I share an apartment with two roommates. we’re all in our early-to-mid-twenties. one recently dropped out of college and is unemployed, and spends most of the day playing neopets in her room and so I’ve been looking for ways to cheer her up. I play pranks on both of them every now and then and they usually get good reactions, and while I was out thrifting the other day I found a pretty sweet fog machine. the prankster in me thought it would be funny to fill up her room with fog while she was gone, so I took it home and waited for the moment to strike. she left early yesterday morning for a job interview, and so before I headed out to work, I set everything up and let it rip.
about an hour or so later, she texted our roommate gc asking “who tf filled up my room with fog!?” I didn’t realize she was actually angry at first so I sent a laughing emoji. then she called me a few seconds later and asked me why the hell I would do that. I was a little taken aback and didn’t know how to respond, so I semi-sarcastically said I was bored and that I thought she’d find it funny. she told me it wasn’t funny and that she almost called the fire department because she thought it was actual smoke, which I kinda understood but I felt in the moment that she was overreacting. I told her I was sorry, but that she didn’t need to get so mad at me, and I guess that made things worse because she hung up immediately after. I felt bad about it for the rest of the day and tried to apologize to her when I got home from work, but she didn’t wanna talk to me and now I feel like a big jerk. she’s still in her room.
I dunno what to do here. I had good intentions and I genuinely wanted to give her a good laugh after how things have gone for her lately, and honestly it felt pretty tame compared to some of the other stuff I’ve done. I talked with our other roommate and she thinks I definitely should have thought more before doing it, and I agree that I probably should have. I do kinda feel though that ignoring me after the fact after I tried to apologize is kinda unnecessary at this point. it’s been a whole day and I feel like we should be able to be adults about this kind of thing.
YTA. Filling someone’s room with fog without warning is legitimately scary
And when they’re likely under stress because job interviews are nerve wracking for most people? Just adds to the YTA.
YTA. If this is a real story I can’t believe you’re even asking the question
YTA. Pranks are using other human beings for your amusement. Stop. “We should be able to be adults” = no more pranks.
Sorry but YTA. The risk of pranks is that the recipient might not like it, despite your intentions. Apologize sincerely, in text, if needed. Acknowledge her feelings and that while you thought it would be funny, you can see you were wrong. Don’t try to minimize her concerns or defend your decision. And don’t prank her anymore. If you want to cheer her up, do something that is surprising but kind – like a treat or something you know she likes.
YTA. She didn’t find it funny, which means you apologize and promise to not prank her again, SINCERELY WITH NO SARCASTIC UNDERTONE. It’s only funny if everyone’s laughing. She gets to be mad for as long as she wants.
“…we’re all in our early-to-mid-twenties”. Don’t know about your other roommates, but you sound like you’re 25 going on 12. Such an immature prank. Perfectly reasonable for your pranked roommmate to have thought initially their room was on fire and to be very unhappy. YTA.
YTA. This is not funny, and if she has sensitive equipment (aka electronics, artist canvases, etc) in her room, it could have ruined them, depending on what the base of the fog is made of. It can also cause black mold on the walls due to the high humidity.
YTA, and stop lying to yourself. You pull pranks to cheer yourself up. It has absolutely nothing to do with your struggling friend.
YTA. If people need space after feeling angry, that’s normal and okay. You as the pranker are allowed to take the risk but then you aren’t allowed to get butt hurt when it goes sideways. Apologize like an adult and be cool about it. Don’t be a low “EQ” person and spew your guilt all over the household.
YTA. When someone says that they didn’t find your prank funny, the proper response is to recognize that you made a mistake, to apologize, and, if needed, to try to set things aright. Instead, you told your roommate “*that she didn’t need to get so mad at*” you. In other words, you not only failed to acknowledge your error but also you buckled down and minimized her feelings.
YTA. Pranks are almost never acceptable. They are, by nature, designed to make fun at the expense of others. What was the point if not to surprise her? What emotion did you want to illicit? Joy? Who the hell walks into a room full of smoke and feels anything other than surprise and fear?! Grow up. Friends don’t prank one another.
YTA. Leaving a machine like that unattended is very unsafe. Not to mention the roommate now probably has a massive amount of laundry and cleaning to do. This wasn’t a prank it was reckless.
YTA you think your pranks are cool and funny. She doesn’t. Stop. Apologise