Full Show PT 1 Tuesday, January 27 [Vault]

Summary

The Bert Show – Full Show PT 1 Tuesday, January 27 [Vault]

Date: January 27, 2026
Episode Theme: Relatable Morning Radio – Tackling Real-Life Struggles, Emotional Stories, and Hilarious Listener Confessions

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Bert Show centers around powerful, real-world stories that blend heartfelt struggle with laugh-out-loud confessions. The team first revisits a compelling call from a listener dealing with a paralyzing fear of driving and her husband’s daily sacrifices. That transitions into an exploration of hoarding and emotional attachments to possessions, before opening the lines to listeners sharing their most out-of-character and wild “relationship rage” moments after breakups or betrayals.

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Main Segments

1. Listener Story: Coping with the Fear of Driving

(00:00–15:52)

Key Points & Discussion

• Revisiting A Memorable Listener Call
  The show replays a prior call from Shay, a 21-year-old listener with an intense, long-standing fear of driving resulting from traumatic losses and a strict upbringing.

• Shay’s Background and Daily Struggles

  • Shay explains how her fear began in high school after several friends died in car accidents; compounded by her mother’s restrictive parenting style, which instilled lasting self-doubt.
  • Despite holding a learner’s permit, Shay freezes when attempting to drive, especially merging or navigating expressways.
  • Her husband, working overnight shifts, drives her from Dunwoody to Woodstock daily (a significant sacrifice), so she can get to work:

    “My husband drives me all the way from Dunwoody to Woodstock every morning, which is only a 20-minute drive while I’m in the car. But it’s like an hour and a half for him on the way back. And he works overnight and he doesn’t get a lot of sleep...” — Shay (00:05)

  • Shay admits feeling selfish and embarrassed by her dependence.

• Deeper Roots: Parental Influence & Self-Esteem

  • Shay details her mother’s strictness, recounting that she wasn’t even allowed to boil water at 18 due to being considered incapable, which translated into a paralyzing fear of failure:

    “I have tester’s phobia also... I wasn’t allowed to boil water when I was 18 years old.” — Shay (04:19)

  • She describes how this manifests both when driving and in life in general.

• Impact on Daily Life and Independence

  • Shay would walk over an hour each day to work due to her fear, sacrificing convenience and safety.
  • The lack of independence extends to small tasks:

    “I really just wanted some cheddar ruffles... but my husband, you know, I knew he was tired, he didn’t want to go. [...] You can’t even do the smaller things, like, go across the street to the grocery store... have the independence I don’t have.” — Shay (07:05)

• Seeking Help: Introduction to a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist

  • The team connects Shay with Beth, a listener and certified driver rehabilitation and occupational therapist.
  • Beth explains her specialty:

    “We have people with physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and also psychological. So, you know, in some cases, the biggest problem is the anxiety...” — Beth (08:17)

  • Therapy involves guided exposure, desensitization, and using dual-control vehicles for safety.
  • Beth notes that overcoming these issues is as much about rebuilding confidence and breaking patterns of learned failure as actual driving skill.

• Commitment to Ongoing Help

  • Bert Show staff arranges for Shay and Beth to work together, offering to cover the therapy cost—something financially out of reach for Shay and her husband.
  • The team and listeners rally around Shay, offering encouragement:

    “She’s gonna do a good job Shay. You can do it.” — Melissa & others (15:27)

  • Shay responds with gratitude:

    “Thank you so very, very, very much. [...] My husband really does, too.” — Shay (14:06)

  • Bert sums up the plan to follow Shay’s progress and post resources for similar listeners.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shay’s raw anxiety:

  “You can tell in your voice that you’re out, like, out of breath and you’re anxious right now even just talking about it.” — F (07:39)

  • Shay admits to nervously pacing during the call (07:45).

• Beth’s professional insight:

  “Sometimes it’s a difference working with somebody different who’s got no emotional investment... your actual skills aren’t necessarily bad. It’s getting past the anxiety.” — Beth (10:12)

Important Segment Timestamps:

• Shay’s background & emotional confession (00:05–07:37)
• Driver rehabilitation discussion (08:05–15:50)

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2. Hoarding, OCD, and Emotional Attachments to Possessions

(15:57–25:06)

Key Points & Discussion

• Pop Culture Tie-In:
  Brief discussion about Delta Burke’s reported hospitalization for hoarding-related OCD opens a conversation about emotional attachments to physical stuff.

  • Bert: “She just hoards everything and can’t throw anything away. It’s fascinating, right? But a lot of people have it.” (16:15)

• Listener Accounts: Everyday Hoarding

  • Jessica, a listener, admits to hoarding mementos—even taking the door off her old car as a keepsake (16:34).
  • Other callers share stories of keeping childhood clothes, and family members filling entire basements and pantries with newspaper stacks and plastic bags.
  • The cast explores possible origins: trauma (e.g., house fire), generational habits (Depression-era mentality), and control issues.

• Contrast in Behaviors
  Tracy’s compulsive decluttering stands in contrast to hoarding, highlighting how both extremes can stem from the desire for control:

  “If it’s a control thing, why people hoard? Why are you like, what’s your deal with throwing everything away immediately?” — A (24:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the compulsion to save everything:

  “When I moved out, my parents packed, like, 200 boxes... I used to go out and buy like three pairs of shoes maybe three or four times a week. So I’ve got like over 300 pairs of shoes.” — Jessica (17:07)

• Cast banter: Playful teasing about control, hoarding, and decluttering as opposite but related issues (24:07 onward).

Important Segment Timestamps:

• Delta Burke/OCD introduction (15:57)
• Listener hoarding confessions (16:29–24:28)

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3. Relationship Rage: Out-of-Character Breakup Stories

(25:11–36:47)

Key Points & Discussion

• Topic Setup:
  The cast calls for stories where normally calm people snapped during a breakup, referencing the infamous scene from “Waiting to Exhale.”

  • Bert: “Things can get so emotional you could just turn into a person that you’re normally not.” (26:04)

• Listener Confessions: Over-the-Top Acts of Rage or Revenge

  • Jen: When a husband moved his girlfriend in before their divorce was finalized, Jen retaliated by moving her own boyfriend into the same apartment (29:52).
  • Caller: After being deceived by a boyfriend who faked a terminal illness, she destroyed his prized vintage T-shirt collection, deleted his phone contacts, and, with family help, spray-painted his car (32:28).
  • Amanda: Discovering her ex had cheated, she switched out the diamond in her engagement ring for a cubic zirconium before returning it (36:11):

    “Before I gave it back to him, I had the diamond switched out for a cubic zirconian and gave it back to him. And he is now engaged to somebody else. And she is wearing that ring.” — Amanda (36:11)

  • Other stories include sabotaging an ex’s credit rating, spreading rumors, or “accidentally” backing over a cheating husband’s foot multiple times.

• Psychological Analysis
  The hosts note that even the calmest people can flip under stress:

  “I was always very passive, didn’t want confrontation... But he had moved me to Atlanta... and I went home for a weekend to visit my parents and came home and he moved his girlfriend in. [...] So I moved my boyfriend in.” — Jen (29:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Creative vengeance:

  “Her point was? She wanted him to think of her every time he was standing in a line, every time he was making a phone call, because you know how much of a hassle it is to get any of that stuff back.” — Bert, recounting a woman burning her cheating ex’s IDs and cards (26:46)

• Deadpan honesty from a caller:

  “My mother told me if I ended up on Jerry Springer, she’d kill me.” — Jen (30:24)

Important Segment Timestamps:

• Topic intro & calls for confessions (25:11)
• Highlights of caller stories (29:04–36:47)

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Memorable Moments & Cast Banter

• Witty exchanges abound as cast members tease each other about cleanliness, control, and hoarding habits (“That’s the worst insult you can call Tracy. You’re a hoarder.” — A, 24:19).
• Encouraging, empathetic responses to vulnerable callers, with team members frequently voicing support (“You can do it, Shay!” – several cast members, 15:27–15:33).
• The juxtaposition of serious emotional topics (anxiety, trauma, dysfunctional breakups) with offbeat, relatable comedy maintains a lively, authentic morning radio energy.

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Resources and Follow-up

• The team commits to following up with Shay’s progress with driver rehabilitation and posts information for listeners dealing with similar issues (15:40, 15:52).
• Listeners seeking help or wanting to engage are invited to connect via the show’s hotline and website.

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Summary Table

| Segment | Topic | Notable Quotes / Timestamps | |--------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–15:52 | Driving Anxiety & Sacrifice | “You can tell in your voice that you’re...anxious…” (07:39); “Your actual skills aren’t necessarily bad. [...] It’s getting past the anxiety.” (10:12) | | 15:57–25:06 | Hoarding & OCD | “She just hoards everything and can’t throw anything away.” (16:15); “When I moved out, my parents packed, like, 200 boxes.” (17:07) | | 25:11–36:47 | Relationship Rage | “I had the diamond switched out for a cubic zirconian and gave it back to him.” (36:11); “Her point was...she wanted him to think of her every time...” (26:46) |

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Final Takeaway

This episode delivers what The Bert Show promises: a mix of laughter, vulnerability, and real-life challenges. From the emotionally taxing struggle of Shay and her family’s sacrifice, to the quirky (yet relatable) world of hoarding, and finally the cathartic, hilarious, and sometimes wild confessions of post-breakup vengeance, the show draws listeners into authentic stories that are as entertaining as they are thought-provoking.

Transcript

[A]

The Burch show.

[B]

Do you guys remember this call from a couple of days ago? This was like, I think on Valentine's Day.

[C]

My husband is the most awesome man in the world. I have a fear of driving since I was in high school. My friends died in accidents, so I never got my driver's license. And my husband drives me all the way from Dunwoody to Woodstock every morning, which is only a 20 minute drive while I'm in the car. But it's like an hour and a half for him on the way back. And he works overnight and he doesn't get a lot of sleep. He's the sweetest guy in the world and I just want him to know that I love him and he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.

[B]

So your fear here is. I mean, your fear is paralyzing you so much that you can't go and get your driver's license or drive around in a car.

[D]

I can't.

[C]

It just, it paralyzes me and I can't do it. And he works overnight and doesn't get any sleep because he drives me back and forth.

[B]

So that was a couple of days on the show and we were like all. I mean, we were kind of touched by that story, you know, like, because he's getting up so early and he's sacrificing every single day to help Shay out. Hey, Shay.

[E]

Hi.

[B]

How are you?

[E]

I'm good.

[C]

How are you guys?

[F]

Are you crying again? Just thinking about how awesome your husband is.

[C]

I'm not crying, but like, I cried a few times since then. Like, you just don't understand, like how, how hard it is and how, you know, you feel like you're selfish and you. And you try and it doesn't. No matter how much you try, it doesn't seem to work. And it just, I don't know, it's.

[D]

It's.

[C]

It's pretty hard and I know it's harder for him.

[B]

Well, explain. Explain to me like exactly what happens to you at the thought of having to get behind the wheel.

[C]

Well, see, and it's actually changed a little bit. Like before I would just. If somebody even cut me off or just things that happen in everyday, you know, life when you're driving that usually don't affect other people. I'll pull on the side of the road, don't even. I don't even pay attention and I'll just like start crying. See, I have my learners. I. I just don't have my driver's license. So he can ride with me. And it got better where I don't. I've stopped crying and I've stopped doing that. But I freak out if I have to turn around to merge into another lane when I'm on the expressway. I can't. And it's not like a normal. Like, freaking out. It's really bad. Where he's afraid that what if. You know, what if I got into a car accident? And the funny thing is, he says I drive really well. And I'm not sure if it's just that I had a lot of friends die. I was also raised by a strict parent who didn't want me to learn how to drive. And I left home before being able to get my license. And so basically, I mean, it's so bad that I used to. I used to live off of Exit 7 in Roswell, and I would walk to work to exit 9. I would walk from exit 7 to exit 9 to get to work every single day.

[A]

How many miles is that?

[C]

Excuse me?

[A]

How many miles is that?

[C]

To be honest, I'm not sure. It would take me about an hour and 15 minutes. Like, so I would get up really early because I have to be at work around 8. And, like, I'm really, like. I'm a really hard worker. And I never. I've never. Before we got married, I'd never let it affect, you know, I didn't want to affect my work. And I would just walk and it kind of got scary. And because I just didn't have the.

[D]

Money to be able to, like, to.

[C]

Even take the bus at that point. It was really bad.

[B]

And there was. There was one specific accident also that happened to you that's sort of like. I mean, it's been kind of the catalyst for all these fears and phobias.

[E]

Yeah. Well, my friends.

[C]

When I was in high school, I had a lot of friends that just died in car accidents for different reasons. Like, I had one friend that was just hit by a car and he was on a bike. I had another friend that was hit by a drunken driver. Actually, two friends that were. And it was just really. I mean, it just really. It really scares me. And also, my mother was very, very strict, and she. I have tester's phobia also, where I buckle. I kind of buckle under pressure because you'll think I'm joking about this. I wasn't allowed to boil water when I was 18 years old.

[A]

Why not?

[C]

Because my mother was just really strict and she just didn't think I was. She. She kind of. I don't know, she second guessed everything I did.

[G]

So she made you feel like you couldn' anything?

[E]

Yes.

[C]

And so now even though my husband's just like, he's like say you can drive. When I get into the I leave, I tried to take the driver's test like four or five times. I'll forget minor things like the left, like which, which is the left light and which is the right like how to do the blinkers, how to do like I, I just, I just buckle.

[F]

How old are you now?

[C]

I'm 21.

[B]

And the pressure is just, I mean it just seems so enormous to you that obviously it's debilitating.

[D]

It really is.

[C]

Like it's embarrassing. It's, it's really embarrassing because you know, you know, you, you, you interview for a job and you know, one of.

[E]

The questions is, you know, do you.

[C]

Have, you have transportation and I have a car. I do. But it's just the fact that you know, and my husband, he said he's so great, he's like, you know, I got this job and, and they wanted me to go to Woodstock and I told him, I actually told him I didn't get it and he found out I got, and he told me to call back and say yeah, yes, I accept the, you know, I accept the job. And I, he, he's been driving me to work for the. And he's, he's always done this and it's not fair to him. He doesn't deserve that. He doesn't deserve to almost have to fall asleep on the road when he's driving home from work.

[B]

Alright, so his trek every single day starts where.

[C]

Well he goes, he, he, he's an overnight manager and he goes, he gets home around 7 to 7:30 morning. We leave at 7:30 we leave Shanley Dunwoody and we drive to Woodstock. I generally get to Woodstock around 8:07am he usually like sometimes I'll call him around 8:48 45. He's still maybe 10 or 15 minutes away from home depending upon traffic and that's even taking like back ways taking Roswell Road or taking. It's just, and it's sad because, and then it's not only in the morning, but he only gets about five or six hours of sleep because he has to leave by 3:15 or 3:30 at the latest every day to be able to pick me up from work at 5 when I go to Woodstock.

[G]

Yeah, I mean it seems that your mother, you know, or your parents or the way you grew up made you feel like I said that you can't do anything. So you. When you try and you look like you're about to fail and you think everybody's gonna yell at you, maybe like your mom did. I do think that it is something that you eventually do have to conquer, because not only for him, but you don't want to pass this on to your children. Because I will.

[D]

You know, I really don't.

[C]

It's. You know, it's.

[E]

It's.

[C]

It's really. It's really sad to have to say. I told. And I. Telling everybody at work is like, you know, last week, I really just wanted some cheddar ruffles. Like, I really wanted those so badly. But my husband, you know, I knew he was tired, he didn't want to go. Take me.

[E]

It's.

[C]

It's one of those things where you just. You can't even do the smaller thing, like, go across the street to the grocery store and, you know, you take things for granted, but it's like, you know, have the independence I don't have.

[E]

It's. It's.

[C]

You know, it's just.

[E]

It's.

[C]

It's sad.

[F]

And I was gonna say, you can tell in your voice that you're at, like, out of breath and you're anxious right now even just talking about it.

[C]

I'm pacing.

[B]

Really?

[C]

I'm pacing.

[G]

Poor thing.

[B]

Well, we wanted. We. When we had you on a couple of days ago, we told you we wanted to try to get you some help because, I mean, the sacrifice that your husband's making and this is debilitating for you also. And Beth was listening at the same time, and she emailed us, and she's on the phone with you now. Hey, Beth.

[C]

Hi.

[B]

Hey. What exactly is it that you do?

[D]

I'm what's called a driver rehabilitation specialist.

[B]

There's an actual driving rehabilitation specialist for just this kind of thing?

[D]

Well, we work with a whole range of, if you want to call it disabilities. We have people with physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and also psychological. So, you know, in some cases, the biggest problem is the anxiety, not even necessarily some of the other issues. So, yeah, we work with folks with a lot of different kinds of problems related to driving.

[B]

When you were listening to Shea's story right now, did some of this sound familiar to you? Like, inevitably it comes back to some of the parents that have planted these seeds of insecurity on her?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, a lot of times.

[D]

Some of the young people that I work with that have learning disabilities, for example, have had a lot of failure in their Lives. And so trying to face driving, it's one more thing. They're afraid to fail. And yet it represents such a big. Just like she was saying, such a big step in terms of your independence. But all their life, they've kind of learned that they don't do well at things. And, you know, then I have other people with a young man right now who's about Shay's age, who's a triple amputee, and so he's starting to learn to drive. I mean, you know, people that you would never expect to be able to drive. You know, we work with all kinds of folks.

[B]

So what's the therapy on this?

[E]

Well, a lot of times, you know, kind of like when you.

[D]

When you think maybe traditionally of a phobia where you have to desensitize people, you know, it's putting the person in different situations. Obviously, in our vehicles, part of the plus is that there's, you know, controls on the other side. So, you know, unlike her husband, I can take over if I need to.

[C]

Which makes a difference.

[E]

Yeah, because he.

[C]

He used to be really scared with me, like, because I shut down, like.

[E]

It said wasn't good. I would.

[C]

I could be on the expressway and I'd get so afraid that I would just. It's almost like I'd stop. And that's, you know, it just. It doesn't make sense. And I. You know, I've tried, and it just. I don't know.

[D]

And, you know, sometimes it's a difference working with somebody different who's got no emotional investment in the situation. You know, your husband loves you very much and sounds like he works well with you, but sometimes when you've got someone who's, you know, completely detached from the situation, then it's, you know, the manner in which you work is different and the ways in which that person can deal with you and get you through the different situations that currently are freaking you out can make a difference in trying to get you ready to be able to be tested and so forth. Because, like you said, your actual skills aren't necessarily bad. You know, it's. It's getting past the anxiety.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Because, I mean, it's just. And it's like the smaller things now, because at first I always. I've always said, you know, it's just because of all those car accidents. My aunt was in a really bad one. She survived, but I mean, like, a lot of things. And then my husband, I were talking more yesterday, and he said, well, you know, sometimes a lot of. He point out a Lot of things in my life that go back to, like, I don't really make my. Make decisions too well. Like, I always like other people to help me with those things and because I'm not used to being able to, you know, Certainly.

[B]

Understandable. Totally understand.

[F]

More than driving then.

[G]

Yeah, it's everything.

[B]

Hey, Beth, do you think that it would be possible for us to get you together with Shay and see if you can help her out, and if so, maybe we can work out something where you could sort of take her on as a patient.

[E]

Sure.

[D]

Yeah. I think, you know, it's certainly worth a try to see and see if we can make progress.

[E]

That would be.

[C]

So like, I sent you mess. All of you messages on the bird show and I sent. I left a message for Tracy because I. You don't understand how much this means that you even offered. By no means did I come on to get this.

[E]

I just wanted you.

[C]

I just want to know. Want you to know that I really appreciate this.

[A]

Well, we understand the pull of the cheddar cheese ruffles.

[B]

Yeah, that's really what did it for Jeff.

[H]

And when you.

[A]

And when you need chips, you need chips. And if you can't get.

[E]

Sometimes you just want chips and you.

[G]

Just can't, you know, nothing between Jeff and food. Beth, I want to ask a question. You know, we talked about how Shea seems to have these kind of deep seated insecurities and with the patients you work with in your rehabilitation, whether it be physical or emotional or kind of these mental. For Shay, I take it when you go through the driving course that you kind of dive into those things with them.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, that's a big part of it because I'm not just a driving instructor. I'm also an occupational therapist. So I've got a lot of training working with people with a wide range. And I mean, many of the people over the years that. That I've worked with, you know, I'm the first person taking them back on the road after they've been catastrophically injured in a car accident. So, you know, they may have a. You know, I've been out with people that, you know, their passenger died in the accident. So I mean, you know, these are people where it's a big deal to get back on the road. Aside from anything else that's wrong.

[F]

How long does it usually take people to get rehabilitated?

[E]

It really varies.

[F]

Everyone's different.

[D]

You know, it's one of those things where you have to sort of take it at an individual pace and, you know, the first time I work with her, I'll have a better idea, you know, what it's really going to take. But, you know, it's. Some. Some people are a bigger challenge than others. So, you know, but usually after the first couple times when you start seeing that you can do it, you know, that starts to open things up. But, you know, again, it's. It's an individual process for everybody.

[B]

Well, let's see if we can get you guys together. And, Shea, we'll get you together with bae Beth from Freedom and Mobility, and we'll see if she can. She can take you on, and if so, then we'll. We'll follow along with you guys and we'll get you some help that you wanted for a long time.

[C]

Thank you so very, very, very much.

[E]

Thank.

[C]

I mean, I think all of you so very, very much. And my. My husband really does, too.

[E]

Like, he was.

[C]

He said that when he heard. Heard you even say that, he's like. He was just like. Seriously.

[E]

He was just.

[C]

I mean, it just.

[E]

We just.

[C]

We haven't. We. We can't afford to. I mean, we make good money. We can't because we looked into, like, even driver's school and things of that nature that's gotten to be very expensive, and we can't afford that. And it was just.

[E]

It's.

[C]

It's been hard. And I just want to say thank you.

[B]

Well, we can take care of that for you. Let's see how this. This goes. We'll get you on over to freedom and Mobility. Maybe you'll have to walk over there or whatever, and we'll get you guys together, and we'll see if we can make this work for you.

[C]

Thank you so much.

[A]

Is it cool to let us know what time and what part of town you'll be out driving around in?

[G]

I'm just saying, she said that she can. If, you know, Shay starts panicking, Beth will be driving.

[A]

I'm just.

[G]

Okay.

[A]

Is that cool, though? Just like, Sandy springs, Saturday at 2?

[E]

Like, watch out.

[C]

Yeah, I'll send you emails. I'm leaving shambly Dunwoody at this time.

[A]

That'd be cool. I mean, I'm sure you'll do fine.

[G]

But she's already just. She's gonna do a good job, Shay. You can do it.

[F]

You can do it.

[G]

You can do it.

[E]

Thank you so much, Melissa.

[C]

And by the way, I love you, Melissa.

[G]

Oh, thank you.

[C]

So I just wanted you to know that.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Thank you so much. Hey, Beth, thank you very much for your help. And we're Gonna put a link on over to freedom and mobility, also from our website.

[E]

Okay, thanks.

[B]

All right. Thank you.

[A]

The Burch show.

[B]

So Delta Burke yesterday checks herself into. I think it was the same hospital that Brittany was in.

[H]

Yeah, the UCLA psych ward.

[A]

Yeah, a lot of people. That dude from Grey's Anatomy checked in there too. Like, everybody wants to be near Brittany.

[B]

It must be in Beverly Hills where he lives or something.

[H]

It's that one or the Cirque Lodge in Utah. Everybody takes place.

[A]

I'm gonna go to the Cirque Lodge for vacation this year.

[B]

And this one didn't have anything to do with drugs or prescription drugs or anything like that. She's got, like, this form of ocd, and she just hoards everything and can't thr anything away. It's fascinating, right? But a lot of people have it. Hey, Jessica, you're on Q100.

[E]

Hi, Bert.

[I]

I can't believe I'm on the radio.

[B]

I'm glad you called. So you have the same type thing.

[I]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

I can't help it.

[I]

Let me tell you. When my car was, like, breaking down, it was my first car. I got it back in 2004.

[C]

That's the year I graduated. And I broke the door off just so I could keep it.

[E]

Oh, my gosh.

[I]

And then, like, I.

[A]

What do you mean you broke the door off? What?

[I]

Yeah, like the inside of the door. Like, you know, the part where you.

[E]

Roll up the window.

[A]

Oh, so you have a memento from your first car?

[I]

Yeah, and I can't throw it away. It was such a crappy car. It was a neon.

[B]

Now, do you live your whole life like that? Like, you have to have these kind of symbols from your past?

[E]

Yeah, my.

[I]

My parents were always like, throw it away.

[E]

Throw it away. You don't need it.

[I]

And we moved down from New York back in 1998, and they got a dumpster and, like, threw up my whole bedroom. And then ever since found when we moved down, I've kept everything. When I moved out of my house, my parents packed, like, 200 boxes.

[F]

Wow.

[B]

200 boxes filled with what? Just everything.

[I]

Just everything. From stuff to animals, to clothes to books. I kept all my schoolwork up from, like, middle school when I moved down.

[A]

Why?

[B]

So was like. Yeah, I guess why? And was the whole house just consumed with all this stuff?

[I]

Yeah, my whole bedroom. It was everywhere. And now it's in the basement, and it's. I mean, it's taken up almost the whole basement. And I don't know why, but when I was Single. I'm married now. When I was single, I used to go out and buy like three pairs of shoes maybe three or four times a week. So I've got like over 300 pairs of shoes.

[G]

Well, that's not uncommon.

[B]

Some women would honor that.

[G]

Yeah, they're like, go, girl.

[B]

When they showed the inside of Delta Burke's apartment, or house, whatever it was last night on tmz, it wasn't confined to just the basement. There were. Every closet was consumed with stuff. And it was disgusting. It was so disorganized and just thrown.

[H]

They've done this. They've done specials like this on Oprah. They've done whole hour long specials focusing on these people. And they can't even throw away leftovers that are in the refrigerator. Things are like rotting. And then, I mean, they can't sleep on their bed because it's like stuff stacked up six feet on their bed. They have animals with feces all over the house because they just can't. They just can't get it together enough to clean it out. They never take out the garbage. Like it's a sick disease.

[G]

It would drive me crazy.

[B]

I mean, you're already crazy. It would be a different kind of crazy.

[G]

Hey, Amber.

[B]

Good morning. You're on Q100.

[E]

Hey, guys. How are you?

[B]

Good. How are you?

[E]

I'm good. My best friend, her family hoards everything, and I mean, everything they've ever bought, ever had. It's disgusting. And I. I mean, I think she kind of knows about it. And I don't want to hurt her.

[C]

Feelings and be like, your family is crazy.

[E]

But it's like I walk into their house when I'm going over there and I just. I just want to clean and I don't like cleaning.

[B]

And they can live with this kind of mess that's just like things that are just screwing about. And there's no organization to it. Right.

[E]

It's ridiculous. Like, they have like Zelpa Accords newspapers. They hoard newspapers. They hoard everything.

[B]

I've been in a house like that before. When I went on that trailer, Venezuela, last year, my tour guide brought me to this dude's house. He was like 65, 70 years old. And literally the walls of his house have become newspapers. Like, they're stacked so high and he can't let them go that you have to sort of like jimmy yourself around the little aisle to get through the papers. The newspapers that he's compiled over the last, like four or five decades now.

[A]

That I never thought of it, but there was A guy in high school that I remember would go over to his house, and this guy's mom was a writer. And the argument was she needed to keep everything that she ever got that was printed in case she needed to reference it. So it was all referenced. And his house is the same exact way. Like, stacks of stacks and stacks and stacks of newspapers. And they're all in her mind. They're in all some sort of order. But magazines. She never threw away junk mail in case she ever needed it to help. Look at Tracy. Tracy's throwing up.

[B]

She's so horrified.

[H]

In my mind, I'm thinking, you might need to reference it one day, but it's gonna be such a pain to actually find it that you'll never use it as a reference. And people that hang on to magazines or newspapers because of references go to the Internet.

[B]

Do you ever really go. Right. You don't need that anymore. Good morning. Q100.

[E]

Oh, is it me?

[B]

It's you.

[E]

Oh, God. Okay. I've got just, like, I can't stop collecting clothes.

[C]

Like, my closet is ridiculous.

[E]

Like, stuff from when I was five is still sitting in my closet. And sometimes, like, I just can't even walk in.

[C]

It's so bad.

[G]

Why are you keeping clothes from when you were little?

[E]

I don't know. I just.

[C]

Like, my mom tells me, like, never.

[E]

Throw that kind of stuff away. So I never have.

[B]

Is it, like a control issue thing?

[E]

I don't know. I don't know if it's, like, sentimental or if it's just, like.

[C]

I don't know.

[A]

Can it be a generational thing? Like, are we. Because I'm almost wondering. I'm trying to think of, like, our grandparents who had to deal with depression and stuff like that. And then the rationing that went on during the war, World War II and all that stuff. Like, maybe not that it started there, but, like, maybe they just. Our parents grew up with, don't throw it away. Recycle it. Keep it, blah.

[B]

Because I. I think that's too simplistic. I think in the cases that we're talking about with, like, Delta Burke, I think it's a control thing.

[A]

I know, but I'm wondering if that's where like, this. What this girl just said was. Her parents said, save that. You may need it someday. Like that. That's like a mantra of my dad's. He's like. He's not a big thrower away. So we have an attic full of stuff now. He doesn't keep, like, random newspapers and things, but, like, just Stuff that he probably could have sold at garage sales or on ebay or in Craigslist or whatever he keeps. And I almost wonder if it's because his parents were like, can't throw anything out. We have to keep what we have.

[H]

I think it's the exact opposite of that. I think something of theirs, sentimental, you know, value was thrown out when they were little or they lost something. I think it's the complete opposite.

[G]

Could be, I think, the cure for it. Not for the ocd, not the Delta Burke's, but, like, I also would ask people, how many times have you moved? Because I think anytime you have to pack that stuff up and move, because, like, in the case of your father or people who've been in their house for 20 years, well, of course you're going to compile stuff. But if you've had to box that stuff up and move from apartment to apartment, you. You learn to not be. It's not as sentimental as it used to be.

[B]

Yeah, and this is. And this is a totally different thing we're talking about. We're talking about just things being thrown in the corner and then piling up, and that's the kind of hoarding we're talking about. And then it just consumes your entire house. Hey, Rachel, you're on Q100.

[E]

Hey, guys.

[G]

Hi.

[E]

I have to agree with what you were saying about it could be something in the past, because my mom will collect everything we've got. Our pantry is literally half full. Excuse me. Of plastic bags just because we might need them. And I think it happened a long time ago when our house burnt down and we lost everything.

[B]

Sure. You can see how that could do something to you.

[E]

I think that might have been a traumatic experience, because now. You know, I'm 20 years old, but I still live my parents, and there are times when I want to get rid of things from my childhood. That way, I can make room for, you know, more things. And my mom will come into my room and see me, and she's like, what are you doing? Well, I'm kind of getting ready. She's like, no, don't get rid of it. I have to take it out in secret. That way, she doesn't know that I'm getting rid of it, because that's just the way that she is.

[B]

That's your next step, Tracy. This is it for you, this OCD step. This is the next one for you.

[H]

I hope Haas got all their phone numbers, because I want to go clean their houses.

[B]

If you were a hoarder, you would it would be way more organized. Like, you would have all these magazines from 1984 or whatever, but you would know exactly where they were.

[H]

They'd be in chronological order.

[G]

Match one OCD person with another one with a different thing, like Tracy's OCD about being clean, and these are about hoarding, and just match them together and be like buddies, like the buddy system, and everything's all right.

[A]

That's the worst insult you can call Tracy. You're a hoarder.

[C]

Hoarder.

[B]

How dare you.

[A]

I'm not a hoarder.

[B]

I will cut you now.

[A]

If it's a control thing, why people hoard? Why are you like, what's your deal with throwing everything away immediately?

[H]

I just think it's the complete opposite.

[A]

I mean, it's a control thing too, right?

[H]

Oh, it's definitely a control thing. I mean, if I honestly.

[A]

How often do you and Scott get in a fight because you throw something away of his?

[H]

A lot.

[B]

A lot. Yeah.

[A]

Weekly.

[H]

We put it in the attic, and then if he doesn't need to go in the attic after like a month or two, I'm like, get rid of it. There's no need to have it.

[A]

Do you say get rid of it or do you get rid of it?

[B]

You're just throwing his stuff away, aren't you?

[F]

Both.

[B]

You're just throwing his stuff away.

[A]

How many. If you were to make a list right now of things of his that you've thrown away that he doesn't have any idea are gone right now. Multiple pages. Yes.

[B]

Like a bible.

[H]

What he hasn't noticed, what he doesn't know can't hurt him.

[A]

Let's hope he's always irrational.

[B]

He hasn't worn it in months. He'll never know. The bird show. I want a little honesty this morning, and I want you guys to call up and kind of narc on yourself. And the situation I'm looking for is you're basically a pretty normal person, you know, pretty even keel. But either he or she did something so bad to you during a breakup, or you found out maybe he was screwing around or she was screwing around and you just snapped and you did something that you normally would not do. And we've talked about this before, and I think that the great example is what's that movie where. Waiting to Exhale.

[G]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Waiting to Exhale. When Angela Bassett goes into her soon to be ex husband's closet and then sees all his stuff and decides to chunk them all in his car that's parked out in the front of the house, and then she torches it and just burns everything.

[B]

She just lost it. So it's a pretty even keel person. But I'll tell you what, during a breakup, when things can get so emotional, or when you find out that they're screwing around on you, things can get so emotional you could just turn into a person that you're normally not.

[F]

Yeah, absolutely.

[B]

And everybody's been there.

[F]

At one point, violent, throws things, throws things off balconies, you name it.

[B]

Could be like keying a car. I mean, you normally wouldn't do that. You're so upset. Before you know it, right along his car, right along her car. Doesn't make it any more. Right, but you did it.

[G]

Right. I've heard of the case of the clothes where. And this has been. This was like a friend of a friend, so it wasn't a close friend, but something about going into the closet and actually cutting up the clothes. So not burning them or anything, but going up and destroying them in the closet.

[B]

I've told you guys, I know about the girl that caught her boyfriend cheating on her. So she went into his wallet and took all of his cards, his credit cards, his driver's license. She went in and also found his Social Security card, birth certificate, and torched it all. And her point was? She wanted him to think of her every time he was standing in a line, every time he was making a phone call, because you know how much of a hassle it is to get any of that stuff back. Every time he made a call, he wanted to think of her. So she told him, here's what I did yesterday.

[F]

I took it all. Ryan told me one time when he was breaking up with a girlfriend. You guys know how gentle he is. He and a girlfriend were breaking up, and he actually punched the windshield of a car and cracked it.

[B]

Yeah, you could just do stupid stuff like that. 404-741-Q100. I'm bringing this up because Melissa had a story earlier this morning about this woman in DeKalb County, a police officer. She's been on the force 13 years. She separated from her husband, and I'm not sure how long ago, but he's a dekalb county police officer also. Well, her husband, or former husband or soon to be husband, started dating a woman named Samara Barkin. And Teresa, the police officer, she didn't like that too much. Kind of snapped on him a little bit. So she went and used a classified law enforcement computer to look up Samara's personal information. It was actually the Georgia crime information Center. And as a police officer, you actually sign a waiver saying you won't use that for this kind of thing. It's against the law. So she goes in and she finds out all this information about the woman that her soon to be ex is dating. And she mails flyers to all of Samara's friends and her family. The word homewrecker was written on top of the page. Then there was Samara's face. And then right below that was the word ashamed. And then three Bible verses about adultery were printed on the flyer as well.

[F]

Dang. That's rage right there.

[B]

That's rage. Relationship rage. Her mom got one, her neighbors got one, her former boss got one, and a whole bunch of other relatives got one, too.

[F]

Methodical rage.

[B]

How are you gonna beat that? Good morning, Jen. You're on Q100. Hi.

[E]

Hey. How are y' all doing?

[B]

All right, how are you?

[E]

I'm doing great.

[B]

Your relationship rage, it turned you into somebody that you normally wouldn't be.

[E]

I was always very passive, didn't want confrontation. And my ex husband, before, you know, came to me, said he wanted a divorce. I said, okay, that's fine. But he had moved me to Atlanta. He was military. I had no family here, so I was like, you know, my lease. My name is on the lease too, so we're just going to have to get along. You go in the spare bedroom, whatever. And I went home for a weekend to visit my parents and came home and he moved his girlfriend in.

[F]

Oh, you're kidding. Into the apartment?

[E]

Yes.

[F]

With your stuff.

[E]

A two bedroom apartment. Mine's down.

[B]

Okay.

[E]

And I was like, okay, that's fine. But I'm still paying half the rent. So I moved my boyfriend in.

[B]

Into the second room.

[E]

No, I kicked him out and moved them into the spare bedroom with a twin bed. And I had the master bedroom with the king size bed.

[B]

So wait a second. There was a point there where all of you were living in the same apartment at the same time?

[E]

Yeah. My mother told me if I ended up on Jerry Springer, she'd kill me.

[B]

Yeah, you did. I think more damage to yourself than.

[F]

You did to him.

[B]

Like he could have been.

[E]

Oh, no, no, no, no. He could not believe that I did that because he was basically trying to get me to go out, but just to be spiteful and mean, I wasn't gonna do it.

[G]

So I'm curious, who ended up being the one to move out first?

[E]

He did.

[B]

Oh, yeah, he did. He didn't want anything to do with that.

[F]

Who was the one to do something loud enough so that the ex could hear it first me.

[E]

You did in fact. In fact, his girlfriend walked in on us, all right?

[B]

And you made sure she walked in on us while the door was wide open and we were screaming at the. As loud as we could.

[E]

Well, let me say, I didn't put the padlock on the.

[B]

I'm sure. Good morning, Q100.

[E]

Hi, guys.

[G]

Hi.

[C]

Wow.

[E]

I did.

[A]

Wow.

[E]

You do not piss off the Texan, Let me tell you that much.

[G]

What happened?

[E]

Okay, I was. I was dating this guy about six or seven years ago when I was still in college, and I. I kind of cared about him. I didn't think it was gonna really go anywhere, so I wanted to break it off. And according to him, we were having such a quote, unquote good time. He told me he had a terminal illness.

[C]

So I was.

[E]

I was young. I was a freshman. I was stupid. I fell for it. And you know how when you take pictures with a digital camera, it'll save.

[C]

The time and date in the lower right hand corner?

[F]

Yeah.

[E]

Well, apparently he enjoys taking pictures of himself having fun with other girls when he's supposed to be in the hospital. And one of the girls he was messing around with found out what was going on. Well, found out about my existence, first off. And she sent me these pictures so that I would notice the date and time. And I got so pissed off. So unbelievably pissed off. And I grew up with brothers and boy Scouts and soldiers, so I know. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You don't do that.

[G]

She's about to do something else. Go ahead.

[I]

Well, he.

[E]

He collected vintage T shirts, and some of them were really expensive, and he had literally, like, 300 of them. And so I wanted to make sure he wasn't going to be able to go anywhere, like, as though he were in a hospital. I went through all of his cars. I cut them up with sc.

[C]

I deleted all the entries in his.

[E]

Cell phone so he couldn't call anybody.

[D]

He doesn't remember phone numbers. Who remembers phone numbers?

[B]

Right?

[E]

And I went to his car with. With my brothers, and they helped me spray paint it pink and then spray paint male genitalia on top of it.

[F]

Whoa.

[E]

So his pretty little suit, Ford Mustang, wasn't really pretty anymore.

[B]

See, when you start recruiting family members, right, that's a whole different. That's a whole different level of loco right there.

[G]

Army of crazy.

[F]

Dive into vandalism with your family members.

[B]

Hey, Amanda, you're on Q100.

[I]

Hey.

[E]

How are you guys, thank you.

[C]

Well, when my ex broke off me, he had cheated on me and, you.

[E]

Know, whatever, and we broke up.

[C]

He left all his mail at my house. So I just started leaving credit card.

[E]

Applications in places, you know, just kind of laying around.

[C]

And within, I think two months, he had, like, three credit cards open in his name.

[B]

That'll jack up your credit score a little bit.

[E]

Yeah, well, what can you do?

[F]

What can he do?

[B]

You can hear the remorse.

[F]

She's passive aggressive about it.

[G]

Yeah, well, he cheated on me. So what? There he goes.

[B]

Angel.

[E]

Hello. How are y'? All?

[B]

Okay. Your relationship rage? What happened?

[E]

I just want to tell y', all, I was only 18 at this time, and I'm 21 now, so this was a long time ago.

[B]

Oh, you're a totally different woman now.

[G]

Wait, you say you're 21 now?

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

Okay, I'm 21.

[B]

Okay.

[E]

I dated a guy, and he was only 17 when I found out he.

[I]

Was cheating on me.

[E]

I was only 18, so it's not that bad. But he lived in a very protective home. His parents knew, like, everything about him and thought they did well. He was into a bunch of bad stuff. And when I found out he cheated on me first, I called his mom and told his mom everything, which is pretty bad for a 17 year old. But the girl that he cheated on me with, on the two girls, I told them both that he had syphilis.

[F]

Did they believe you?

[E]

Yeah, they did believe me, actually. I got my best friend, who he also cheated on me with, in on everything and his sister, and we told two girls he had syphilis. And then when I found out he was dating another girl, like it was like a year later, we made sure that she knew that he had maybe had syphilis or had it or didn't get it treated or whatever. But he's not been able to find anybody to date because his sister continues to tell everyone that he has syphilis.

[B]

Yeah, that's even. That's the kind of thing that even a rumor of an STD is going to keep you out of the dating pool pretty well.

[G]

Right?

[B]

That's all that takes.

[F]

You guys remember the ones in high school who had the rumor attached to them?

[B]

Oh, you wouldn't go anywhere, anywhere near.

[A]

Good morning.

[B]

Valerie, you're on Q100.

[E]

Hi.

[B]

Hey.

[E]

I was married to this guy, and he was watching my kids while at.

[C]

Work one day, and I came home and he.

[I]

My kids had told me he had.

[C]

Been messing around with some girl in my house. So we got into an argument.

[D]

So I was trying to get out of the driveway.

[E]

I was pissed. I backed over his foot with my.

[C]

Tire and then went over it again and then went over again and knocked my whole patio off of my house.

[B]

It was an accident.

[G]

Yeah. Three times.

[B]

It was all an accident?

[G]

Yeah.

[F]

Reverse drive. Reverse drive. I couldn't figure out which way I wanted to go.

[G]

I couldn't get control of my car.

[B]

Amanda, you'll be the last call. What's up?

[E]

Hey. I was engaged for about a year.

[C]

And the wedding was about three months away. And I found out he had been cheating on me. And so we broke it off because what he was seeing was one of my friends.

[E]

And he told me that he wanted.

[C]

The ring back, which I kind of.

[E]

Figured he would because he's the guy that will use that ring again. Before I gave it back to him, I had the diamond switched out for a cubic zirconian and gave it back to him.

[C]

And he is now engaged to somebody else. And she is wearing that ring.

[B]

Beautiful.

[G]

You know what?

[F]

Nice.

[G]

That's beautiful.

[B]

That needs to be applauded. Well played. Checkmate. Game over.

[G]

That's fantastic to see.

[F]

Nonviolent, yes. Passive aggressive. But you win.

[G]

That's right.

[B]

Because eventually she's going to find out it's a CZ and it's going to be on him.

[F]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And he'll track it back to her. That's beautiful. The bird show.