When I was young, if I spoke out of line my mother would make me eat soap. And not pleasant smelling Dove bars, disgusting, mustard yellow, industrial dish soaps. I always found that excessive. I maybe could've understood if I had the mouth of a trucker but I'm talking about a stray no or you suck here and there. I did learn a lesson, well several lessons. And I never acquired the mouth of a trucker, well... around her. I won't even get into when I briefly was an altar boy who assumed he was allowed to take hazard pay from the collection plate gatherings. Talk about punishment. I do believe the punishment should fit the crime, but so often the punishers seem to get lost in proving a point rather than paying a penance or consequence.
Redditor u/ZetamusMaximus thought we should chat about the times the punishment different fit the crime by asking..... What's the dumbest thing you've ever been punished for?
The Stink
perfume GIFGiphyI got sent out of drama class because the teacher told me my perfume made me smell like a cheap hooker and when I left the room she sprayed me with her own perfume on my way out.
"WHERE IS YOUR TITLE?!!!"
In college I once got a full letter grade off a paper because I had 7 sources instead of 5.
Same professor almost failed me because my presentation was supposed to be on the last possible day. I didn't actually pick the day I was presenting, by the way. Every presentation was on a different subject and he assigned dates to each one, you just had to pick the subject you were going to research and do the presentation on the day it was assigned. I picked the last one because it was something I was genuinely interested and knowledgeable in.
The day of my presentation comes up and I'm there with my laptop and a backup on a flash drive and he starts the class by saying "I don't want to do any more presentations. If you haven't presented by now you'll get a zero on the assignment," knowing full well I had signed up for that presentation months in advance and was the only person left. Had to go to the Dean and present proof that I had the presentation ready beforehand and that I had signed up for that presentation months in advance. We reached a compromise and I just got a B on the project without having to present.
Dude had it out for me and I'm not sure why, never will be. He even took a letter grade off a paper for my title because he didn't like.... something about it? Idk, he never even told me what his logic was, he just wrote "WHERE IS YOUR TITLE?!?!?" right next to my title which was very clearly up at the top of the page, centered, and following the format he had assigned us.
edit: Oh, senior year I got a very stern talking to from my professor in some bullsh*t class called "Health Through the Life Cycle". Why did I get such a stern talking to? We were having a discussion about whether or not we should allow polygamous marriages and I was the only person in the class against it.
a fat slice
When I was a teenager working at McDonald's a special order came back without tomatoes. So I made the sandwich and sent it up only to have a manager come back and yell at me for not putting tomatoes on the sandwich. He then slaps a fat slice of tomato on the sandwich and send it's up. Turns out an old lady was allergic and I got chewed out. The next day I got fired for it.
max greenfield no GIF by globaltvDuring a session I built a tower of wooden blocks and he insisted my parents punish me if it fell down.
Since it was a tower made of wooden blocks it fell down and I was punished (banned from playing SNES or something).
He was later banned from practicing psychology for some reason or other.
Deep Dislike
I had a teacher in middle school who just outright hated me. The day before a major project was due she had me show her what I had, and then proceeded to tell me I had done it all wrong. I went home and "corrected" it, staying up pretty late to change what she told me to.
So the first person goes up to present, and it's done JUST the same as I had done. Second person goes up, same thing. Then, when there's time for one more person to go, she looks around the room pretending to look for another person to go before her eyes lighting up as they rest on me, knowing I had done the assignment wrong due to her comments and now I can't go back home to do it right. So I go up and it looks like crap and I of course get a bad grade.
Nobody believed me that she had lied to me and when I of course got a bad grade, she finally had what she needed to make sure I was academically suspended from my sport causing me to break down in class. Later a different teacher overheard me talking crap about it and saying I'd love to get her back and I got expelled for threatening a teacher.
Lesson Learned
At my school we had to wear our ID's visibly (most wore it around the neck). This was the first year of the school requiring this, so it was new to everyone.
Around halfway through the first semester, I forgot my ID at home. We had block scheduling (half my classes one day, half the next) and I had two backpacks, one for each day. I put my ID away and forgot to transfer it to the next day's bag once I got home. Easy mistake to make.
Due to my parent's work schedules and the distance to school, I got dropped off super early, like over an hour before school started. I realized I was missing my ID, so I went to the office to get a temp one since there was absolutely no way of getting my ID from home.
I got it. But I also got detention. Which was the punishment for being caught without your ID.
Funny thing was I knew that if I just went to classes and stuff like normal the teachers probably wouldn't have noticed/cared that I didn't have my ID and there's a solid 90% chance I wouldn't have gotten any punishment at all for not having it.
So thanks school, you taught me that the punishment for trying to make things right for an honest mistake that doesn't hurt anyone is the exact same as not trying to make things right... only I'm guaranteed to get caught if I try to make things right. So it's better to conceal your mistakes and hope nobody notices.
Great lesson.
Damage
I was recently fired for following COVID safety protocols. A coworker was feeling ill, so I quietly gave her a thermometer to take her temperature. It was "damaging to the image of the company." We came to an agreement that if they honored my unemployment claim, I wouldn't tear them a new one.
Now I can get out of that industry and ensure my safety. I'm pretty cool with it in the long run. I was satisfied with our arrangement. Plus, even if I decided to sue and won the case, the publicity would possibly complicate my future employment opportunities. Also, I fear conflict.
Keep your 50!
Seth Meyers Goodbye GIF by Late Night with Seth MeyersGiphyAt my old job, I had my annual review. They told me that I did the work of 3 people and they loved me but because I used my sick/personal time earlier in the month (my kid was sick) that they 'really look down on employees that use the sick/personal without any prior authorization/notice.'
Then they had the balls to tell me if I know my kid is asthmatic that I should avoid taking any vacation hours in the summer (separate time off from sick/personal time) if I know he is going to get sick in the fall.
Instead of the bullcrap 50 cent raise, I only got 30 cents because of that. 50 cents was max.
I no longer work there.
Ruled
One of the requirements in my grad program is seminar attendance. There's sign in sheets that are collected during the seminar.
And then because someone who rigidly followed the rules did what they asked and emailed explaining their situation, that's how we found out they never checked them.
Multiple people missed that seminar. The only one who was chastised and warned by the administration was the one who let them know he wouldn't be there. Punished for following the rules.
God Bless
scared season 1 GIF by The White PrincessGiphyI started going to a sort of catholic club. One day, the rosary thing took a little longer. I got home one hour late and was grounded for three months. FOR PRAYING AT A CHURCH.
Being Social
Logging on to my personal Gmail on a school laptop. Because those were not for social media. I got a 3 day Suspension.
I remember a study hall teacher I had way back in high school flipped out about me using Facebook.
I had done all my homework, and not only that, another student near me was on Facebook and I could see papers sprawled out all over the desk.
To be fair, that teacher singled me out so goddamn much.
You're Sorry!!
incredulous excuse me GIFGiphyFinding a wallet in a mall. A woman started screaming while I pick up, accusing me of stealing. Security took me to their office, a hour later they let me go, saying she drop and was recorded.
Still waiting for apologies, was like six years ago.
No Coughing
Once coughed in class and the teacher ranted that she didn't expect me to have that sort of outburst (she thought I was laughing or crazy).
Okay this reminds me of the two separate times a teacher accused me of faking being sick for attention. In grades 3 and 7 I had a persistent cough that lasted for weeks. And both times after about the 3rd day my teachers convinced themselves I was doing it on purpose. First time was Pneumonia, second was Whooping Cough.
Day Camp Issues
I went to some summer day camp thing with an emphasis on sports when I was like 5. A bunch of my friends from school were there as well.
We were all just hanging out in the gym, I think playing basketball, when one of the counselors just abruptly rounded us up and put us in time-out. I assume it was something one of my friends did, because to this day I still have no clue wtf I did lol.
tanking....
I have epilepsy. I didn't call my work to let them know I couldn't make it that day, I was in the Hospital and could not get my cellphone. In hindsight I could have asked a Nurse to get me the number, but after a seizure i'm not thinking straight for a good 2 days or more.
Later, I get home and see I have numerous missed calls and texts, I ignore it all and wait until my next shift.
My boss calls me in and basically told me not to have another seizure. Since I never enrolled in FMLA (my fault) he claimed me having a seizure cost the company money. My brain messed up caused, a multi billion dollar company to lose money? I must be a top asset apparently..... Or these fools are about to tank.
Sing Out
mic singing GIFGiphyMy parents used to make me do singing competitions when I was in elementary/middle school. After hours of continuous practicing, I'd start forgetting the intricacies of the song (ie. trills, crescendos, whatnot) or I'd briefly zone out and mindlessly sing. Got grounded nearly every practice for that.
Looking Into It
One time this kid that constantly bullied me every day in middle school was bullying me at recess so I did what I was taught To do and stood up for myself and chased him away. Next thing I know he punches me hard in the stomach. I tell my mom after school and she drives me back to tell administration.
The school knew that I was always getting bullied and after "looking into it" my assistant principal for my grade and the principal sat me down at recess and told me it was my fault because I "instigated" it even though he was making fun of me. Then they told me the usual "if you kept your interests to yourself they wouldn't bully you". I didn't really get a punishment per say, just a slap on the wrist for expressing myself.
It's just a spill....
For spilling soda my teacher brought to the Christmas party. The 2 liter bottle was already shaken up, perhaps from the ride in her car. I didn't know this and soda spilled all over me, the carpet, and her mother's cooler that she deiced to bring. She turned red with anger and shouted at me, making the room go quiet and having all eyes on me (I understand that she was mad I got soda on her mother's cooler, but why bring it if this kind of thing were to be expected with 12-13 year old kids?).
Everyone watched me as she made me wet a cloth and try to clean the mess on the carpet as I cried (this was in 6th grade and when my anxiety was at it's absolute worst). No one was allowed to help me and it was so embarrassing for me. I got called "crybaby" after the whole ordeal.
After that, she tried to make it seem like it never happened and tried to be all buddy-buddy with me after that. I didn't talk to her for the rest of the year for anything, I was too scared of her after that. Looking back on it, it makes me angry how she dealt with the situation.
I'm a Nerd
One time in middle school I got suspended recess time for carrying a notepad.
It was 4th grade, and after lunch was recess time, go out and play and burn off some energy. Sometimes kids would get punished and not allowed to go out for recess, they would have stay inside.
I was feeling asocial that day, so I brought a notepad and pen to work on this D&D campaign I was running.
A teacher saw me carrying that, and just assumed it was because I was on suspended recess. I tried explaining that I just wanted to write outside, and asked her to find the person who ordered that punishment, but she didn't want to listen.
I wasn't too upset, as my goal was to sit quietly and write/brain storm, but it was still messed up as I felt like I was being punished for being a nerd.... would have been nice to be a nerd outside.
Wrong Answer
smh GIFGiphyFor having an anxiety attack brought on by the very teacher who then punished me for it and told me to get over it.
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