Someone is always watching. Well, that might not be entirely true, but it’s best to behave as if it is. You shouldn’t ever do or say anything that you wouldn’t want others to know about. Because it might just come back to bite you in the form of karma.
Redditors have recently been recalling times they witnessed instant karma, so we’ve gathered their best stories below. From reckless drivers getting pulled over immediately after speeding through school zones to people getting caught in the midst of trying to scam someone, these tales make it clear that karma can be fast-acting when it wants to. So enjoy scrolling through these stories, and be sure to upvote the ones that inspire you to be on your best behavior!
#1
I'm a commercial loan officer. Some real estate had been referred to me by a broker. He had called me demanding approval, and I told him it would likely go to our loan committee scheduled for the following day. Unknown to me, he called our headquarters and bullied the receptionist into pulling our bank's president out of a meeting so this random broker could demand our approval.
My favorite ever bank president told him, "If you must have an answer right now, then the answer is no.".
My favorite ever bank president told him, "If you must have an answer right now, then the answer is no.".
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131points
#2
Standing on a crowded NYC sidewalk during morning rush when a messenger bicycle goes whizzing past. Some dude in the crowd reaches out and pushes the guy on the bike, and he wipes out spectacularly.
Bike rider jumps right up, runs back and just lays. this. guy. out. KPOW, dude hit the deck like a ton of bricks, out cold.
Rider then calmly goes over, gets on his bike and rides off.
Bike rider jumps right up, runs back and just lays. this. guy. out. KPOW, dude hit the deck like a ton of bricks, out cold.
Rider then calmly goes over, gets on his bike and rides off.
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127points
#3
I worked at the service desk at a Zayre store many years ago. The managers were usually lazy and spent most of their time in the coffee shop, ignoring pages for assistance. A customer was at the service desk demanding cash for an item she was returning after paying by check that day. In those days a customer had to wait 10 days to be certain the check cleared before they could have cash back for a return. She was having a holy fit demanding cash immediately. I paged the manager and for once he showed up. He told the customer to wait and she stood there smirking at me. He went to the office, found her check and handed it back to her. The look on her face was priceless!
120points
To find out how this thread started in the first place, we got in touch with the Reddit user who started the conversation, MadBinton1996. They were kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and answer a few of our questions.
"I have been asking questions on r/AskReddit that I think are interesting, specifically because you’ll find that a lot of people from around the world have experienced the same thing as myself," the author shared.
#4
When I was a kid I grabbed my cat’s paws, and gently made him hit himself in the face saying “why are you hitting yourself?” He goes to bite my hand, and I yank my hand back quickly and smack myself in the face.
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105points
#5
I was being tailgated and honked for driving slow on an icy road. They went around me then braked to make a turn, slid through the intersection and crashed into a pole.
I turned slowly, made eye contact, rolled down the window and let loose a loud Nelson “Haw Haw!”.
I turned slowly, made eye contact, rolled down the window and let loose a loud Nelson “Haw Haw!”.
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102points
#6
I always get instant karma! One time, I was young, and I wanted to skip work and hang out with my friends all day. So I called in and told them that my car was towed and that I wouldn't be able to make it in. We were all excited to have the day off, until I went outside and saw that my car had actually been towed! I spent the day tracking it down and paying hundreds to get it out of impound. That's what I get. I've learned my lesson. Never lie, never brag, and never challenge the universe, it can always get worse.
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90points
"The reason I had thought about posting this was because the same day, a car cut me off and got pulled over immediately by the police," the author continued. "This was something that a lot of people had posted about as well, which made me laugh."
#7
I once had the pleasure of watching an aggressive driver who was cutting people off and then brake checking them down it to an unmarked state trooper and ended up cuffed and stuffed 🤣 it was glorious!
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86points
#8
In 7th grade gym, I messed up in volleyball causing my jerkwad classmate Paul to yell at me for not getting the ball, saying “this is why nobody likes you” At that moment from a few feet away and completely unrelated, a jokester classmate named John kicked a different volleyball and it smacked Paul right in the face as he was still yelling at me, knocking a tooth out of his mouth and he started bleeding.
I got detention for laughing. Worth it.
I got detention for laughing. Worth it.
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79points
#9
Some kid overtook me (I was doing the speed limit) in front of an elementary school. He did so by driving over the middle lane used to turn left on both sides. Right after he passed me a cop was driving the opposite way. The cop flipped a u-turn, turned on his lights, flew by me and pulled him over. I drove by him slow and looked over at him to see his reaction. He was not happy. I was.
76points
Finally, we asked MadBinton1996 what they thought of the replies to their post. "I enjoyed reading the comments. And the main surprise, as I mentioned before, is that there were so many people saying the same thing [that happened to me] happened to them!"
#10
Someone being really rude unnecessarily to a cashier and then leaving their phone on the counter and me just keeping my mouth shut and letting them walk out the store.
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76points
#11
A big pick up truck was tailgating me on an ice covered road. When we got to a straightaway, he gunned it to pass me on a double yellow line. He immediately spun out and hit a sign post. No injuries but he did some nice damage to his truck.
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64points
#12
I was on a short domestic flight the other week - I was near the back of the plane. As soon as we landed and the seat belt sign went off, a guy a few rows behind me sprinted up the aisle. He got to pretty much the middle of the plane before other people had stood up and blocked his path.
5 mins later, they announced the backdoor was opened as well and we could depart from the rear. The guy went from potentially being one of the first off the plane (being right at the back) to being the last off the plane. As I left the back of the plane I could just see his head swiveling back and forth.
5 mins later, they announced the backdoor was opened as well and we could depart from the rear. The guy went from potentially being one of the first off the plane (being right at the back) to being the last off the plane. As I left the back of the plane I could just see his head swiveling back and forth.
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61points
#13
This was back when I worked 3rds. I was on my way to work, sitting at a traffic light waiting to turn left. Some teenagers pulled up beside me to go straight. Right when the light turned green, they got me in the right eye with a green laser pointer and sped off. I merged over and followed them (a very bad idea in hindsight). I wasn't going to chase them down or anything, I just wanted to spook them. I guess they were scared because they ran a red light and *instantly* got pulled over by the cops. I was a little shaken from seeing them run the light, but I was hooting and hollering when karma fell on them.
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61points
#14
Some tourist in Uganda (a very poor country btw) was arguing with a ranger over some tax in a national park. Like a few dollars worth of tax. My group left him to argue and left with a different ranger to go see Some rhinos. We found a mother and calf eating grass and interacting sweetly with each other. We had about 20 solid minutes watching them. It as magical. Especially the little calf which was so bloody cute. By the time the angry guy showed up, the rhinos were done feeding and laid down in the grass. All you could see was the mother's ears sticking up and the calf was not visible at all. The ranger said they will probably stay like that for the next few hours before getting up to eat right before dusk. Sucks to be that guy.
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59points
#15
Guy cut in line at starbucks and spilled his drink on himself two seconds later.
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59points
#16
I was a Walmart cart pusher for 5 years. Brutal job, but countless opportunities for mischief and mayhem.
One day, this boomer drives his official Grand Prix pace car to Walmart and takes up four parking spots so it would be safe from door dings. I waited till he and his wife go inside and then I put a note on his car that said I scratched his car to teach him a lesson. Because I was working the parking lot, I was there to see his reaction when he came out. He went nuts when he found the note and screamed at his wife and then spend the next 30 minutes searching for the non existent scratch. He even had his hood up examining the engine bay.
One day, this boomer drives his official Grand Prix pace car to Walmart and takes up four parking spots so it would be safe from door dings. I waited till he and his wife go inside and then I put a note on his car that said I scratched his car to teach him a lesson. Because I was working the parking lot, I was there to see his reaction when he came out. He went nuts when he found the note and screamed at his wife and then spend the next 30 minutes searching for the non existent scratch. He even had his hood up examining the engine bay.
Empty_Mobile1076, https://www.reddit.com/r/NASCAR/comments/s4kk49/actual_1991_daytona_500_pace_car_going_across_the/
Report56points
#17
We were about 3 cars back in a left turn lane at a red light. The turn lane and straight lanes turned green at the same time. Everyone moves except the moron directly in front of us. We beeped and she finally looks up from her phone and slowly moves forward while the turn signal cycles to yellow then red right as she enters the intersection. Sheriffs Deputy was proceeding next to us in the straight lanes when this happened. He immediately turns left behind her, lights her up and is writing her a ticket when we next got the green light.
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51points
#18
In 2nd grade this boy always picked on me. Punching, smacking, hair pulling, kicking, etc. then one day I’m sitting on top of the monkey bars and he’s pulling my arm and hitting me to make me fall, I tell him to stop or I’ll push him off. He didn’t stop so I shoved him off. He fell and broke his arm. Left me alone after that. He ended up apologizing in high school and admitted he had a crush on me and that’s why he was a jerk.
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49points
#19
I saw somebody decide that everybody was driving too slow on the highway during a blizzard. So they went into the second lane which wasn't plowed and had no cars in it (everyone was following each other in single file), and decided to go fast. Not 400' later they were in the ditch.
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48points
#20
When I was about 12, I kicked my best friend and broke my leg.
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45points