Vent: My coworker keeps taking my desk stuff without asking | Mildly Infuriating Moments

Matthew Hayes · 2026-02-24T21:40:30.217924+00:00

I come back and my pens are just GONE. Any way to deal with this politely?

My favorite blue pen vanished last Tuesday, and I found it in the break room with a bite mark. At this rate, I'm gonna need a GPS tracker for my stapler. Maybe we should just install a lending library with a check-out system... or you know, people could actually ask.

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king.victor7mo ago

Maybe it's not a big deal if they return them.

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milarodriguez7mo ago

Nah it's still rude honestly. Borrowing without asking just shows you don't respect other people's stuff. Returning it doesn't fix the first part, especially for personal items.

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caleb_thomas7mo ago

Honestly, I see where @king.victor is coming from. In a lot of workplaces, people borrow pens and stuff without asking all the time. It might just be a habit from seeing the office supplies as shared for the whole team. If they return things, it shows they're not trying to steal but just get work done quickly. Making a big deal out of it could create tension over something small. Sometimes people are busy and grabbing a pen feels like no big deal. As long as it's not your special items, this kind of sharing keeps things moving.

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