'AITA for not letting my coworker borrow my charger even though her phone was dying?' UPDATED
"AITA for not letting my coworker borrow my charger even though her phone was dying?"
Okay, so this might sound petty, but I swear this has been building up for a while. I (25F) work in an office with mostly cool people, but there’s one girl. Let’s call her Lisa, who constantly "borrows" things and never gives them back unless you ask. And even when you ask, it’s with that sigh like you’re bothering her for wanting your own stuff.
Anyway, last week, I brought in my phone charger the long, good one, not the gas station kind because I forgot to charge overnight.
Around 2PM, Lisa strolls over and goes, “Heyyy, is your charger free? Mine’s at home and I need to make a call later.”
Now, normally I’d say yes, but literally just two weeks ago she borrowed my charger and kept it for three days. I had to go charger-less at work and then finally walked over and asked for it back. She acted like I was being dramatic.
So this time I said, “Actually, I kinda need it to keep my phone alive today.”
She got annoyed and said I was being selfish and that her phone was at 9%. I said, “Mine was at 7% twenty minutes ago, that’s why I brought my charger.”
She gave me this look like I’d just kicked a puppy, rolled her eyes, and walked away. Now a couple of coworkers are saying it wouldn’t have hurt me to let her use it “for just a bit,” but I’m kind of tired of being the backup power bank for someone who doesn’t return things unless she’s hunted down like a side quest. AITA for saying no?
TL;DR: Coworker wanted to borrow my charger. I said no because she always keeps stuff too long. She got mad. Was I being petty?
The internet did not hold back one bit.
extapolapoketl wrote:
You’re being petty but I love it. She’s being entitled and spoiled. One of your coworkers can lend her theirs if they want to!!
OP responded:
Haha thank you!! Honestly I felt a tiny bit petty in the moment but also weirdly proud. Like, I’ve officially retired from being the office “community charger.” If the others think it's “just a bit,” then yeah. They can absolutely be the heroes next time.
pigandpom wrote:
Surely she has someone else's charger stuffed in her desk somewhere. NTA. Her lack of preparedness is not your problem.
mumtaz2004 wrote:
You’ll note that none of your coworkers jumped up to loan Lisa THEIR charger! Funny how that is. You’re supposed to give her your stuff but they would never share theirs…don’t give anyone, anything going forward. Just establish a “no loaning” policy, because you’ve learned the hard way that you don’t always get things returned.
Done. End of discussion. Lisa’s an AH and a big girl. She could have tried multiple other options-her world will not come to a screeching halt bc you did not loan her your charger. It’s a phone charger, not an epipen while she’s experiencing anaphylaxis. NTA.
Dranask wrote:
NTA. If your coworker’s phone has begun to lose charge during work days then they should have planned for it. Her lack of preparedness isn’t your problem, plus her inability to quickly return borrowed stuff is a very valid reason not to lend her anything.
A charging cable is a default carry for me. Also a small power cell to charge from as my last company’s business manager considered charging your phone at work as theft.
Two days later, OP shared an update.
Hey y’all! Just wanted to say thanks for all the comments. I didn’t expect this to get much attention but wow, apparently we’ve all got a “Lisa” in our lives.
So…here’s the mini soap opera that unfolded:
The day after the whole charger incident, Lisa came in acting super cold. Like, "barely-a-nod-in-the-break-room" cold.
I let it go because I honestly didn’t feel like dying on the hill of “why are you being weird about my phone cable.” Anyway, later that afternoon she made a very loud point of saying to no one in particular, “Some people just can’t share, I guess,” while pulling out one of those ancient brick backup chargers that charges your phone from 7% to 8% in an hour.
I just sipped my coffee and pretended to be deep in an email to "Corporate" (aka scrolling memes). But here's the best part: My manager actually pulled her aside, not me...and gently reminded her that personal items should be respected and that she should stop treating people’s desks like a rental shelf.
I didn’t snitch, I swear. I think someone else must’ve overheard her salty commentary and reported it. Also, fun twist: Turns out Lisa borrowed another girl’s stapler a while back and it “mysteriously” ended up in her drawer. So… looks like I’m not the only one with a Lisa Loan Crisis.
Moral of the story? Protect your chargers, your staplers, and your sanity.
Anyway, thanks for backing me up. Feels good to know I wasn’t being petty, just setting a boundary that should’ve been obvious. Let me know if Lisa tries to borrow oxygen next.
The internet had a lot to say in response.
Justaredditor85 wrote:
Hopefully Loaning Lisa will learn her lesson.
Kyra_Heiker wrote:
Lesson not likely to last long, lol.
MareV51 wrote:
In my escrow office, office supplies like stapler, two hole and 3 hole punches, pens, paperclips and paper clamps boxes were all marked with the holder of the desk's name (underneath). We only raided desks after someone left the company. That's how I got my Montblanc and Cross pens. I usually stayed after work until 6pm so everyone was gone. But did replace the items with my old one. All names removed.
This really paid off when I found in a desk where the officer quit, and I found a PILE of tax checks in her drawer. She handled new subdivisions. There were about 50 checks. This was April 9th, they were due on the 10th. You bet I made copies, then walked them to the county building 2 blocks away.
Wrote an Affidavit to go with them, telling how I found them. Turned it into the big boss the next morning at 7:30 am. After I saw the checks, I tore apart her desk drawers and saw a bunch of impound refund checks she never sent out, some over 6 months old. Her new employer played golf with one of my middle managers and he got an earful. Everyone liked her, too.
RayDjo wrote:
The best part about being an adult? NOT having to share your PERSONAL items that YOU PURCHASED with anyone that you don't want to for 0 reason at all. It's MINE. I'm not obligated to give you s#$t.