It's no secret that petty power begets petty tyrants, but there's something about a petty tyrant who is very aware that they're not quite at the top of the food chain that causes exceedingly terrible behavior. For example, it's often that store managers are the chillest people in existence, being at the top of the immediate food chain with nowhere really else to go; they tend to take things as they come and are easygoing to subordinates. Meanwhile, assistant managers have a much higher chance o…

It's really not that hard to treat others with the barest amount of decency and respect. In fact, it takes more energy to be mean, to the point where you almost have to go out of your way to do it. For that reason, it literally makes zero logical sense when someone goes the extra distance to be unkind, even if it's just in a subtle sort of way: a sneering lip or upturned nose that lets you know that they think themselves to be above you. This poster writes that they used to work in television p…

The bustling pace of urban life is often seen as an affront to those who have only known the relative peace of pastoral living. The two lifestyles are presented as opposite sides of the same coin, with neither capable of existing with the other—on account of the fact that the encroaching bounds of metropolitan life dissolve the countryside like a seltzer tablet in a glass of water. This story originated from a user who claimed to have found it in a comment on a different Reddit thread, neglecti…

Cheaters never win… While this lesson might be taught to young children in order to discourage them from cheating, unfortunately, in the world at large, cheaters often do win and have a sizable advantage in the form of the shortcuts they're able to take instead of taking the long road like honest folk. Sure, sometimes they'll be caught, but if they have enough wealth or social status, they may just be given a slap on the wrist and sent on their way. Cheating in universities is rife, especially…

There's always that one kid who is extremely picky about eating their vegetables, refusing to touch anything green in color, or that has the remotest possibility of being somewhat healthy. This was not helped in our childhood by the sheer amount of media depicting kids refusing to touch vegetables like it was cool. Still, you would expect that at some point during all those years between eight and thirty, there would be some maturing and growth and that, even if vegetables still aren't your fav…

Parking is always a drama in hotly-contested high-density residential areas where there isn't nearly as much space as people are wanting to park their vehicles, leading to petty squabbles and growing resentment—all over a parking space that they might not even have an actual claim to. Usually, things come to a boil when park and riders, looking to take advantage of parking spaces close to the city, wise up to the free parking and begin parking to walk or bus the remaining distance, taking up re…

It's fair to say most people wouldn't want their bosses to know what they buy online in their personal life. Even if you're buying the most innocuous things like cleaning supplies or a new set of plates, it would just be an icky feeling if someone else had access to your Amazon account . This boss does have access to their former employee's Amazon account , meaning they can see all the addresses the employee sends things to, what she's bought before, and even what's in her wish list and her car…

There are certain people out there who just want all of the attention—all the time. No matter the situation, they need to be in the center of it with all eyes firmly focused on them. These 'Heathers' (just wait, it will catch on) of the world are the sort of people who will try to upstage you at your own wedding, doing outrageous things like getting engaged at your reception. They'll somehow make your birthday party about themselves, and before the candles are blown out on the cake, they'll be…

Why is it that so many businesses would rather lose $10 in the name of saving $1? Time and time again, extreme cost-saving measures end up costing more in the long run. This engineer left the company they worked for shortly after completing the installation of an important mystery machine (No, not the one from Scooby-Doo.) For some reason, the manager at the client's site kept their number and contacted them personally to come and rectify an error with the machine. They agreed that the engineer…

Sometimes the only way to make sure a job is done (and done right) is to do it yourself… Even when that job is taking a sledgehammer to the department copier to ensure that it's well, truly, and undeniably broken—whatever it takes to get the pencil pushers off their butts and get something useful accomplished. This hardened division lead shared their story on Reddit's r/MilitiousCompliance subreddit, a community for sharing malicious compliance from within the military. They report that they we…

Sometimes it's amazing just how much force a karmic pendulum can swing back with, paying you back for your misdeeds ten-fold. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/ProRevenge subreddit by the avenger's friend, Redditor u/Three-Nations, who tells the story of how their friend got even with a scammer after the scammer tried to cheat them over a used water heater that they had sold. The scammer came back several weeks after the sale, trying to tell the friend that it was not working. The friend off…

Customers often play a dangerous game in terms of refunds, and this game can ultimately result in some bitter consequences. In this case, a customer bought a designer item online, and when it arrived she sent a rude message to the seller, OP, demanding a full refund, threatening OP with filing a chargeback. The catch was Karen wanted OP to Venmo her the money, which is a huge, blaring red flag. OP said they would refund the money if the item was returned, per company guidelines. Karen discarded…

Tenant and landlord relationships can be strained, but when there is a third party involved, the simplest of predicaments can get ugly. OP was renting a house in Northern Europe, and his landlord was living abroad at the time, meaning that any mishaps were to be discussed with his landlord's lawyer, who was in charge of legalities. One day, OP's boiler broke, so OP contacted his landlord, but to his avail, there was no answer. After the temperature dropped to 7 degrees Celcius in his house, OP…

Have you ever attempted to do the good, right thing, only to be lectured and criticized by someone who fails to recognize that you're doing them both a favor? OP was living on a city block of semi-detached houses with tiny front yards, and like anyone else, he appreciated a nice, clean aesthetic look in front of his own home. So he went about cutting his own grass when he realized that it would only take him an extra 5 minutes to do his neighbor's yard as well. This neighbor wasn't living on th…

There's something inherently risky about hiring someone to create undoubtedly the most important promotional tool for your business, only to turn around and refuse to pay them once you've accepted delivery of the product. It's almost like screwing someone over when it's something you don't understand is a bad idea… Who knew? Stories about developers getting back at clients who refuse to pay are deeply satisfying; there's this classic aspect to it of someone (the client) thinking they're holding…

Have you ever had a pesky stray string poking out of your new shirt or cardigan? It looks harmless enough—just a stray bit of material that accidentally got left over from the manufacturing process. Except, when you go to pull at it, its significance and integrity are suddenly revealed, leaving you looking the fool—with a bit of string in your hand and a gaping hole in your new shirt. That's a great metaphor for what happens when a cheat and a liar finally cross paths with the wrong target and…