Today, a cashier asked me if I would like to donate to breast cancer research. Since I have already made my donations this month, I politely declined. The cashier snorted and said, "Maybe you'll feel differently if someone you love got cancer." I'm a two-year survivor. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Same thing different taste
Empty gesture
Today, my mother in law basically said I deserve my breast cancer, all because I declined to take part in one of her "March Against Cancer" events a while ago. I guess donating money to cancer research instead of going on a meaningless march really messed up my karma. FML
Broke boy
Today, the cashier asked if I wanted to donate $1 to help hungry children. I said, “Not today, thank you.” The man behind me loudly said, “Wow…” Now everyone thinks I hate children. I'm just that broke. FML
Corporate stooge
Today, I had to tell a bald cancer patient that no, having cancer did not entitle her to a 100% discount on coffee. I felt like a douche for saying it, but I work at a well known coffee franchise and I’m not losing my job because someone wants free coffee, no matter how ill they are. FML
OK then…
Today, I’m hard of hearing and rely partly on lip-reading. At a grocery store, the cashier asked me something I didn’t quite catch, so I smiled and nodded. Apparently, she had asked if I wanted to donate to a charity, so I ended up donating a couple of bucks to a cause I still don’t know the name of. FML
Today, my town had a carnival to raise money for cancer. I ran a kissing booth, when a really cute guy came up paid his $20, looked at me, and said "not even for cancer." He took his money and left. FML
Today, I was at the mall with my mom, when I saw a little pamphlet about a charity for abused children. I showed her and said I was going to donate a few dollars. She quickly said no, calling it a waste of money and muttering that the kids probably deserved it anyway. FML
Stingy
Today, I had no money on me, so I asked my husband to put money in the cancer charity box for me. He grumbled about it, then realised he only had £10 notes, so he gave them a tenner but asked the lady if she could break open the sealed box to give him £9 in change. FML
Today, as I was walking into CVS, two older men outside said to me "Young lady, please consider us on your way out." Thinking they were hitting on me, I rolled my eyes and said "Screw you." When I walked back outside, I realized they were asking for AIDS donations. FML
Today, a customer that I've been waiting on for years came into the restaurant after a long absence. I said to him, "Hey man, it looks like you lost a lot of weight! How'd you do it?" He replied, "I got cancer." FML
Cold open
Today, I visited my ex-girlfriend's house. I saw her mother and asked, "Hi! Have you recovered from that nasty cold that you had for so long?" She said, "I don't have a cold," to which I smiled and said, "That's great to hear!" Turns out she has lung cancer instead. FML
Top comments
kdog333 1
that sucks! she should feel horrible now!
blu3r0s3th0rn4 7
She should have been slapped
Add a comment · Reply to
You must be logged in to be able to post comments!
Comments (260)
kdog333 1
that sucks! she should feel horrible now!
teddy4nyy 13
Congrats on being a survivor. Both my grandmothers survived cancer and I'm happy for that every day.
AKGirlinSD 20
I hope you have her a piece of your mind. That cashier is a bitch and no one will donate, when she asks, with that shitty attitude!
AKGirlinSD 20
*gave
Forlorn420 9
Maybe the cashier will get cancer and eat her own words
twinny_sc 13
The cashier was a jerk, but wishing cancer upon someone is disgusting.
dalnice 5
31 - wishing cancer on anyone no matter how horrible they are makes you even worse
chickenflem 8
Tell her and watch her reaction. Priceless.
ambear26 14
I'm happy for you op my mom survived breast cancer also! But cashiers shouldn't make you feel guilty if you politely decline ? They should respect your decision.
ioiehsos 2
No one deserves to get cancer if they wanted to be a bitch.. But karmas coming for her
kristabelli 19
This is exactly another reason why nobody should judge others - you have no idea what's going on in someone else's life. Don't assume that you do.
kate1238 9
I like how everyone assumes the cashier is a she
christyxbee 15
I hope you told her you were a survivor yourself after all that! I bet the look on her face was priceless! I love it when people are put in their place and made to look like idiots after they say such horrible things.
gczizza1997 15
Same thing happened to me! Except she said "maybe you'll feel different when your diagnose with a terrible disease" and I'm starting treatment for my cancer in a week. My mom tore the cashier apart when she said that. She got fired by the manager. Hope you gave that cashier some hell op!
fml121785 14
More like F'her'L! I'd make her feel about 2" tall when I was done with her if I were you!
itsgen 16
I hope you told that ignorant bitch that you're a survivor :D Id complain to her manager
blu3r0s3th0rn4 7
She should have been slapped
evilplatypus 39
2 - I agree. There needs to be "justifiable assault" for a$$holes like that.
memily63 12
I would have backhanded that bitch in a heartbeat
boofgall 16
How do you know the cashier is a she?
blu3r0s3th0rn4 7
Because only bitches are that snippy
preps87 0
In the face. With a frying pan.
crystalxa 35
You should have gave her a piece of you mind! Being a survivor is amazing!
HowAreYouToday 34
Comment moderated for rule-breaking.
Just take a breathe, and think to yourself that because of that jerk making them feel guilty, more people donate. :)
WritingWrongs 8
I hate that bullcrap. Especially those ads that show the abused animals or the african kids; if they need money then they should just ask for it, not make everyone feel depressed and guilty until they want to throw money at the organization.
Bright_Lights 14
None of that money goes to helping anyway, it goes into the pockets of CEO's...
Axipiter 24
Salvation Army. Out of all of the big charities out there, their CEO makes the least. There are some out there who bring in six figures. As a CEO of a charity... Go figure.
evilplatypus 39
26 - Child Fund International only puts 10% towards payroll. 80% goes directly to the project (the other 10% goes towards operating expenses). Source: charity navigator.
Spanik 10
Yeah I sponsor a little boy through Child Fund. I did a lot I research an their figures are good.
hutch66 13
I don't want to be "that guy" but I think cancer research is bullshit. How many millions of dollars have people donated that go to waste. They have been using chemotherapy since the 50's, nothing has changed. Instead of putting all that money towards "research" maybe help families that can't pay for the cancer treatments.
Welshite 40
#54: Research is progressive. Chemists and biologist can't wake up one day and miraculously know how to cure cancer. Many of the professors I see are working on cancer research and have made great strides in their fields of study, and that's exactly what it is: progress.
hutch66 13
55- I still don't think enough has progressed. All that money they are given that can go to so many other good causes, it just seems like a waste.
maosquare 18
Well, if everyone thinks like you, people would still be dying from fever. Not all cancer is untreatable. Because of research, some forms of cancer can actually be treated.
agonydrum 7
58 there are a lot of possible cures for cancer that have worked once or twice or would work theoretically out there that have been discovered and are being studied and tested around the world, science isn't cheap or fast but without it we would be living in caves dieing of old age at 30 and eating raw meat
daminantion 14
54- the money goes towards building new technologies with new materials for new and old chemists to break down cancer cells and test new biological micro weaponry against the deadly cells. Each test can take weeks or even months. If you think scientific revolution happens even in 50 years, consider this: even something as tedious as penicillin didn't exist until the fungi was found and tested, it took humanity hundreds of years to try something naturally existent. To MAKE a new chemical to combat a natural death dealer, you must be a demigod to expect results any quicker than the money can provide the chance. Money is temporary, a cute is forever. Worth it in my mind
cynicalhumanist 9
54, you are making yourself sound ignorant. Even though certain parts of oncology keeps trampling, others make great strides e.g. hematology, which has been revolutionised by more specific diagnosis combined with imatinib and rituximab. Either way, chemotherapy is a broad subject involving way too many different treatment regimes to categorically state it's been the same for 50 years
Aelle1209 6
#54: I'm guessing you haven't heard that a 17-year-old highschool student recently made a breakthrough in the treatment of cancer based on the very research that you think isn't worth funding.
docscientist 10
Cancer research gets enough money as it is. Throwing a shitload more at it isn't going to suddenly change much, the bottleneck is current technology and understanding of the causes.
T9FTW 20
breath*
jakebville 9
Howareyoutoday, I have read myriad FMLs that to have commented on. Every one of your comments SUCK
Poppipuff 14
54- Because millions of dollars for cancer research is a waste but the extraordinary amount needed for the us army is not. There are a lot of things you could be against, but you choose to argue about cancer research.
hutch66 13
164- I'm all for cutting military spending also. Don't make me out as a villain for just saying I think too much is spent on research. I agree, we need research to progress, but again maybe take a part of the donated money and give it to families that can't pay for the treatments themselves. Then no one has to go all Breaking Bad and start cooking meth.
j_cat187 20
Fun fact: Those adds on tv only donate a minuscule amount of the money you place in the palm of their hand. It's all a scam. Wanna make a difference? Get directly involved.
Bibliovore 26
There have actually been a lot of improvements. Chemotherapy is still a prime treatment, yes, but for a great many forms of cancer the chemo options have been refined and improved to provide better outcomes and fewer side-effect problems -- my grandfather didn't even lose his hair with his chemo. Cancer survival rates have doubled since the 1970s, and breast cancer survival rates have tripled. There's no magic-bullet cure (a universal cure is actually unlikely, as there are so many different types and causes of cancer), but a whole lot of very good progress has been made. I am happy to keep donating to continue the progress and research, and am thankful that so many other people do, too.
that_band_nerd 22
Every time those animal commercials come on I change the channel because I already adopted a dog and saved it and I refuse to be guilt tripped into getting another that I can't care for!
sayyestothedress 24
#22 agreed. I don't mind the ads that much but there 5 minutes long! It's like, WE GET IT!!
xponia 8
**** that guy. Talk to their manager, get them fired.
TourettesGuyFTW 26
I agree. If they want to make crass assumptions like that they need a lesson in life on how to think before they speak, or judge people.
drewflav 17
You do realize at some grocery stores that cashiers have fundraising quotas they're supposed to achieve. If they don't reach them they can get in a lot of trouble, even if unionized. I know, I work as a grocery store cashier and run our store's charity program on the side. She did her job and probably had a lot of pressure to do so. To all of you who complain about her judging others, don't judge her either.
xcarxcrashx 9
Ng 132 I also work at a grocery store and run several donation programs over the years. While my company doesn't give a quota and are therefore under a little less pressure there is a tactful way to handle such a situation. I know as a cashier it can be frustrating when you are asking for donations and people say no but like OP said they already made whatever donations she was planning to make that month. The cashier should have never said what they said. No customer is under any obligation to donate and the cashier should treat them no differently if they choose not to donate. What if they are broke? Or shopping for someone else? Or what if they simply don't want to donate their money? It's their right to do with their money what they please. The cashier needs to shut up, smile and do their job.
AubreyDucrat 8
And you think that's a good reason to respond to a customer like that? Seriously? They will get NO donations like that!
TourettesGuyFTW 26
132: GTFO.... of everywhere.
drewflav 17
Don't shoot the messenger, assholes. Simply telling you how it is!
drewflav 17
Ran out of time to edit: I set a new fundraising record at my store this past weekend with that attitude because I just lost a grandparent to cancer. You're still judging, without knowing the facts.
BarbieBlanca 10
I have a lot of pressure to do my job that doesn't mean because I get stopped by a customer that needs help I should tell them to **** off. you're not making any sense. what that cashier did was stupid. none of us know what someone is going through so to assume is idiotic on her part. point blank period. .
Quiet_one 22
Make a complaint to the manager and teach that jerk a lesson about being rude.
rattusrattus 19
*seconds* No-one has to put up with jerks, either side of the cash desk.
denden_mushi 11
No one should feel guilt someone to donate. OP should have talked to the manager about this.
gracehi 33
I hope you told them that... Then told their manager.
thelinlinx3 10
"And maybe you'll feel differently too once you find out that I am a two-year survivor." Some people could really be assholes.
ManInTheMachine 20
Ah, the guilt trip. Not only an effective method of argument with friends and family, but a (not so impressive) marketing probe. I hope you told him that you're a survivor. He'll have a big enough guilt trip to buy you a new car.
wolfhausen 7
9- it's effective if you don't do it often.. You must be patient and seize the perfect opportunity! Then reap the rewards :).
ladylilly25 20
You win! But seriously, that sucks. Congratulations on being a survivor!
sweetmama88 6
Explain to me how that is a win ?
TheRoomFan 8
Because that's the first rule in customer service: be sure that they walk out of the store feeling guilty.