There’s nothing more disappointing than dreaming about those delicious leftovers from your favorite Italian restaurant all night, only to find that someone else has devoured them before you had the chance. Whether it was a family remember you live with or a colleague who you share the fridge with at work, meal stealing is a serious problem for hangry foodies that can’t go unaddressed.

But when one man tried to get revenge on a sandwich thief who had access to a communal fridge where he worked, his plan ended up backfiring. Below, you’ll find the full story of why his business now needs to relocate, as well as some of the replies amused readers have left him.

After finding several of his sandwiches with bites taken out of them, this man decided to get revenge with a spicy surprise

Image credits: Shal Farley (not the actual photo)

He soon regretted his plan, however, when he realized the thief had been a child all along

Image credits: Anna Shvets (not the actual photo)

Image source: mtsiri

Later, the man answered a few questions from readers and provided additional info

The cardinal rule of communal fridges is to never touch anyone else’s food

Image credits: The Marmot (not the actual photo)

There are plenty of things in life that are up for debate, but when it comes to respecting another person’s food, most of us can agree that stealing is off limits. It’s one thing when your roommate tells you to help yourself to their milk or bread, so you don’t clutter up the kitchen with extra groceries. But communal fridges in dormitories, offices and hostels have a cardinal rule: don’t touch anyone else’s items. Unfortunately, however, it’s quite common for people to violate the sacred shared fridge, as one survey from Business Wire found that 18% of employees admit to having eaten something from someone else’s lunch out of their office fridge before. Aside from the frustration of unexpectedly finding yourself without lunch, this can also be costly for those who spent money on that food they didn’t get to eat and can harm a work environment by creating trust issues.

When it comes to stopping thieves from enjoying another one of your lunches, Office Topics recommends refraining from putting laxatives in the food. It’s just too risky, and it’s better to catch them in the act to ensure that you won’t be held accountable for harming them. Try leaving notes to deter them, or perhaps try putting something gross (but harmless) in the food, such as a bit of cat food. Office Topics actually does recommend using hot sauce or chili powder in your food too, but they warn that Carolina Reaper Peppers in particular may be too intense. “Even the smallest amount can cause gagging, hiccups, crying, rivers of snot, and even vomiting,” they explain. So if your office has CCTV, it might be best to check the cameras before getting revenge through the food.

Doctors recommend that children limit their intake of spicy foods

Image credits: Karo Kujanpaa (not the actual photo)

Although the OP in this story noted that he would have never used this hot sauce if he knew that it was a child stealing his sandwiches, apparently, it’s not great for kids to be eating spicy food at all. Dr. Kathryn Greiner told KBTX that she’s had children come in complaining about chest pain, and it turns out that it’s been caused by acid reflux from eating too many spicy snacks. Dr. Greiner warns that too many spices can create too much stomach acid in children, leading to discomfort or pain. Over time, this can even cause gastritis or ulcers. She recommends that parents avoid or limit how often their kids eat snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Takis.

“It can cause irritation from anywhere from the mouth until the food leaves the body. We’ve seen children with complaints of burning from the mouth, chest pain, esophagus [pain], sometimes irritation of the stomach,” Doctor Carla Laos from Saint David’s Children’s Hospital told Fox 4 News. One teenager in Tennessee even had to have her gallbladder removed due to her love of spicy snack foods. Her mother admitted that she was eating large bags of Hot Chips and Hot Takis, but this habit ended up being dangerous. Dr. Cary Canvender, a gastroenterologist at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, says they probably see about 100 kids a month complaining about similar issues.

Carolina Reapers are the hottest peppers in the world, and eating them shouldn’t be taken lightly

Image credits: Anyasez (not the actual photo)

While Carolina Reaper peppers are literally the hottest peppers in the world, there’s no question that anyone on the planet would find them spicy. But gastroenterologists believe that children have even more sensitive pain receptors than adults. Frequent and early exposure to spicy foods also allows people to have a higher tolerance for spice, and usually to enjoy it more as well. But especially when you’re a child, who is likely not used to spicy food at all, and you’re not expecting to be hit with the hottest pepper in the world, it can be a shock to your system. In fact, a 15-year-old even suffered a stroke after eating a Carolina Reaper pepper in 2020.

It’s important for children and adults to understand that we can’t just steal one another’s food whenever we like, but as this man learned the hard way, we need to tread lightly when it comes to getting revenge as well. There’s nothing wrong with an innocent prank, but in this case, the mother and landlord seem to think that the vengeance went way too far. We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Do you think the child was at fault for stealing the sandwich? Or do you think the hot sauce was a bad idea from the start? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in another Bored Panda article discussing revenge with hot sauce, look no further than right here!

Amused readers shared their thoughts on the situation, noting that the man should have never admitted fault

The post Man Tries To Get Revenge On A Sandwich Thief, Regrets It When He Realizes The Thief Was A Child first appeared on Bored Panda.