Man Brought His Own Microwave to Work and Locked It So No One Else Could Use It

One man’s attempt to avoid workplace drama drew plenty of online attention.

Posting to Reddit’s “Am I the A——?” forum, the employee explained that he worked as a shuttle driver alongside 20 other colleagues who used the same break room. The team shared a communal microwave at work, but according to him, that simple setup led to a lot of conflict during mealtime.

“I work as a shuttle driver and a driver says [I’m] an inconsiderate a$$hole,” he wrote, sharing his frustration over the daily struggle. “They broke the new [microwave] in a day and we’re not allowed to use the one in the Dispatch office anymore and [administration] won’t get us a new one until it breaks.”

Rather than continue arguing over the communal appliance, the original poster, or OP, took matters into his own hands. His solution was to bring in his own microwave to work and install a lock on it so that no one else could use it.

The unusual move left him questioning whether he had gone too far. Turning to Reddit, he asked the community if his decision made him the bad guy. “Before bringing my own, I asked a bunch of people if they’re willing to split a microwave and they said no because they don’t wanna spend the money for a second microwave,” he noted. “So I brought my own.”

Redditors weighed in on whether a personal, locked microwave at work was reasonable or petty, with many commenters supporting him fully.

“I can’t even imagine saying ‘My coworker is so inconsiderate because he brought his own microwave in after the new one broke and won’t let us use it because no one wanted to pitch in for a replacement,'” one user wrote, and calculating, that while the company should have bouhgt the tean a new one, it would have only costed each person “an easy $5 to $15” to afford a new one if everyone pitched in.

Still, not everyone was on his side. Some felt that locking out coworkers could have worsened workplace dynamics. Others noted that his blunt description — “a driver says [I’m] an inconsiderate a$$hole” — didn’t help his case, suggesting his tone may have made the conflict worse.

In the end, the majority verdict landed on NTA, as in “Not The A——”, however, many cautioned that the approach might spark further tension in the workplace.

“You might [have] solved one problem and created another,” one commenter suggested. Another added, “NTA but I wouldn’t be surprised if you arrive one day and find it ‘broken’ or with the power lead cut off!”

Still, some were left with additional logistical questions, such as, “How the h— did they manage to break the microwave within a day?” (which OP answered in the comments that “a guy put an aluminum bottle in the microwave”) and “How do you put a lock on a microwave?” (which OP unfortunately did not explain).

Whether petty or practical, his story struck a chord with readers who understand how the smallest office appliances can ignite big workplace debates.