I Was Definitely Not an Adult When I Took That Prank Too Far

You know that feeling when you just can't keep your mouth shut? Well, let me tell you about a time when my tongue got the better of me at work. It was back in 2014 when I was still working as a customer service rep at this big tech company. My boss had recently given out new smartphones to everyone, and these things were top-of-the-line, all shiny and fancy, but they also came with some pretty hefty rules about security and how you could use them on the job. Now, I’m not one to follow rules blindly, especially when it seems like my coworkers are getting away with more. We had this new IT guy who was always complaining that he didn’t get a cool case for his phone. He’d leave it out in plain sight while doing inventory or talking on the desk phone, and I just couldn’t stand seeing that thing unprotected. So one day, I got an idea. I thought maybe if everyone saw what happened to this fancy phone when you’re not careful, they might take care of their own devices better. It was supposed to be a practical joke, but in my mind, it felt like a public service announcement about security awareness. I waited for the right moment, after lunch on Friday, before everyone was leaving. I casually walked up behind him as he was bent over his desk, trying not to make eye contact while slipping something inside the case of his phone. Then, as quickly and inconspicuously as possible, I placed a harmless little program that would cause it to reboot with an amusing message about “phone care” every time it started. The next day, he came into work looking baffled at why his phone kept doing this weird loop, not really knowing who could have done something like that. He asked around and then, of course, the IT department had a good laugh but also gave him an earful about security protocols. I still feel pretty good about myself for taking action on what I thought was right. It’s funny because people say pranks aren’t productive or professional, but sometimes it takes a little nudge to get others to see things your way. And yes, even now at 56 years old, if the situation called for another intervention like this, I’d probably do something similar again.