“a few years back i was living in a halfway house in canberra where theft from the communal kitchen was a common problem,” writes alex in australia. “one morning we woke to discover that the fridge had gone missing.” (the coffee in question was stolen from a cupboard, but apparently the owner thought removing the [...]

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this note from a “friendly neighbor” was put through the mailslot of dan’s apartment in the heart of south philly. says dan: “i wanted to put ‘thanks for the advice!’ on the door in response, but thought better of it.”

as infuriating as the note was, “i do love how they phoned in the underlining on [...]

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first, the “tell” part: i know it’s ridiculous, but i still have a mini existential crisis every time a friend/colleague/family member forwards me a passive-aggressive-themed article or cartoon along with a remark like “this made me think of you!”or “hey, passive-aggressive girl!” (i comfort myself with the thought that hey, at least i didn’t decide [...]

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in terms of the appropriate sympathetic nervous system response, an e-mail subject line like “big favor” is kinda the modern cubicle-dweller’s equivalent of “saber-tooth tiger outside cave!”

(note: this e-mail, our seattle-area submitter says, is from the very same person who brought us this.)
related: perhaps it’s time for a little group therapy?

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if you’ve ever tut-tutted over the consequences of big-box stores and online retailers overtaking small businesses, you’ll be heartened to hear that some folks have figured out how to bring those old-fashioned mom-n-pop ideas about customer service into the digital age…with the help of a big ol’ corporation called ebay!
while browsing the auction site for [...]

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geetha in sydney says this note appeared in the shared dining room the day after the city’s gay mardi gras. the best part? “a few people admitted the condom might be theirs, but nobody would take credit for the note.”

related: dearest roommate

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when sheena in austin spotted this note on her neighbor’s front door, she couldn’t help but wonder: “if your doormat has sentimental value, maybe it should be hanging on your wall instead of sitting on the ground?”

related: wrath mat
extra credit: sentimental value: clothing stories from ebay

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writes our anonymous submitter from canada: “i got back to my desk after lunch on a friday and found this heartfelt note on my keyboard. i was touched.”

adds our submitter: “i worked my ass off on that damn report!”
related: oh sweetie, i love it when you talk dirty!
extra credit: TPS report cover sheet

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given the highly intellectual discussions this site’s commenters have become known for, it seems safe to assume that the question “how are we to judge poetry?” is one that you, dear reader, have no doubt pondered on many an occasion, along with other more academic concerns such as the proper resting state of the toilet [...]

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kendall was waiting for her peach perfection at the jamba juice in elmhurst, illinois when she spotted this note on the napkin-holder. writes kendall: “i guess it’s their passive-aggressive way of saying, ‘take fewer napkins, a**hole!’”

a tip for would-be internet meme-mongers: as of this writing, algoreknowshowmanynapkinsyoutake.com is still available. (what are you waiting for? apparently, [...]

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the manager of a florida preschool seems to have a kindred spirit at a missouri strip club, where our anonymous submitter spotted this note taped to a dressing-room mirror.

personally, i like the idea of an junior-high-elective-style employment program. (dance? restaurant management? government? you decide!)
related: happy to be of service

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marcus in leicester, u.k. found this stuck to the lid of the toilet by one of his housemates. “i’d understand if it was the seat,” he says, “but the lid?”

i’m with marcus, here — i don’t think this is some kind of dear abby “does the toilet paper go over or under?” type issue. is [...]

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christoph found this polite and friendly note on the door of his apartment in san francisco. a reasonable enough request, to be sure, except for the fact that — despite his neighbor’s claimed omniscience — “i don’t own any exercise equipment.”

(admits christoph: “it was likely a swivel chair…and my habit of rolling back and forth [...]

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writes an anonymous federal employee in colorado: “this morning we were reminded via an office-wide email that we must comply with the official timekeeping rules.”
that means recording the correct time on our time sheets, not being absent during core hours without submitting a leave slip, not being off campus except for lunch hour or approved [...]

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our anonymous submitter in california — pleading innocence — says she was singled-out with this note in a barn that houses 60 other horses and their hay.

this note’s lack of obvious sitcom-ish puns — with the exception of “breeding good vibes” — makes me think that maybe i’ve been doing this too long…or perhaps that [...]

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this masterpiece is a gift from the collection of zedral (morgantown, west virginia, 2008). the original installation also includes a trail of small arrows pointing customers toward the register, along with multiple post-it reiterations along the way.

related: ceci n’est pas une note passif-agressif

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what kind of objectionable trash do you suppose is being disposed of in these bins? (half-eaten curries? yesterday’s times?) how many hours of company time did the sign’s designer spend on this full-color laminated masterpiece? what is that comma doing there? and how, exactly, how are these bins to be monitored?

related: servicing over a half-billion [...]

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where do you suppose this “anomous” tampa, florida resident stands on the whole nature-vs.-nurture debate?

interested? here’s a free preview!

related: your to lazy

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the most irritating part of finding this note propped on her keyboard, says jackie in philly, is that she wasn’t the person who requested dark chocolate in the office vending machine. “in fact, i can’t stand the stuff!” (in that case…hello, shower gift?)

related: bun — er, — pizza in the oven

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this bit of poetry is brought to us by alex in vancouver, an innocent observer on the scene.

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