How a Stolen Potato Peeler Became the Pettiest (and Most Satisfying) Revenge on Roommates Who Refused to Lock the Door
When it comes to living with roommates, you expect to disagree about cleaning, fridge space, or maybe who forgot to take out the trash. But what if your very sense of security is the battleground? That’s exactly what happened to Reddit user u/red_ditz_, whose summer of 2020 was defined by one infuriating roommate standoff: to lock, or not to lock, the front door.
But after months of being mocked for wanting a basic level of safety, she got her revenge in a way so small and so perfect, it left the internet cheering…and her ex-roommates forever wondering where their potato peeler disappeared. Let’s peel back the layers of this deliciously petty tale, and see why it struck such a nerve with thousands online.
The Great Door Debate: “Just Replace It!”
Imagine moving out of your parents’ house for the first time, only to land in an apartment in a neighborhood where it seems the police are on speed dial. That’s where our protagonist, then 20, found herself—sharing a place with Joel (a med student from a privileged background) and Sadie (another student just scraping by). Right away, one issue dominated: Joel and Sadie thought locking the door was for paranoid people. Our narrator, not so much.
She pleaded, reasoned, and outright begged her roommates to lock up—especially since her laptop and other valuables were on the line. But, as she wrote, “They totally brushed me off and implied that I was being stupid or overly anxious.” Their logic? If something got stolen, they’d “just replace it.” Easy for Joel, with his family’s resources, but not for someone living below the poverty line. The frustration is palpable, and the Reddit community felt it too.
As u/PackYourEmotionalBag put it, “My first roommate would never lock the door, also called me paranoid.” The commenter even described staging a mock home invasion to prove a point—an extreme, but effective, way to teach roommate security 101. Another user, u/fedsx, reminded everyone that some criminals (and, apparently, serial killers) see unlocked doors as an open invitation.
Petty Revenge Served Cold (and Slightly Peeled)
After months of tension, our protagonist moved out, but fate had one last twist. The day she desperately needed a potato peeler, hers was missing. The solution? “I decided to go see if Joel and Sadie were home and willing to loan me their potato peeler,” she wrote. But when she knocked, nobody answered. The apartment, as always, was unlocked.
That’s when inspiration (or maybe pettiness) struck. She let herself in, grabbed their potato peeler, and left—never to return it. Six years later, she still has it. As she put it, “Small revenge, but extremely satisfying.”
Reddit absolutely loved it. u/Potato_Slim69 declared, “This is very satisfying. I would have taken the batteries out of as many electronics as possible.” Others got creative: steal all the toilet paper rolls but leave one sheet (u/3fluffypotatoes), swipe every left sock (u/sunheadeddeity), or take all the lightbulbs—even the fridge and oven bulbs (u/Talmaska). In the world of petty revenge, the potato peeler is just the tip of the iceberg.
But as u/One_Handed_Director cautioned, “I would avoid stealing things as that would worsen the potential charges if caught.” The consensus? Petty is funny, but don’t cross into felony territory.
“It’s the Principle”: Why This Story Resonates
Why did over 5,000 people upvote this story and hundreds more comment? It’s not about the potato peeler (though, as u/Slight-Book2296 pointed out, “it’s the principle”). For anyone who’s ever been dismissed or gaslit by roommates, managers, or even family, this is catharsis. It’s the joy of seeing the underdog win—just a little.
As one commenter, u/nedodao, summed up: “This is one of the best petty revenges I've seen.” And the jokes didn’t stop—references to “The Great Potato Famine,” CSI: Potato Peeler Unit, and even the idea of returning the peeler with a single slice of potato still attached. The humor was as sharp as the missing kitchen tool.
But there’s also a real takeaway. As u/wene324 explained, locking doors is “the absolute bare minimum one can do for home security.” Even in the safest neighborhoods, there’s wisdom in a locked door—and the internet’s collective experience backs it up.
The Aftermath: Did They Ever Notice?
So, did Joel and Sadie ever notice their missing peeler? According to OP herself, they stayed in touch, but “certainly not to the extent where they would have told me about something like a missing potato peeler lol.” The perfect crime, then—one that’s still being celebrated years later.
The story ends not with confrontation, but with a kitchen utensil that serves as a daily reminder: sometimes, the pettiest victories are the sweetest. Or, as u/ELHOMBREGATO quipped, “Revenge, that's no small potatoes.”
Conclusion: What’s Your Petty Roommate Story?
Whether you’re Team Lock or Team “Just Replace It,” it’s undeniable—this potato peeler saga is oddly satisfying. It’s a reminder that standing up for yourself doesn’t always have to be dramatic; sometimes, it’s as simple as taking what’s freely available and making a point that lasts.
So, what about you? Have you ever gotten the last laugh with a perfectly petty move? Share your stories below—because as this Reddit thread proves, there’s always another layer to peel.
Lock your doors. Guard your potato peelers. And may your roommates be just the right amount of petty.
Original Reddit Post: My ex-roomates mocked me for wanting to lock the door, so I stole a potato peeler from their unlocked apartment.