When a rude stranger stole my seat on the bus, I didn’t expect karma to strike him three times during our journey. As I watched his day unfold, I wondered if my latest act of revenge would be a step too far—or the perfect lesson he deserved.
I was having a pretty pleasant day until I boarded that bus. The stop was crowded, with people jostling to be the first to board. I managed to find a seat by putting my bag on it while I helped Ms. Chen carry her suitcase.
A woman helps an elderly woman sit on a crowded bus | Source: Pexels
“Thank you, my dear,” she said, patting my arm. “These old bones aren’t what they used to be.”
I smiled and turned back to my seat, only to find some jerk in a suit sitting there, my bag thrown on the floor.
“Excuse me,” I said, trying to keep my cool. “This is my seat.”
The man barely looked up from his phone. “I don’t care. First come, first served.”
“But my bag was there. I was just helping someone—”
“Listen, ma’am,” he snapped, finally meeting my gaze. “I’m not moving. Take your bag and find another seat.”
Man rudely tells woman to find another seat, refusing to move | Source: Pexels
I was furious, but making a fuss wouldn’t help. I grabbed my bag and walked toward the middle of the bus, muttering to myself. As I passed a young woman struggling with a fussy baby, I gave her a sympathetic smile.
The bus started moving, and I grabbed a pole to steady myself. That’s when I heard it—the unmistakable wail of a baby, its volume rising to its maximum. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the idiot’s tense shoulders.
The bus moves slowly as a baby starts crying loudly | Source: Pexels
He turned around and glanced at the young mother. “Can you make this kid shut up?”
The woman looked mortified. “I’m sorry, he’s teething. I’m doing my best.”
“Well, your best isn’t good enough,” he snapped.
I’d had enough. “Hey, buddy,” I called. “Why don’t you mind your own business? She’s doing what she can.”
He glared at me before turning around. I met the mother’s gaze and said, “You’re doing well.” She nodded in recognition.
Woman reassures struggling mother with comforting look | Source: Pexels
An elderly gentleman sitting nearby leaned toward me. “Don’t let it get to you, dear. Some people wake up on the wrong side of the bed.”
I chuckled. “Rather on the wrong side of life.”
For the next half hour, this baby was like a tiny, adorable instrument of karma. Every time the idiot began to doze off, the little boy would let out a piercing scream. But the best part was, he started kicking.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
A man on a bus | Source: Midjourney
The back of the idiot’s seat was giving way. I bit my lip to keep from bursting out laughing.
“For God’s sake – can you control your child?” he growled.
The mother looked close to tears. “I’m sorry, he’s just agitated. It’s a long drive.”
I couldn’t help myself. “Hey, if you’d let me take my place back, you wouldn’t have to deal with this.”
He ignored me, but I swear I saw his eye twitch.
A teenager sitting across from me snickered. “The guy’s going to lose his mind.”
I smiled. “Serves him right.”
At that moment, a few drops of rain splashed against the windows. The idiot stood up, reaching for the roof hatch above his head. “Great, just what we need! Rain!”
People on a bus | Source: Pexels
As he pulled the trapdoor, there was a loud CRACK. His face went pale. “Uh oh.”
A stream of water began to fall, directly onto his head. He tried to close the trapdoor, but it remained stuck. Every few seconds, another stream of water landed with a soft “plop” on his head.
“Are you having problems?” I said kindly.
He turned around, water dripping from his woolen cap. “Shut up! It’s your fault, I know it!”
I raised my hands innocently. “Hey, I’m far away. Maybe it’s just… karma?”
A woman on a bus | Source: Midjourney
The mother with the baby, who had finally settled down, giggled. The jerk gave her a venomous look before slumping down in his seat, occasionally flicking the drops of water with his paw as if they were flies.
A middle-aged woman sitting nearby whispered to me, “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like the universe is teaching her a lesson.”
I nodded, trying to keep a straight face. “Three strikes and you’re out, right?”
As we approached our destination, a diabolical idea came to me. I dug into my wallet and took out a wad of bills, which I calmly slipped under the seat closest to where I was.
This woman secretly places a wad of cash under a seat, planning her next move | Source: Pexels
“Oh my God,” I said aloud, leaning forward. “Look what I just found!”
The whole bus went silent. I held up the money. “Did someone lose it? It was under this seat.”
The jerk looked up so fast I thought he was going to get a crick in his neck. His eyes were wide, fixed on the money in my hand.
“It’s mine!” he shouted, jumping up. “I was sitting there just now! I must have dropped it!”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? I doubt it. Can you prove it? Has anyone seen this man sitting in this seat here?” I shouted loudly, pointing to where I’d placed the money.
People on a bus | Source: Pexels
To my great satisfaction, our fellow travelers chorused “no.”
The man’s face turned an interesting shade of purple. “Give me my money, you thief!” he insisted.
He lunged forward, trying to grab the money. But karma wasn’t done with him yet. His shoe caught on someone’s bag, and he fell headfirst into the aisle.
There was a collective gasp, then silence. Slowly, the jerk got up, clutching his arm. “You’re going to pay for this,” he hissed at me. “I’m going to sue you!”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. “Sue me for what? For finding my own money?”
His jaw dropped. “What?”
A rude man | Source: Midjourney
I fanned out the bills, showing that they were mostly dollar bills. “This is my money. I was giving you a lesson about karma and prejudice. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before taking someone’s seat and being rude to a mother and her baby.”
The whole bus burst into applause. The jerk’s face was a mixture of rage and embarrassment as he shuffled to his soaking wet seat.
The teenager from earlier gave me a thumbs-up. “That was epic! You absolutely crushed it!”
A teenager | Source: Midjourney
I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but inside I was doing a victory dance.
As we entered the station, the mother with the baby called out to me. “That was amazing,” she said. “Thank you for standing up to him.”
I smiled. “We bus riders have to stick together, don’t we? Besides, your little guy did most of the work.”
She laughed, rocking the now sleeping baby. “Usually, he’s an angel. I guess he knew that man needed a lesson.”
The elderly gentleman who had spoken to me earlier chuckled. “In all the years I’ve been riding the bus, I’ve never seen justice served like this. Well done, young lady.”
An elderly gentleman | Source: Midjourney
We all got off the bus, the jerk pushing past everyone in his haste to get away. Watching him storm off, still dripping wet, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
“Karma is a funny thing,” I thought. “And sometimes it gets on the bus.”
As I walked away from the bus stop, I noticed the young mother struggling with her bags and the baby. I rushed over to her.
“Do you need a hand?” I asked him.
She looked relieved. “Oh, would you? That would be wonderful.”
A woman with her baby | Source: Pexels
As we walked together, she introduced herself. Her name was Lisa and her little boy was Sam.
“I’m Carla,” I replied. “Where are you going?”
“Just at my sister’s,” Lisa replied. “It’s a few blocks away. I hope I’m not driving you off track.”
I brushed off his concern. “Not at all. After that bus ride, I could use a good walk.”
A woman holding her baby | Source: Midjourney
We chatted as we walked, laughing about the incident on the bus. As I rounded a corner, I stopped dead in my tracks. There, in a nearby cafe, sat the idiot from the bus, looking miserable as he tried to dry himself with paper towels.
Lisa followed my gaze and stifled a small laugh. “Shall we say hello?”
I gave him a sly smile. “You know what? I think we should do it.”
We approached his table and I cleared my throat. “It’s nice to see you here.”
He rolled his eyes, embarrassed. “You! Haven’t you done enough?”
A man sitting at a table in a cafe | Source: Pexels
I raised my hands peacefully. “Actually, I came to apologize. The money thing was a bit much.”
He looked taken aback by my admission. “Oh. Well… I guess I didn’t exactly behave myself.”
Lisa stepped forward, bouncing Sam gently. “We all have bad days. Maybe we can start over?”
The man’s face softened as he looked at the baby. “He’s kind of cute when he’s not screaming.”
We all laughed, the tension easing. As Lisa and I turned to leave, the man called, “Hey, what’s your name?”
A man appears to be screaming | Source: Midjourney
“Carla,” I replied.
He nodded. “My name is Victor. And… I’m sorry about the seat thing.”
I smiled. “A lot of water has flowed under the bridge, Victor. Or should I say, water under the roof?”
He snorted good-naturedly at my joke, and we parted ways. As Lisa and I continued our walk, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, karma had worked its magic on all of us today.
Two women walking | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done? If you liked this story, here’s another one : A wealthy man is irritated to find himself sitting next to an overweight woman in first class and starts complaining to the flight attendant.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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