Back in the day, being neighborly meant looking out for our communities and having each other’s backs. Lending a cup of sugar to the mom next door who ran out while baking a cake and inviting one another over for some lemonade on a nice summer evening. Today, however, when many of us don’t even know most of our neighbors, as long as we’re not stealing from them or disturbing them, we can be considered good residents.
But after one person realized how quickly their detergent was disappearing when left in the communal laundry room, they realized it had to be a neighbor taking advantage. Below, you’ll find the story of how they got brilliant, petty revenge on their fellow residents.
This resident never felt the need to put a lock on their cabinet in the communal laundry room
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
But after noticing that their detergent was vanishing faster than usual, they came up with a way to get revenge on the thieves
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Fast_Cloud_4711
Later, the resident responded to a couple of readers and clarified some details
Nowadays, it’s common for residents to know very few of their neighbors
Living in an apartment complex and sharing spaces with many other residents is an interesting experience. You may pass the same people in the stairwell or lobby every day for months or even years and never know their names. They’re just “that guy in the hoodie I always see taking out his trash” and “the lady who always wears heels at all hours of the day.” According to a 2022 study from the Pew Research Center, only 26% of Americans say they know most of their neighbors. And younger generations tend to know even less, as nearly a quarter of those between 18-29 say they don’t know any of their neighbors.
Social events among neighbors have also become quite rare in recent years, as 58% of Americans report that they never meet up with neighbors for parties or gatherings. And while rural Americans are more likely to know all or the majority of their neighbors than people living in suburban or urban areas, they actually aren’t any more likely to interact with them.
So why don’t we know our neighbors today? According to sociology professor Rebecca Adams, there are a few key conditions that need to be in place for us to form friendships: “proximity; repeated, unplanned interactions, and a setting that encourages people to let their guard down.”
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
The modern designs of homes and cities don’t always encourage interaction between residents
Urban planner Jordan Clark told Apartment Therapy that having businesses, grocery stores and our places of work outside of walking distance of our homes leads to us interacting with our neighbors less. We just hop in our cars and isolate ourselves, rather than walking down the street and running into fellow residents of our buildings or neighborhoods every time we leave the house.
Clark says that the way homes are designed today also encourages neighborly interactions less than those of previous generations. Not every home today has a front porch where residents can sit outside and watch their kids play on the front lawn. Instead, many homes today are simply driveways facing the street, while their front doors are tucked away.
There are certain factors outside of our control as to why we don’t know our neighbors as well, such as the fact that we had to isolate ourselves for a couple of years during the pandemic and were discouraged from socializing. But now that it’s becoming safer to see our neighbors, we might want to welcome them into our lives, because there can be benefits to having relationships with them.
Image credits: Avi Waxman (not the actual photo)
But getting to know our neighbors can help us feel safer and more comfortable at home
While the theft of laundry detergent may not seem like a big deal, the experience did lead the OP to trust their neighbors less, and they didn’t feel comfortable leaving items unattended in communal spaces anymore. But according to Ishita Chordia, a PhD candidate at the University of Washington Information School, getting to know our neighbors can actually make our homes feel safer.
Friendlier neighborhoods where residents walk around and greet one another are safer because they deter potential offenders from committing crimes. It’s a lot harder to rob a home in a neighborhood where neighbors know each other and are constantly out and about, because someone will be bound to witness something and inform fellow residents about it. The idea that neighbors are looking out for each other can be incredibly powerful, and it can help them gain trust among one another.
Image credits: Beth Macdonald (not the actual photo)
We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever had to deal with a detergent thief in your own building? And did you think the OP’s revenge was appropriate? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article, we recommend one featuring more petty revenge!
Many readers applauded the neighbor for their petty revenge, and they joined in on the conversation
Some even had similar stories to share
Maybe it's me, but does anyone else not really understand what's going on in the roast beef sandwich story?
I think they missed out the part where the next sandwich she made had something bad in it
Load More Replies...THANK YOU. I don't know what that person's smoking, but it might be good??
Load More Replies...The whole elaborate "some prankster must have done it" story wasn't even necessary? OP could have just said that she was planning to dye some jeans blue the next day and had already replaced the detergent with dye? What was the couple supposed to say? "THIS ISNT WHAT WE DIDNT PAY FOR!" ?
I like the way she handled it. Left herself out of the drama after that. Besides...She said it to prove a point. Remember she also said anybody who would steal detergent is not trustworthy? Something like that. It's EPIC.
Load More Replies...Couldn't have been me once I'm done putting my laundry in I take me detergent, dryer sheets back to my apartment then I come back down and wait for them to be done. I did catch someone taking my clothes out of the washing machine because they needed it and I made them put it all back and pay for them to get washed again and I reported them to the apartment manager after that I just bought my own apartment size washer and dryer combo because I refused to go through that again
Hahaha, fantastic. I'm sure that three loads of laundry probably covers most of their favorite stuff that they wear and use if they're like me. So having it all dyed blue would really sück to be them. Rit does make a color remover for about $1.79 -$3.50 a box. I don't know how well it works with the amount that she mixed in with the detergent. It's meant to be used for clothes that accidentally bleed color onto something in the wash, but you never know, it might help.
Load More Replies...This is what you deserve for stealing what doesn't belong to you.
At least blue washes out faster. If she used red that would be evil. Red RIT dye is impossible to get out.
Never tamper with food! Whilst the thief shouldn't be taking it, you don't know if they have allergies to things like laxatives or are on medications that could cause serious medical complications or even death. Your petty revenge could end in a prison sentence.
I hear you and what you're saying makes perfect sense but on the same note the thief shouldn't risk taking food that they didn't make. I would never put a medication of any kind in food to taint it for a food thief but I would definitely add some ghost pepper sauce or Carolina reeper and let nature take its course. I love hot peppers so it wouldn't be a thing to me to eat some to prove a point.
Load More Replies...I never left my detergent in the communal washroom, I always had that stolen, but I decided to take a chance and put the dryer sheets in there. They slowly disappeared as well. They were from the Dollar Store, not a big financial loss, but I had staticky clothes a few times because I was out of dryer sheets. C'mon people!
I bought a new pair of Levis and washed them in the apartment building's washing machine. The next wash was done by a tenant and consisted of all of his white shirts. Those shirts are now light blue. Sorry, Bren.
2 WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT. If you had a problem, lock your c**p up.
Also, do you NOT see the ridiculousness in you scolding the person, who only acted after their property was stolen, by saying "Lock your c**p up" Instead of thinking to, oh I don't know, put the blame where it belongs, and telling the moochers to "Stop stealing other people's stuff."? These thieves were costing a stranger money yet YOU think he should either go spend is time & money to replace it or "lock it up" (essentially ignoring the couple & allowing them to continue to get away with their theft)? Newsflash the person STEALING C**P IS WRONG & Deserved MORE than 3 blue loads of laundry.
Load More Replies...Maybe it's me, but does anyone else not really understand what's going on in the roast beef sandwich story?
I think they missed out the part where the next sandwich she made had something bad in it
Load More Replies...THANK YOU. I don't know what that person's smoking, but it might be good??
Load More Replies...The whole elaborate "some prankster must have done it" story wasn't even necessary? OP could have just said that she was planning to dye some jeans blue the next day and had already replaced the detergent with dye? What was the couple supposed to say? "THIS ISNT WHAT WE DIDNT PAY FOR!" ?
I like the way she handled it. Left herself out of the drama after that. Besides...She said it to prove a point. Remember she also said anybody who would steal detergent is not trustworthy? Something like that. It's EPIC.
Load More Replies...Couldn't have been me once I'm done putting my laundry in I take me detergent, dryer sheets back to my apartment then I come back down and wait for them to be done. I did catch someone taking my clothes out of the washing machine because they needed it and I made them put it all back and pay for them to get washed again and I reported them to the apartment manager after that I just bought my own apartment size washer and dryer combo because I refused to go through that again
Hahaha, fantastic. I'm sure that three loads of laundry probably covers most of their favorite stuff that they wear and use if they're like me. So having it all dyed blue would really sück to be them. Rit does make a color remover for about $1.79 -$3.50 a box. I don't know how well it works with the amount that she mixed in with the detergent. It's meant to be used for clothes that accidentally bleed color onto something in the wash, but you never know, it might help.
Load More Replies...This is what you deserve for stealing what doesn't belong to you.
At least blue washes out faster. If she used red that would be evil. Red RIT dye is impossible to get out.
Never tamper with food! Whilst the thief shouldn't be taking it, you don't know if they have allergies to things like laxatives or are on medications that could cause serious medical complications or even death. Your petty revenge could end in a prison sentence.
I hear you and what you're saying makes perfect sense but on the same note the thief shouldn't risk taking food that they didn't make. I would never put a medication of any kind in food to taint it for a food thief but I would definitely add some ghost pepper sauce or Carolina reeper and let nature take its course. I love hot peppers so it wouldn't be a thing to me to eat some to prove a point.
Load More Replies...I never left my detergent in the communal washroom, I always had that stolen, but I decided to take a chance and put the dryer sheets in there. They slowly disappeared as well. They were from the Dollar Store, not a big financial loss, but I had staticky clothes a few times because I was out of dryer sheets. C'mon people!
I bought a new pair of Levis and washed them in the apartment building's washing machine. The next wash was done by a tenant and consisted of all of his white shirts. Those shirts are now light blue. Sorry, Bren.
2 WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT. If you had a problem, lock your c**p up.
Also, do you NOT see the ridiculousness in you scolding the person, who only acted after their property was stolen, by saying "Lock your c**p up" Instead of thinking to, oh I don't know, put the blame where it belongs, and telling the moochers to "Stop stealing other people's stuff."? These thieves were costing a stranger money yet YOU think he should either go spend is time & money to replace it or "lock it up" (essentially ignoring the couple & allowing them to continue to get away with their theft)? Newsflash the person STEALING C**P IS WRONG & Deserved MORE than 3 blue loads of laundry.
Load More Replies...
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