clerk. Nice. Real nice.

Coffee man has issues that warp his behavior.

[Thor_MN]

56. No, you have been been bringing the nasty.

You are disagreeing loudly with the majority of people, which is fine, but don't expect anyone to give you praise for it.

Hypothetical man been the kid doesn't exist... Total straw man. You weren't there, you have no clue how the child was acting, you only have your imagination to create your "booyah".

You also have no clue about the scenario I told, yet you want to run your imagination all over. You've expressed your opinion, been in the vast, vast (<4%) minority and yet you insist that you are right. Have a nice day and get over it.

[marble falls]

57. Been disagreeing with what majority? Those who like spiking the apple pie on a kid? As for ...

being the a straw man, well, bubba you're in the straw pile with me but it doesn't seem to keep you from piling on a kid. Nice. You have no more access to the scene than I do but it didn't seem to inhibit your hostility to the kid. Nice. You're a blind man with his hand on the elephant shouting what it is you think the elephant looks like. All I am commenting on is the mean spiritedness it takes to compliment an adult who confessed to getting his jollies over another adult getting one over on a kid.

Vast majority. The House has a vast majority of Teapublicans and our own party says that majority will increase this November. I disagree with that majority, too.

You like bullying little kids? I leave you to it with your "vast majority".

[Thor_MN]

60. My you have an active and wild imagination.

I haven't said a thing about the apple pie incident and you've let your imagination pile up heaps of diatribe. In your little world, I apparently attack people for the slightest reasons. And shy away from people with imagined tattoos and fantasy missing teeth...

Must be nice to live in a world of your own making.

96% is a vast majority, and the kid was not bullied.

Have a nice day in your world.

[Warpy]

9. Neither

I doubt it taught the kid a lesson. Whether he deserves a medal or a brickbat depends on what he did with those pies. If they went to homeless folks, he's a hero. If they went into the garbage, he's a spiteful asshole.

As for the bratty kid, maybe he'd had a tough day at the pediatricians. Maybe he hurt himself at school. Maybe he was special needs. Maybe he didn't sleep well the night before and needed a nap. Kids can't deal with this stuff in a grown up manner because they're not grownups. Or he could have been just a bratty kid.

[get the red out]

10. I see him as a hero

The kid won't get the lesson now but maybe Mom will. She might THINK she can placate every scream and hit from her child with something he wants at that moment, but that can't suffice forever. It's MOM who needs to wake up to that fact, for the sake of her child.

I applaud anyone with the guts to stand up to someone like her, who seems to demand everyone take all the aggravation her child wishes to dish out. She was playing the "child card", in that everyone must make way for the wishes of her child at any time and in any place, and let her stay on her damn cell phone. Sorry about your luck Mom.

[Demsrule86]

29. Really

I got news for you...people on this thread whining about kids sound like old bitter people. Seriously, if I saw a kid in distress I would want to help not hate...but then I raised four kids...I think you people are nuts.

[get the red out]

35. Sorry you feel that way

A difference of opinion doesn't make others "nuts" it just means they disagree with you. The child wasn't in "distress" he was behaving poorly while his mother stayed on her cell phone. A tantrum over pie isn't like he fell into the deep end of the pool.

[shedevil69taz]

11. To REALLY be a hero...

He should have taken a seat in the restaurant instead of leaving, and if the kid really wanted one the only way he could get it would be after behaving like a human.

If he couldn't do that I would open every one of those cardboard packages and dump the pies right in the trash.

[doug1105]

12. PieGuy is a loser

Poor baby haddums himselwf a mygwaine so hims was mad at a widdle kid.

Good job Einstein, you sure showed that kid and his mom. And every other kid after that that wanted a pie.

[marble falls]

13. I count three jerks, mom, jr and the pie guy.

[avebury]

14. Hero - no doubt about it.

I have no patience for parents who don't parent and inflict their out of control children on the rest of society. I have a co-worker who every once in a while brings her kids to the office (along with a child of another co-worker who works in a different office and a fourth child who I have no clue who she belongs to). All these kids are old enough to have been taught manners, how to behave in public as well as indoor and outdoor voice. One of the kids is in 5th Grade. Does she have them bring anything to keep them occupied? Of course not. Does she pay attention to them? Of course not. Does she let them run wild? Of course she does. This is a professional office and these kids are totally disruptive. I was on the phone with someone from our field office and I had to turn around and tell them to pipe down (they were running laps up and down the aisle by my cubicle at the time) because I could not even hear the other person on the phone. Only then did she say something to the kids.

I was told by another co-worker who is friends with this woman that I just needed to get used to this because this is what the woman does. Someone told me that she is known for doing this when they were located in another part of the office. It appalls me that this behavior has been accepted in the past and that no one in management has put their foot down. Another co-worker brought her son in a couple of days during spring break and he was an absolute gem. She kept him occupied and you never knew he was even in the building he was so well behaved. I had lunch with them one day and he was such a great kid.

I know that sometimes a parent has to bring a child (or children) into the office for some reason or other but for crying out loud, come prepared and don't let them totally disrupt the office!

I don't know how on earth I am going to handle the situation in the future because this is a person who does not take criticism well. Any suggestions out there?

[Louisiana1976]

38. I'd take my complaint to a supervisor or the boss (unless the co-worker is a supervisor or the

boss--then I don't know what I'd do.)

[avebury]

58. Unforuntately, this person is so far

up the manager's butt she can't see daylight. The manager has been warned by several people to be careful of this person because she is known for doing whatever it takes to get ahead and she will, at some point, be after the manager's job. This person is they type of person who gives women a bad name in the workplace.

[marble falls]

16. Woo hoo,what a hero, he got over on a child! He stood his ground!!!!

[avebury]

20. No. He put one over the Mother who was not

actually parenting her child at the time. The child is a victim of a parent who couldn't be bothered to get off the phone and pay attention to him and couldn't be bothered to help him learn how to behave in public. The mother is the one who created the little monster.

The mother did not do her son any favors and do you think the kid's peers are going to give him a positive reception? If he acts like elsewhere, do you think that the other kid's parents are going to want him around their kids? If a kid acted like that in my home it would be the first and last time he would be allowed over and his parents would be told point blank why the child was persona non grata. While they can raise their child as they see fit, I have the right to determine who is allowed access to my child and entry into my home. Who wants their child influenced by such bad behavior?

[Hestia]

22. I cannot believe the mother allows her child to hit her! If I/we had done that as children we

would have smelt the Jean Nate' on the back of mom's hand (just kidding, lighten up).

What kinda favor does she think she is doing this kid by allowing him to act this way in public? This is why some restaurants are going adult only - so other adults don't have to see behavior such as this. Looks/sounds like she lost control a long time ago. Give kids an inch and they will take that mile.

I find it hard to believe that others are excusing this child's behavior with oh poor baby! Oh poor customer who just wants a freakin' burger! All this "it's for the children crap" needs to die a natural death.

He should have taken the pies to the Boys and Girls Club or something - the family shelters and share those pies with other children. I hope he didn't throw them away.

[avebury]

23. I have a co-worker who occaisionally brings her kids into the office

(plus a spare kid that I have no idea where she belongs and the child of another co-worker although different office). These kids are old enough to know indoor vs outdoor voices. These children are old enough to learn better manners about how to act in public (one is going into 5th grade this year). Now does she come prepared and have the kids bring something with them to entertain themselves? NO. Does she get after them to hold the noise now (after all this is a professional workplace)? NO. Does she even pay attention to them while they are there? NO. This last time, I was on the phone with someone from one of our field offices and had to snap at them to pipe down (as they were running up and down the aisle by my cubicle in full volume). I could not even hear the person on the phone they were so loud. I was bitching about it yesterday (she was not at work) and another co-worker told me that I would have to get used to it because she does that a lot and had for sometime. And this is someone who will do whatever it takes to get ahead, has quite the reputation and does not take criticism well on top of that. This is someone that you do not turn your back on. Fortunately I think that I intimidate her (and that is exactly the way I want to keep things ).

[DesertFlower]

53. i agree. i'm 73 years old.

my son was born in '61. my friends had kids around the same age and they never acted like that. we could take them shopping -- to restaurants to each other's apartments. none of us owned homes -- we lived in 2 bedooom apartments and the kids played in their rooms. in the summer we took them to the beach where they sat by the water and played with their pails and shovels.

i can't believe how kids act today.

[marble falls]

28. Because he lives for these kinds of confrontation? There had to have been a teachable moment...

here but he found a way to get it over on the kid AND lay it on the mom's doorstep.

Pie guy had a right to a perfect MickyD experience but the kid had no right to an apple pie? This guy went out of his way to Booyah a fourth grader. How fucked up is that? Give him a pat on the back? I don't think so.

I hope he didn't have to pass any homeless people on the way to the jogging trail. He might have been tempted to feed that crap to some undeserving poor person.

[avebury]

31. Actually, the child did not have a right to the pie.

You do not reward bad behavior. To do so only encourages more bad behavior. In addition, how do you teach children that actions have consequences if you cave in to their bad behavior? Better to learn when they are young and the issues are mild in comparison to the trouble that they can get into when they are older.

[Louisiana1976]

39. True. Rewarding bad behavior turns brats into spoiled brats. I'm glad the man bought all the pies

and hope it taught the kid and his mother a lesson.

[cheapdate]

24. Villain. What if this was a mentally disturbed homeless person

ranting on a street corner? Would everyone cheer a grown man who "showed him"?

Everyone has been in the proximity of misbehaving children. It's not pleasant. But for TWO FUCKING MINUTES of your life you can be a goddamn grownup and take care of your business and move on.

For God's sake. It was a child, probably 10 years old or less, I would guess.

Yeah, what a fucking savior. He made a kid and her mother's day worse.

How about if he bought the kid a fucking pie and calmly explained to the kid that if he would calm down and behave he would give it to him?

Jeez.

[avebury]

32. See reply 31

Lack of proper parenting on the mother's part results in the creation of a brat who thinks that if he throws a temper tantrum he will get what he wants. The mother is bigger then her child and the child is already hitting her. Just what do you think will happen as the child grows and eventually is bigger then his mother? What do you think will stop him from hitting other people? Just how well do you think that this kid's behavior will be accepted at school? With his peers? He could easily become a pariah because his mother isn't taking the time to parent the child. Just what kind of adult do you think he will grow into?

What his mother should have done was haul his butt out of there and taken him home. The man changed the dynamics of the situation and forced the mother to have to actually have to deal with her own child. If I had been there I would have give the guy a big thumbs up.

[cheapdate]

36. I'm not persuaded. C'est la vie.

[d_r]

26. if the kid

was actually throwing the f-bombs around I go with hero

[missingthebigdog]

27. Jerk- and shame on anyone who thinks otherwise

Even if the kid is an indisciplined brat, and even if Mom is less than worthless as a parent, this spiteful response did nothing to help the situation.

My oldest son had a phase in which he had some public tantrums. I always did my best to get him calm and remove him from the situation. Sometimes it took awhile. Once, during an epic meltdown in the frozen food aisle, a woman approached me. She touched my shoulder, looked me on the eye, and said, "you are doing a good job. Is there anything I can do to help?"

No scolding. No judgment. Kindness. It made me cry.

This approach was so much better, and is how I address these kinds of things now. Sometimes there isn't anything you can do to help, but letting a frazzled, overwhelmed mom know that you are willing to help may be the thing that gets her through the day.

[Demsrule86]

30. Finally

A person with sense who doesn't hate kids. Exactly right...what did these get off my lawn people teach kids...it seem their behavior left much to be desired and was rude as well. One guy in particular on these threads better watch himself or he will end up in jail...you can not interfere with other people's children period. If they were born perfect little adults, you would not need childhood. Tolerance ...live and let live I say... as for a perfect fast food experience ....no such thing. You eat that crap, kids screaming is the least of your problems.

[avebury]

33. The problem is that that mother made no effort to actually

calm the child and, when that failed, remove the child from the restaurant. It was totally unacceptable for him to be hitting her. If she does not get that situation in hand, it will get worse as he grows and he could become a threat to her or others.

[missingthebigdog]

41. I agree that Mom should be doing a better job

That doesn't change the fact that what this guy did made things worse rather than better.

[avebury]

42. The problem is that the mother was too stupid

to realize what she was doing to her child and too stupid to learn from the incident. You just know she was going to blame the man for her inability to appease the little monster with the pie. I have no sympathy for her or the child because 100% of the blame rests with the mother for failure to woman up and be the adult and parent her child.

If it had been me, I would have looked at her and, as I opened up each box and drop the pie in the trash can, told her point blank that her failure to parent her own child has resulted in no pie to buy today. I'd tell her to grow up and be the adult in that relationship or things will only get worse and her child might become a pariah with few friends and a bleak future.

[missingthebigdog]

43. Yes. Punish the child further for the stupidity

of his mother.

And teach him an awesome lesson about how to treat other people.

Your approach is cruel and demonstrates the same level of self-centeredness and immaturity as the child.

[avebury]

45. I don't believe in pussy footing around an issue.

The mother was failing her child and she needs to know it. Sometimes you have to do something to get someone's attention. You have to remember that an out of control brat is not going to realize what led to the absence of pie. The kid is not going to have a clue that someone else bought up the pie. All he is going to know is that Mom failed him. The kid is going to take it out on Mom.

missingthebiddog - Let me get this right, the little brat was misbehaving horribly in public, making life miserable for all those around him including hitting his mother and you think that he deserved to get some pie? Are you serious? If he is already beating his mother just what do you think he will be like as he grows bigger? How do you think he behaves when he doesn't get his way at school? With other kids? The mother is doing her son no favors.

The problem, missingthebigdog, is that the child was NOT being punished AT ALL for his bad behavior. Mom was getting ready to give in to his bad behavior by buying the kid the pie. Mom was not prepared to deal with the child so a stranger did, by taking away the prize - the pie. The man was not cruel nor being self-centered. Sometimes people need to learn life lessons the hard way. Punishment this time was removal of the pie, the form of punishment has the potential to escalate as the boy gets older if his parents don't start to get him under control. If the boy's level of violence grows the boy and family risk legal problems in the future as well as the potential for being kicked out of school. Other children's parents will not be so tolerant of his bad behavior once it impacts their children.

[missingthebigdog]

46. Where did I say the child deserves pie????

I NEVER said he should be rewarded for his behavior. And, as a side note, I disagree with using food as either punishment or reward.

If the man's point was to teach the mother a lesson, he certainly went about it in a passive-agressive way. Wouldn't simply telling her she sucks as a parent have accomplished his goal?

And, avebury, I also never said the man's behavior was cruel and self-centered. I said YOUR approach was cruel, self-centered, and immature.

The problem, avebury, is that this guy, and apparently people like you, think it is okay to take it upon themselves to inflict "punishment" upon a child (or his mother- the goalpost seems to move) because in their opinion that is the best approach.

What it comes down to, avebury, is that you don't have the right to parent another person's child. You don't get to go around teaching other people lessons because you are so much better than they are.

Of course I am concerned about this kid's future if the story is true. I just fail to see how what this guy did, or what you apparently would have done, improves the kid's outcome.

Mean people suck.

[avebury]

47. I think you missed the part where the guy did try to

talk to the mother and her reaction was in effect "Don't tell my how to parent my child." And he asked her nicely. Her reaction shows exactly how her son is turning into a self-centered brat who will be in for a rude awakening as he comes across people who will not roll over to his behavior, including being ostracized by other children and their parents. He is a bully in the making. What decent parent would want this child to come into his/her home and to play with his/her child?

Yes he did not have the right to parent her child. He did, however, have the right to buy as many pies as he wished. And the mother, as well as her son, faced the consequences of their behavior, because her behavior was just as inexcusable.

I used to do childcare at a local church. The minister's children were typical spoiled children but could not come close to how bad the youngest child of the couple who oversaw the childcare program. He was the most obnoxious brat you could ever come across and old enough to have been taught good manners, how to play well with others, and to put iy plainly - become a decent human being. His mother got pissed at me because I refused to cater to his bad behavior, and I wasn't even mean - just firm. I refused to allow him to be a dictator to the other children in my room. His behavior was dictatorial. I made sure that every child had an opportunity to pick what game to play for part of the time. Anytime he did not get his way, he threw a temper tantrum which did not move me one bit. I just tuned him out. I was the adult in the room and I was in charge and I refused to cave. I was probably the first person to ever say no to this child.

[missingthebigdog]

48. You seem to know a lot of brats

You have described a number of situations in this thread in which you have encountered these difficult children and their clueless parents.

Tell me, in your capacity as a childcare worker, what is your rationale for "tuning out" a tantrumming child? Is ignoring a child's misbehavior appropriate, or should you have attempted to redirect him? What message does it send to other kids when you tune out one that is clearly distressed? Do you just explain to them that he is BAD and doesn't deserve pie??

I am not a big fan of irresponsible parents, but I think bad parenting is usually due to ignorance or having suffered poor parenting themselves. And I don't think every time a kid has a meltdown it is because their parents are horrible.

It strikes me that if you changed this story slightly and it was a DOG who was misbehaving in public, almost nobody on this board would think it was appropriate to be mean. Some would likely suggest that the police should be called on the owner, or that the dog should be taken away from her. Almost no one would say the dog was a brat.

That is because everyone understands that it is the master's fault when a dog misbehaves. Everyone understands that dogs behave the way they are trained to. Nobody thinks that not feeding the dog will teach it a lesson, or that it's master will learn through the dog's suffering. People would feel sorry for the dog. People would intervene on its behalf.

Children behave the way they are trained to behave. A child who is misbehaving due to parenting defects deserves compassion and support, not mean spirited object lessons.

Your own children are fortunate to have such a good parent. It is too bad that they are being taught to be judgmental and intolerant instead of kind. The world could really use more kind people.

[Chan790]

34. Hero! I'd like to buy him a pie. n/t

[JVS]

50. Magnificent bastard

[Prophet 451]

52. I tend to think hero

Then again, I tend to think that children who are screaming in public should be forcibly gagged.

Kidding. Mostly.

[Adsos Letter]

54. ‘I want some f***ing pie!’

Hero

[hifiguy]

59. Hero.

For dog's sake teach your kids how to act in public. Public places are not zoos, nor are they your home. Be as noxious as you want to be at home. Act civilized in public.