Food tampering might seem funny to some people, but it can lead to criminal charges throughout the United States.
If the tampering causes harm, it can even be a felony. So it’s best not to mess with people’s food.
A teen turned to the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit for feedback after his father tampered with his stepmother’s food.
StomachExpert1941 asked:
“AITA for telling my dad I can’t see how his prank was funny?”
The original poster (OP) explained:
“I (16-year-old, male) live with my mom and visit my dad every Saturday. Last Saturday was different though. He asked to meet outside for lunch instead of having me over.”
“When I ordered iced latte, he snorted. I asked him what’s so funny and he said he ‘pulled a prank’ on my stepmom.”
“Now Dad enjoys these things. He used to play videos of cats in heat to see our male cat’s reaction to the sound, along with videos of dogs barking.”
“Switched off the light when I was in the toilet several times.”
“Once he put a snake plush next to my mom when she was sleeping, knowing she is terrified of snakes. A lot of shouting that day.”
“So I asked him what he did. He said he made her latte but with whole milk instead of her usual oat milk, knowing she is vegan. Wanted to see if she would be able to tell. She got really upset at him, hence why he asked to meet outside.”
“Then Dad said to me ‘That’s funny, right?’ And I just pulled a face and said ‘Don’t think so, Dad.’ Because I couldn’t see how it’s funny.”
“He looked annoyed and said that ‘people these days can’t take a joke.’ Told me that I’m his son and supposed to side with him, saying I shouldn’t be judgmental since it was ‘harmless’.”
The OP summed up why they might be the a**hole in their situation.
“I might be an a**hole for being judgmental since I’m his son and it was what one might call harmless.”
Redditors weighed in by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors decided the OP was not the a**hole (NTA).
“That wasn’t harmless, though. A vegan drinking milk (or eating meat, etc…) after a long period of not doing so can trigger severe gastrointestinal issues at the very least.”
“Your dad is an absolute jerk for his ‘pranks,’ and you’re NTA.”
“The lack of respect runs deep with all of the so-called ‘pranks’ pulled by OP’s father, especially the ones directed at both women, but physical harm like this is a whole other realm of badness.” ~ Aethey_
“It’s not just the risk of gastrointestinal issues, it’s the total lack of any respect for his wife.”
“Father is a total a**hole and not in the slightest bit funny.”
“OP is NTA and I hope he tells the lady in question that her husband thinks it’s funny to low-key poison her.” ~ The_Blonde1
“I think she already knows since OP said she was upset with him and that’s why OP had to meet his father outside the house. I guess the wife kicked him out.”
“That man has no respect for anyone. Not only his current wife. He also put a snake (a toy, I know, but still) into OPs mom’s bed KNOWING she’s scared of snakes. That’s not funny. At all.” ~ Hubsimaus
“Considering that OP had to meet their father outside of the home because of this supposed ‘prank’ I’m guessing that she already knows because he either told her with absolute mirth and she reamed him for it, or she had an upset stomach from the milk and figured out what happened and reamed him out for it.”
“Nothing about this is funny. OP, you’re NTA.” ~ drawkward101
“I feel like I know one of the reasons for OP’s parents’ divorce…” ~ atomic-chicken-soup
“He uses pranks as a loophole to harm others but in a way that he can play off as ‘harmless fun’. Don’t validate him in feeling like that’s okay in any way.” ~ Pandora2304
“And not just the physical aspect of it, this jack wagon took it upon himself to psychologically hurt his ex-wife by playing against one of her her deepest fears with the Fake Snake Incident.”
“To me, it is quite apparent that despite OP’s dad’s protests to the contrary that their stepmom ‘can’t take a joke’, I would say that she can given the fact she’s still married to this complete a** clown.” ~ JeffSpicolisVan
“It’s a total disrespect of her bodily autonomy.”
“Add that to the snake in the bed and I think we see a picture of a man that likes to make women afraid for fun.”
“Dad is a bad person. OP would do well to keep some distance and look elsewhere for male role models. NTA.” ~ Puzzleheaded-Ad7606
“And even if it WAS harmless, harmless ≠funny! Like, what’s the punchline here?
“‘She thought it was oatmilk in her coffee, but it was actually a different kind of milk!’.”
“‘She doesn’t know what she’s drinking (but I do)’.”
“‘haha she’s unknowingly doing something against her beliefs/something she would never do willingly’.”
“None of these are funny! NTA.” ~ pocketfullofdragons
“Yeah, it’s giving ‘I spat in her coffee, but what’s the problem, we’re married and French kiss regularly’. It’s just hurtful.” ~ Stormtomcat
“Consent. Consent is the difference he very clearly can’t see.” ~ Puzzleheaded-Ad7606
“Honestly, none of his ‘pranks’ sound funny. This guy is just a bully.” ~ ThrowRADel
“Right‽‽ Maybe, maybe switching the light off ONCE when someone is on the toilet could be funny, depending on specific circumstances. But multiple times? This guy is both a bully and utterly unimaginative.” ~ Queen_of_all_Nerds
“Heck, I’m not vegan. But DEFINITELY lactose intolerant (something I try to make an effort to remember when ordering coffee)… I can usually taste the difference between oat milk and whole milk in my coffee… and my stomach DEFINITELY knows.” ~ Electronic_Eye_6266
“Exactly! And not only can it cause actual physical health issues… But the mental health aspect is also no joke. Vegans take their diet VERY seriously. It’s a personal choice they make for reasons they are very passionate about. It’s really not cool to take that away from them.” ~ Pretty-but-Psycho
“If the person being pranked doesn’t find it funny, it’s a bad prank.” ~ doctordoctorpuss
“NTA, that is not harmless. She could have stomach troubles for days. He also broke her trust.” ~ Midiusa
“It’s never harmless to make anyone ingest something they didn’t consent to ingesting. The exception perhaps being giving necessary medication to a child or a pet.” ~ yennffr
“‘…it was harmless’. No wonder he’s divorced. That ‘harmless’ latte could have made his vegan wife really sick. She would absolutely ‘know the difference’ and so would their toilet.”
“And I’m betting she kicked his a**hole, bully self out for his bullying. Keep calling him out.”
“Bullies like your dad always hide behind ‘it’s just joke’ instead of taking accountability. A joke is funny. Terrifying your wife with a stuffie isn’t funny. NTA.” ~ R4eth
“Your father is desperately immature I’m afraid. Your stepmother is vegan so using real milk is so disrespectful.”
“I see why he has one ex-wife. If he isn’t careful it will be two. Sad that the child is more mature than the parent. NTA.” ~ Individual_Metal_983
“He’s not just immature, he’s sadistic. A grown man constantly playing pranks on people is de facto immature, but generally ‘immature’ in that sense is harmless.”
“OP’s dad is consistently and only playing pranks that specifically prey on the genuine fears and boundaries of his chosen victims. He’s not just joking around, he’s figuring out what people are scared of, where they draw lines in their lives (e.g. veganism), and deliberately targeting those parts of them.”
“Even turning the lights off when OP is in the bathroom, while arguably more immature than sadistic, is a prank designed to make OP feel uncomfortable, not to laugh along with the dad.”
“This is a man whose idea of fun is exactly that: not being silly in ways that his victims will end up laughing too, but making other people uncomfortable or scared for his amusement. And it’s not coincidence, because every single prank is chosen that way.”
“OP’s response was perfect, especially because this man still has authority over him/her, so being more confrontational would be a bad idea.”
“But at some point, another adult should point out to that a**hole that pranks and jokes are meant to be entertaining for everyone, and no one laughs at having their vulnerabilities targeted. That’s not a thing, and it’s certainly not about being oversensitive.”
“OP’s dad is a sadist, and I’m glad they don’t have to spend too much time with him.” ~ Sorry_I_Guess
“Adding that the ‘prank’ on the cat is messing with a creature with less comprehension and is as cruel as messing with a mentally disabled person or small child.” ~ ThatKarenB*tch
“My mother-in-law (MIL) would fit right in with your dad. She was convinced (supposedly by her pastor) that kids grow out of allergies; therefore, I can’t possibly have a really bad reaction to fish.”
“Like we warned her, I couldn’t have a sauce, so she showed us the other bottle that would be safe for me, and said that’s what she was marinating the ham in.”
“So to the surprise of absolutely no one, my throat started swelling shut, my (now) brother-in-law had to grab my EpiPen from my purse to stab me with it, and MIL was yelling that I was faking and an attention wh*re and I supposedly ruined Thanksgiving.”
“I guess she assumed my Thanksgiving was fantastic, since I had to stay overnight in the hospital so they were sure I wouldn’t die or anything…”
“‘Pranking’ someone by f*cking with their food is wrong. Like can be a highly illegal type of wrong. It’s not funny at all. The only people who think so are a**holes who get off on causing other people distress. NTA. Not at all.” ~ NikkiVicious
Don’t mess with people’s food.
Ever.
For any reason.
It’s never going to be funny.