True Crime vs. Perks on the Graveyard Shift: How One Night Auditor Protected the Lobby TV Privilege
If you’ve ever worked a night shift, you know you need every small joy you can get: a good coffee, a half-decent chair, and, if you’re really lucky, control of the lobby TV. But what happens when your coworker’s love of true crime threatens to ruin those rare perks for everyone?
A recent viral post on Reddit’s r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk dives into this very conundrum: night audit, late hours, two bored hotel employees, and a single TV remote torn between Food Network and forensic files. The debate lit up the comments with hot takes, horror stories, and more than a few laughs. Was the supervisor too harsh—or just protecting the front desk from a world without cable privileges?
The Night Audit Dilemma: TV Rules and Temptations
Let’s set the scene: It’s 2 a.m. at a quiet hotel. The doors are locked, the lobby’s deserted, and the flicker of the TV is one of the few things keeping the night auditors awake. According to u/2catswashington (the original poster), the late shift comes with some precious freedoms: phone games, TV time, and a fireplace to cozy up next to—provided you follow two simple rules: “No crime and no gore” on the lobby television.
Enter a new coworker, eager for control of the remote. What’s the first thing she picks? True crime, of course. The supervisor (our OP) steps in: “Hey, I like crime shows too, but we can’t watch this in the lobby.” The channel flips to Food Network, and harmony is restored—at least until OP goes on break and returns to, you guessed it, another round of true crime. When asked to switch it back, the coworker protests: “No one’s going to come down anyway!” That’s when OP locks up the remote for good.
And thus, the question: was this too mean, or just management 101?
Community Verdict: Protect the Perks at All Costs
Reddit’s night shift warriors came out in force, and the consensus was clear: not only was OP not too mean—they were absolutely right. The top-voted comment by u/eaterofacultist sums it up: “No. You did your job.” Others, like u/AbruptMango, applauded OP for protecting “a positive part of the culture. For one night, at least.”
But why all the passion? As u/Tenzipper put it, “It only takes one idiot to fuck things up for everyone.” One incident, one guest complaint about gore or murder mysteries in the wee hours, and suddenly the owners yank the TV privileges for every night auditor to come. “These people are why we can’t have nice things,” lamented u/NocturnalMisanthrope, echoing a sentiment anyone who’s worked retail or hospitality can relate to.
Many readers shared their own battle scars from the front desk: u/mesembryanthemum recalled the time they got a complaint about “the night auditor having the lobby TV turned to porn.” The twist? “We don’t have a TV in the lobby and haven’t for at least 25 years.” Sometimes, you can’t win for losing.
Gray Areas, Red Flags, and the Slippery Slope
Some commenters pointed out the subtler implications. If a coworker can’t follow a simple rule like “no crime shows,” what else are they ignoring? “If you can’t trust someone with the little things...how do you know if you can trust them with bigger, more critical things?” warned u/ReadontheCrapper. Others saw the situation as a flashing neon warning: “The new employee just showed that they will not follow the rules when people are not around because they can’t follow them when a supervisor is present,” noted u/Tall_Shirt_7457.
The “no one will know” excuse didn’t fly either. As u/Tonythecritic dryly observed, “The argument ‘no one ever comes down’ can be a slippery slope.” Sleep on shift? Raid the snack bar? Where does it end? And as u/Sharikacat cleverly explained, all it takes is one mom wandering down with a restless kid at 2 a.m. to catch a bit of “Bunny Ranch” on HBO, and suddenly the story writes itself in the complaint log.
A Perk Worth Protecting (and a Lesson in Workplace Trust)
OP’s final move—locking up the remote—earned applause. “You did what any good supervisor would do,” said u/cottonmercer666. “Think of the other people who would be rotating onto that shift who need the TV to break up the boredom.” Others were more blunt: “If they can’t follow the rules, and willingly break them, they don’t get the privilege,” declared u/NocturnalMisanthrope. And as u/baube19 wisely noted, “I don’t want HER to do something to have the owners take that privilege away” is the real heart of the matter.
The story even inspired some hotel horror tales of their own—like the infamous time a Mormon school group stumbled onto the steamy side of Game of Thrones (thanks to u/SkwrlTail), or the hotel that simply decided “weather only, no sound” was the safest bet.
As for OP, they clarified in the comments that their coworker “knows the rules,” suggesting this wasn’t an innocent mistake—and that they might need to keep an eye on solo shifts in the future.
Conclusion: Sometimes, You’ve Gotta Be the TV Police
So, was the supervisor too mean? The Reddit hive mind says: not even close. Sometimes, being the “TV police” is the only way to stop one person from ruining things for everyone. You can’t always count on common sense at 2 a.m.—but you can count on a hotel guest finding the one inappropriate channel at the worst possible moment.
What do you think? Is locking up the remote a step too far, or just good management? Share your thoughts—and your own night shift TV drama—in the comments below. And remember: when in doubt, Food Network never killed anybody (at least, not on screen).
Happy auditing, and may your lobby TV stay drama-free!
Original Reddit Post: Was I too mean?