For someone complaining about anecdata and a lack of citations, you're surprisingly eager to offer your own argument that basically boils down to "trust me, bro".

The grandparent provided an anecdote relating to absence of evidence; the parent provided some anecdotal counter-examples. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, so the respondent's anecdote is more compelling if we give them equal credence. Disproof by counter-example is usually a very effective method, especially when arguing about whether something 'ever happened'.