Waiters and waitresses get the chance to meet all kinds of people; some good, some bad, but most just annoying. They're the ultimate gooseberry in any social situation. As such, they're privy to some pretty awkward scenes in their line of work: parents shouting at kids, racist grandparents and screaming babies are all just part of the job description. But most awkward of all is when they're forced to witness a breakup, and a lot of the time a couple parting ways can be super-cringeworthy.

A recent Reddit thread asked social media users, and members of the service industry in particular, about the worst breakups that they had the misfortune to see up close, and the answers weren't pretty. Scroll down to check out some of the best answers.

1. The failed proposal 

"I saw a failed marriage proposal. It was so awkward cause the guy had a cake made and everything. He said he didn't want it anymore and left the cake. So I'm like sitting in the back eating a cake that says 'Julie, Marry me?' with a bunch of other servers. It was delish."

Credit: Just_a_Little_bit_

2. Balcony awkwardness

"I was a server and we had one table on its own private balcony. The table is in my section tonight and my boss tells me the guy that made the reservation was proposing and wants a most expensive bottle of wine we have chilled and ready to go. We had it all planned out so we brought the dinner flowed directly by the wine. Well, I go back to check on them, they don't look happy. Bring the check, bottle of wine not opened, then they leave. It was awkward telling them to have a good night. He definitely wasn't."

Credit: lafshdctid

3. A senior moment 

"I was a waiter at a retirement home. One day a couple that had been married for 30 or 40 years divorced over night. Next day, the man was in the dining room, talking and flirting with the other ladies while his 'ex' was nowhere to be seen. The next day they were together again. They acted like they were still married and nothing had happened. Old people are f*ckin' weird."

Credit: TheKickastronaut

4. Family matters

"I wasn't working at this bar but I witnessed a break-up there on Valentine's Day. This couple was arguing — very loudly at that — about their problems in the relationship. Well one thing led to another and then a woman screams out: 'Oh yeah? WELL I F*CKED YOUR DAD!' The poor guy didn't even know what to say. He was so dumbfounded that he just sat there while she stormed out."

Credit: ItaliPinoy95

5. A sudden catfight 

"Not quite a break-up, but I had a table of two women, and one of them apparently told the other that she had been sleeping with her boyfriend. I was about 30 feet away, I just heard yelling, the one being cheated on ran outside crying to smoke, then came back inside yelling about what a stupid wh*re the other was. It was 30 minutes 'til close, they were literally the only guests we had, so they weren't bothering any other tables, so my manager didn't have to intervene or anything. Cooks were coming out of the kitchen to watch after I told them what was going on. My own personal Maury Povich show. It was EXTREMELY awkward delivering the check, though."

Credit: Azureknight205

6. This one is just tragic

"One of the owner's of the restaurant that I was working at had a breakdown. His wife died maybe a couple years previously, and was crying in the middle of the restaurant (as a customer). On Valentine's Day. With his new girlfriend. And her children. I'm not sure if they broke up, but that was horrible for everyone involved."

Credit: jolly_rodgas

Man, those were pretty awful huh? So remember guys, if you're going to dump somebody out of the blue, take my advice and do it in private, not in public; otherwise some poor bartender will be forced to listen to the whole thing.

Waiters and waitresses get the chance to meet all kinds of people; some good, some bad, but most just annoying. They're the ultimate gooseberry in any social situation. As such, they're privy to some pretty awkward scenes in their line of work: parents shouting at kids, racist grandparents and screaming babies are all just part of the job description. But most awkward of all is when they're forced to witness a breakup, and a lot of the time a couple parting ways can be super-cringeworthy.

A recent Reddit thread asked social media users, and members of the service industry in particular, about the worst breakups that they had the misfortune to see up close, and the answers weren't pretty. Scroll down to check out some of the best answers.

1. The failed proposal 

"I saw a failed marriage proposal. It was so awkward cause the guy had a cake made and everything. He said he didn't want it anymore and left the cake. So I'm like sitting in the back eating a cake that says 'Julie, Marry me?' with a bunch of other servers. It was delish."

Credit: Just_a_Little_bit_

2. Balcony awkwardness

"I was a server and we had one table on its own private balcony. The table is in my section tonight and my boss tells me the guy that made the reservation was proposing and wants a most expensive bottle of wine we have chilled and ready to go. We had it all planned out so we brought the dinner flowed directly by the wine. Well, I go back to check on them, they don't look happy. Bring the check, bottle of wine not opened, then they leave. It was awkward telling them to have a good night. He definitely wasn't."

Credit: lafshdctid

3. A senior moment 

"I was a waiter at a retirement home. One day a couple that had been married for 30 or 40 years divorced over night. Next day, the man was in the dining room, talking and flirting with the other ladies while his 'ex' was nowhere to be seen. The next day they were together again. They acted like they were still married and nothing had happened. Old people are f*ckin' weird."

Credit: TheKickastronaut

4. Family matters

"I wasn't working at this bar but I witnessed a break-up there on Valentine's Day. This couple was arguing — very loudly at that — about their problems in the relationship. Well one thing led to another and then a woman screams out: 'Oh yeah? WELL I F*CKED YOUR DAD!' The poor guy didn't even know what to say. He was so dumbfounded that he just sat there while she stormed out."

Credit: ItaliPinoy95

5. A sudden catfight 

"Not quite a break-up, but I had a table of two women, and one of them apparently told the other that she had been sleeping with her boyfriend. I was about 30 feet away, I just heard yelling, the one being cheated on ran outside crying to smoke, then came back inside yelling about what a stupid wh*re the other was. It was 30 minutes 'til close, they were literally the only guests we had, so they weren't bothering any other tables, so my manager didn't have to intervene or anything. Cooks were coming out of the kitchen to watch after I told them what was going on. My own personal Maury Povich show. It was EXTREMELY awkward delivering the check, though."

Credit: Azureknight205

6. This one is just tragic

"One of the owner's of the restaurant that I was working at had a breakdown. His wife died maybe a couple years previously, and was crying in the middle of the restaurant (as a customer). On Valentine's Day. With his new girlfriend. And her children. I'm not sure if they broke up, but that was horrible for everyone involved."

Credit: jolly_rodgas

Man, those were pretty awful huh? So remember guys, if you're going to dump somebody out of the blue, take my advice and do it in private, not in public; otherwise some poor bartender will be forced to listen to the whole thing.