His neighbor kept stealing gas from his backyard. His two-part revenge ended with a police arrest. |
For a while, the homeowner couldn’t figure out what was happening. His five-gallon gas can kept coming up nearly empty, even though his lawnmower had a one-quart tank. The math didn’t add up.
He had a suspicion about the neighbor but no proof. So before security cameras were cheap and ubiquitous, he did something resourceful: he set up an old laptop with a webcam pointed at his backyard and configured it with motion detection software. Within days he had his answer. The neighbor walked into his yard and took the gas — literally five minutes after the homeowner left the house. He had it on video.
He didn’t confront him. He had a different idea.
Revenge comes in many different forms
For the following week, every time he needed to use the bathroom, he used the gas can instead. He then placed the now full, convincingly odored container back on the patio. He made a visible show of preparing for a trip — packing bags, checking his car — somewhere the neighbor could see him. Then he left for about an hour.
When he came back, the neighbor was in his front yard in full crisis mode, furiously yanking the cord on his lawnmower, which would not start. Shortly after, the neighbor tried to drive somewhere and broke down within a few blocks. The gas can on the patio was empty.
The story could have ended there — satisfying enough on its own. But it didn’t.
This neighbor dispute was not over yet
The neighbor, apparently unaware of how badly he’d misread this particular relationship, later asked the homeowner to drop off a ride-along application he’d filled out with his personal details. Around the same time, the homeowner happened to remember a conversation with a friend at the sheriff’s department, who’d mentioned offhandedly that ride-along applicants get checked for outstanding warrants.
The homeowner submitted the application. Authorities found the warrants. The neighbor was arrested.
The full story was posted to Reddit’s r/ProRevenge by u/MarchCompetitive6235 in January 2026 and quickly accumulated a large and enthusiastic audience. The subreddit, true to its name, has a high bar for this kind of thing — readers expect the revenge to be proportional, well-executed, and complete. This one cleared all three.
Gas Thief Revenge byu/MarchCompetitive6235 inProRevenge
It’s worth noting that using someone’s personal information to submit an application without their knowledge occupies legally murky territory depending on the state, and this approach isn’t something to replicate casually. But in this case the neighbor had outstanding warrants, which means the only thing the homeowner really did was provide law enforcement with information they were entitled to act on anyway.
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60 countries where we work around the globe
Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
Shop or donate at your local Habitat ReStore
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
Visit habitat.org/open-door to learn more and get involved today.
Have kids, they said. It’ll be great, they said. Well, one dad may have a bone to pick with those mysterious “they,” in that colloquial saying. A man running the Instagram account Havea_676, posted a video that has parents on the internet not only laughing at his tender moment turned embarrassing, but also sharing their own savage kid moments.
The dad was having a sweet moment with his daughter, asking her about her day and what she was excited about for the next day, before tucking her into bed. Things appeared to be going well, and his daughter, who is off camera, can be heard answering all of the questions. But at some point during the father-daughter moment, the little girl was over the many questions the man was asking.
“Daddy, can you please stop with your questions? I’m trying to sleep, and also your breath stinks,” the little girl reveals.
Yikes. Dad didn’t have much to say after that bombshell. He simply readjusts so his mouth isn’t pointing in her direction and says, “goodnight, I love you.” There went that sweet moment being caught on video, but after uploading the unexpected roast session, the dad was joined by fellow parents, commiserating. So what seemed like a sad parenting fail, was actually a great bonding moment for parents.
“Kids are brutally honest with no filter. I was helping my daughter button her shirt one morning, and I asked her if she brushed her teeth. She said yes… then there was an awkward pause before she frowned and said ‘did you? Cuz it don’t smell like it’ Needless to say I don’t help the lil heffa get dressed for school anymore lol,” one mom says.
“Kids know how to cut deep with one slice!! Haha,” someone else writes.
“I came home yesterday and asked my daughter if she missed me…She said NO with her whole chest,” another commenter reveals.
View this post on Instagram
“That was so honest for her to say that, and I love the way dad handled the situation. Their bond will live forever,” a commenter wrote. “Well at least you know she’ll be honest at school…she sounds like an amazing little girl,” another added.
Kids are just brutally honest until they get a bit older to realize there are gentler ways to deliver news. Hopefully, unless they skip that stage and become some rather challenging adults to deal with. But if this dad learned one thing from his lengthy conversation, it’s to brush your teeth before goodnight chats so you don’t melt your kid’s face off.
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.
Families with small children are usually among the first to board a plane, the logic being that it allows time to install any necessary kiddie seats, place strollers or other kid-centric luggage in the overhead bin, and get settled before takeoff.
However, one mom and former airline worker argues that doing things the opposite way would allow for smoother travel for all.
Laura, an ex-British flight attendant currently living in Florida and raising a family, recently shared on TikTok, “Okay don’t come for me but I think families with babies should board LAST.”
@laurainsouthflorida Okay don’t come for me but I think families with babies should board LAST. I know. I KNOW. And yes I used to be a flight attendant. I have seen things. I have opinions. This is one of them. Every time we pre-board Oliver we spend an extra 25 minutes strapped into seats going absolutely nowhere while every other human slowly files past us making faces at him like he’s a zoo exhibit. He’s fine for the first 10 minutes. Then he’s done. DONE. And we still haven’t even pushed back from the gate. I spent years watching families board first and slowly unravel before we even closed the door. Board last. Sit down. Take off immediately. Baby never knows the difference. Trust the ex-flight attendant on this one. The pre-board privilege is a trap. I handed it out for years and I’m only now admitting that. You’re welcome. Or I’m sorry. Depending on how strongly you feel about this. #flyingwithababy #travelingwithababy #babytravel #exflightattendant #flightattendantlife ♬ original sound – laurainsouthflorida
Okay don’t come for me but I think families with babies should board LAST. I know. I KNOW. And yes I used to be a flight attendant. I have seen things. I have opinions. This is one of them. Every time we pre-board Oliver we spend an extra 25 minutes strapped into seats going absolutely nowhere while every other human slowly files past us making faces at him like he’s a zoo exhibit. He’s fine for the first 10 minutes. Then he’s done. DONE. And we still haven’t even pushed back from the gate. I spent years watching families board first and slowly unravel before we even closed the door. Board last. Sit down. Take off immediately. Baby never knows the difference. Trust the ex-flight attendant on this one. The pre-board privilege is a trap. I handed it out for years and I’m only now admitting that. You’re welcome. Or I’m sorry. Depending on how strongly you feel about this. #flyingwithababy #travelingwithababy #babytravel #exflightattendant #flightattendantlife
First recalling her own experience as a traveler, Laura noted that every time she brought her young son, Oliver, they would pre-board, as many parents do. However, getting on the plane early just meant that Oliver had an extra hour of being cooped up.
“We’d spend an extra 25 minutes strapped into seats going absolutely nowhere while every other human slowly files past us making faces at him like he’s a zoo exhibit,” she wrote in the........