When a rude stranger stole my seat on the bus, I never expected karma to strike him three times during our trip. As I watched his day unravel, I wondered if my final act of revenge would be a step too far, or the perfect lesson he needed to learn.
I was having a pretty decent day until I got on the bus. The stop was packed, people pushing each other to get on first. I managed to grab a seat, dropping my bag for safekeeping while I helped Ms. Chen with her suitcase.
A woman helps an elderly woman to sit on a crowded bus | Source: Pexels
“Thank you, dear,” he said, patting me on the arm. “These old bones aren’t what they used to be.”
I smiled and turned to my seat, only to find some suited jerk sitting there, my suitcase lying on the floor.
“Excuse me,” I said, trying to remain calm. “That’s my seat.”
The man barely looked up from his phone. “I don’t care. First come, first serve.”
“But my bag was here. I was just helping someone…”
“Look, ma’am,” he snapped, finally meeting my eyes. “I’m not moving. Grab 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 scene wouldn’t do any good. I grabbed my bag and headed toward the center of the bus, muttering under my breath. As I passed a young woman struggling with a fussy baby, I gave her a sympathetic smile.
The bus lurched and I grabbed onto a pole to steady myself. That’s when I heard it: the unmistakable wail of a baby at full volume. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the smug jerk’s shoulders tense.
The bus lurches forward as a baby starts crying loudly | Source: Pexels
He turned around and glared at the young mother. “Can’t you shut that child up?”
The woman looked mortified. “I’m sorry, he’s teething. I’m doing what I can.”
“Well, your best isn’t good enough,” he snapped.
I had had enough. “Hey, buddy,” I yelled. “How about you mind your own business? She’s doing what she can.”
She gave me a dirty look, but then turned around. I got her mother’s attention and said, “You’re doing great.” She nodded her thanks.
Woman reassures distressed mother with comforting look | Source: Pexels
An older gentleman sitting nearby leaned over to me. “Don’t let it get to you, dear. Some people wake up on the wrong side of the bed.”
I chuckled. “More like the wrong side of life.”
For the next half hour, the baby was like a tiny, adorable instrument of karma. Every time the little moron started to doze off, the little guy let out a piercing squeal. But the best part? He literally started kicking.
THUMP. THUMP. PUM.
A man on a bus | Source: Midjourney
The back of the idiot-face’s seat was taking a beating. I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud.
“For the love of… can you control your son?” he growled at the mother.
He looked like he was about to cry. “I’m sorry, he’s just restless. It’s a long trip.”
I couldn’t help myself. “Hey, if you had just let me have my seat back, you wouldn’t be dealing with this.”
He ignored me, but I swore I saw his eye twitch.
A teenager sitting across from me chuckled. “The guy’s going to explode.”
I smiled. “Serves him right.”
Just then, a few drops of rain splashed against the windows. The moron stood up and walked over to the roof hatch above his head. “Great, just what we needed! Rain!”
People on a bus | Source: Pexels
As he pulled the hatch, there was a loud CRACK. His face paled. “Uh oh.”
A steady trickle of water began to fall, right on his head. He tried to close the hatch, but it quickly got stuck. Every few seconds, another trickle fell with a soft “plop” on his head.
“Are you in trouble?” I yelled sweetly.
He turned around, water flying off his woolly hat. “Shut up! Somehow this is all your fault, I know it!”
I threw my hands up innocently. “Hey, I’m really down. Maybe it’s just… karma?”
A woman on a bus | Source: Midjourney
The baby’s mother, who had finally calmed down, giggled. The imbecile gave her a venomous look before slumping back in his seat, occasionally batting away the water droplets 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 my composure. “Three strikes and you’re out, right?”
As we neared our destination, a wicked idea occurred to me. I dug into my wallet and pulled out a wad of cash, mostly singles, but with a couple of twenties on top to make it look impressive. I quietly shoved it under the seat closest to me.
Woman secretly places wad of cash under seat, planning her next move | Source: Pexels
“My God!” I said out loud, crouching down. “Look what I just found!”
The whole bus fell silent. I held up the money. “Did anyone lose it? It was under this seat here.”
The idiot raised his head so fast I thought he would get whiplash. His eyes were wide, fixed on the money in his hand.
“It’s mine!” he cried, jumping up. “I was sitting there before. I must have dropped it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? I highly doubt it. Can you prove it? Did anyone see that man sitting in this seat here?” I shouted loudly, pointing to the spot where I had placed the money.
People on a bus | Source: Pexels
A chorus of “no”s rang out among our fellow travelers, much to my delight.
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 in someone’s bag and he fell face first into the hallway.
There was a collective gasp, then silence. Slowly, the jerk stood up, clutching his arm. “You’ll pay for this,” he hissed at me. “I’ll sue you.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. “Sue me for what? For finding my own money?”
His mouth dropped open. “What?”
A rude man | Source: Midjourney
I spread the bills out in a fan, showing that most of them were singles. “It’s my money. I was just giving you a lesson about karma and assumptions. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before taking someone’s seat and being rude to a mother and her baby.”
The entire bus erupted in applause. The moron’s face was a mix of rage and embarrassment as he scuttled back to his soaked seat.
The teenager from before gave me a thumbs up and said, “That was epic! You killed it.”
A teenager | Source: Midjourney
I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but inside I was doing the victory dance.
As we entered the station, the baby’s mother caught my eye. “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 one did most of the work.”
She laughed, bouncing the now sleeping baby. “He’s usually a little angel. I guess he knew that man needed a lesson.”
The older gentleman who had spoken to me earlier chuckled. “In all my years of riding the bus, I’ve never seen justice done like this. Well done, young lady.”
An elderly gentleman | Source: Midjourney
We all got off the bus, and the jerk pushed everyone around in his rush to get away. As I watched him walk away, still dripping, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
“Karma’s a funny thing,” I thought. “And sometimes it gets on the bus.”
As I walked away from the stop, I noticed the young mother struggling with her bags and baby. I ran towards her.
“Do you need a hand?” I asked.
She looked relieved. “Oh, really? That would be great.”
A woman with her baby | Source: Pexels
As we walked together, she introduced herself as Lisa and her son as Sam.
“I’m Carla,” I said. “Where are you going?”
“My sister’s house,” Lisa replied. “It’s just a few blocks away. I hope I’m not taking you off course.”
I made a nonchalant gesture. “Not at all. After that bus ride, I could use a nice walk.”
A woman with her baby in her arms | Source: Midjourney
We chatted as we walked, laughing about the bus incident. As we turned a corner, I stopped dead. There, in a nearby cafe, sat the jerk from the bus, looking miserable as he tried to dry himself with paper napkins.
Lisa followed my gaze and stifled a giggle. “Shall we say hi?”
I smiled mischievously. “You know what? I think we should.”
We walked over to their table and I cleared my throat. “I’m glad to see you here.”
He raised his head in shame. “You! Haven’t you done enough already?”
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 too much.”
He seemed surprised by my confession. “Oh. Well… I guess I didn’t behave too well either.”
Lisa stepped forward, gently bouncing Sam. “We all have bad days. Maybe we can start over?”
The man’s face softened as he looked at the baby. “He’s pretty cute when he’s not screaming.”
We all laughed and the tension dissipated. As Lisa and I turned to leave, the man shouted, “Hey, what’s your name?”
A man apparently screaming | Source: Midjourney
“Carla,” I replied.
He nodded. “I’m Victor. And… I’m sorry about the seat.”
I smiled. “Water under the bridge, Victor. Or should I say, water from the ceiling?”
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She complained heartily at my joke and we parted ways. As Lisa and I continued our walk, I couldn’t help but feel 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 about a wealthy man who gets irritated when he finds himself sitting next to an overweight woman in first class, and starts complaining to the flight attendant.
This work is inspired by real people and events, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or the depiction of characters, and are not responsible for any misinterpretation. 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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