How Pretending Brooklyn Doesn’t Exist Became the Ultimate Petty Revenge
Ever been on the receiving end of desk sabotage or relentless, region-based one-upmanship at work? Some people weaponize their hometown pride until it’s as grating as a broken printer in an open office. But what if you could fight back, not with confrontation, but with pure, unadulterated absurdity? That’s exactly what one Redditor did, and their story of pretending Brooklyn isn’t real became a viral masterclass in creative, harmless revenge.
Welcome to the tale of how “Brooklyn” was erased from one workplace—if only for a day.
When Office Culture Breeds Petty Wars
Corporate life is a breeding ground for pettiness. There are always those coworkers whose “quirks” become an organizational plague—like unplugging your monitor and keyboard before you clock in, or conveniently skipping documentation duties so you catch the heat from the boss. That’s the situation u/RedefinedValleyDude (OP) found themselves in at their medical office job. The culprit? A coworker whose entire identity revolved around being from Brooklyn.
Her Brooklyn pride wasn’t just a fun fact—it was her personality. As OP described, everything somehow circled back: “Oh believe me I’m from Brooklyn I know pizza” or “I’m from Brooklyn we don’t stand for shit like that.” You get the idea. The problem? Her pettiness went from quirky to malicious, as she routinely sabotaged OP’s workflow.
But after being unfairly chastised for her mistakes one too many times, OP decided it was time for payback—but not in the way you might think.
The Great Brooklyn Gaslight
Instead of stooping to her level, OP deployed a tactic so ridiculous it left the office in stitches and their nemesis in shambles: they pretended not to know what Brooklyn was.
The execution was flawless. OP would ask, “Oh, is that in Ohio?” and feign confusion when told it was in New York. “Everyone knows there’s only four boroughs in New York!” they insisted. When shown Brooklyn on a map, OP replied, “That’s not real. Brooklyn is an Internet hoax.” Their tormentor grew increasingly exasperated and, as OP put it, “started crashing out.” The real beauty? What was she supposed to do—complain to HR that someone was bullying her by denying Brooklyn’s existence?
The r/PettyRevenge community was delighted. As u/Kazumato observed, “The Brooklyn bit is funny, but the real revenge was quitting and leaving that mess behind. Unplugging your equipment and sabotaging work is way past ‘petty’ and straight into hostile workplace territory.” OP agreed, confirming in the comments: “No I quit almost immediately after. That place as a dumpster fire.”
Brooklyn Pride and the Art of Regional Identity
The comments section quickly turned into a support group for those traumatized by overzealous regional pride. As u/JustineDelarge shared, their own Brooklyn-born dad made the borough “the cornerstone of his personality,” from egg creams and correct pickles to endless boasts about street smarts. “It was exhausting,” they confessed, recalling how their dad never actually took them to Brooklyn—just talked it up as the promised land.
Other commenters chimed in with their own regional run-ins. u/MsUnderstandMe recounted how her boss would “accidentally” confuse Brooklyn with the Bronx to get a rise out of her, until she flipped the script and did the same with his nationality. It’s a reminder that, as u/foosballallah put it, “it always makes me cringe when I hear people like her talk.”
The humor escalated when commenters started riffing on Brooklyn’s many global namesakes. “Brooklyn Park? Brooklyn Center? Those are suburbs in Minnesota, right?” joked u/Expended1. “Brooklyn is a neighborhood south southeast of Cleveland,” offered u/comawizard, while others insisted it was in Australia, Michigan, or even Austria. The thread became a geography teacher’s nightmare—and a comedian’s dream.
Why Absurdity Is the Best Revenge
There’s something deeply satisfying about fighting pettiness with a level of absurdity that defies logic. As several commenters noted, you can’t be accused of bullying if your “attack” is just feigned ignorance. And, as OP pointed out, “The best part is what’s she gonna tell HR? I’m bullying her by pretending not to know what Brooklyn is?”
The story also sparked larger discussions about how people use regional identity as a shield or a weapon—sometimes without even realizing it. As u/WhenLeavesFall observed, the loudest Brooklyn boosters are often transplants, not natives. Meanwhile, u/Maleficent_End5852 confessed to trolling Americans abroad by pretending not to know famous cities, just to see their reactions.
But perhaps the real lesson here is that sometimes, the best way to win a petty war is to refuse to play by the expected rules. As u/Kazumato so aptly put it, “You didn’t fix her, but you definitely fixed your situation and that’s the win.”
Conclusion: Have You Ever Gaslit a Geography Buff?
Whether you’re from Brooklyn, Boise, or a suburb only your grandma has heard of, this story is a reminder that you don’t have to stoop to workplace sabotage to get even. Sometimes, a little ridiculousness goes a long way—and if you can make the whole office laugh (or at least scratch their heads), all the better.
So, have you ever responded to pettiness with epic absurdity? Or known someone whose entire personality revolved around a zip code? Share your story below—or just let us know if you’ve ever met someone who claims Brooklyn is just a hoax.
Because after all, everyone knows there are only four boroughs in New York…right?
Original Reddit Post: I pretended to not know what Brooklyn is.