An askreddit question: “Have you ever had a moment of Fridge Horror on the train?”
The top comment says, “When I was 20, I was riding the train by myself to go back to uni, and met a 45-year-old auntie who had a lame leg. She asked me to help her carry her luggage to her hotel nearby the train station.
I’m a fairly cautious person. I know not to go anywhere with strangers. There’s a girl similar age to me in the same train car, looked really honest and naive, with twin braids. She saw how uneasy I was, and brought up that she could walk with me and the middle aged lady.
If it wasn’t for my school counsellor calling me, I might have already encountered some bad shit. Even thinking about it now, I still get chills down my spine. I’m just warning everyone, when you’re out and about, you can’t have any ill will towards people but you can’t assume people don’t have any ill will towards you either.
Back in 2015, I was going to university out of state. It was a 7 hour 20 minute train ride to get there. Because it’s cheap, I almost always rode the train whenever I was going home and back for my four years of uni.
I was class leader, so I would always come back to school 3-4 days before the other students before a semester started, to help my counsellor with school stuff, like cleaning all the dorms beforehand.
In my sophomore year, I took my luggage and got on the train to go back to school by myself. I was very familiar with this train. I naturally went straight for my seat and put up my luggage.
Opposite me was a middle-aged lady, kinda frail, sickly looking, had some kind of deformity in her leg. She walked with a limp and looked really poor. She had a giant snakeskin bag, and two bags of local goodies. She was short, and couldn’t reach the luggage bins overhead, so she looked at me nervously.
I’m a super helpful person, so I couldn’t just stand by in this situation. It’s time for me to display my manners as a uni student. I rolled up my sleeves and helped the auntie put up her luggage. Whatever was in the snakeskin bag was super heavy. If it wasn’t for the fact that I did a lot of farm work around the house and carried a lot of bales, I might have embarrassed myself.
I grit my teeth and put the luggage up, and pretended like it wasn’t heavy at all. The auntie looked super guilty and kept thanking me, praising that I was a kind girl. I was really happy, felt like I’d done a good deed that day.
There was four seats. I had no one next to me. Opposite me was the auntie and a student-aged young girl who looked just a little younger than me.
Since I helped her with her luggage, she started talking to me. She brought out a plastic bag filled with grilled bread and kept telling me to eat some, don’t be too polite.
When I’m out and about, I never eat anything a stranger gives me. I won’t drink from my water bottle either if my eyes have left it at all. I’ve memorised all of this since I was in highschool. I took a grilled bread from the auntie and put it on the table, and didn’t eat.
She told me she had a daughter my age. Her daughter is about to graduate from uni, she’s studying at so-and-so school, asked where I was from, where I was studying, why I wasn’t riding with any friends.
I casually answered, “I’m a grown adult. I don’t need anyone escorting me when I go out.”
The shy-looking girl next to the auntie started joining the conversation, talking about how she kinda envied my independence. She’s very nervous, it’s her first time going out by myself. She’s going to her uncle’s place, he’s introduced a job to her.
We chatted the whole way and got to know each other. And it happened that all three of us were getting off at the final stop.
“Young lady, could you help me again? I’ve got a bad leg. Could you help me get my luggage off the train?”
The young girl immediately answered, “Of course. This sister and I will both help you.”
When the train got to the station, I helped the auntie carry her bags off. When I saw her bending down to drag her luggage along, it made me remember my mom. I felt bad for her, so I decided to be as helpful as I could, and help her carry her luggage out of the station, and take her to where she was getting a ride.
The luggage was so heavy, that it took all three of us to drag it out of the station.
Once we got to the bus stop, I was about to leave, but the auntie grabbed my hand and brought up her second request: “My daughter lives close by, just across the street from the train station. She’s working at a hotel. I brought all this stuff for her. A taxi ride is way too expensive. Could you help me?”
I hesitated. The street across from the train station was a kinda shady place. It’s not somewhere I’m comfortable going with a stranger.
“She’s a uni student. They’re all really kind. Of course she’s not gonna refuse. Hey, auntie, I’ll help too.”
Just as I was looking for an excuse to refuse, the other girl with us already stepped forward to help with the luggage. She dragged me along, saying she’ll accompany me. I was too awkward to refuse outright, so I figured I’d just help her carry it up to the door. I would never enter the place with her.
The sun was really hot that day. I hadn’t had any water the whole way. I was tired dragging two giant pieces of luggage with me, so I was walking very slowly.
The auntie and the other girl kept urging me to hurry up. They even sometimes yanked on my sleeve, to make me walk faster.
The street in front of the train station itself was very busy and full of people, but once we entered the alley towards the hotel, there was nobody on the road anymore. It was super abandoned looking and kinda creepy.
At the time, I could sense something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what. Instinctively, I felt like I shouldn’t be following these strangers. What if something happened?
That’s when my counsellor called me, asking me where I was. She was at the exit of the train station waiting for me.
It seemed that my counsellor had happened to go to a neighbouring school for some business, and passed by the train station. She knew I was going to arrive at the train station this afternoon, so she thought she’d pick me up and save me the trouble of getting a bus.
I was class leader. My counsellor is a grad student around 28 or 29. She started working at our school as soon as she graduated. I helped her out a lot, and we were as close as sisters.
The moment I got her call, it’s like I suddenly woke up. I knew there was some kind of scam at work here. Something wasn’t right.
Why wouldn’t she asked a young man to help her, for such a long walk? Why would she ask me, a weak girl, and another even weaker girl, for help?
The three of us together was the textbook example of “old, weak, women, children”. [A saying summarising weak people who should be prioritised in an emergency, which has since become a saying about weak people who criminals like to target.]
Thinking back on the details on the train, the way the auntie and the young girl looked and acted around each other, I feel like they knew each other from before, but were pretending to be strangers. I was starting to feel some fridge horror.
I couldn’t be 100% sure, but at that moment, I told myself, just turn around and walk away.
I held the phone and loudly talked with my counsellor, telling her where I was, what buildings were around me, how I was helping an auntie with her luggage.
The auntie saw me slow down, and immediately came up to yank my sleeve, pushing me by my back forward, telling me we were just a couple of steps away, that she’d like to have me come in and take a drink of water as thanks.
I put the auntie’s luggage down, and pretended the other person on the phone had met with some kind of emergency, “What happened? Holy crap! I’m coming over right away! Stay calm!”
I told the auntie a hurried “sorry”, and threw down the luggage, turned, and ran.
The auntie and the young girl were still calling after me, but I didn’t respond, and just kept power-walking away. I didn’t dare to hang up my phone either.
When I saw my counsellor, I immediately hugged her and broke down in tears.
When I told my counsellor what happened, she said I was right to not have helped her take her luggage to the hotel. This is a common tactic to abduct women, by taking advantage of her empathy towards weak people. Once I got to the door, what was waiting for me might have been two strong men carrying pipes. Once I entered the door, I’d never get out again.
I feel like, when you’re out and about, you really have to keep your wits about you. There are all kinds of people from all kinds of walks of life on a train. You can’t tell who are good guys and who are bad guys. Don’t reveal your personal information. Don’t drink water from a stranger. And never follow a stranger anywhere.”
Comments say, “That’s too scary. Maybe I should just stick to planes.”
A tiktok video of a lady getting a Chinese burrito at a roadside stall, where she claims, “This uncle sounds like he got drunk and just started cooking at someone else’s stall XD”
She asks for a 15 RMB burrito, and confirms she wants chilli peppers and cumin and lettuce. The owner promises to give her the biggest piece of lettuce, and then sings to himself as he cooks. She asks if he uses real pork, and he assures her that he doesn’t have any beef or lamb, everything is pork. When he’s done, they exchange a series of numbers??? before he hands her the burrito and she leaves.
Comments say, “I’ve seen this guy before. Supposedly, his wife is annoyed that he talks too much so she forced him to come out and open a stall.”
“What the hell does the code mean hahahahahaha”
“Wear some fucking gloves man!”
“The biggest lettuce is so tiny!”
“My sister’s bedroom closet got all messed up by my mom’s step-sister (my grandma’s god-daughter). And well, she’s a girl. Of course she’s got a couple of fancy, lacy underwear.
My sister didn’t say anything and just cleaned her stuff up. At dinner, we sat together and ate, and the fucking brat suddenly went, “Sister’s a slut. She’s got lace underwear in her bedroom.” My brain went blank at the time. My sister burst out in tears. My mom and dad saw something was wrong and asked, “What happened?” And my sister told them the truth.
My dad’s got just as much of a temper as I do, he’s just older, his joints are stiff, so he’s calmed down a lot in recent years. Plus, my mom’s a teacher and she’s been influencing him for 20 odd years.
The other parents were still saying, “Kids say the darnest things.”
And my dad went, “Woah, think about what you’re saying. There’s no blood relation between our families. And take a look at where you are.” (At the time, I was wondering if that was a clue I should be getting involved or something).
Then he added, “Wife, son, take Lian back to her room.”
My sister’s absolutely sobbing now, and my mom is comforting her as best as she can. I was worried about shit going down, so I stood near the bedroom door, where I couldn’t be seen from the dinner table.
“How the hell are you raising your kids? Going into a girl’s room without permission? And going through her stuff? We knock on her door as her parents! If she’s not home, we even call her to get permission!”
“It’s your own fault for not locking the door. Why are you blaming a kid?”
“You’re my wife’s step-sister, so we trusted you. Do you think what you did is right?”
They talked more, but I don’t really recall the details. Either way, my dad’s meaning was clear. He wants an apology. If my sister doesn’t forgive them, then he won’t either. And from this point on, our two families will be no contact. But they won’t agree to it.
My dad loved my sister the most. He got so mad that he slammed on the table, and I immediately dashed out and stood behind them. They wanted to leave, and the four of them started pushing past my dad to get to the door. When my dad chased after them to argue, they even pushed him down. As the oldest son in the house, one of our core DPSes, and my sister’s personal bodyguard, how could I not do anything?
That’s how my dad ended up paying them 10K in medical bills, and I ended up in the police station over night…(`·_·`)
Back when I was in freshman year of highschool, and my sister was in junior year, I’ve fought for her because some guys were bullying her. That’s one of the more hotblooded things I’ve done.
My dad’s told me that although I’m the younger brother, I’ve got to take on the responsibility of an older brother. And I misinterpreted that as that I have to become a strong DPS, and that’s how I became the bottom of my class…
I’ve smoked in the bathrooms.
I’ve fought for my sister.
I’ve skipped class to go to internet cafes.
I’ve had a girlfriend too, but she broke up with me because she thought I was more in love with my sister. But I just feel a normal familiar protectiveness towards my sister…we’ve got no German-style incest between us. If we did, my dad would deliver me to the morgue himself.
Oh, and after my dad and I were educated all night at the police station, the brat’s mom got a lecture too (his dad was getting stitches in the hospital, so he wasn’t around). As for the brat, I’m sure he got beat up by his mom. The reason I beat someone into a hospital and only spent one night at the police station and paid 10K is because the police treated it as a civil disagreement, since when we were fighting, the dad still had his feet inside our door. They didn’t charge me with “disturbing the peace”, or else I couldn’t get away with just one night.
After my grandma found out, she called up her god-daughter and chewed her out (after all, she’s good friends with her god-daughter’s parents so she didn’t want to completely cut that relationship off). But my dad expressed his attitude clearly, “From now on, our two families are going to be no contact. We’ll never appear at the same occasion together. My mom was in complete agreement. My sister was like, “You’re already 60, you can’t be this reckless all the time.” And my dad is like, “I’ve only got one baby daughter, how could I not lose my mind? If this happened to your brother, I wouldn’t give a fuck.”
I was like, “So, old man, could you at least change the antique wood boxes in my room to a proper closet first?”
And my dad is like, “ (-_-) but son, those are a family tradition. Take care of those boxes.”
I’ll give an example of how much my family spoils my sister.
Me: “Dad, I want to buy some shoes, it’s 400 RMB.”
My dad: “What kind of shoes are 400 RMB? My shoes are only 120 RMB, and I’ve worn them forever. I’ll get you a pair too.”
My mom: “It’s just 400. If he likes them, he can get them. Here’s 2000 RMB, use whatever’s left over to buy your sister a couple of pairs of comfy, pretty shoes.”
Me: “ (`·_·`) Okay.”
Any girls out there who are older sisters, trust that your younger brother who might make fun of you all the time will always stand out to protect your dignity and your rights.
All the men who are younger sisters there, don’t let your sister be disappointed and hurt at the most key point. Before your sister married out, you’re her boyfriend.
The brat got in trouble again. After his dad got out of the hospital, he went home and beat the shit out of his son. To the point that his wife threatened if you touch him again, we’ll get divorced.
Anyway, back on topic, 7th of August was the third anniversary of the kid’s grandpa passing away. Our local custom was that you only erect a gravestone 3 years after the burial.
His dad thought that for the third anniversary, the brat should come along to pay respects to his grandpa’s grave. So he took the whole family back to his hometown, and prepared to go tend to the grave after breakfast. But the brat kept playing on his phone and ignoring the time. His dad got mad and grabbed the phone and was like, “Hurry up, stop trying to buy time, this is something you have to do!” And the brat shocked the whole room by saying, “That old bastard should’ve died earlier!”
His dad went white in the face.
The grandpa was really good to the kid in life. He couldn’t believe his son would say something like that when the old man passed away.
His dad threw the phone at him, and the kid immediately started bleeding. And he burst out in wails and said, “That’s what mommy said!”
Everyone there were shocked again, and everyone started discussing:
“The old man was pretty good to her. Why would she say such a thing? Tsk, tsk.”
“Oh my god, what has she been teaching the kid?”
His mom was right there too, just looking dumbfounded and embarrassed.
And the dad screamed, “What the hell have you been teaching our kid!? You’ve made me lost all my face!”
Anyway, now all their neighbour know the gossip, and they’re going through divorce. And everyone’s saying that they should’ve been divorced a long time ago.
Brats really are strong. He’ll tear apart his own house first. I’m in awe.
Of course, not all kids are like this. It’s important how you educate them. Any parents reading this, you have to prioritise this. (That is, teach your kid the right values, morals, world view, and emphasise to them the meaning of responsibility, in case they become someone like me (,,·w·,,))
Honestly, I think sometimes, even sacrificing some of the innocent of children is worth it for their own good.
Newest update: the brat’s parents didn’t get divorced after all. I hear the brat’s mom begged on her knees and apologise. The dad went soft on her, because she’s his true love or something.”
Comments say, “If she really was loved, she wouldn’t have a younger brother.”
“Girls in average families shouldn’t have the same expectation of their parents or their brother. So few families have this kind of awareness.”
“If she really was loved growing up, she wouldn’t cry with just one line from some random brat.”
An askreddit question: “Should we pass on our hate of the Japanese onto the next generation?”
The top-voted comment reads, “Writing this answer, I feel a lot of shame, because I’m mixed Chinese-Japanese.
When I was little, I went to primary school in China.
The first day of class, the teacher taught us how to sing the national anthem, and the March of the PLA. She told us, we need to fight for the opportunity to be Party Youth Leaders, and wear our red scarves died with the blood of fallen revolutionary soldiers.
We read about Wang Erxiao [a young boy who supposedly lead the Japanese army wandering around a forest for 6 hours to buy time for the Red Army to retreat and was killed for it.]. We watched the movie May August [about two sisters hiding from Japanese soldiers massacring their city in the attic of their house while the rest of their family are killed.].
I really hated Japan. To the point that I even started to hate my dad and his side of the family.
Then later, I came to study in Japan, and what they taught in class was completely different. Once, during class discussion, we were talking about war.
My classmate said that the Japanese Navy was really great. I said that when greatness is founded upon ugly pillage, it’s not something to be proud of. At the time, I was ready to fight him if I had to. But there wasn’t a fight at all.
Because by that point, every household had the internet. Even if the textbooks didn’t mention it, they all kind of knew what kind of shit happened during the Sino-Japanese war.
A boy said, it was only because they were so much stronger and more prosperous than China.
I asked him, “So turning Nagasaki and Hiroshima into rubble is also just the natural result of America being stronger and more prosperous, right?”
That’s when the discussion stopped, because no one dared to answer me.
Of course, during that time, this kind of stuff happened all the time. Sometimes, we’d argue. Sometimes, we wouldn’t.
Later, I grew up, and slowly began to understand the concept of what counted as a “Japanese person”.
When someone admits the war happened, and felts ashamed and guilty about it, then that person is a Japanese person.
If they don’t admit that war happened and make up all kinds of excuses, that that is merely a fucking Jap.
I will take my future children to study in China too, and teach him this history. I want him to always hold hostility for invaders, even if those invaders are his ancestors. If a man has no honour, then he deserves no respect.
Right now, I am a Chinese national. In my living years, I will happily use my flesh and blood to build a new Great Wall, and under the cannon fire of our enemies, I will advance. [lyrics to the Chinese national anthem]”
Comments say, “It doesn’t matter a lot if an upstanding Chinese man has a little bit of Jap blood in him, nothing to be shamed of.”
“I feel like even calling it “passing down hate to the next generation” is twisting the nature of things. We’re not passing down hate, we’re passing down the truth. And that truth is: you have to always be on guard for how greedy the Japanese are for land. If all the Japs had went to Brazil or disappeared, then who would bother remembering them? It’s just like how all the Xiongnu or the Jie have all vanished.”
“The current world isn’t exactly peaceful either. We’re still surrounded by powerful enemies. The Eight Nation Alliance never went far.”
What does DPS stand for?
That family DPS guy was hilarious but the comments were so cynical.