There’s nothing more disappointing than dreaming about those delicious leftovers from your favorite Italian restaurant all night, only to find that someone else has devoured them before you had the chance. Whether it was a family remember you live with or a colleague who you share the fridge with at work, meal stealing is a serious problem for hangry foodies that can’t go unaddressed.

But when one man tried to get revenge on a sandwich thief who had access to a communal fridge where he worked, his plan ended up backfiring. Below, you’ll find the full story of why his business now needs to relocate, as well as some of the replies amused readers have left him.

After finding several of his sandwiches with bites taken out of them, this man decided to get revenge with a spicy surprise

Image credits: Shal Farley (not the actual photo)

He soon regretted his plan, however, when he realized the thief had been a child all along

Image credits: Anna Shvets (not the actual photo)

Image source: mtsiri

Later, the man answered a few questions from readers and provided additional info

The cardinal rule of communal fridges is to never touch anyone else’s food

Image credits: The Marmot (not the actual photo)

There are plenty of things in life that are up for debate, but when it comes to respecting another person’s food, most of us can agree that stealing is off limits. It’s one thing when your roommate tells you to help yourself to their milk or bread, so you don’t clutter up the kitchen with extra groceries. But communal fridges in dormitories, offices and hostels have a cardinal rule: don’t touch anyone else’s items. Unfortunately, however, it’s quite common for people to violate the sacred shared fridge, as one survey from Business Wire found that 18% of employees admit to having eaten something from someone else’s lunch out of their office fridge before. Aside from the frustration of unexpectedly finding yourself without lunch, this can also be costly for those who spent money on that food they didn’t get to eat and can harm a work environment by creating trust issues.

When it comes to stopping thieves from enjoying another one of your lunches, Office Topics recommends refraining from putting laxatives in the food. It’s just too risky, and it’s better to catch them in the act to ensure that you won’t be held accountable for harming them. Try leaving notes to deter them, or perhaps try putting something gross (but harmless) in the food, such as a bit of cat food. Office Topics actually does recommend using hot sauce or chili powder in your food too, but they warn that Carolina Reaper peppers in particular may be too intense. “Even the smallest amount can cause gagging, hiccups, crying, rivers of snot, and even vomiting,” they explain. So if your office has CCTV, it might be best to check the cameras before getting revenge through the food.

“Children love delicious food and have a poor understanding that food is also an object of value”

Image credits: Karo Kujanpaa (not the actual photo)

To learn more about this specific situation, we reached out to the man who shared this story, Reddit user Mtsiri. The OP, whose custom knives can be found on Etsy, was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and provide some updates on the situation. “The most important thing is that our landlord does not intend to evict us,” he shared. “He apologized and said that under the pressure of shouting and threats over the phone, he panicked and said the first thing that came to mind just to silence the cleaning lady.”

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Apparently, the landlord didn’t actually hire this woman himself; she is the sister of his employee. “She lost her husband a few years ago and can’t find a job, so he offered her a cleaning job with a decent salary,” Mtsiri explained. “He was only willing to hire someone he could trust for this position, as there is valuable equipment and material on the premises, and they can’t let just anyone in. He pays her very well for it, far from the minimum wage. Her brother, upon learning what she had done, came to us and apologized for the incident. He said his sister can be foolish at times, and it will be a great lesson for his nephew. But he was able to say all of this only after hysterical laughter that lasted about 10 minutes after he heard the whole story.”

When it comes to whether or not the OP thinks this child learned his lesson, he told Bored Panda, “I don’t consider taking food from the refrigerator by a child as theft in the conventional sense. Children love delicious food and have a poor understanding that food is also an object of value. At such a young age, they only perceive things as valuable if their importance is obvious and they are long-lasting, like a gaming console, furniture, or a television. However, items like clothing, food, and utility bills don’t fall into the category of real value in their minds. So I think the only lesson he got is not to eat something he is not sure about. Not a bad lesson at all!”

“Children and animals cannot bear such responsibility for their actions”

Image credits: Anyasez (not the actual photo)

The OP also shared that he has eaten the Carolina Reaper sauce before. “It was quite spicy,” he admitted. “But I have been eating spicy food all my life. For me, a jar of jalapenos is a good alternative to a bag of chips. Even that sauce from the story doesn’t really appeal to me as a chaser. As for my brother, after eating a spoonful, he devoured two liters of ice cream in just 20 seconds.” Considering that Carolina Reapers are literally the hottest peppers in the world, it’s not surprising that he would have this reaction. 

And as far as getting revenge on food thieves in the future, the OP still believes that making food “unbearably spicy” is an excellent idea. “If it were an adult, it would have worked as intended,” he says. “Who could have known it would be a child? In general, I’ve only encountered this a couple of times in my life. And it was always clear who did it – usually the very same black sheep that exists in any office. Your Dwight Schrute. Normal people never steal someone else’s food; they would rather avoid eating something unclear.”

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The OP also added that he does feel bad for the little boy. “Children and animals cannot bear such responsibility for their actions,” he noted. “At least he only ate my spicy sandwich and didn’t injure himself on a grinding machine. Bringing a child to a hazardous workplace is a whole different issue for discussion. Parents, do not underestimate the foolishness of your children.” If you’d like to check out the amazing custom knives that Mtsiri sells, be sure to visit KovchegArt!

We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Do you think the child was at fault for stealing the sandwich? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in another Bored Panda article discussing revenge with hot sauce, look no further than right here!

Amused readers shared their thoughts on the situation, noting that the man should have never admitted fault

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