The prices of food and groceries have been climbing at a rapid pace lately, and nowhere is it felt more intensely than in already expensive cities like New York. The city once had a reputation for its famous $1 pizza slices, but today it has become nearly impossible to find a shop still selling them. This frustration with rising prices even boiled over recently into a full-blown scene inside a New York pizzeria. In a video now going viral across social media, a customer can be seen throwing a tantrum over the price of a $4 slice of pizza. In the middle of his meltdown, the man decided it was a good idea to toss a pizza box and a plate onto the floor in anger. The worker behind the counter wasn’t having it. Without hesitation, he retaliated by hurling the slice of pizza he was holding straight at the customer’s face.
When confronted about his behavior, the New York man petulantly demanded to know why he was being charged $4 for the slice. He then turned toward the exit, but not before trying to get in one last jab by throwing another slice of pizza back toward the worker. The employee, unwilling to be a doormat, grabbed another slice and fired it back in anger. All the while, the cameraman recording the entire exchange cackled loudly behind his phone, clearly entertained by the chaos unfolding in front of him.
It didn’t take long for internet users to discover the clip, and reactions came in quickly. Many viewers found the man’s behavior childish, petty, and entitled, while others couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. “Dude’s body language suggests he has never been pizza slapped before,” one person joked.
People also praised the worker for refusing to just take the abuse. Typically, food service employees are expected to put up with rants and disrespect from customers, but this time the worker stood up for himself and wasn’t afraid to clap back. One Reddit user commented, “What pizza place is this? When I go home to NYC I want to get a slice from there. Gotta respect the guy behind the counter for that perfect aim.”
Others defended the shop itself, pointing out that $4 for a slice is hardly unreasonable, especially in a city as costly as New York. “Four bucks for two slices, and they look like specialty slices… in NYC?! THAT’S A GOOD DEAL,” another commenter argued.
Plenty of people also pointed out the obvious: if the man hated the price so much, he could have simply walked away and chosen not to buy the pizza. Better yet, he could have taken the time to hunt down one of the rare shops still offering the mythical $1 slice. As one user put it, “The man should have gone and found a dollar-a-slice place. I still find it hard to believe that he walked inside and didn’t look at the pricing first. Why waste time waiting for the food to be made and then make a big deal at the counter?”
