September 22, 2026 at 2:25 pm

College Student Tried To Take A Shortcut To Class, But Called A Construction Worker Stupid When He Stopped Her

by Jayne Elliott

upset college student walking to class

Shutterstock

Imagine walking somewhere you walk all the time, but there’s construction going on. If a construction worker tried to stop you from walking on your normal path, would you follow his directions or ignore him?

In this story, one university student was in this situation. She chose to ignore the construction worker and call him stupid.

She regrets what she said but doesn’t seem to regret what she did.

Was she in the wrong?

Let’s read the whole story to decide.

AITA for ignoring a construction workers instructions?

So at uni the other day I was walking along a path where they were doing construction work nearby.

On the path there was a straight road leading to an 90 degree right turn which I needed to go through to get to my class.

About a half a meter before this turn was a construction worker of sorts standing guard of a gap between the turn and the straight path (so like a mini shortcut).

We get a lot of tourists and I was stuck behind a big group of them at the turn so I opted to go through the shortcut. (This shortcut had no construction work happening it was just being blocked for some reason).

She regrets how she handled this situation.

As I was walking this man stuck his arm infront of me as a way of telling me I cant go through here(this annoyed me).

I asked him “why not” and he didnt really give me an answer, just said something along the lines of just doing my job.

I said this was stupid (something I regret, I shouldnt have belittled his job) and decided to walk right through him despite his protests. AITA?

I went back and apologised which I somewhat regret because as soon as he saw me he stuck his arm out when I was just saying sorry.

Okay, so he was just doing his job. Did blocking off an area that didn’t have any construction work going on at that moment seem stupid? I’m sure it did. Still, safety first.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This person thinks she messed up.

2026 09 17 at 5.35.25 PM College Student Tried To Take A Shortcut To Class, But Called A Construction Worker Stupid When He Stopped Her

Another person calls her immature.

2026 09 17 at 5.35.53 PM College Student Tried To Take A Shortcut To Class, But Called A Construction Worker Stupid When He Stopped Her

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a neighbor who steps in to stop illegal driveway construction for friends down the road.

This person makes a good point.

2026 09 17 at 5.36.26 PM College Student Tried To Take A Shortcut To Class, But Called A Construction Worker Stupid When He Stopped Her

Another person makes a good point.

2026 09 17 at 5.36.51 PM College Student Tried To Take A Shortcut To Class, But Called A Construction Worker Stupid When He Stopped Her

She really should’ve been a little bit more patient instead of rude and disrespectful. Hopefully, she learns from this mistake. At least she’s self-aware enough to wonder if she messed up.

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

Follow Jayne's adventures and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.