c/watched-it-live

Vent: Saw a pickup driver fight a parking meter in downtown Austin last night

I was sitting at a red light on 6th street around 10 PM when this guy in a lifted Ford F-150 jumped out, kicked the meter twice, then tried to pull it out of the concrete. He gave up after 30 seconds and drove off with his hazard lights still flashing. Has anyone else seen people lose it over parking in that area?

3 comments

samk77•13d ago

That so-called quick oil change place took 2 hours to do my oil

Pulled in at 3pm on a Tuesday. Told them just a standard oil change. They said 20 minutes tops. I sat in that waiting room watching the clock. Watched three cars get done before mine. Finally rolled out at 5:10. Two hours and ten minutes for something I could have done in my driveway in 30. Anyone else had one of those places totally blow their time estimate?

2 comments

the_drew•17d ago

The moment my local comic shop changed owners - total nightmare in 3 weeks

I watched the new guy rip out all the back issue bins and replace them with Funko pops and MTG boxes. He had a line of regulars drop from 20 people to 3 in under a month. Anyone else see a local shop get stripped of its soul overnight?

3 comments

kim_ramirez3•18d ago

Saw a guy fight a pigeon for a french fry outside my building

Last Tuesday around noon. Downtown Austin on 6th Street. This pigeon grabbed a whole fry off a dude's tray. Dude chased it half a block. The pigeon dodged him and flew up onto a sign. He just stood there staring at it. Still holding his tray. Has anyone else seen a pigeon win that hard?

2 comments

logan658•20d ago

My classroom printer chose violence at the worst possible moment

Last Tuesday during my 5th period class, our big copier just started smoking. Not like a little puff, I mean actual gray smoke coming out of the back while 30 kids are watching me try to print their quiz. I had to unplug it and tell everyone we were doing a pop quiz orally instead. The look on their faces was priceless. Has anyone else had a machine literally give up on them mid-task like that?

3 comments

cooper.drew•22d ago

That Wednesday where everything went right at the Poughkeepsie train station

I was running late for the 7:42 to Grand Central. Missed it by 30 seconds. But the NEXT train showed up 4 minutes early, there was an empty seat with a power outlet, and the guy across the aisle offered me half his bagel because he said his wife packed him two. Never had a day line up like that before. Has anyone else had a random string of good luck like that out of nowhere?

3 comments

price.ray•26d ago

Overheard a guy at the bus stop say something about emergency alerts that totally flipped my thinking

I was waiting for the 72 downtown yesterday and this older dude was talking to someone on the phone. He said 'people just ignore Amber Alerts cause they think it's spam, we need alerts that actually make you stop and look.' That hit me because I'm guilty of swiping away those notifications without reading them. It made me realize how desensitized I've gotten to important warnings just because they pop up so often. Anyone else tune out alerts without meaning to?

4 comments

christopherh79•28d ago

Saw a street magician in Times Square pull off a trick I'd called fake online

I've watched all those exposé videos about the 'cup and ball' routine being a scam. Last Saturday in Times Square, this guy in a denim vest set up on 42nd Street. He had three cups and a little red ball, and I stood there for 8 minutes watching. The ball vanished and reappeared under a different cup three times in a row, and I was 3 feet away. I still can't figure out how he did it without swapping cups. Anyone else get schooled by a live performer after thinking you knew the gimmick?

3 comments

ivan774•28d ago

Watched a busker's amp die mid-song at a subway station in Boston last fall

I was waiting for the train when this guy started a killer cover of 'Hallelujah' and right at the big note his amp just cut out. He looked at it, tapped it, then just kept playing acoustic while about 20 of us threw what cash we had into his case. Has anyone else seen a street performer save their set like that?

3 comments

west.casey•29d ago

Had to choose between two vinyl record players at a garage sale yesterday

I was at this garage sale in Portland around 10am and saw a Dual 1219 for $40 and a cheap Crosley for $10. The Dual was dusty but heavy, the Crosley looked new. I grabbed the Dual even though it was pricier because my buddy said old gear lasts longer. Got it home, cleaned it up with a brush, and it plays my old Beatles records perfectly without that warbly sound. Anyone else gamble on a used turntable and get lucky?

3 comments

umar49•29d ago

Tried using dryer sheets to clean my baseboards, total disaster

Saw this hack on Facebook where you rub a dryer sheet on baseboards to keep dust off longer. Tried it in my living room last Saturday and the waxy residue just attracted more dirt. Now I have to wipe everything down with vinegar water to fix it. Has anyone else fallen for a cleaning hack that backfired this bad?

3 comments

robert659•1mo ago

Watched a guy on the subway platform fix his own phone screen in 5 minutes flat

I was waiting for the F train at 23rd street in Manhattan around 8pm last Tuesday. This guy pulled out a broken phone with a spiderweb crack, then took out this tiny toolkit from his backpack. He popped the screen off, used a little suction cup, and had a new one on in what felt like no time. I was just standing there watching him, completely amazed. It made me realize I could probably do my own repairs instead of paying $150 at the shop every time. I went home that night and ordered a kit for my own phone, it cost like $25 with the screen. Has anyone else tried fixing their own stuff on the go like that, or am I late to this?

3 comments

emmam89•1mo ago

My neighbor's 5 minute rant changed how I see food delivery apps

I was complaining to my neighbor Dave last Tuesday about how DoorDash messed up my order again. He just looked at me and said 'you paid $8 delivery for a $12 sandwich that's cold and you're mad at them?' That hit different because I realized I've been wasting like $40 a week on fees and tips. Now I actually walk the 3 blocks to the deli myself and save the money. Has anyone else had a random conversation that made you look at your habits different?

3 comments

aaron740•1mo ago

Watched a protest fizzle out in 10 minutes - blew my mind

I was at a local street fair in Portland last Saturday and this group showed up with megaphones yelling about a new city policy. I figured it'd drag on for hours like you see on the news. But after maybe 10 minutes the guy leading it just stopped mid sentence, looked at his phone, and told everyone to pack up because the city council already voted on the thing overnight. Swear to god the whole crowd just deflated and walked away. It was like watching a balloon pop in slow motion. Made me realize how much these viral moments online are edited down to look bigger than they are. Has anyone else seen a big scene just end abruptly like that in person?

3 comments