The Keymaster’s Curse: How One Manager’s Petty Revenge Unlocked Hilarious Chaos
Have you ever encountered a coworker so infuriating that you daydreamed about the perfect revenge? For one Redditor, that fantasy became a year-long, globe-trotting, and gloriously petty reality. When faced with a rogue building engineer who treated a high-rise like his personal fiefdom, u/Maiden_Far not only restored order—but unlocked a whole new level of mischief. The result: a masterclass in slow-burn, harmless, and hilariously satisfying petty revenge that left everyone (except the engineer) in stitches.
Let’s turn the key and peek inside one of r/PettyRevenge’s most ingenious tales, complete with community commentary, evil genius tactics, and just enough pettiness to make you want to check your keychain.
The Problem: When the Building Engineer Has Too Much Power
Imagine being hired not to manage a building, but to rein in a building engineer who’s been running amok (“amok,” as several eagle-eyed commenters clarified with delight—never “runamuck”) for years. This engineer had wormed his way into every aspect of the building’s operations: from controlling office spaces to collecting under-the-table fees for storage in vacant rooms. When Maiden_Far arrived, the first order of business was simple: cut off his reign.
Expenses were scrutinized, privileges revoked, and—most importantly—“his” office was reassigned. The engineer didn’t last a month under the new regime, but rather than slinking away quietly, he embarked on a campaign of subtle sabotage. As u/DarlinSnickers put it, “this is evil genius petty, harmless, long-term, and zero paper trail. Respect.”
The engineer still had keys. Hundreds of them. Each door, box, and broom closet was locked behind a labyrinth of mystery keys, turning what should have been a normal workday into an escape room designed by a vengeful janitor.
Lock, Stock, and 250 Keys
Faced with this Gordian knot of security, Maiden_Far did what any resourceful manager would: re-key the entire building. Expensive? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely. The engineer’s secret stash of keys and doorknobs—hundreds strong—was finally rendered obsolete. The building was safe, the tenants happy, and the ex-engineer’s sneaky visits came to a halt.
But why stop there? What’s pettiness without a little flourish?
Maiden_Far’s pièce de résistance was as brilliantly simple as it was fiendish: print 250 key tags, each labeled “If found, call for reward. (His phone number),” attach them to the now-useless keys, and scatter them across the country. Over the next year, these keys found their way into bathrooms, gas stations, doctor’s offices—even cruise ships. As u/Marco_space joked, “People keep souvenirs from trips, someone might find it years later…”
It was, as u/Greedy-Ad-3815 put it, “diabolical but clean. The long-game patience is what really sells it.”
The Community Reacts: Petty Perfection
The r/PettyRevenge community was awestruck. “I would nominate you as keynote speaker at the petty revenge conference,” quipped u/mmmmmsurf. The puns, of course, were irresistible: “OP was able to get the guy all ‘keyed’ up!” (thanks, u/Tight-Shift5706), and “You found a turn-key solution to petty revenge,” added u/baka-tari.
More than just jokes, the comments revealed genuine appreciation for the creativity and restraint on display. Many noted the revenge was actually “petty”—not malicious or destructive, just inconvenient and a little bit genius. As u/Mystery-Ess observed, “Some stories I’m like you should not be admitting this! But this one is amazing. Worth every penny I bet.”
Some even offered tips for keeping the game going: “How many keys do you have left? Take up a collection from people's junk drawers and keep it going indefinitely,” suggested u/1quirky1. OP replied, “I easily have another 150 to 200 keys. Also, one of my contractors is a locksmith… I could get my hand on 1000 immediately if I wanted.” The saga, it seems, could continue for years—much to the glee (and envy) of the community.
The Key to a Good Revenge? Stay Petty, Stay Harmless
Not everyone was purely celebratory. A few commenters, like u/Nihelus, offered practical alternatives: “If he was a problem you could have had him trespassed and asked the police to retrieve his keys.” But as OP clarified, the real genius was in the long-term annoyance: the engineer’s phone number was tied to his side business, so changing it would mean business headaches. Leave it alone, and the calls from Good Samaritans would never stop.
The ultimate verdict? “The gift that keeps on giving,” as u/MydaughterisaGremlin put it. No real harm done, just a gentle, untraceable nudge to rethink past misdeeds—over and over and over again.
Conclusion: What’s The Pettiest Revenge You’ve Ever Seen?
This tale of keys, chaos, and cleverness is proof that the best revenge doesn’t have to be cruel—it just has to be creative. Whether you’re inspired to try something similar (maybe don’t!) or just want to bask in the glow of someone else’s pettiness, remember: sometimes the best way to lock up a problem is to throw away the key… preferably in a gas station bathroom, with a reward tag attached.
Have you ever pulled off (or been the victim of) a perfectly petty act of revenge? Share your stories in the comments—and let’s see who really holds the key to pettiness!
Original Reddit Post: A key for all occasions