B (1:04)

To be on the go for anything. Truly.

A (1:07)

Ok. All right.

C (1:10)

Now I'm ready.

A (1:11)

Are we ready for our first outdoor story?

C (1:13)

This is a rock.

B (1:15)

Yeah, let's go.

A (1:16)

I actually am obsessed with this. Don't let our other poof know that I love this thing. Okay, here we go. Our first story comes from. Am I the asshole? Am I the asshole for sleeping outdoors in my yard? My neighbors are bothered by it.

C (1:31)

Huh? What?

A (1:33)

We got a guy who's sleeping. He likes to sleep in his yard.

C (1:35)

That's fine. It's like sleeping in Soul Ties. It's chill.

A (1:43)

Sounds fine, too. I would choose to, off the bat. Sleeping outside. Cool.

C (1:47)

And now let's see what he's doing.

B (1:48)

Yeah, I need to hear more.

A (1:49)

This story is from 2022, which will provide some context. Here we go. Okay, this is a weird one. I've been having major cabin fever recently, working from home, and generally being stuck at home, especially when the weather has been warming up. Getting outside helps a lot, but I've mainly stayed in my own yard. I have a hammock up between two trees, and I've slept in there at night under the stars. It's nice, it's peaceful, and it makes me feel a lot less like a rat in a cage nowadays. I know it's weird, but I enjoy it. It is peaceful and Helps me de stress after work. But my neighbors are bothered by it. They said it is weird. They don't want someone sleeping outdoors near where their kids play. They don't like me being out there so much because their family has less privacy and it would be better if I stayed in the house at night. I said I don't pay them any attention. I am just doing something relaxing to stay sane because my work and other things have made me stressed. Am I the asshole for wanting to keep sleeping outdoors?

B (2:44)

What the heck does being outside after a certain hour make him a complete stranger to the neighborhood?

C (2:51)

Wait. Yeah.

B (2:52)

Like what? Like they feel safe. Like what?

C (2:55)

No, this is actually what's wrong with the world is people can't just mind their own business. And they have to be like, oh, well, I know that you're doing what you're choosing to do, but it actually is affecting me, so I'm bothered by it.

B (3:07)

And they're worried about the privacy of their home. Because he's outside. Because kids are playing outside in the night.

A (3:14)

Yeah, Right.

C (3:15)

And he's on a hammock. You literally can't look scary on a hammock.

B (3:19)

You can't look scary. You become like, you look like a banana.

A (3:21)

Like, truly, a hammock is also such a disadvantageous place to be. Like, truly, like, if you need to, you can't get out of a hammock fast.

B (3:28)

No.

C (3:29)

Yeah.

B (3:29)

He should feel unsafe around them. He's the one who's stuck in it.

C (3:32)

He needs to stay inside.

B (3:34)

Sleeping is horrible.

A (3:35)

Nobody pull out a slingshot and hit me with that.

C (3:37)

Right.

A (3:38)

Cause I'm hammock.

C (3:39)

The kids are a bunch of assholes.

B (3:40)

Yeah. They're going to hit him with a street hockey puck or something.

A (3:43)

It sounds like they're not giving him privacy. They're the ones paying attention to him and his hammock.

B (3:47)

Yeah.

C (3:47)

And what he's saying is so valid, like, cabin fever. Especially at that time. Like, I feel like I actually think about this. Like, literally last night, actually, I was, like, around a bunch of people, and I just was like, wow, I have actually really missed being in a room with this many people. Like, I was able to, like, go back into the mindset of what I had when it was like, 2020 or 2021 and just wishing that we could have that again. And so back in 2022, I can totally understand him just wanting to be outside and embrace that.

A (4:15)

A fun fact that our producers put in. We apparently have a crew member who slept in a tent on their porch every night for Five years, was it? Scott, over the time working at Smosh, I've known many people who've, like, slept outside or, like, didn't wear shoes for years or something like that. It's a very film crew thing to do.

C (4:36)

You're so right.

A (4:37)

No, film crew. Film crew. You'll talk to a guy. You'll talk to a guy who's a crew member on a set, and he'll be like, yeah, I haven't drank water in five years. How are you walking around? They're like, I don't know, man.

C (4:46)

I don't know.

A (4:46)

Like, that's just how it is.

C (4:49)

Oh, my goodness.

A (4:50)

Like, Amanda and Angela's grip guys. It's real. They're just like, oh, yeah, I haven't eaten food in a week.

C (4:56)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

A (4:57)

And I'm fine. Like, I bet we could ask any of our camera guys or sound people here, and it'd be like, could you sleep outside for a week? And they'd be like, oh, yeah, it'd be easy.

B (5:05)

I think I could. But it's just a matter of, like, feeling safe.

A (5:08)

Sure.

B (5:08)

I love that you feel safe on your porch, outside at night. That's so great for you.

C (5:12)

Yeah.

B (5:14)

Yeah, right?

C (5:16)

I just went there.

A (5:17)

Okay. The verdict was not the asshole. But there are a lot of requests for more info, which I think is always fair. This is a small amount of info here. All we have is, this guy sleeps.

B (5:28)

In a hammock naked and is imagine.

A (5:31)

No, there are added details that could be given or it could be, like, if there's a pattern, if he's been weird around the neighborhood or something.

B (5:39)

That's what I was wondering.

A (5:40)

There's plenty of things like, why would.

B (5:41)

You not feel safe with him there?

A (5:43)

On its own, you're not the asshole for sleeping in a hammock in your front yard. You are allowed to do that. You are allowed to do that. Some comments. Is sleeping outside in a hammock the new doing meth in an alley? Like, what is that reasoning? Not the asshole? 26,000 upvotes, right? This story prompted a lot of info questions. Someone said, info. Is it a shared yard or is it yours and they can just see you from their yard? That is fair. Can I have a shitty Ms. Paint drawing of the layout of your backyard? Where the hammock is and where the neighbor's windows are?

B (6:18)

No.

A (6:18)

Lastly, someone said, is there a fence or other barrier between your yard and theirs? See, I think this is his backyard.

B (6:26)

I think it's his yard. It doesn't say front yard or Backyard?

A (6:29)

I don't know. There's a large difference between those two, I think.

B (6:33)

I think.

A (6:33)

So you're still allowed?

B (6:36)

Yeah. Because like, I've seen hammocks in front yards before.

A (6:38)

Yeah.

C (6:38)

He made it sound like it was his personal yard and it was at least picket fence or something was in between them. That's what it sounded like to me in the story.

A (6:48)

It's at least the vibe I get.

B (6:49)

That's the picture. Yeah.

A (6:50)

Someone says, not the asshole. They need to get over themselves. You're in your own backyard, and while it may be uncommon behavior, you're not doing anything wrong. If they want more privacy, they can put up a fence, plant trees, close their blind curtains, whatever. It's on them. My response is based on the assumption that you have your own backyard that's separate from your neighbor's property. Lastly, someone said info how close is the hammock to their house? I could kind of sympathize if the kids are seeing a stranger, like right across from beneath their window. If I were a kid, that would make me paranoid that I was being watched or that he'd creep up on me. You're probably not the asshole either way. But if the hammock is on your property but feet away from their living room, it's not unreasonable that they feel intruded upon.

B (7:33)

Wow.

A (7:34)

I think there's a lot of. Of details that if like we saw this hammock, I maybe would feel different.

B (7:40)

Yeah. I went. So when my mom was once living in this like, town home type neighborhood, my window, I realized I could get out and like, hang out on this cool roof area and like, be outside by myself, by a tree, like in the books, like being a main character. And one night I decided to, like, be brave and go do it. And as soon as I went out there, I looked to my right and saw that the person next door's window was like, right there too. And it was another teenage girl. And she looked terrified at me. And I was like, okay, this is not the situation I thought it was. And I never went out there again. Cause I didn't want to scare people, you know?

A (8:13)

Yeah.

B (8:14)

So, yeah, it's like, yeah. If I was. Even if my window was above someone who was just always right there outside, I would be a little anxious.

A (8:22)

Sure. Yeah.

B (8:22)

So I understand that. But if he's saying it's truly he's just going out there to sleep and nothing else, I don't know.

C (8:29)

Yeah, I think the context is important. The way that they put it definitely made me side with Them a little bit at least in just being like, oh, yeah, of course. If the kids are scared, then it's like, it makes sense. You don't want a stranger right outside the window. Maybe it feels like there has to be a compromise. Like, there has to be some sort of, like, is there a place where you can go that is almost not as maybe open or conspicuous?

B (8:50)

Yeah. Are you able to move your hammock at all? Move the trees?

A (8:53)

That's if we saw this and we saw that it was right up next to their yard or something. But face value, reading this, I'm like, yeah, he's allowed. Yeah, people do this and it's okay.

C (9:05)

Yeah.

A (9:05)

You're allowed to be in your own backyard at any time, technically.

C (9:08)

Right. I think also one of the first things that you said, too, is, like, if they really don't know him, like, they are neighbors, have they ever interacted? Is there an ability to just kind of be like, oh, we know each other. So now I know the man that's sleeping in his own backyard. Right.

A (9:22)

There's a lot of questions to be asked. We don't have any answers. There's no update.

C (9:26)

Damn.

A (9:26)

Sorry. Do not throw that at me.

C (9:28)

Where is he sleeping?

B (9:28)

I won't, though. That's too big.

A (9:30)

What?

C (9:30)

Where is the guy sleeping, then? The hammock for the last three years.

A (9:34)

Yeah.

B (9:36)

I hope he's living his best life.

A (9:37)

I hope so, too.

C (9:38)

Me, too.

B (9:39)

If he deserves it, you know.

A (9:42)

Yeah, that's a good caveat.

B (9:44)

Hope he's living his best life. Unless.

A (9:46)

If they earned it.

C (9:46)

If they deserved it.

B (9:47)

If he earned it.

C (9:48)

If he earned it.

A (9:48)

Today's Reddit stories is brought to you by Columbia Sportswear. Look, we all know that having the right gear can make or break your day. That's true for work, your home, and especially the outdoors. Nature can be tough, unpredictable, and extreme. But Columbia Sportswear knows that, and that's why their outdoor gear is engineered for whatever. When I was younger, my brother and I were hiking a mountain and got lost off trail. We hiked a total of 20 miles that day. It was awful. But despite getting lost, the biggest issue was that we were not wearing the proper shoes. And you know what happens when you don't have the right shoes on when coming down a mountain, you slide. Not a ha ha wee slide, but an oh, shit, the rocks are coming with me slide. And let me tell you, that can tear you up. Having the right gear for the right environment is huge for me. Now, if I had some hiking shoes from Columbia Sportswear, this could have been a whole different story. Columbia's Omnimax is their most advanced cushioning, stability and traction system that combines to deliver versatile, lightweight, high performance comfort for all day adventures on variable terrain. I still may have gotten lost, but I wouldn't have been so torn up from stumbling down the mountain. The outdoors are unpredictable, but with Columbia Sportswear you can find the right equipment to tackle anything Mother Nature throws at you. To see more of their quality gear, some of the things you've seen on our set, and more, check out Columbia.com now back to the show. Our next story Am I the asshole for leaving my family on Mother's Day to go camping by myself?

B (11:16)

Uh oh, uh oh.

A (11:17)

I have a husband and two teenage sons. Every Mother's Day morning they ask me what I want to do. They don't make any plans ahead of time, and then they expect me to come up with something last minute. It's not like I don't give them hints or suggestions ahead of time, they just don't seem to want to bother with it. On top of that, when they do go out with me, they complain the whole time and try to get home as fast as they can. Oftentimes they bitch about my selections to the point where I just choose something else to make them happy. Well, this past weekend my husband asked me what I wanted to do for Mother's Day this year. I told him some of my ideas such as hiking or pickleball. He proceeded to roll his eyes and say great, there goes my whole weekend. That's it. I give up. If they don't care about spending time with me, then I don't care either. I decided to go do what I want alone with my dog. I'm going camping so I can go trail running and fishing. Some of my favorite hobbies. I already reserved a spot at a state park five hours away from my home from for Mother's Day. I'm going to pack up and leave first thing in the morning. Oh, and I'm also buying myself my own gifts so I get exactly what I want. Last year they gave me a Thigh Master. I told my youngest son about going camping solo and he was very excited that he won't have to do anything this weekend. Then he told my husband my plans and he got pretty angry at me. He shut down and has been giving me the silent treatment since, stomping around the house sulking. I can't help but feel like I'm robbing them of their chance for Mother's Day by being dramatic or expecting too Much. But my feelings have been hurt too many times by their carelessness, and I am over it. I was thinking of telling them that they are welcome to go eat at whatever restaurant they want to on Mother's Day in my honor. That seems to be the only part of the day they like. Anyways, am I the asshole for going off on my own for Mother's Day because I'm sick of my family acting like it's just some giant, painful chore? No.

C (13:05)

I cannot believe I'm so upset. I'm so upset.

B (13:08)

That is so sad. Like, I couldn't understand when, like. Cause I remember being a kid and my mom, like, it was hard as a kid to think of new ways because you're a kid. How to make your mom happy and do all these things. But we still did our best. I went and got a crappy little bouquet that I made out of my neighbor's flowers that I'm sure they were upset at me for doing that. And you make pancakes or whatever and bring it to their bed. Something.

A (13:34)

Well. And the husband doesn't seem to be incentivizing the kids to be like, hey, you should get something for your mom or care about your mom.

C (13:41)

And I believe, actually, that the parent does have to do that wrangling.

A (13:44)

Totally.

C (13:45)

It's understandable that kids don't understand the weight of these holidays and the significance behind them. So the parent who's celebrating their partner needs to be the one that's like, hey, let's go show mommy how much we love her. Like, this is why it's important. And the husband's doing a terrible job at that. So I keep my statement King. Yeah, that's so angering.

B (14:05)

The kids will only care as much as the other parent cares. Really?

C (14:09)

Yes.

A (14:09)

Right? They learned from them. So, I mean, the kid, like, hearing a kid be like, oh, sick, I don't have to do anything this week. And I'm like, yeah, that's kid behavior.

C (14:18)

Sure.

A (14:18)

The husband's behavior is so annoying, though, right? That it's like, wait, hold on. You rolled your eyes and said, well, there goes my weekend. But now you're upset when she goes.

C (14:28)

And lets you have your weekend and silent treatment.

B (14:32)

Like, what?

A (14:33)

Yeah, come on, man.

C (14:34)

Come on.

B (14:35)

What is the where in the where? Like, double standard or something. I don't understand how they're mad. I think they're jealous that she picked this amazing weekend for herself.

C (14:45)

100%.

A (14:45)

Yeah. I don't know. It's like.

C (14:47)

But, like, you're married, you have children, and you're truly acting like a child.

A (14:53)

It's also like, she's picking, like, fun shit to do.

B (14:57)

Sounds amazing. Going with her dog.

C (14:59)

Yes.

A (14:59)

Like, oh, I'm sorry. Going camping or playing. That sounds like a fun weekend. That sounds like what people do for fun on the weekend. And then you're saying, there goes my weekend. What are you going to do?

C (15:09)

And she is supplying the options, the suggestions. She has plenty of selections, and they're just annoyed at all of them. I feel like I can see that picture, too, of her being like, well, what if we went here? And they were like, no.

A (15:20)

Like, yeah, she probably feels like a burden unto them.

B (15:23)

They're not making it hard for her to feel like a burden at all. Yeah.

C (15:28)

My understanding is that this obviously takes a lot more conversations after, but it just feels like she's clearly not valued past Mother's Day. I think more needs to happen, not just her little solo getaway.

A (15:39)

Yeah. I'm curious if this same type of behavior happens on anniversaries, birthdays, things like that. Maybe the husband's not as big of a fan of pickleball or being outdoors or whatever. But you're doing it for her.

B (15:54)

Right. I saw this on TikTok recently where, like, I know it's a TikTok.

C (15:57)

Wait, I think I know you're gonna.

B (15:58)

Say, but it's like, let's bring back doing things that inconvenience you because you're showing up for someone. Yes. You don't feel like going out, but it's your close friend's birthday. Show up.

A (16:09)

Yeah.

B (16:10)

Just like, it's like, why are we.

A (16:12)

They're not asking that much. It's like, play pickleball.

B (16:14)

It's like, celebrate me as a mother for one day.

C (16:16)

Yeah, but you're so right in that, like, we've lost the plot by being like, self care. Do what's good for you. And it's like, well, yes, but at the same time, we also exist to lend each other favors, help each other out. Like, that feels like humanity.

A (16:30)

And this is his wife.

C (16:31)

Right.

A (16:32)

Like, this is who he married and is like, I want to be with you forever. And it's like, this is not asking that much. It's like, go outside with your wife.

B (16:39)

He said, hang out with me a little.

A (16:42)

All she's asking for is quality time. And to be fair, she's not even making demands. The only reason she came up with these ideas is because they won't come up with anything themselves. She's saying she's open to anything. So all they have to do is literally anything with her.

B (16:56)

And that's the biggest thing is it's like just show that you care a little bit, even when they go down for whatever. That's nice that you're open minded to lots of things, but also just show that you care about what's going on.

A (17:09)

It breaks my heart that you've listened to their hobbies, that you've listened to them talk about what they enjoy doing and then you make something for that.

C (17:15)

And yet she's taking it to an online poll to be like, am I wrong? When it seems so obvious to us, that's always the most devastating.

A (17:23)

It's really sad. She has the bar so low and they're not even meeting that right. The verdict is not the asshole comments. You are not the asshole. And I am sure you deserve some peace and quiet. 4,000 upvotes. Someone said not the asshole. Of course it's your day. Make it what you want. But I get the impression that you're married to a well poisoner. Your husband sounds like a real peach. Is he always this? I respectfully put forth that your husband is the asshole and that he's turned your sons into assholes. You may have time to save the sons from the influence of old paps, but maybe you're just over it. In which case warn them that girls they want to date may not be so accommodating of their behavior like you are to their dad's behavior. And if they want to practice some love and empathy, now would be a great time to build up those habits. Someone said, I hope OP has a wonderful time camping and hanging out with their pup. The dog sounds like better company than the kids and partner. Someone said, I've been solo camping on Mother's Day weekend the past four years. It's glorious. Lastly, someone said, excuse me, a thigh master, not the asshole.

B (18:25)

Yeah, that's just weird.

C (18:26)

We need to get back there.

A (18:27)

That's a weird gift.

B (18:28)

Really weird.

A (18:28)

That's a weird Mother's Day gift.

B (18:30)

Isn't there an episode of Malcolm in the Middle where for Mother's Day she just wants to be left alone?

A (18:35)

Makes sense.

B (18:36)

Some people want that. Yeah, and she's taking the day for herself. For them to be upset. Honestly, you know why they might be a little upset? Because she's not gonna be around to.

C (18:43)

Take care of their sorry, yes.

B (18:45)

And that's just inconveniences now. Oh.

C (18:49)

I hate this family.

B (18:50)

I hate this family.

A (18:53)

Well, no update on that one.

B (18:54)

I wish I could go hiking with a dog and camping with A dog.

C (18:57)

Yeah, that sounds so fun pup over paps. Nice, nice.

A (19:02)

Our next story, I need urgent help and it comes from the subreddit Buffalo and also Best of Redditor updates. Whoa. So buckle up. Whoa.

B (19:12)

Bring out the mosquito spray.

C (19:15)

They can't get near you.

A (19:16)

You're right. Now, I at first assumed the subreddit buffalo meant, oh, this person needs urgent help. And there might be a buffalo with.

B (19:25)

Their pet buffalo, like a bison.

C (19:27)

But they're in Buffalo, New York.

A (19:29)

They're in Buffalo, New York.

C (19:30)

Great, great, great, great, great.

A (19:33)

No bison anywhere near covered in buffalo sauce. Okay. This was posted during the Buffalo Blizzard of 2022, which dumped more than 4ft of snow across Buffalo and the surrounding area. So they write. My brother got stuck in his car since the afternoon. He gives the address, he says he is running out of gas. We tried our best to reach out to the fire department, police and tow companies, but didn't get any help yet. Please, someone help me. Any help suggestion would be really appreciated.

B (20:03)

Okay. I mean, I never thought about Reddit being used as like a local forum.

A (20:09)

It could be really good forum.

B (20:11)

Cause like I used to back in the day, like use Twitter. It's like you can kind of, if you heard like a crazy noise in your area, you could look on Twitter like based on near you and stuff. So that's so interesting.

A (20:22)

Yeah. There is a subreddit for just about every city and town in the U.S. wow. And so you can post there and see what's going on. And there's.

B (20:30)

Yeah.

C (20:31)

So they got help, right?

B (20:32)

Okay. Yeah.

A (20:33)

Update.

B (20:35)

So who's the asshole?

A (20:36)

Yeah. The car, the snow. Buffalo, New York, the snow. All right. This was posted one day later in the Buffalo subreddit.

B (20:46)

One day.

A (20:47)

One day later from a different user story time saved someone from being stuck in the snow.

B (20:55)

Hooray. Woo hoo.

A (20:57)

We've trimmed this story down a little bit for time. It's a big boy, oh boy. Saw another post on here saying someone was stuck on Genesee street near Crabapples. That's. That's definitely what things are called over in Buffalo, New York. Well, I think to myself, hey, I only live about half a mile from there. I bet I could help this person and make the decision to go. He's been stuck there all day and his clothes got wet from the snow trying to leave. So I knew he was in need of help. So I'm getting myself ready. I grab what little gas I have, I grab some food and water in case he needs any and some new warm clothes and A blanket for him. Then I gear myself up. I put on some thick hiking socks, sweatpants, a backpack to carry my gear, puffy snow pants, a white tee, two sweaters, a jacket, a high vis vest, thick leather winter gloves, insulated winter muck boots, a headband and a motorcycle helmet to try and combat the snow and wind. Thank you for giving us your entire loadout.

B (21:52)

No, this gives such a good picture. Like I'm stoked about. This is okay. This is, this is early. Like Spider man getting suited up in his knot suit for the first time. Like Toby Maguire is in like pajama pants and stuff. Like I'm ready.

A (22:06)

So it's time to head out. It's about 11pm Wind gusts are still ripping outside and snow drifts can bring the visibility down to zero. The motorcycle helmet is a mixed bag of being a help and having snow stuck in my face, but overall a good choice. Now let me tell you that going to get this man was difficult. I'm a taller man myself, so the snow banks weren't as much of a struggle for me. But unfortunately, when the snow drifts go up to my mid thigh and every step has my foot drop all the way down into the snow with no resistance. It leads to just walking becoming a big task in itself. I'm in decent shape, but walking through those drifts is no easy task. Eventually I make it down my street and a few streets over, switching between easier and near impossible spots of walking. Along the way. I get to an automotive business and their building blocked a lot of the snow, which let me walk like normal for once in a long while. I keep tracking, but now I'm near a main road without buildings as densely packed so that snow drifts are blinding at points and I need to focus on buildings and objects to know where I'm going. Eventually I make it to the man's car after a good 40 minutes of walking when I only traveled 0.6 miles. So I get to the car and give him some clothes because that's mostly what he was interested in. Didn't care for any gas or food or water, but I made sure to offer it to him to be sure he changes and gets ready to make the trek himself with my help. After a few minutes he is ready and we're on our way. He says he talked with someone and he has a house he can go to to be warm and safe for the night. That is about 0.3 miles away. Okay, all right, sounds good. Let's head there. We make our way there. The man Is not well dressed for the weather, but you gotta work with what you've got. He has regular sneakers on his pants and my snow pants. I gave him the hat, I gave him the sweater I gave him and his shirt underneath. He throws a blanket on his head as a kind of protection against the wind and snow. It's bad out. My tracks from just a few minutes ago are all but gone. But I know the way I'm going so it's all right. We walk up the road to the cross street and quickly cross the street. It's hard to see or hear anything, so we can't really tell if a plow is coming. So we act fast and stay safe. Then we make it to the side street. Well, needless to say, that street hasn't been plowed in ages. Snow drifts near my chest and no paths available. So time to trailblaze and make our own. We need to make it maybe like nine or ten houses into the street, but with snow like this, we are barely progressing at all. I'm dressed for the conditions so I'm only getting tired. The man I'm helping isn't doing great. Snow is accumulating on his face and he occasionally falls into the snow banks and needs to recover. When we get near houses that block the wind, we take a break and relax because we need the energy to make it to this house and can't give up. Well, eventually, through more struggles, we eventually make it to the house. About 0.3 miles in 30 or so minutes. The person living in the house graciously lets us both in. I recover, warming up a little bit. The snow that accumulated on me just starts dripping and melting, which I know is a bad sign for me. So I make my stop short so I'm not drenched in water on my trek back. The man I helped is very thankful and gets comfortable and warm for the first time in hours. But I can't stay long so I tell him I'm glad he is safe. Thank the homeownerrenter. Whoever the man that let me in was now on my way back home. It's a few minutes after midnight. Made it about a mile in about an hour. Not great, but it is what it is. It's another 0.6 or so miles home. My phone is getting caked with ice at this point, but surprisingly keeps working throughout the whole trip without any issues. Time to make my way back. I can actually see my trail this time, so I utilize my previous steps to try and make my walk back a little bit easier. I'm starting to struggle, but I know I can't stop. Eventually, I make it back to Genesee street and see a front loader messing around with some snow for, I'm assuming, emergency vehicle traffic. His windows are all iced and fogged up and I can't tell if he even sees me. I've got my mission, so I stay the hell out of his way and keep on going. I give a wave and a thumbs up and keep making my way back home. Cross Genesee quick because now I know the plows are around, so I gotta be out of their way back into my neighborhood. Now my trail is gone, but I know where I'm going, or at least I think I do, and I keep making my way. I take a pit stop and call the girlfriend at home and let her know I'm okay and all that jazz so she can relax. Phone call ends and I keep making my way. Snow is blocking up my visor and I have been constantly raising and lowering it this whole trip. Fog and ice is really blocking my vision, so I essentially need to keep the visor up to see and only lower it now to catch my breath or block the heavy snow gusts. My progress is really slowing now and my right leg is starting to hurt. Feels like I'm pulling something near my hip. Oh, well, that's unfortunately not something I can dwell on while in the streets in a snowstorm. I keep making my way at a severely reduced pace and take a turn onto my street. Unfortunately, I was a bit exhausted and confused and made the turn one street too early and realized that about halfway down the street. Weighing my options, I decide I can't really keep going forward here without risking wasting even more time trying to get home. So I backtrack to where I made the wrong turn and continue on the correct path. Eventually, I make it one street further and make my correct turn. I am getting exhausted and my leg is really starting to bother me. No matter, gotta keep going. Foot trail is gone again, so I'm on my own for making a path. Snow drifts are getting bad and extremely difficult to get through. I start counting my paces and can only make between 10 to 25. Usually only 10 before I need to stop and catch my breath. Gotta keep going. Eventually I can see my house light, but still have little energy to make it there. 10 steps, 10 steps, 10 steps. I'm close. I see the last section of snow near my house. Five steps. My leg is really hurting. Five more steps. Boom. Home. I am exhausted and ready to drop.

C (27:35)

Whoa. Holy shit.

A (27:37)

And we're not even near done.

C (27:39)

This is literally the best movie I've ever watched.

B (27:41)

Yeah. Yeah.

A (27:42)

I make it in the door. Girlfriend helps take off all my clothes and backpack and whatnot. I'm caked in snow, but stayed warm throughout. I try to take my helmet, but the snow caked onto the back of my head so much that my hair had ice in it that made them stuck together. And she needed to melt the ice with her hand to get it off. I have her check me for frostbite, and surprisingly, there's none to be found, which I might debate. At the time of writing this, my ears are still a bit numb and funny feeling, but nothing of much concern here. Almost like the feeling of novocaine at the dentist, but to a much lesser extent. And then I relax. She has hot cocoa ready for me as I walked in, and I just get to relax now. I earned this hot chocolate. Mission success. Helped a man get home safe and got home myself. Yeah. Barely got home yourself, man.

B (28:29)

Oh, holy crap.

C (28:31)

A hero.

A (28:32)

Damn.

B (28:33)

Truly, I earned this hot cocoa, bro. You earned a medal. That is insane. He was just like, I got nothing better to do. I'll go rescue a human. Like, you put your own life on the line to go help somebody nearby. And, like, that is amazing. I'm worried about his leg. Very much worried about his leg, but holy smokes.

C (28:58)

Well, that's exactly what we were just saying with the last story of, like, doing things that inconvenience you in order to help another human. And this guy literally demonstrated exactly that. To the most extreme.

A (29:08)

Yeah, to a massive extreme. It's wild that he only hiked, like, a total of a mile, but with.

B (29:14)

The snow, it's like.

A (29:15)

But he effectively, like, was traveling through six feet of snow. Yeah.

C (29:21)

They're like, how many steps, though, bro?

A (29:23)

Yeah.

B (29:23)

Oh, my God.

C (29:25)

That's crazy.

A (29:26)

That's terrifying. He could have died.

C (29:28)

Yes.

B (29:29)

No. And that's like. It makes sense that the person in the car, like, that person in the car didn't want to risk going out alone, because if you go out alone and fall and then you're just there, you're gone. Totally. You're cold and you're gone.

A (29:41)

I've only been stuck in a blizzard in a car once, and you really cannot see anything. It's completely white around you.

B (29:50)

And to not even have a car like, them crossing the roads and stuff. I'm surprised that he didn't just stop and take a breather at this first house.

C (29:57)

You just saved that man's life.

A (29:59)

Yeah.

B (30:00)

You saved him you helped him get to safety by escorting him to a home.

C (30:04)

And with all that gear, too.

B (30:05)

In my mind, I'm thinking, even though he said he didn't want the water dripping off him to refreeze and make things even more tough for him, I assume maybe he could throw his clothes in the dryer really quick, like, that's the least these people could do.

A (30:16)

True, true. It sounds like he was just like, nah, I'm gonna just keep on trucking.

C (30:19)

Yeah, well, the girlfriend had a hot cocoa at home.

A (30:21)

Yeah. He had to have that hot cocoa.

C (30:23)

Epic guy.

B (30:24)

Epic, epic, Epic. And he's got a girlfriend.

C (30:27)

Yeah. And he said because he's tall, he was able to walk through the snow easier. So what was his height again?

A (30:35)

He was 8ft tall. Wow. I just love how casually, like, I love how much he detailed this whole story. And the story is so epic, but in real life, you're just like, all right, I'm gonna go save this guy.

B (30:47)

Yeah.

A (30:48)

All right, I'll see you later.

B (30:49)

What's that one book where the book, the guy that they made into a movie where he lives in a bus in the wild. Is it just called Wild?

A (30:55)

Oh, into the Wild.

B (30:56)

Into the Wild. It varies.

C (31:00)

That's the last one.

A (31:00)

All the places you'll go.

B (31:01)

Yeah, that's the last one.

A (31:04)

No, but, like, people really underestimate the cold, and they underestimate how dangerous things like this, especially Buffalo, New York, it gets. It gets cold there. Wow. Yeah, Gets really cold. And during a. During a blizzard, no less awful.

C (31:19)

Wow. Seriously.

A (31:21)

Update number two.

B (31:22)

Let's go.

C (31:23)

It's the leg. It's the leg.

A (31:24)

This is from the guy who posted about his brother getting stuck. He says, last night I made a post to ask for help from my brother who was stranded on the snow. After posting, I got lots of suggestions and advice. Then from nowhere, this man came and offered this help shout out to this kind human angel for helping my brother out of the snow in Buffalo last night. This man deserves all the love and prayers and gratitude for risking his own life to help save the life of a stranger. My family will forever be indebted to him, and I just want to help spread this story in hopes of spreading some good news during this holiday season. Please help me in making this local story known. Thank you and happy holidays. And then the guy posts again. He's just like, by the way, I'm Santa.

B (32:03)

By the way, that helmet was actually a sleigh helmet. For space.

A (32:10)

For space.

C (32:11)

Santa's in space.

B (32:12)

Santa.

A (32:12)

Santa goes to space.

B (32:13)

It flies so high.

A (32:14)

I don't think. I never pictured Santa in space.

C (32:16)

You know? You know what? Yes. And.

B (32:18)

But it's dark. It looks like space.

A (32:21)

I forgot there's pine cones here.

B (32:22)

No, my pine cone.

C (32:23)

Yeah, yeah. Now we're laughing at you, Shane.

B (32:25)

Look at the pine cone. Is it. It looks like space.

C (32:28)

No, it's space. Santa's in space. We all know this.

B (32:31)

Okay, what have I done?

A (32:34)

We have one comment. That guy told a heck of a compelling story. I was actually getting really worried and had to tell myself that he must have survived if he's been able to write and post the comments. Very. That people really leave. Comments are like, did you die?

B (32:47)

Is he, like, hiding under a rock right now, posting on Reddit?

C (32:50)

The girlfriend, though, she's like, pov, you're my boyfriend that died.

A (32:54)

Oh, my God, Arasha.

C (32:57)

Sorry.

B (32:58)

I still have it.

A (33:01)

He did great.

B (33:02)

Yeah. True hero suiting up. That sounds so freaking awesome.

C (33:07)

It's hot.

A (33:07)

Yeah. No, if you needed to get into those types of conditions, you definitely need to suit up. Which brings me to Columbia.

B (33:13)

Hey, there it is.

A (33:15)

Yeah. Hell yeah. Hey again, Shane here. These have been some wild stories. I'm still blown away by the fact that OP was able to help and assist that one user's brother during a literal blizzard. I can't begin to imagine what that must have been like. Takes a lot of courage to brave harsh and unpredictable conditions. And I know for me, whenever I'm facing the unpredictability of the outdoors, having the right gear helps me feel a little more at ease. And gear from Columbia is engineered for whatever. As someone who is familiar with snow, keeping dry and warm are both equally important. Which is why, when I'm looking at winter attire, I look to Columbia's gear with Omni Heat technology to stay warm and pieces that have some of their Omnitec waterproofing to stay dry. Columbia knows nature isn't as perfect and predictable as a lot of outdoor ads suggest. It's not perfect lighting, perfect conditions, and perfectly serious faces. The outdoors is full of imperfections and uncertainty, just as we've seen in our stories today. But you can meet nature at its level thanks to the quality gear from Columbia Sportswear. If you're looking for outdoor gear that protects and performs no matter what the conditions, head to columbia.com and check out what they have to offer. Now, back to the show. Our next story comes from. Am I the asshole? Am I the asshole for playing music over my Bluetooth speaker on a public hiking trail?

C (34:30)

Yes.

B (34:31)

Oh, there's always that one okay, I'm.

A (34:34)

Gonna say before we get into it, I'm never a fan of, like, it's not my vibe. When I'm hiking. I love just. I wanna be in nature and hear nature. I also understand there are people that love to play music and that's their thing. But, like, I don't know, it takes me out of it. When someone hikes by and they're blasting music. I'm just like, oh, man.

B (34:55)

I feel like we're really good at finding hikes where we hardly ever come across another person, but we have taken ones where it's more popular or later in the day. And then you'll see a group where they got the Bluetooth speaker, like all this stuff, and they're there to have a very different experience than what we're.

C (35:10)

Gonna have, which, don't get me wrong, is a vibe. But this almost.

A (35:13)

Almost.

C (35:13)

In contrast to our first story with the yard, it feels like that isn't necessarily personal property. That's shared environment, shared space.

B (35:23)

Yeah.

C (35:24)

So I feel as though, like, consideration of others comes into play with that. But, you know, I guess there's a lot we need to learn.

A (35:30)

And to be fair, like, people will have a Bluetooth speaker or they'll be blasting music, but it doesn't take getting that far away from where you don't hear it that much anymore.

B (35:39)

So I don't know, unless you're like awkwardly, like 50ft behind us, then.

A (35:42)

Yeah, you gotta kinda like pace differently.

C (35:44)

Right.

A (35:45)

Let's see what's going on here.

C (35:46)

Now when it's at the grove, turn it off.

A (35:50)

Someone says, where to begin with this? I guess I need to say up front, I'm not an outdoors type person, but I was sort of excited to go on a hike yesterday. We were in San Diego for the 4th of July, and my cousin said it would be really fun if me and my friends went on a hike while she cousin had to work. We went to a place called Cowell's Mountain, which I guess is about 45 minutes away from the hotel downtown. When we got there, it was pretty crowded and we saw a group of guys coming down who were just blasting rap music. I was like, wow, that would be an awesome way to not get bored on the hike. So I went back to my car and got my Bluetooth speaker from my pack and hit my favorite playlist. Most people didn't seem to mind, but I did notice that we started to get occasional dirty looks. But finally one person stopped me and told me it was incredibly rude to play music out Loud and that I should be using headphones. I told her that I was playing music for our group and she basically said that it's still very rude and against the rules, but she kept walking. We decided we just weren't going to make it to the top. So we stopped at a kind of flat spot and sat down for a while. And this is when things actually got kind of scary. This guy and his girlfriend came up to us and said again that I should be using headphones. I told her that we were in a group. She said that it didn't matter. Most people were trying to enjoy quiet nature. I told her that it's public land. She said if you weren't such an ignorant. Hold on. I told her that it's public land. She said if you weren't such an ignorant fat, you would have noticed the sign at the bottom that said no speakers.

B (37:18)

Oh.

A (37:19)

I basically shut down because I'm not good at confrontation. But my friend asked her if she wanted to repeat herself, so the girlfriend called her a fat as well and her boyfriend had to drag her away. She was so upset. I didn't want any more hassle, so I turned off the speaker and walked away. But the girl was just glaring at us and I was actually scared that they would slash my tires or something at the bottom. I have been reliving the confrontation over and over again and didn't sleep last night. I admit to being fully ignorant because I don't do a lot of outdoor stuff, but was that really a big deal? I mean, at least one other group we saw was doing it, so I can't be that out of touch. All I was trying to do was make it a little more enjoyable and really meant no offense. I posted this on another sub and was referenced here, so I'm a little scared just because of the title, but please be honest with me. Was I doing something wrong? Well, dang. So you were doing something wrong because the hike says no speakers and you had speakers, so you were doing something wrong.

B (38:17)

I'm curious about this though, because is that a law that you can actually have? I know that, like there's laws for keep your dog on a leash because that's like a legal liability issue. I think with Bluetooth speakers, it's like you can't create noise in a public space that is over a certain decibel because that's a public disturbance. But I'm actually curious about this sign and like, if it was actually there and like, because that's like something if it's a public park like a public trail or like, you know, unless it's a private trail, you can't really have rules like that, I'm pretty sure.

A (38:53)

See, I would argue that. I think they can have rules like that with public parks. With public parks, yeah. Like, the park itself has these rules. Right. Like, interesting, because there is a lot of, like, disturbing nature, like, loud noises can disrupt, like, for birds and for animals and things like that.

B (39:11)

No one would say that.

A (39:12)

Now. It's also. They're saying for fellow hikers, but at the end of the day, there's a sign there. I also, like, look, my personal opinion has always been. I've never been a fan of it. Like, that's my own personal take. But if there is. So there are.

C (39:25)

There is a sign that says no amplified music, and there is, like, no amplified music.

A (39:30)

So on this trail, there is a legitimate sign that says this. So you're in the wrong. Like, you are. You are in the wrong. And it's like, now, having said that, I don't think no matter how wrong someone is, you call someone a fat. You're also in the wrong. Like, you're. You are.

B (39:45)

Jesus Christ.

A (39:46)

That is taking it to a massively.

B (39:48)

Yeah, no. Cause you have to, like, like, that's just being a bad person. If you see someone doing something that's against the rules, likely they don't know or didn't see a sign to go, hey, I'm so sorry. Don't know if you saw this, but there's a sign down there that says this. It's important to follow these rules. Otherwise it makes it shitty for everyone. Or, like, just something because she has the gall to say that. She has the gall to say it in a different way.

A (40:11)

Yeah. So the verdict was asshole. And I will say a lot of what they're writing is what makes that verdict. Cause here they are writing it, they're admitting, yes, there was a sign. Yeah, I didn't see the sign. I was ignorant to it. But then they're going on to be like, well, some other people were doing it too. Like, am I in the wrong for playing music? Yeah, you were in the wrong. You were admitted.

B (40:32)

Yeah, you were the asshole in this situation. You're not an asshole as a whole person.

A (40:36)

No. And you're an asshole. You were ignorant. You were ignorant to the side. You didn't. If we're to trust you that you didn't see the sign. Very possible. We don't all read the signs as we go to places, whatever.

B (40:48)

When the first confrontation happened and this person Said it's against the rules. And I, like, rolled my eyes because I'm like, sometimes it just sounds like, okay, so a Karen is trying to have authority over you and make you believe it's a rule. But now I know that it's a rule. That's wild.

A (41:02)

It depends. I mean, I feel like different trails probably have different rules.

B (41:05)

And it's just a rule I never worried about. Cause I've never done that.

A (41:08)

I don't. Yeah, we don't do that. So, like, I don't think about it, but it's a rule there. All this person had to do was say there's a sign at the beginning of the trail. They added a couple more flavor words in there that made them an asshole to the words.

C (41:25)

Which is what's super frustrating in these situations. I feel like this can be seen in lots of other conflicts where there is kind of a clear right and wrong. But then the person who is speaking for the right, they either just like, say something inappropriate or like, their anger takes over and they say something that is just objectively wrong or rude. And then it's like, okay, well, why did you have to do that? Like, you had a case, but it's just the way that you approached it. And it goes back to the humanity part of it. I think if people are doing something that annoys you, like, again, playing music amplified it when you're trying to enjoy nature, it's like, why do we initially go towards, like, dirty looks and being like, oh my God. And like, assume that they're trying to, like, feel entitled or something? Like, whereas we could just be like, oh, maybe they don't know and just be like, hey, like, there's actually a sign.

A (42:15)

Maybe they missed that sign.

C (42:16)

I think it's just like a fundamental thing that we just have shifted into this instinctual judgment of other people in society. Instead of being like, wait, let's just assume they actually don't have an idea and we can inform and educate them.

A (42:28)

I understand almost where everybody on this story is coming from, because the second person even comes up and goes, hey, you're not allowed to play music. And then their response is just like, well, we're with a group, like, whatever. And I have definitely been on hikes and been in nature situations where you see someone doing something they shouldn't be doing and get called out. And they go, oh, yeah, it's fine. Cause whatever. And you're just like, God, I hate you so much. Like, ah. Like you don't care. And your judgment goes to, oh, they Know this is wrong and they don't give a shit. But then there's the flip side of it sucks so much when you're ignorant to the fact that you're breaking the rules and you truly don't know. Yeah, you truly don't know you're breaking the rules and someone calls you out. And no matter how politely someone calls you out, when you're doing something wrong, you get called out on it. It sucks. Yeah, it sucks a lot when they go, hey, you're not supposed to be doing that.

C (43:16)

And you go, I'm so sorry.

A (43:18)

Oh, my God. Oh, you assumed that I was doing this maliciously. I wasn't. I just thought. I just didn't know.

C (43:23)

Totally.

A (43:24)

So I understand where all this is coming from, but I'm like, why did you get on Reddit and write this story when you. You literally are laying out that, yeah, you played amplified music when you knew you weren't supposed. When you now know you weren't supposed to be.

C (43:37)

Like, there isn't another society rule that is gonna excuse your behavior because the sign itself, like, the facts are there.

A (43:43)

I also get that it's a shock to be called something horrible.

C (43:46)

Absolutely.

A (43:47)

And that is a. That is a shocking thing.

B (43:48)

No one deserves to be called that.

A (43:50)

No, absolutely not. They were not. They weren't, like, spilling oil onto the trail. You know, they were playing music. They can stop doing that and not do it again.

C (43:59)

And it's so funny, too, that, like, the. I don't want to say, like, the scapegoat, but, like, it seems like her main argument is, I saw another group do it.

B (44:07)

Right.

A (44:07)

Yeah. Which is just like, man, happens a lot. If you go hiking a lot, you will see people doing stuff they should not be doing all the time.

C (44:14)

Oh, yeah.

A (44:15)

Oh, I hiked a trail, and there was litter everywhere. So I can do that.

B (44:17)

Right, Right.

A (44:18)

It's just like, no, that can't be the barometer.

C (44:20)

Yeah.

B (44:21)

No. And those could be rules that are like, that city came together in, like, a town hall meeting, and we're like, we're sick of this. Like, we want to vote this rule onto this trail for these reasons. Hiking per city, every community is kind of different. Like, when I hike in my hometown, it's very normal for everyone to say good morning to each other.

C (44:39)

Hello.

B (44:40)

Whereas, like, in other cities, it's like, they don't talk to each other at all. There's just very different. So, like, yeah, it makes sense that these people who care about the. This trail are a community and are going to. They're going to want to enforce the rule that's on that trail.

A (44:51)

True, right? Yeah. The verdict. Comments. You're the asshole. I almost went with everyone sucks here because I completely disagree with her calling you a fat. But she and others had asked you before it escalated and you still said no. There's rarely a time or place for anyone to listen to their music without headphones while in public. Someone said, you're the asshole. One, Listen to your music on your headphones like an adult. Two, if you want to listen in a group, do not do that in a public place. 3. If you find hikes so boring, don't go on. 1. I don't agree with the manner in which you were confronted, but the fact that you are still actually questioning whether it was an asshole move to blast your music in nature is beyond me. Especially after multiple dirty looks and confrontations. Are you that dense? Expect to be confronted about asshole behavior when behaving like an asshole.

B (45:39)

Can I just say I feel like music doesn't make me less bored. I like music.

C (45:43)

I was thinking that I like music.

B (45:45)

But it's just paired with me being bored still.

C (45:47)

Right.

B (45:47)

I can't be less bored.

C (45:49)

It's background music of me being a boring person.

B (45:51)

Yeah.

A (45:51)

Or it's.

C (45:52)

Or like, yeah, yeah.

B (45:53)

Like I'm bored and there's music playing.

C (45:54)

Yes. Yes. No, I agree with you.

A (45:56)

It is interesting.

B (45:59)

I'm bored on music.

C (46:00)

I'm bored. I'm bored.

A (46:02)

It is fascinating to see these responses. People talking about, like, playing loud music out in public is egregious. Cause I feel like I. I'm not someone who does it. I feel like I witness it all the time, constantly. I was like, are people. People really feel this? That it's like they're talking about as if it's abnormal. And I'm like, every time I hike, I feel like I end up, yeah.

C (46:21)

This must be in Buffalo.

B (46:22)

I feel like it's, like, rare. I mean, I feel like that one time we went on that really busy trail where it was, like, almost empty and then the end of the trail was really busy. Remember that one?

A (46:30)

Yeah.

C (46:30)

Oh, yeah, yeah.

B (46:30)

And there was a couple families where it's like, they're about to, like, hang out. Like they're vibing, but I really don't see it very often. I'm also like, I cannot relate to wearing headphones anywhere other than, like, at the gym or in my seat on a plane because I don't trust anything around me ever.

A (46:48)

See, I would say if you're going on, like, A true hike wearing headphones sounds horribly unsafe.

B (46:55)

Yeah, just like you want to get attacked by a mountain lion to Lil Wayne. Yeah, Like, I'm sorry, you're not gonna hear that guy coming, but you're gonna hear, God, we.

A (47:04)

No, that is not. So if it's a crowded trail, then I kind of get like the no amplified music thing. Cause there's no way to be alone. Cause I would say hiking in Colorado a lot, these big trails where you are alone pretty much for most of it. I always come across people with music playing at some point. But you are alone for the most part. And it's such a long hike. These are like ten. You'd be hiking for like five plus hours probably.

B (47:33)

And maybe they're playing the music cause they're scared. And sometimes the music makes you less scared.

A (47:36)

Well, I know up in Alaska that you make noise, you literally like.

B (47:42)

Yell and shit.

A (47:43)

Professional hikers will be like, have a bunch of bells on their stick for bears so that you don't come across a mama bear with cubs so that they hear you from a ways off. So actually in that case, playing music of some sort of. But it's interesting. It's probably a case by case basis, but look, they were breaking the rules of that trail.

C (48:02)

Yeah, yeah.

A (48:02)

They were told. They said no. What pushes me into saying you're the asshole is because you wrote this post and you're still not going, oh, yeah, my bad.

C (48:11)

Yeah.

A (48:11)

If they wrote this post being like, hey, here's this thing that I did. My bad.

B (48:14)

Yeah, no, you did.

A (48:14)

I'd be like, yeah, you're bad. Whatever. Who cares? Don't do it. Like, don't do it next time.

B (48:18)

Yeah.

A (48:18)

That's all I'm saying.

B (48:19)

If this happened to me, you couldn't waterboard that story out of me.

A (48:22)

Seriously, you feel so much horrible.

C (48:26)

Yeah, yeah.

A (48:27)

And I get that they're trying to. They're trying to like rewire it in their head of how they didn't do wrong. It's like, you're not a criminal.

C (48:35)

Right. Well, something bad happened to them. So maybe that sort of get mixed in and sort of being like, well, wait, like something bad happened to me. Like, surely I'm the victim. And it's like, well, a lot of things were bad.

A (48:46)

You did something wrong. You did not deserve to be called that. Nobody deserves to be called that.

B (48:51)

That.

A (48:51)

But it's okay.

C (48:53)

But use headphones.

A (48:55)

Yeah. On that trail, from what I'm understanding.

C (48:57)

If it's a public.

A (48:58)

From what that kind of trail is, headphones sound Fun.

B (49:00)

Bring a freaking fidget spinner or something if they get bored.

A (49:03)

Walk with your Game Boy.

B (49:05)

Yeah. Bring your Tamagotchi. Or ring a notepad to play Tic Tac Toe.

C (49:09)

Or get this watch, Smosh.

A (49:12)

Watch us on your.

B (49:14)

With your headphones.

A (49:15)

Actually, you put in one headphone. Have me reading these stories to you right now while you hike. Keep your other fur birds.

C (49:22)

It's interesting to me, though. Cause I feel like that's my default of when someone is doing something wrong. I feel like I am just like, oh, maybe they don't know. Cause it is just, like, the most.

A (49:31)

That's a good way to think about it.

C (49:32)

Well, I mean. Cause another example I can think of, too, is on a flight, when you're in the middle seat, and it's like, I feel like most people know that the middle person then gets both armrests. But so many times people don't know. People don't know. And they're putting their elbow on there. And instead of being like, I hate this person, it's kind of just like, they might not know. They might not know. And that's just a healthier way to, I think, exist.

A (49:52)

It's true.

B (49:53)

Yeah, let's go. That bubbling anger inside, right?

C (49:56)

Instead of being like, I can't believe they're being an asshole. And, like, taking this while they're in the aisle seat. And it's like, well, if they don't understand, they're probably like, I can do this.

A (50:03)

It's true. It is true.

B (50:04)

Yeah.

C (50:07)

Not now.

A (50:07)

Oh, I feel that way. I feel that way. Like, nothing upsets me more. Like, when I see videos of Yellowstone and stuff, and people get out of their cars to get too close to, like, animals. I'm like, stay far away from animals. But I'm like, oh, they actually just don't know how dangerous that thing is.

B (50:25)

And that's how, like, my. I have multiple family members who are either EMTs or paramedics or firefighters. And they say most people who are getting attacked by an animal, it's because they were intentionally getting too close to it.

A (50:37)

My favorite fact that your dad told me. Cause your dad has rescued a ton of people on hikes. He's like, almost everybody who's been bitten by a poisonous snake is a dude in a tank top with tattoos. Just like, little funny demographic. It's like, we got a guy who got bit by a poisonous snake.

B (50:55)

He was trying to grab it.

A (50:56)

And is he in a tank top with tattoos?

B (50:58)

Yep. Every single time.

A (50:59)

So funny.

C (51:00)

Wow.

A (51:01)

All right, our next story. Our Next story comes from, am I the asshole? Am I the asshole for wanting to take my daughter fishing?

B (51:08)

No.

A (51:10)

James says yes. James was like, yeah. For over a decade, myself and my four best friends have had an annual fishing trip. There has always been a no wives, no girlfriends rule since the beginning and no one has ever violated it. Two years ago, my friend Tim told the group he wanted to bring his five year old son to sort of pass the tradition on to the next generation. At that point, only Tim and I had kids, but my daughter was three and too young for fishing. We all supported Tim's idea and made a big deal over the little guy. He had a great time and came last year as well. My other friend Randy has a four month old son now. When the baby was born, Tim gave Randy a children's fishing pole to give to his son on his fifth birthday. So it seemed clear to me that the tradition had evolved to us plus our kids, which I'm cool with. I mentioned to my friends the other day that my daughter was excited for this year's fishing trip and they looked at me like I was crazy. Tim said I shouldn't bring her and I was baffled. I was super supportive of him bringing his son. This is no different. My daughter is now the age Tim's son was when he first came on the trip. Another friend brought up the no wives, no girlfriends rule, which pissed me off.

C (52:17)

Keep going.

A (52:18)

My five year old daughter isn't anyone's wife or girlfriend. I said, if they don't want my daughter there, then I don't want Tim's son there. Tim was offended and stormed out. Randy said what I said was uncalled for. I said I'm bringing my daughter and that's that. I just want to make sure I'm not being an entitled prick. Am I the asshole?

B (52:35)

What in the heck?

A (52:36)

In the heck?

B (52:37)

Ew.

C (52:38)

Yeah. That's making me mad again.

B (52:40)

Boring. Play some music. You're so boring.

C (52:43)

Yeah. And Randy. Just kidding. I'm not gonna attack him on his name, but I'm mad.

A (52:48)

That sucks.

C (52:49)

That's so sad.

B (52:50)

Like, open up to tradition. It's family.

C (52:52)

I know someone's excited. I can just imagine OP2 being like, oh, my daughter's three soon enough. And he just kept that excitement in there.

A (53:01)

I'm like, these are five year old kids.

C (53:04)

They're not a wife.

B (53:05)

You're about to make this guy have to tell his daughter because of the gender you were assigned at birth. You cannot come and have fun with your family. You're okay. It begins and now this child is learning all the shitty things about gender and society because of you.

C (53:21)

You did that, like, genuinely, how would that affect the trick?

A (53:25)

Sorry.

B (53:25)

I know.

A (53:26)

Yeah, not at all. It's purely a weird principle thing for them, right?

C (53:30)

Like maybe, maybe with. I understand this idea of like, maybe no partners. Right. Like, you kind of just want to keep it within the friend group, but then it just becomes an extension of like, what do you think this other person is going to change about the trip? If we're allowing this relationship of father, son.

A (53:45)

It's a very weird, like, weird thing that they're saying.

C (53:49)

Yeah.

A (53:50)

And it's just like, hey, man, it's our kids. It also changes the whole premise of this type of trip anyways when you start bringing kids. Cause I feel like the whole idea behind, like, okay, we're not bringing our wives, we're not bringing our kids. Because it's like, oh, we're. We're gonna go and be like, back when we were young bros. We're gonna go back to like, just us as friends. Like, that's an important thing to nurture and keep. But it's like, okay, now we're bringing our kids. So this is turning into a different kind of trip.

C (54:16)

Yeah.

B (54:17)

Right.

A (54:17)

Because we are parents on this trip now. And so it is a different thing. And so it's like, for me, I'm like, yeah, everyone could bring their kids. So it's like, okay, just because he had a daughter and you guys had sons.

B (54:30)

Yeah.

A (54:30)

That's so weird.

C (54:32)

Well, especially at that age too, because, you know, there's. I suppose there's some merit in just kind of being like, you know, like, boys trip. I guess, but they're kids, so I don't see how it's going to have any sort of difference.

B (54:43)

Are you gonna have locker room talk around your little children?

A (54:46)

Yeah. Like they're five year olds. Like you're not gonna be drinking. Like, if your traditional fishing trip was to drink a few beers and go fishing, like, you shouldn't be doing that now when you have 5 year olds.

C (54:58)

With you, whether it's a son or a daughter.

A (55:00)

Yeah.

B (55:00)

Like, y' all gotta wear life jackets. It's like you gotta watch those little ones.

A (55:04)

Yeah. I don't know. It's a hard one. I mean, it's not a hard one, but it's like, I can't relate to this story kind of at all because I've never. I've also never really experienced like, having like, oh, boys night, whatever. Because living out here, they're just Growing up, I've always, my best friends have always been like women or I've just, my friend groups have always been a combination.

C (55:31)

Yeah.

A (55:32)

So there's never been like boys night, girls night. Like, I mean, I've told you many times, I'm like, that idea is ridiculous. I'm like, so many of my friends are women, so I can't do that.

C (55:43)

Right.

A (55:44)

I've never had interest in that. And then, you know, my brothers and I go on trips all the time where it's like, oh, it's just us as brothers, but if we did this, like, they also, all of them have daughters, so it's like, it doesn't, it's not something I can relate to.

B (55:57)

Yeah, but also your brothers are all open minded and I've heard them talk about opening it up to just anybody. Yeah, it's just. Yeah, I think it's. You guys gotta draw a line of what this trip is. I think you bring up like the best point, which is this was for you guys to go and be brothers and be young and have time to just be that. But now the trip is changing. You guys are parents on a fishing trip, teaching your children to fish and stuff. Like, it's just different.

A (56:22)

Yeah, totally different.

C (56:23)

If the objective at first was like, let's not have any responsibilities or have to cater to anybody that is maybe wives and girlfriends, then kids shouldn't be allowed, period.

B (56:32)

Yeah, you definitely have to cater to a kid a lot.

C (56:34)

You have to, you have to be responsible.

B (56:36)

I think you have to like feed them.

A (56:37)

I don't know.

C (56:38)

Right. But the same amount of responsibility towards your son is gonna be the same amount towards your daughter. And assuming that a daughter's gonna change the trip is where the problem is.

A (56:48)

I think it's these friends are being really weird. And all he needs to do is go, why? Cause they already, they're weird by going, no friends, no wives, no girlfriends. Like, yeah, I'm following that rule. Like, explain further why you think it's weird. Yeah, you know, it's just, it's weird. It's a weird thing. Traditions are cool, but traditions can change.

C (57:11)

Question traditions.

A (57:12)

Question traditions.

B (57:13)

Love them.

A (57:13)

Yeah. Especially family traditions. Because the whole point is to like carry things on. I mean, this is what a beautiful thing they have possibly happening where it's like, oh, all of our kids are gonna get into fishing.

B (57:24)

Right.

C (57:24)

Like, it's a blessing.

A (57:26)

That's a cool thing. And we get to bring all our families. Like, you're cutting off one person from this and you might, you'll probably just lose him entirely by doing this instead of just easily going, oh yeah, absolutely. So cool.

C (57:38)

For the sake of ritual.

A (57:40)

Yeah, yeah. The verdict is not the asshole. Comments Op. Please hold your ground on this with your friends. I was your daughter in this situation. When I was young, I wasn't allowed to go on the annual hunting trip because all of my dad's friends had sons and I was the only girl. He never fought for me to go on the trip no matter how much I begged to go. Keep fighting for her because she will remember. Someone said, not the asshole. If I were you, I'd ditch their trip and take your daughter on a fishing trip one on one. Clearly, when they said no wives, no girlfriends, they meant no females. Really lame that they as fathers themselves aren't more understanding and supportive of your wanting to bring your daugh. Lastly, someone said, not the asshole. All kids are shit at fishing, so it won't make a difference if you bring your daughter. It's either just the dads or dads plus kids. This is the thing that changes the dynamic most. I can't see how the gender of the children makes a difference, but if they subscribe to the idea that women are something to be escaped from, they sound like horrible people. Wow, that is nailing it.

B (58:37)

Well said. Yeah. Cause this daughter, her gender means nothing to her. She's just excited to go fricking fishing. She's like, I can't wait to be with my boys. She's just like, I can't wait for fish.

C (58:47)

But they're assuming like, oh, oh wait. Once you get a girl involved in the mix, that's gonna add all these different things.

B (58:51)

Yeah, she's gonna scare the fish away with her little high voice.

C (58:57)

Okay, Randy.

B (58:58)

Okay Randy, update.

A (59:02)

I sent this post to my friends and we talked some more. They ended up apologizing. Let's go. Daughter is definitely coming on the trip.

C (59:10)

Yeah.

A (59:10)

I know many people assume that my friends are sexist and horrible, but they're really not. They were just worried that with my daughter we would have to stay at a hotel instead of the usual cabin and not be able to do as many activities. But I assured them my daughter can sleep without air conditioning as easily as Tim's son. And they are going to be the ones having trouble keeping up with her five year old energy. Everyone apologized for bringing up the no wives, no girlfriends rule and agreed that was a shitty thing to say. It's all good now. Thank you for your support.

B (59:37)

Okay, great. I think they were backpedaling a little bit with the Whole. Oh, but we just.

C (59:42)

Those.

B (59:42)

Cause the ac. Like, whatever.

A (59:45)

For sure.

B (59:46)

I'm so glad they changed their perspective.

C (59:49)

Truthfully, I feel like I am so forgiving to when people are just able to accept feedback in that way and just be like, oh, shoot, you're right. Like, great.

A (59:58)

I'm not mad anymore.

B (59:59)

Yeah.

A (59:59)

It's also like, if we're open minded, like, so many traditions, so many things, like, so much logic that we have on a daily basis, we go, yeah, this thing. And they go, oh, well, that's kind of sexist. It's like, you know what it is?

C (60:09)

Yeah.

A (60:10)

And I didn't consider that.

C (60:11)

And it just takes one person, I.

A (60:13)

Just change that just to go, oh, why was I thinking that? Totally. Because society told me that my whole life.

C (60:18)

Right.

A (60:18)

And I just assumed all these things.

B (60:20)

Yeah.

C (60:21)

There's this like, misplaced meaning on time.

A (60:25)

Right.

C (60:26)

Like, just because it's been around, like, historically, we've always done this, so we have to keep it going just like this.

A (60:31)

Yeah.

C (60:31)

And it's like, no, everything else is evolving. So we should also develop.

B (60:35)

The trees evolve, animals evolve, nature evolves, clothing evolves. Columbia.

C (60:39)

Randy's still here.

A (60:41)

I also just. Any form onward. Something that blows my mind is any form of gatekeeping where it's like, oh, this person, this person, or that child or anyone is interested in the thing that we love. No, no. I'm like, man, don't you. You should want people to be into what you're into.

C (60:58)

Yeah.

A (60:58)

Cause it's the best.

C (60:59)

This isn't the same thing, but it's kind of also like, when someone's talking about something, they're like, have you ever heard of this thing? And you're like, no, I haven't. They're like, what? You haven't heard of that? Instead of just being like, I am so excited to be the person to tell you about this, they're instead just like, are you serious?

A (61:14)

Wow. You're stupid. Oh, my God. I didn't know you were stupid.

C (61:18)

Right?

B (61:18)

Yeah.

A (61:19)

As we've seen in a lot of these stories today, the outdoors and the people in it can be unpredictable. But you can always feel prepared and ready to take on anything with Columbia Sportswear, because their gear is engineered for whatever. Growing up, whether it was braving the temps in the deserts of Arizona or exploring the trails and camping in Colorado, when I visited family, Columbia was always there. I especially remember growing up with one Columbia fleece jacket that I loved. I remember that jacket kept me warm during cold Arizona desert nights and comfortable during cool Colorado days. It even survived an encounter with a flaming marshmallow during some late night s'. Mores. Long story. Whenever I'm looking for new outdoor gear for a hike trip or just to wear comfortably when I know I'll be outside for most of the day, I still turn to Columbia Sportswear. Columbia's reputation for quality, durability and feel is what has made them an outdoor staple for the past 80 years. Over that time, they have continued to perfect and innovate their gear. I've relied on it then and I rely on it now. And as we've seen with all of our stories today, it's best to be prepared for whatever because you never know what nature and the people in it may throw your way. The next time you're looking for great outdoor gear, check out columbia sportswear@columbia.com. now back to the show. All right, our final story comes from relationship advice. 38 year old man writes my partner, a 36 year old woman abandoned me while hiking in Yosemite.

C (62:43)

Oh no, we were just talking about this.

A (62:44)

Uh oh, I've never been to Yosemite. I hear it is amazing. Yeah, and it's got some pretty intense hikes.

C (62:51)

It's incredible.

A (62:52)

My partner, who's a 36 year old woman, and I 38 year old man were hiking in Yosemite. We had hiked all day on a really strenuous trail to a waterfall with a lot of elevation gain and both of us were carrying a backpack weight in water on our descent trip. The last four miles, I was exhausted but still going at a normal walking pace, taking occasional breaks. My partner said I was going too slow and basically left me to run down the mountain herself. It took me an hour to eventually catch up to her. Ooh. This shocked me. And when I later confronted her, she said it was my own fault for not being as conditioned as her. I kept insisting that it's not normal behavior to just abandon your partner. This isn't the first time she's done this and I would never do something like this. Would you accept this kind of behavior? How do you approach a partner who never accepts that they are wrong and everything is somebody else's fault? Okay, man, you're adding some. You're adding a little more flavor there. How do you accept someone who doesn't love me and actually doesn't respect me at all and hates me so much?

C (63:51)

Dear Courtney.

A (63:54)

So it's absolutely wrong to abandon anyone on a hike. That's how people die. Yeah, there's no way around that.

B (64:02)

I'm trying to see where she thought it was. Okay. Where it's like, well, I don't even know.

A (64:07)

I see when you hike as a unit, if someone didn't prepare for the hike that, well, it's like, then you're all not prepared for the hike.

C (64:14)

Exactly.

A (64:14)

You are a unit. You are a unit. You hike together. You move together. If one person's slow, then you're all slow. Sorry.

C (64:23)

And I just feel as though that's what partners would do for each other.

A (64:27)

It's the added layer that they are like, yeah. In a relationship.

C (64:31)

Right.

A (64:31)

So there's more layers of like, yeah, you should have each other's back.

C (64:34)

Right. Cause then it's just like, well, what if he tripped and fell and now he's limping? Is she also, like, ew. And walking forward? Or is she like, oh, shoot, let's help and make sure we're both okay.

A (64:44)

He makes it down the mountain, she's like, oh, crap, you made it. I thought you were gonna die.

C (64:49)

Well, clearly, other conflict is bleeding into this, which is probably why she was like, I'm out. And he was like, well, what the heck? I just think this is a whole mess.

A (64:58)

No, it's one of those Reddit stories where you read it and you go, buddy, you wrote this and you're not, you know, the answer to what's going on.

B (65:06)

Yeah. I think my mind went to, like, oh, if it's a common trail that you've been on before, like, that kind of stuff maybe isn't as big of a deal. You know, you're gonna see them at the bottom.

A (65:16)

But Yosemite's intense.

B (65:18)

Yeah. And that's what I'm saying is, like, when you took me on that one trail in the big forest near Pasadena or whatever, like, if I had left. Or, like, if you had left me, I literally know, like, no way. It's four miles. Even though we know the trail, we went up it. We're going back down. I don't. I don't know it. I don't. And so. And, yeah, anything can happen in the wild.

A (65:41)

Yeah. You're not doing a little walking trail that, like, has tons of people on it. Right. You're hiking a mountain, you're very likely alone for a lot. I mean, the way he's writing it, it makes it sound like this was pretty bad.

C (65:54)

Yeah.

A (65:54)

There was another story we read where this group of. I believe it was a group of women. They had a new friend, so it wasn't someone they were, like, super acquainted with, but she wanted to join them. On this hike on the Grand Canyon. And she just came very unprepared, and they were mad at how unprepared she was. And she even was like, oh, yeah, like, go on ahead without me. I'll be fine. And so they did, and it, of course, turned into this huge hassle where she got stuck at the bottom of the.

B (66:19)

For like, a whole day.

A (66:20)

Yeah, for like, a whole day. It's like, I don't. If you all agree to go on a hike together, you're all responsible for each other.

C (66:26)

You're in it.

A (66:27)

That's just how it goes. Like, don't go on the hike. Like, you have to bail at a certain point. There's nothing wrong with that.

B (66:32)

Damn.

A (66:33)

Like, my brothers and I have hiked so much, and we've now had multiple hikes where, like, one or two of us goes like, okay, I'm tapping out here. And, like, a couple of us will be like, all right, we'll go back. And then a couple will keep hiking. But it's okay to tap out. It's okay to go, hey, we can't do this totally. Because similar to the guy in the snow in Buffalo, like, you push it too far, you can't go back. You're now in nature, and nature is scary.

C (67:00)

It is. It's scary.

B (67:01)

We are just but visitors on this land.

C (67:04)

Yeah. Guys, this is just a set. We're not outside right now.

B (67:09)

Yeah, we're not on a camping site.

C (67:10)

Yeah, no, these are. This is the Reddit story set.

A (67:15)

Did you know that?

B (67:16)

Did you know that?

A (67:17)

We have some comments here. Wait, so it was a difficult trail and you were obviously getting really tired, and it was just the two of you. That's incredibly dangerous. What if you weren't just exhausted because of walking, but something was wrong? You cannot ever leave someone by themselves on a mountain trail. Fast walkers or no, no man or woman is left behind. When I was younger and much faster than my parents and grandfather, we walked a massive mountain in Norway. Me and my dad up front, my mom a couple of hundred feet behind us. My grandfather was supposed to be with my mom. However, when my mom reached me and my dad, we stopped every once in a while to wait up. My grandfather had fallen behind. My dad started tracking back up the mountain to find him, and thankfully found him alive. If it wasn't for a sweet couple of strangers figuring out he was diabetic and his blood sugar was low, they wouldn't have been able to force feed him sugar, and he would have died trying to get to us. It Was a harsh lesson. No man or woman gets left behind, ever. Especially not your partner. Yeah, it's true. Also, my brother. I've told this story before, but my brother and I got lost hiking down a mountain, and we went off trail, and I very quickly started to realize, like, the scariest aspects of being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. And it was no longer bears or wolves or anything like that. I'm like, what if I break my ankle out here? And I'm like, what if I hurt myself and I can't move anymore?

B (68:34)

Yeah.

A (68:34)

And I'm like, and I'm stuck.

B (68:35)

The longer you're there, the more likely something like that's going to happen.

A (68:38)

It's just like, you need other people around, or else you're screwed. It's so irresponsible. And I just can't. I can't fathom. Your life partner is unwell.

B (68:47)

I'm going to leave you alone.

A (68:49)

Yeah. Oh. Oh. You look like you're really struggling and having a hard time. I'll let nature talk. Have fun.

B (68:55)

Survival of the fittest.

A (68:56)

Yeah.

C (68:56)

But so true as well, though. Like, yeah, you're right. Even if it were your enemy, the right thing to do is still, like, all right. I'm still waiting. It's incredibly dangerous.

A (69:05)

Yeah. Dude, Come on. Not proper hiking etiquette at all. No. And I would know. Cause look at me. Look at how I'm dressed.

C (69:15)

Look at this ranger.

B (69:16)

But you actually do hike a lot. You have hiked so many things and hiked a lot.

A (69:19)

I love hiking. I've also made a lot of mistakes that I have learned from in hiking. Put your food up in a tree so bears don't come to your camp.

C (69:27)

Oh, yeah.

A (69:27)

Have had that happen. That was awful. And I've gotten lost. Don't ever go off trail, Ever. Two insane experiences I've had.

B (69:36)

One time when I was on a hike, I found a really good hill, and I was like, wouldn't it be nice if I rolled down this hill? And I rolled down the hill and I was wearing jeans. And then there was loose barbed wire in the brush, and I got barbed wire all up on my jeans.

A (69:46)

Good thing you were wearing jeans.

B (69:47)

At least I'm lucky I was in jeans. And the barbed wire didn't hurt me. But luckily, there's lots of great clothes out there for hiking. Like the ones on your little body?

A (69:56)

Yeah. Look. When I cuff them, they're reflective. Whoa. For things at night, I was gonna say. Guess I have to cuff them, huh?

B (70:02)

Guess you gotta wait.

C (70:04)

These are good socks, too.

A (70:05)

These are good socks.

C (70:05)

They're very comfortable. These are my socks.

A (70:07)

Whoa. Good socks all day.

C (70:08)

This is my look.

B (70:09)

I'm hiking, guys. I'm hiking.

A (70:11)

These shoes are actually so comfortable.

C (70:12)

Don't go. Forget to stretch.

A (70:13)

Yeah. Thank you both for being here with me today. Outside.

B (70:18)

I love touching grass with you, Shane. And you, too.

C (70:20)

And you do. No, it's fine.

A (70:23)

Yeah. Arasha, thanks for also being here.

C (70:26)

Destroy my life.

B (70:30)

Hey. You look so good in your clothes.

C (70:32)

Stop. It's Colombia.

B (70:35)

It's Colombia.

C (70:36)

It's Colombia.

A (70:37)

Thank you for watching this video. And thank you to Columbia Sportswear for sponsoring this video. If you see anything that I'm wearing or on this set that you like, you can go check it out@columbia.com. see you next Saturday. Bye.