The internet is captivated after a Reddit user shared a hilariously awkward moment involving leftover pizza, a trash can, and a new roommate.
Redditor u/FlounderIll1896 posted their mortifying tale on the platform, and it quickly gained traction in the subreddit “confession” with 35,000 upvotes. The post has since been deleted.
“My roommate caught me doing something weird and it got even weirder and now I probably have to move away, change my identity and start a new life,” they wrote.
According to the original poster (OP), a few days ago their new roommate ordered pizza, ate most of it, and then casually tossed the remaining slices in the trash before heading to his room.
The poster, who was struggling financially after a recent move, admitted they couldn’t understand why someone would discard perfectly good pizza. Without overthinking it, they retrieved the box from the bin, checked the two remaining slices, and ate them quickly.
What they didn’t realize was that their roommate had quietly returned. The poster was mid-bite when they noticed him standing there, watching in stunned silence. In a panic, they swallowed and blurted out, “are you okay?”—a moment they now deeply regret.
They said the roommate looked confused, nodded, and immediately retreated back to his room. Feeling the moment was already beyond salvageable, they finished the second slice. Since then, the roommate has been avoiding them.
Expert Insight
Nick Leighton, etiquette expert and co-host of Were You Raised By Wolves?, weighed in on the situation.
“If you’re going to eat trash pizza, at least put it on a plate! Linen napkin optional. (I say that as a joke!)” he told Newsweek.
But on a more serious note, Leighton explained that in etiquette, it’s often not the act itself but how it’s handled afterward that matters most.
He suggested the best way forward is through open communication: a direct but polite conversation to address what happened and create mutual boundaries moving forward.
“Perhaps one roommate can agree to offer unwanted pizza to the other before tossing it. And perhaps the other roommate can agree that once something goes in the trash, it’s now off-limits for retrieval,” he said. Pretending nothing happened, he added, is unlikely to warm things up again.
Reddit Reacts
The Reddit community had a field day with the story, particularly OP’s choice of words in the moment.
“‘Are you okay’ through a mouthful of trash pizza is so f**** funny,”** said one user.
“It is right up there with ‘May I help you’?” added another.
“It does set up a ‘I hate food wastage’ conversation. Would look better than immediate trash diver (don’t get me wrong, hunger is hunger),” observed a third.
“I was literally thinking the same thing. This post makes me crack up every time I even think about it. I’ve tried telling it to other people before and I can hardly even get through it,” wrote another user.
Newsweek reached out to u/FlounderIll1896 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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