Pranking is one of those things that has always been around and is meant to do one of two things: to bully someone specific or to work as a bonding experience between friends or loved ones.
But even when it’s meant to be a bonding experience, the prank can still go much too far, pointed out the “Am I the A**hole?” (AITAH) subReddit.
Redditor Regular-Put-775’s wife had recently become really interested in pranking, and while the pranks were a little annoying to put up with, they were generally harmless in nature.
But when their wife pulled a prank in a restaurant, making everyone think she was choking, the Original Poster (OP) decided enough was enough.
They asked the sub:
“AITAH for leaving my wife at the restaurant because of her ‘prank’?”
The OP’s wife had recently become interested in pranks.
“I have been married to my wife (35F) for 10 years. We have two children (8 Female) and (5 Male).”
“We have had good times and bad times in our relationship, but we have always managed to get through it together. Until last weekend, now I am questioning everything.”
“Lately, she has been watching way too many prank videos on YouTube. She finds them all very funny, so she started trying to play pranks on me and the kids.”
Then the OP’s wife took the pranking too far.
“Most of them were harmless and funny until last weekend when she took it too far.”
“We celebrated our anniversary by going out to eat at a nice restaurant. She seemed absent for most of the evening, and I didn’t pay attention.”
“While she was waiting for our meal, she suddenly stood up and started screaming that I was choking her. She was holding her throat, tripping and falling to the ground, pretending to choke.”
“Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at us. I was in shock and trying to figure out what was going on.”
“A few people came over to try to help her, and I just stood there, unable to understand.”
“Then she started laughing and said, ‘I’m kidding.'”
“I was mortified and so angry. The kids were crying, the other customers were staring at us, and the manager came over to see what was wrong. I couldn’t believe she thought it was funny.”
“I was so embarrassed and angry. Our kids were upset, the other customers were disgusted by what had happened, and the manager wanted to know what was going on. How could she have thought it was funny?”
The OP had had enough of the pranks, even if their wife felt they were overreacting.
“I told her I had had enough and couldn’t take any more pranks like this. I took the kids and left her alone, leaving her at the restaurant.”
“We went home. I packed a duffel bag for the kids and me and went to my brother’s.”
“She keeps calling and texting, saying I overreacted and that she was joking.”
“She says I embarrassed her by leaving her there, and she thinks I owe her an apology.”
“Our friends are divided. Some think I was right to leave, and others think I should have handled the situation differently.”
“AITAH?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You’re the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some felt the pranks were completely inappropriate and harmful to those around the wife.
“NTA. Your wife’s prank was inappropriate and harmful. It’s alright that you were upset and embarrassed by her actions.” – Bubbly_sofi
“I am a full-grown adult and just recently witnessed my mom faint and fall to the floor at a restaurant. Thankfully, it ended up being nothing serious, but I am still scarred by it.”
“I can’t imagine what kind of harm that did to those kids.”
“OP, you are most definitely NTA!” – PurplePufferPea
“I saw a complete stranger go down and start fitting.”
“That s**t isn’t funny. Fortunately, the dude was alright, and we got him medical attention within a few minutes.”
“I can’t imagine how angry and hurt I’d be if I went through all of those emotions and trying to help, only to find out the person had been pranking me the whole d**n time.” – Fragrant-Reserve4832
“I have epilepsy, and when I come around, I’m more concerned about the poor people who witnessed it!”
“The worst place I had one was in my 5-year-old son’s class on parent visit day. One minute, I was coloring, and the next minute, I was waking up on the floor. There were a lot of scared adults and screaming kids.”
“I feel so guilty they had to go through that, so I asked the teacher if I could apologize to the class. She said there was no need, but I did think some of the children were still scared of me. I feel so bad.”
“When people have to see it, it’s worse for them because I’m unconscious and have no idea!”
“I would never joke and willingly put someone through this! NTA, OP.” – Turbulent_Menu_1107
“When I first started reading, I assumed it was just the two of them at the restaurant and then realized, no, the kids were there, too.”
“It’s bad enough doing this to your partner. But I can’t even fathom doing this in front of your small children?! NTA NTA NTA.” – SirGrumpasaurus
“NTA. Pranks like this are what erode action when something real happens. It’s malignant, disrespectful, and manipulative.”
“Hasn’t she ever read the book ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’?”
“I can’t believe a full adult would do this. You’re right to have left her there with the kids.”
“It’s not ‘just a joke.’ Jokes should NEVER be at someone else’s expense. And Jokes, by definition are only funny when EVERYONE is laughing.”
“Not overreacting. Not a joke. Not the a**hole.” – maejiyo
Others pointed out that there were other potential risks tied to a prank, like choking.
“Not only was this joke not funny, but you don’t want someone to jump in and give you the Heimlich maneuver if you don’t need it. I’m a big dude and had to do that once, and they said it felt like I was breaking their ribs. They were grateful they didn’t die, though.” – ringdingdong67
“The OP wrote, ‘While she was waiting for our meal, she suddenly stood up and started screaming that I was choking her.'”
“Dude, what a stupid woman. Didn’t she realize that you could have been hurt by that? What if some white knight had gone wild and tackled you, hit you, or hurt you by trying to restrain you, believing you were really hurting her?”
“Imagine the trauma of your kids watching their father being attacked by strangers or taken into police custody. Those kinds of jokes could have even got you in jail since many police officers would arrest you first and ask questions later in these situations.”
“I can imagine you with cuffs and the police officer asking your wife, ‘Are you sure it was a joke, isn’t he threatening you or your kids to say that, Mrs., you are safe now. You can tell the truth, we have witnesses he was choking you, you know.'”
“All this while the other cop is digging the cuffs way too deep into your skin to make you pay for hurting a woman.”
“She is gullible and stupid. Those are one of the most dangerous people in the world. Run with your kids. Like yesterday. NTA.” – Tfuentexxx
“Also, SHE could have gotten hurt. Nice restaurants usually have sharp knives and such. What if she’d misjudged distance during her flopping around? If she had hit her head and knocked herself out, how long would it have taken to communicate the ‘iT’s jUsT a pRaNk, bRo’?”
“At least then, she’d realize real quick how much she screwed up, needing to convince both hospital staff AND police that it was a joke.” – Yeety-Toast
“Seriously insane. She needed consequences. And you needed to protect yourself and your kids and ensure they felt safe. You did absolutely the right thing, OP.”
“If she doesn’t get that, she needs counseling. She essentially just faked being sick to cause a scene? In front of her kids? And tried to blame it on you being harmful to her?”
“This is next-level bad behavior. There’s no joke in that. She needs counseling. Check for brain tumors affecting her logical thought, that kind of thing.” – believehype1616
“And it is even worst now: after a time to reflect on herself and her actions, she hasn’t tried to apologize and thinks that you are the one who embarrassed her by leaving her in the restaurant.”
“There is no coming back from such a lack of empathy. Just document this (perhaps try to contact the restaurant manager?) and contact a lawyer for a divorce and to get custody of the children.” – Couette-Couette
The subReddit could not stop shaking their heads over the wife’s poor decision-making and lack of empathy. Not only was it terrible to pull such a prank in a restaurant, but to do it also in front of her children and frighten them, and then expect her partner to apologize for giving her consequences, was hardly forgivable.
If a person could lack empathy and the ability to apologize over something like this, how could she possibly rise to the occasion in a time of actual crisis?