So I work in the healthcare field and we recently had some changes within the facility which caused my department to have to share a wardrobe with another department. Usually we all have a locker, you’re suppose to keep your private stuff in there, put your name on the outside and take the key with you home etc.
Our leader informed us that there were free lockers in the wardrobe and that we could just pick one. So I went in there one evening and saw a locker, it had the key in it, it had no name on it, and inside was just some trash(empty plastic bag, broken pen etc) so I assumed the locker was free and cleaned it up and moved in, put my name on it and took the key.
Then after two weeks I come to work to see that someone has moved my name from my locker to a neighbouring locker, and written in sharpie, one my locker: “locker is taken, please put the key back!”.
I feel bad for having taken someone’s locker unintentionally, but if they just left a note saying that I would have gladly moved lockers and given it back. But that they choose vandalism and didn’t even put their name on it pisses me off. I also now feel so anxious about coming to work potentially running into whoever I have upset.
I took a photo of the locker, moved my name back, tried washing the sharpie off (unsuccessfully), and emailed my boss about it.
Am I the asshole for this?
NTA. You do the best you can with the knowledge you have at the time. In your case you were told to pick any locker, there were no names on the locker just some discarded rubbish, and so naturally and logically you assumed it wasn’t taken. Which it wasn’t!!!! It was abandoned. Are they so petty they couldn’t take the one next to you? Hold your head up. You can be gracious but you have no need to apologise or feel guilty.
NTA, you followed the rules, they didn’t
NTA. They gave it up when they left the key in it and no name on it
NTA. If there is a custom in place, and you followed your custom, they can’t be upset. The passive-aggressive clapback makes them complete assholes.
Make sure you have maintenance clean off the graffiti!
Did you manager get back to you with any feedback?
No. Absolutely not!
NTA
Umm… it sounds like somebody actually stole *your* locker.
NTA.
Or tried to !
NTA, not at all. Unless it’s some sort of magical locker, the person who moved your stuff should have just taken an empty one.
Didn’t move their stuff, just moved their name tag. They probably left their trash in there thinking it’s their “turf”. Rude surprise if they were that foolish to do that.
Agreed, can’t blame OP.
NTA. Use nail polish remover to get the sharpie off. In college, I lived in a party house and someone signed our wall in sharpie. We used my nail polish remover to get it off. It worked like a charm.
Isopropyl with also work. Acetate could take the finish ofthelocker. .
Expo takes off permanent marker dear
dry erase marker over top of the sharpie and then it’ll come off.