Some people can be too finicky about their stuff.

If you worked in an office where everyone left their coffee mugs in the break room, what would you do if a coworker used your coffee mug? Would you simply wash it and use it again, or would you make a fuss and demand they buy you a new one?

This man borrowed his coworker’s mug without asking, but he doesn’t think he did anything wrong.

Read the full story below for all the details.

AITAH for refusing to replace my coworker’s “stolen” mug even though I technically took it?

I (27M) work in a shared office space.

It has a communal kitchen.

Everyone leaves their mugs in the cabinet.

No names, no labels, just… mugs.

This man had forgotten his mug at home.

Last week, I forgot mine at home, so I grabbed a plain black mug from the cabinet.

It looked like a generic freebie from a conference.

I used it, washed it, and left it on my desk.

His coworker said her mug has sentimental value.

Cue the drama.

The next day, my coworker, Emily (29F), came storming over.

She was asking where her mug was.

Apparently, it was a gift from her boyfriend and has “sentimental value.”

I apologized and said it was on my desk—clean—and handed it back.

She told him off, saying not to take things without asking.

She looked at me like I’d just spit in it.

She said, “You shouldn’t just take things that aren’t yours.”

I agreed, but pointed out that it wasn’t labeled. It looked like the dozens of other mugs.

I said maybe she should mark it next time.

She wanted him to replace it, and he refused.

Now, she wants me to replace it because she says the “vibe is off now” and it feels “violated.”

I refused.

I didn’t break it and didn’t damage it.

I even cleaned it better than most people in the office do.

His coworkers think he should just replace it.

Now, a few coworkers are saying I should just buy her a new mug to keep the peace.

But I think that’s ridiculous.

It’s like someone borrowing a pen, and you demanding a new one because they touched it.

AITA?

How will replacing it help if the mug has sentimental value?

Let’s read the reactions of other users to this story on Reddit.

This user thinks it’s silly.

This person’s comment makes sense.

This person shares a petty idea.

And another comment. LOL.

Finally, this person thinks it’s a pathetic effort.

You can’t really replace something with sentimental value, can you?

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.