Parking cartels usually utilize a clever mix of feigned incompetence, actual incompetence, and diffused and dispersed responsibility in their organizations to ensure that no one ever has any idea what's actually going on or what their job is. So, when ticketed people come to dispute their tickets, they never really get anywhere because it's apparently nobody's actual job to help them with their dispute.

Who knew that sometimes being suspended isn't exactly a mandatory order? Personally, I was always too much of a “goodie two shoes” to test the waters, break the rules, and potentially get myself in trouble. As I've grown older, I have become less and less content with the various systems I have found myself trapped inside of, whether that be the system of higher education, the workforce, or the existential social system of what it means to be a human. In hindsight, a little part of me wishes I…

It's not often that the villain wins in the end—unless it's the second part of a trilogy, and you need to set up the third part so that our heroes are fighting back from the brink of defeat… a la Star Wars' second (fifth) installment The Empire Strikes Back . See, ending your story with a conclusion where the villain wins usually doesn't provide a satisfying story structure—unless things have been leading there the entire time, and that's the point the story is trying to prove. [SPOILERS: No Co…

Lazy college professors should not be allowed to be strict. Like any social contract, everything should be a two-way street: if you're expected to deliver quality, they need to do the same. Otherwise, as far as we're concerned, the social contract is null and void. I remember when my high school teacher tried to solicit her students to contribute paragraphs that she would then compile into a research essay she was required to submit. We made sure that nonsense was shut down as soon as we could.

There are so many red flags to look out for in corporate culture these days, but having to produce a sick note in order to work from home for more than two days has to be at the top of the list. In this case, we have a sick employee who had to go to the hospital numerous times for a rare cold/flu that was not easy for the doctors to diagnose. Obviously, we know what you're thinking. This illness sounds like your worst nightmare or the beginning of a horror movie. Instead, the horror story reall…

Service industry workers live hard and die by the same credence, having long ago had their garden of farks scorched by an onslaught of unruly customers, temperamental chefs, and unreliable restaurant managers . They're a hard, complex, and colorful bunch, often seeking reprieve from their demanding careers in all the wrong sorts of places. But it's one of those lifestyles that feels good until it isn't, and when the bottom card gets pulled out of the house, and the entire thing comes crashing d…

We've all dealt with that one coworker who's a total slacker. Although they proudly wear the same job title as you and rake in the same amount of money every month, it seems like you (a hard worker) are the one working double shifts. And for some reason, since you're the one pulling their slack, nobody else bats an eye. However, no matter how slacker-y our coworkers are, we've got to look out for our own department when the folks from the ivory tower come down.

This company decided they weren't going to pay overtime to their employees anymore. Maybe they should've thought about their very perishable product before implementing that rule! Being a truck driver is a crucial job in America. It's how we receive all sorts of items---every time you buy food from the grocery store or buy a new sweater at a clothing store, you can be sure a truck drove it to that location first. Even though truck drivers are so critical, they don't always get the best treatmen…

Who said complying with the rules can't be a little fun? One employee told their story of their coworker's malicious compliance when their bosses started demanding they label every little thing. Food service workers have a lot to juggle. This person, u/Dra5iel, shared that they and their coworker both worked at a restaurant chain. Along with prepping food, cooking it, plating it for customers, and cleaning up, back of house staffers have enough on their plates already (pun intended!). When the…

This lawyer was all set to lose an open and shut case, until another attorney made a huge mistake . One of the first things your parents probably told you after you learned to drive was how to act if you ever get into a car accident. After making sure everyone is okay, you inspect your car and take photos, call the police, and phone up your insurance. And one major thing to know is that you shouldn't say sorry to the other person, because in a legal sense, it shows that you're admitting fault o…

How bold of this company to take a few minutes of every employee's day for free! U/afazihdob had a great workplace tale to share from their time working in retail. The OP laments that although they worked at numerous retail chains in their career, their bosses at one store were notoriously strict about latenesses. If I were ever a manager at a retail or food place, I wouldn't be able to take clocking in seriously at all. I just don't think it's the end of the world if an employee is two minutes…

So, our friend (the OP) has been working at a hotel for nearly four years and is about to move on to a new job. The trouble? His manager is causing quite a ruckus during his final days. This manager has a history of making life difficult for our OP, and it all hit a boiling point when he put in his notice. From unusual write-ups to some eyebrow-raising demands, it's safe to say this isn't your typical farewell. The latest twist? An approved day off has turned into a potential face-off.

Talk about an American Hoarder Story! This grandkid is a saint for finding just the right way to clean his grandmother's refrigerator, which was filled with expired food, without getting her frustrated. By planting one food item she despised in the fridge, she texted him to clean the fridge. She meant to just clean out the one item, but this Redditor took it upon himself to clean out the whole fridge and then some. He shared his story via this thread on Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit.…

There are plenty of workplace scams out there. Coworkers that are selling Tupperware, vitamin supplements, or overpriced chocolate bars to support their kid's baseball team should be avoided at all costs. Although most people learn the difference between a swindling colleague and a desperate one...

Student meal halls are a pretty strange aspect of the university experience; while they're not really a scam, they're obviously designed to take advantage of students' funds suspiciously like one—as if you weren't paying enough already. See, usually, you have to pay a set amount at the start of each semester based on how much you think you'll spend at the student dining hall. Usually, this will come in the form of paying real money onto your student card in exchange for fake credits or some oth…

Abandoned carts in a parking lot are the WORST. I can't even count the number of times I've been cruising through a parking lot at a snail's pace, scouting for a sweet spot, only to spot the perfect one, mentally busting out a happy dance, and then bam, there's a darn cart smack in the way. It seriously tests your faith in humanity, doesn't it? Well, our OP must deal with this parking lot madness daily because this one fateful day, it was the final straw.