And In One Quick Puff, They Were Gone

Every time the weather gets bad, the staff from the office next door use the alcove under my office window for their smoke breaks. Frankly, it stinks, they never pick up after themselves, and I’m sick of having to hear them loudly gossip and cackle to themselves.

I complained to the building manager and to the other office’s building company, but any change was only temporary. I considered many things that would only get me into trouble. I couldn’t even accidentally spill water on them as there is a lip.

So, I got petty, really petty. Every time I heard them, I recorded who was there and when, and more importantly, for how long.

I requested information about a job vacancy they had open, and soon, I had everything I needed.

I sent my list of all the long breaks the employees were taking. I even had their names as they were so loud. Better yet, because all the email addresses started with “firstname.lastname” and their names were on the “Contact Us” page of their website.

I was able to CC them in.

Suddenly, no one smoked under my window and my office stopped stinking of old smoke.