How One Underpaid Paperboy Delivered the Ultimate Petty Revenge
There’s something delicious about quitting a terrible job in a way that leaves your exploitative boss reeling—and, if you’re lucky, maybe even topples their business. One Redditor, u/Alspics, served up such a platter of petty revenge when he finally had enough of early mornings, skimpy paychecks, and a boss who cared more about his own pockets than his staff. If you’ve ever fantasized about telling a bad boss exactly where they can stick their underpaid overtime, this story is your caffeine shot.
Let’s set the scene: our hero, a student, is rising before dawn every weekend to sort and deliver hundreds of newspapers and magazines. The work is grueling, the pay is short, and the boss? Well, let’s just say he’d be a prime candidate for “World’s Greediest Newsagent.” But after months of being shortchanged, gaslit, and asked to pay out of pocket to clean a van on its last legs, our deliverer of news finally delivers justice—old-school, petty revenge style.
The Anatomy of a Nightmare Job
We’ve all had them—those jobs where the description sounds rough, but reality is much, much worse. For u/Alspics, every Saturday and Sunday started at 5 a.m., picking up a van from the owner’s house, then sorting 500 to 700 newspapers and up to 300 different magazines by hand, all before most people’s alarm clocks had even beeped. The pressure was high: one mistake, and angry phone calls would flood in from customers who missed their favorite crossword or gossip mag.
But the real kicker? The boss ensured his own shop was never short on stock, even if that meant shortchanging the corner stores—and he never failed to shortchange his staff. Week after week, paychecks came up light by about two hours’ worth. When confronted, the boss played the classic “I’ll pay you next week” shuffle, only ever coughing up a fraction of what was owed. And then, as a cherry on top, he demanded Alspics pay to clean the decrepit van out of his own pocket, promising reimbursement that was clearly never going to materialize.
Quitting: The Petty Way
Most of us dream of quitting in a blaze of glory, but few get the chance to do it with such satisfying impact. After the van-washing debacle, our protagonist didn’t just storm out. No, he let the anger simmer, then executed a masterstroke of inconvenience: he simply didn’t show up. When the boss called in a panic—corner stores already ringing with complaints—Alspics calmly explained that, no, he wouldn’t be coming in today or any other day, because he was tired of being ripped off. He even threw in a “Why the [expletive] should I care?” for good measure, before instructing the boss to delete his number.
But it gets better. He didn’t stop at just quitting—he did the rounds, telling all the corner store owners about the boss’s shady practices, including how he prioritized his own shop’s stock while leaving theirs short. He even suggested they take their business elsewhere. The ripple effect? Four months later, the shop closed for good. A small victory, perhaps, but oh-so-satisfying.
Lessons in Petty Revenge (And Workplace Karma)
This story isn’t just entertaining—it’s a masterclass in standing up for yourself and exposing workplace injustice. There’s power in refusing to be exploited, and sometimes, the best revenge is simply telling the truth to the right people. In the end, the boss’s greed and disregard for his workers didn’t just cost him an employee; it cost him his whole business.
It’s a reminder to all of us: don’t underestimate the quiet, reliable ones. And if you’re a boss who’s tempted to squeeze a few extra bucks by shorting your staff, remember—karma might just be delivered to your doorstep, rolled up and thrown on your lawn.
Have You Had Your Own Satisfying Exit?
Do you have a story about quitting a nightmare job in epic fashion? Or maybe you’ve witnessed a satisfying slice of workplace karma? Share your own tales of petty revenge in the comments below—or let us know how you’d have handled this boss. After all, sometimes the best part of a bad job is the story you get to tell when you walk away.
Original Reddit Post: Satisfying resignation