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Despite being widespread in modern times, elevators can be a little unsettling. Those that are afraid of being in small spaces won’t use them very frequently. even at all. And you won’t see somebody using them who is anxious. the kind that prevents you from going into one if it is even 1% filled. There is, however, a third group of people who fall somewhere in the middle of these two and who are probably also not very fond of confined bits of movable architecture found in multi-story buildings. And they are lousy managers that treat their staff poorly before using their attitude to corner themselves in an elevator. As this is a case of malicious compliance, it should be obvious who suffered the consequences. Continue reading through since the tale is quite gratifying and fascinating.
Recently, a Redditor with the username u/QuixiQuirk joined the r/MaliciousCompliance forum with an epic tale of malicious compliance. Bored Panda got in touch with this user through Reddit. Epic in the sense that there were numerous reasons why the OP was purposefully compliant, but also in the sense that it was epic since it was flagged with the XL flair. According to the tale, OP worked as a cashier and customer service representative in a video rental and game store. By the way, this was in the 1990s, the heyday of video rentals and video games.
In any case, the work was excellent, but one particular employee was not. Unfortunately, she worked there as a manager; OP presented her as Amanda. She was older, you see, and not all that content with her life. She was determined to make everyone else’s lives as miserable as hers as a result, and everyone suffered. buyers as well.
She was the owner’s daughter-in-law and, according to the OP, even the owner didn’t want anything to do with her, which makes it even worse that she was there due to good ol’ nepotism. Fortunately, she was cooped up in the back room for the majority of her working hours, either watching television or talking on the phone, keeping her too occupied to annoy anyone.
Well, OP remembered a few specific instances where they had a disagreement with Amanda. The first instance happened when OP and a client were on the phone talking about late fines. The phone was clearly Amanda’s domain, so when OP tried to use it, she started a loud argument that startled everyone in the narrative, including the person on the other end of the line. As a result, OP was forbidden from using the phone.
In the second incident, OP had a bathroom emergency. Amanda activated her wild mode once more and sprang violently to the restroom door. As a result, OP was instructed to stay on the floor at all times while working. Amanda just keeps fueling the evil compliance machine at this point.
Finally, the day finally arrived when Amanda would receive her rightful rewards in the form of “well, you said so yourself,” just as OP had planned. It had now been months since OP had been tortured (and other employees). But when everything came together, OP finally had a chance to exact retribution through malevolent compliance.
In an elevator in the building, maintenance had just done their work for the day. While they informed OP that the work was not complete and that no one should use the elevator, they did little else to prevent people from unintentionally walking inside the elevator. Everything was running on electricity.
Enter Amanda. She obviously uses the elevator. OP is unaware of it until it is too late. Halfway up, it ascends, then stops. At the center, between the two floors. Not sufficient to squeeze out on the top or bottom. Oh, dang. Play the nefarious compliance.
“I experienced a similar sensation to the young child who discovers the candy store’s keys when I knew Amanda was trapped. OP described the first reaction they felt as soon as they realized what was happening to the page. “I was excited but I was also concerned that I was going to be in trouble for it,” OP said. “I was kind of surprised that I didn’t ever get so much as a mild scolding. That kind of shows how obnoxious she was.”
The broken ascension box plays the OP’s name, and cries for aid. But alas, OP is unable to stop it. Why? They cannot leave the floor, so there. Just from around the corner can hear Amanda’s voice, which is very profane. Might they then maybe make an assistance request? or perhaps the owner of the store, maintenance? Nope. Phone use is forbidden. And OP most definitely won’t risk experiencing the shouting match that was Amanda’s nuclear meltdown while OP was previously consulting a client.
OP had just about had enough of poking Amanda’s buttons by merely obeying her tight directions, and was about to stop, but then Amanda shouted the two words every victim of corporate abuse with a craving for wickedly compliant payback wants to hear—”your fired”.
Fired? Alright, I’ll pick up my things and head off right away, BYE! This is the strategy OP anticipated, locking Amanda in the elevator till the end of the current shift in a few hours. They hung a “We’re Closed” sign on the door, left as a swearing storm reached its apex, and went to the store owner, Ken.
Speaking about Ken, he was taken aback when OP knocked on his door. Once they discussed the situation it turned out Amanda couldn’t fire OP Ken and decided he should go aid her. He was gardening at the time, so he looked at his filthy hands before deciding, oh so slyly, that he should finish his work, wash his hands, and then perhaps check on Amanda.
“I saw a number of comments where people suggested ways to outdo [the malicious compliance], but at the time, everything just sort of lined up, and I don’t think there was anything further I could have done to make it worse. I doubt that I would have wished for it to go much worse.
And yes, Amanda had spent a total of five hours trapped in the elevator without access to the lavatory. Soon after one of OP’s coworkers arrived for their shift, maintenance entered the building. Amanda obviously stopped working there after the incident. People online really liked the story. In addition to the story itself being enjoyable, some people appreciated OP’s storytelling abilities. Several others began highlighting the elements they found most appealing, and some even began to relate their own experiences. Naturally, one person had to say, “You literally left her hanging,” and that person is that person. Slowly clap Kudos, sir.
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