If you've gone or taken your children to see Santa this year, count yourself lucky you did not encounter any of the following real-life Bad Santas...
The Worst Bad Santas
Robber Bad Santa(01 of10)
Father Christmas decided a Melbourne post office had been naughty last month. Customers initially thought he was going to use the sack to hand out presents. Instead, he helped himself to some cash and then drove off in a jeep with stolen plates. (credit:Victoria Police)
'Let's Talk About A School Shooting' Bad Santa(02 of10)
Bad things happen in the world, like the children murdered in that recent school shooting in the US, a Bad Santa told kids at an Abingdon garden centre.
"Well there are bad people in the world and bad things happen, like what happened to those children in America," he told three children aged 10, seven and six, referring to the Sandy Hook shooting in the US that left 20 children and six adults dead.
Their dad interrupted when it appeared Santa was going to keep speaking about the massacre. Santa then asked for 'a word' with the 10-year-old, telling him he wasn't real and the presents were from parents. Their mother Wendy Kennett said: "I was totally furious. I now had three children in tears." (credit:Guy Crittenden via Getty Images)
"Well there are bad people in the world and bad things happen, like what happened to those children in America," he told three children aged 10, seven and six, referring to the Sandy Hook shooting in the US that left 20 children and six adults dead.
Their dad interrupted when it appeared Santa was going to keep speaking about the massacre. Santa then asked for 'a word' with the 10-year-old, telling him he wasn't real and the presents were from parents. Their mother Wendy Kennett said: "I was totally furious. I now had three children in tears." (credit:Guy Crittenden via Getty Images)
Alleged Groper Bad Santa(03 of10)
Herbert Jones, 62, was banned from playing Santa after he was accused of pinching the buttocks of an 18-year-old female elf and making suggestive comments last year. Jones was released on $1,000 bail after pleading not guilty to indecent assault and battery and a judge ordered him to stay away from the Hanover Mall in Massachusetts and barred him from playing Santa anywhere pending the outcome of his case.
Bad AI Santa(04 of10)
AI Santas are Bad Santas. In 2007, Microsoft pulled the plug on a "Santa Claus agent" in its live messenger that told children: "It’s fun to talk about oral sex, but I want to chat about something else...”
Microsoft said: "We took steps to mitigate the issue, including the removal of language from the agent’s automated script. We were not completely satisfied with the result of these actions, and have decided to discontinue the automated Santa Claus agent.”
So the rise of the robot Bad Santas was cancelled, or at least postponed. (credit:RonTech2000 via Getty Images)
Microsoft said: "We took steps to mitigate the issue, including the removal of language from the agent’s automated script. We were not completely satisfied with the result of these actions, and have decided to discontinue the automated Santa Claus agent.”
So the rise of the robot Bad Santas was cancelled, or at least postponed. (credit:RonTech2000 via Getty Images)
'I Don't Exist' Bad Santa(05 of10)
Being nine years old is difficult enough without the man whose lap you're sitting on telling you he might not exist.
Nine may be a bit old to believe in Father Christmas so the impersonator at the Sunderland shopping centre decided to let Sophie Robinson know the truth.
Sophie's mother Kirsty Robinson told The Newcastle Chronicle: "Sophie went to the grotto with her grandma and when she got to the front of the queue the man dressed as Santa Claus turned round and said she was too old to visit Father Christmas.
"I couldn't believe it when they told me. Sophie was really upset and I had to make sure she was all right."
The family received a £20 card voucher from the shopping centre by way of apology. (credit:Tetra Images via Getty Images)
Nine may be a bit old to believe in Father Christmas so the impersonator at the Sunderland shopping centre decided to let Sophie Robinson know the truth.
Sophie's mother Kirsty Robinson told The Newcastle Chronicle: "Sophie went to the grotto with her grandma and when she got to the front of the queue the man dressed as Santa Claus turned round and said she was too old to visit Father Christmas.
"I couldn't believe it when they told me. Sophie was really upset and I had to make sure she was all right."
The family received a £20 card voucher from the shopping centre by way of apology. (credit:Tetra Images via Getty Images)
Drunken Heckler Bad Santa(06 of10)
If you play basketball on Christmas Day, expect your drunken hecklers to be drunk and/or Santa.
Basketball superstar LeBron James learned this the hard way during a match between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks We'd show you the YouTube clip but we're pretty sure this Bad Santa is saying something a bit rude. (credit:YouTube)
Basketball superstar LeBron James learned this the hard way during a match between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks We'd show you the YouTube clip but we're pretty sure this Bad Santa is saying something a bit rude. (credit:YouTube)
Grumpy Bad Santa(07 of10)
Of course some old men pretending to be Santa will be rude but this one wouldn't even let children sit on his lap.
A mall in South Portland, Maine sacked the Santa, saying they were in the market for a jollier one. One girl said when she asked Santa for an American Girl doll, he replied she'd get an "American football". Her mother said: "This was just really important to see that Santa was listening and maybe the one thing she wanted, she would get."
The Santa also reportedly refused to let a girl near him when her parents said they could not afford a $20 photo with him. (credit:gradisca via Getty Images)
A mall in South Portland, Maine sacked the Santa, saying they were in the market for a jollier one. One girl said when she asked Santa for an American Girl doll, he replied she'd get an "American football". Her mother said: "This was just really important to see that Santa was listening and maybe the one thing she wanted, she would get."
The Santa also reportedly refused to let a girl near him when her parents said they could not afford a $20 photo with him. (credit:gradisca via Getty Images)
Bad Exit Bad Santa(08 of10)
This Bad Santa may be guilty only of bad choice of exit. 'Santa's being arrested!' someone shouted as he was led to a police van at the end of a parade in Aberdare, Wales.
A video published by Wales Online shows him being led away while a reindeers munches hay in the foreground.
Jade Hughes told Wales Online: "“There were a lot tears. People couldn’t believe it actually happened. My four-year-old cousin started crying saying, 'Santa can’t bring me toys now'.” (credit:Dave Thompson/PA Archive)
A video published by Wales Online shows him being led away while a reindeers munches hay in the foreground.
Jade Hughes told Wales Online: "“There were a lot tears. People couldn’t believe it actually happened. My four-year-old cousin started crying saying, 'Santa can’t bring me toys now'.” (credit:Dave Thompson/PA Archive)
Oh Dear God Bad Santa(09 of10)
A seven-year-old girl with autism queued for 30 minutes to see Santa, only to be told he was too afraid of her trained service dog, a Pit Bull.
“After the family offered to remove the dog from the area, the building, Santa still refused to see the child,” a family friend said. “This particular dog ... she’s trained, not menacing, and she’s little.”
The Santa reportedly claimed to be allergic after it was explained to him the dog was a trained assistant for the girl that she was legally entitled to take where she wanted.
The mall in California said it had removed the Santa in the hope of finding a more "compassionate" one. (credit:- Fotosearch via Getty Images)
“After the family offered to remove the dog from the area, the building, Santa still refused to see the child,” a family friend said. “This particular dog ... she’s trained, not menacing, and she’s little.”
The Santa reportedly claimed to be allergic after it was explained to him the dog was a trained assistant for the girl that she was legally entitled to take where she wanted.
The mall in California said it had removed the Santa in the hope of finding a more "compassionate" one. (credit:- Fotosearch via Getty Images)
Extremely Drunk Bad Santa(10 of10)
California seems to have turned Bad Santas into a small industry.
This Santa got so drunk he kept trying to get on his bike despite the fact he kept falling over. As well as vomiting, he also got into an argument with a police officer who eventually placed him in handcuffs (after he had fallen over a few more times).
Santa also made some strange noises as he was led away, which you can listen to by watching the video. (credit:CNN)
This Santa got so drunk he kept trying to get on his bike despite the fact he kept falling over. As well as vomiting, he also got into an argument with a police officer who eventually placed him in handcuffs (after he had fallen over a few more times).
Santa also made some strange noises as he was led away, which you can listen to by watching the video. (credit:CNN)