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

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.

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

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

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.

3. She Tried to Play Dirty

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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."

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

15. This One Got Pissed over Unavailable Product

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****."

16. Our Conversation Took an Unexpected Turn

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. Mega Karen

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.

18. Сunning plan

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.

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.

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.