Man with a 20-year-old son asked restaurant worker if she had kids — when she said she had a cat, his creepy reply stunned her
Individuals are making informed decisions when it comes to marriage and children, and these choices should be respected. A Reddit user who goes by u/imadepizza shared a post on June 15, 2026, about a bizarre encounter she had with a man. Since she saw him often at the bar, she presumed he was harmless and chatted with him. This idea changed after he asked her whether she had kids. The woman mentioned that she wasn’t a parent but had a cat instead. To her surprise, the man had a rather absurd take on her choices, which he revealed through an uncomfortable remark.
The woman mentioned that she works in Front of House at a restaurant. The man often visited the bar, and so they would talk occasionally. One of the days, after her shift, she sat down and spoke with him. During their conversation about kids, she mentioned she did not have any. The rest of the discussion leaned in the direction of parenting, and all it entails. The customer even mentioned he had a hookup in college and, as a result, was a dad to a 20-year-old. Before she could leave, the man remarked, “Enjoy your selfishness.” “I laugh it off, because I enjoy dry humor, but later it dawned on me that he was serious,” she said.
At first, the woman thought he was having a lighthearted conversation. All the responsibilities and challenges of parenting that he discussed made it seem like nothing more than banter or just a casual exchange. However, when he made that remark, calling her “selfish” for her choice to be child-free, she couldn’t help but wonder how he had been judging her from the start. “With a mindset that antiquated, I'm wondering why he's frequenting a restaurant with a huge Pride flag hanging in the window,” she wrote. Calling the interaction “creepy,” the worker plans to report him the next time he makes such uncomfortable comments.
According to data from the Pew Research Center, as of 2023, 47% of U.S. adults under the age of 50 said they did not see parenthood in the future. The number of people opting to go child-free has been increasing over the past few years. The reasons for this are varied. 57% said they just didn’t want to. 44% noted they had other priorities, such as careers and hobbies. 38% blamed the current state of the world, while 36% said they couldn’t afford to raise kids. Every reason is valid, and people, especially strangers, have no right to judge such decisions.
The woman likely had her own reasons, and Reddit users were supportive of the simple fact that it’s her life and she gets to choose. u/CrossingGarter said, "Having a surprise kid at 20 probably limited some of his life options, and he decided to take his frustration out on you.” u/bill-mcneal-on-crack added, “That's bold coming from a guy who had his kid by accident.” u/phillygeekgirl remarked, “I raise my glass to your selfishness!”
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