Pexels/Reddit

Small rules have a way of creating the biggest grudges.

An employee had to complete a qualification every ninety days for his job, and it cost exactly $9. Not around $9, exactly $9, and anyone paying cash needed exact change.

About fifteen years ago, he showed up with a $10 bill and offered to let them keep the extra dollar, just so he could finish and leave. The answer was a flat no.

That’s when he started writing a personal check for precisely $9 every three months, a small hassle for them and a quiet pleasure for him.

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

I’ve been writing a $9 check every three months for 15 years out of spite

Every 90 days, I have to do a qualification through my employer for away-from-work purposes. It costs $9.

Not around $9. Exactly $9. If you pay cash, they require exact change.

They made it quite clear the “exact” part was non-negotiable.

About 15 years ago, I showed up with a $10 bill. They wouldn’t take it. I told them I didn’t even want the dollar back. Keep it. I just wanted to do the qualification and leave.

Nope. Exact change or no qualification.

Fine.

This employee never forgot that.

Ever since then, every three months, I write them a personal check for exactly $9. Processing the check is a hassle for them.

Could I bring exact change? Of course.

But he wants to make it as painful as possible.

But processing a check is more of a pain for them, and at this point, I’ve been doing it for 15 years.

It’s not even revenge anymore, it’s tradition.

The lady who works in there now reminds me every three months that I’m the only person who still writes a check.

I remind her the exact change policy is stupid.

Never underestimate someone else’s pettiness.

What did Reddit have to say?

This commenter provides another master class in petty revenge.

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Sometimes it’s just the principle of the thing.

This user offers a helpful tip.

Some people are just made of pettiness.

This man has turned a single bad afternoon into the longest-running protest in the building, and he deserves some major respect for the commitment.

Fifteen years of patience shows how little it takes to make a rule-follower regret their silly policy.

Exact change would’ve been way cheaper in retrospect.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.