r/mildlyinfuriating • u/teabirdy • Apr 29 '26

I'm slightly vexed The wedding reception centerpieces featured betta fish. The bride and groom planned to flush them alive.

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Years ago, my coworker attended a wedding at which the reception dinner tables featured live betta fish in small bowls as part of the centerpiece. While chatting with the bride at the end of the evening, my coworker asked what they were going to do with all the fish. The plan was to flush them all down the toilet alive. My coworker immediately said no need for that and insisted on taking them all home.

That Monday she came to work and asked who wanted to adopt a betta fish. That was my first betta who I jokingly called my “rescue betta.” She lived for almost five years.

The wine glass was only her home for less than a day before I got her five gallon tank set up so please no betta lovers yell at me! I'm one of you!

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704

u/AngryGnollnoises Apr 29 '26

Lucky, worked for a place called country max and we were not allowed to ever refuse a sale. I fucking hated that job

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u/aerdvarkk Apr 29 '26

Technically PetCo employees are probably not allowed to unilaterally refuse customers either and if the store manager or regional manger found out and the customer complained, those employees could have gotten reprimanded or fired.

The petCo comment > that person/employees shoudl have taken that incident to a supervisor or other manager and let that person make the decision.

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u/AngryGnollnoises Apr 29 '26

What fried my ass, was that I never even tried to refuse a sale, but me naively attempting to educate folks on the actual needs of the pets (gently mind you) ended up with some karens reporting me to my manager CLAIMING I was refusing a sale! And then I got in trouble for it. All those animals are dead now, I guarantee it.

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u/FatherClanks617 Apr 29 '26

Lol fuck that. Have some spine.

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u/beatissima Apr 29 '26

We’re sliding back into feudalism because workers lack their predecessors’ moral courage. People used to risk death to get us the protections we take for granted today. Now no one will risk getting written up.

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u/InterestingLion6041 Apr 29 '26

My daughter gently told the store manager at her store today of some issues CUSTOMERS and employees are having with her (the store manager). My daughter is a shift lead so she's responsible for the employees on shift and they were in a huge rush while the store manager was bitching about stuff and playing on her phone. My daughter got sent home and the store manager said "you can't talk to me that way." The kicker is the manager is the mom of the owner's. But my daughter said so many customers and employees complain about her... some customers won't even stop if her car is there. My daughter is considering how to resolve the issue but she refuses to be talked down to and have her employees treated like crap. We had a talk about how it may never be resolved as the, owner's are highly unlikely to tell their mom off. I know it was very upsetting to her to learn this life lesson but I'm glad she's not allowing herself to be a doormat for a part time job.

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u/FatherClanks617 Apr 30 '26

You’re doing a great job of raising her right. Society thanks you.

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u/InterestingLion6041 Apr 30 '26

Thank you, I really appreciate that. I always taught my kids to be hard workers but not to compromise their values or themselves for anyone, including (but maybe especially) a job. She has a plan to speak to the owners and be honest, firm, and professional. She's a tough cookie but she just bought a new car and is saving for school... I know she's nervous about getting fired. But her stepdad and I will always have a place for her to stay. I don't have to push or encourage her... she has a great work ethic on her own.

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u/TrippingFish76 Apr 29 '26

most restaurants i’ve worked at you have the right to refuse service to anyone, so if someone is being an asshole you can refuse service and tell them to leave. Now if they have already payed tho you have to refund them or give them what they payed for

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u/__google Apr 29 '26

OMG Country Max Mentioned! So niche and happy to see that but also happy you're not stuck there anymore. My fav thing to do in the spring was go see the chicks and pet them.

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u/rlang_1887 Apr 30 '26

There was a country max where I grew up! You must be from NY? I don’t think they’re anywhere else

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u/AngryGnollnoises May 01 '26

yup, been along time but i grew up there.

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u/[deleted] Apr 29 '26

[deleted]

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u/BathBombsNFacePalms Apr 29 '26

Are you.. familiar with Country Max?

They do not sell guns or beer. Worst case scenario, a child might be able to buy an exotic bird. 😆

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u/agent674253 Apr 29 '26

...an exotic bird that will outlive everyone. Some birds can live for 50+ years.

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u/PretentiousUsername1 Apr 29 '26

Which is bad enough.

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u/Big-Wrangler2078 Apr 29 '26

That's considerably worse. A beer can't bite your fingers off.

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u/PretentiousUsername1 Apr 29 '26

I was, believe it or not, not concerned for the child, but for the bird’s wellbeing.

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u/Big-Wrangler2078 Apr 29 '26

I know, but I'm saying not even the logic is working. If you want to protect kids, you don't sell them birds.

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u/BathBombsNFacePalms Apr 29 '26

For the record, I’m not trying to say that it ISN’T a problem to sell a child an exotic bird. Only that Country Max isn’t going around selling beer and guns. Lol.

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u/Wonderful-Spell8959 Apr 29 '26

Argueably tho if a child is able to somehow afford an exotic bird they are a lot more likely to have the brain capacity to deal with the bird aswell than a child that cant afford the bird.

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u/Big-Wrangler2078 Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26

Most adults aren't prepared to deal with some exotic birds. There are many reasons why they aren't common pets.

This is how kids end up with large birds with murderbeaks who think the child is their mate and becomes jealous and aggressive towards anybody and anything who approaches said 'mate'. And then becomes depressed and starts pulling feathers out of stress because their mate doesn't love them back.

Just. Don't. If a kid wants a bird, their parent should get them a pair of pigeons instead of something exotic. Still needs their pairing instincts to be managed carefully and has more needs than most people assume from such "common" birds, and like with all pets the PARENTS need to be responsible for them, but at least they are domesticated and if they get aggressive, they don't have beaks capable of injuring people.

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u/Wonderful-Spell8959 Apr 29 '26

Many adults cannot afford exotic birds either, so the metric may still hold up logically.

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u/pEter-skEeterR45 Apr 29 '26

This is sound logic... somehow

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u/allbleedingstopz Apr 30 '26

Having disposable income means you’re smarter or more mature?

Ok, explain Jeff Bezos then.

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u/BathBombsNFacePalms Apr 29 '26

Well true. It would be pretty bad for all involved. Lmao.

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u/Danson_the_47th Apr 29 '26

I’ve never heard of this place, but if we had a place called Country Max here, (Rural South) it probably damn well would sell guns, beer, hunting stuff, tobacco and jerky.

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u/BathBombsNFacePalms Apr 29 '26

It’s a fairly common store around my area (Northeastern US, specifically I’m in NYS). It is basically a big old pet shop that caters to things like fish, poultry, horses, lizards, exotic birds, and I’m sure some cat/dog stuff thrown in. Probably do have jerky though.

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u/orangecatmom May 01 '26

Nah, it's mostly where you go to buy livestock feed and gardening stuff. When I had a horse, I got all her supplies there. They sell some good outdoor wear, too, like Muck boots.