The internet is outraged after a homemade community library was devastated with chili and wet cat food in an incident that left viewers wanting answers.
The now-viral reddit The post showing the ruined library has garnered 48,000 upvotes and 3,900 comments since it was shared on June 29. redditor Extric_Atorium shared the post to the subreddits “Mildly Infuriating” and “I Am A Total Piece Of S**t.”
“Neighbor built a community library. Someone dumped chili and cat food in it last night,” is the title of the post, and it includes a photo of the vandalism. A close-up shot of the library in the form of a wooden chest with a shelf was shown, along with several books stacked upright.
However, the bottom shelf had a pile of wet cat food, and the small community library had a mess of chili everywhere, including on books and inside the small space.
A book about Michelangelo, lying on its side on top of other books, was also covered in a layer of thick chili, and it wasn’t the only one.
Free neighborhood libraries have become popular and chances are you’ve seen one driving through a residential area at some point. They are usually parked at the side of the road and contain some free books for the community to use.
A Small free librarya nonprofit organization, according to the organization’s official website, contains more than 100,000 free book-sharing boxes where anyone can share or take a book with them.
The small libraries can be purchased through the organization, which will be registered, or people can choose to make their own and register them later.
Registered libraries have a steward who takes care of the library, and it is usually the person who places the library in the community. There are small free libraries in 108 countries around the world and people can search for them in their region.
If people want to build their own community libraries, there are free DIY projects available online, such as through HGTV’s website.
The Little Free Library’s official website also states that “minor” acts of vandalism “are common,” but according to their annual survey, more than 80 percent of flight attendants have never experienced “significant vandalism.” If an incident does occur, they recommend informing the police and informing the neighbors as well. Stewards can also use the facebook group where flight attendants can ask for advice.
LUSYAYA/GETTY
Thousands of comments weighed in on the wrecked community library, and they didn’t hold back on their feelings about the post. Some wondered why anyone would do such a thing. “What good is it to people to do such a thing?” asked a Redditor.
Others theorized who could have vandalized the free library. “I immediately assume they were teenagers,” said one Redditor. Another user “assumed it was an adult unhinged.”
Pointing to the ingredients used, one Reddit user emphasized, “It was a miserable Karen who felt like she was being wronged in some way, I guess.”
A Redditor pointed out that the situation was not “mildly annoying” but “completely annoying,” asking, “Who the hell does that?”
While one user thought it was “sad”, they also pointed out that the incident was also “premeditated” because “who just walks around with chili and cat food? Even if they had a problem with this particular neighbor, they do this f**ks about the community, not just them.”
A Redditor described the scene as “extremely damn irritating”, adding: “How can people be so cruel for no reason? This was just a man’s good will and hard work to do something nice. I’m sure that He was proud and excited to see how it went.”
Another called the damage “absolutely disgusting,” saying, “People can be downright cruel at times.”
People sympathized with the neighbor who built the library. “What a sad, bitter, hateful, bad excuse for a human being to do this,” said one Redditor. “I’m so sorry for your neighbor.”
Other comments about denouncing the vandalism were “I hate disrespectful people”, “This is why most people give up and stop doing nice things for others”, and “This is why we can’t have nice things.” .”
news week reached out to Redditor @Extric_Atorium for comment.
This isn’t the only viral moment with neighborhood-related issues. A neighbor was praised for letting a dog owner deal with “loud and reactive” puppies† The internet supports a wife’s petty parking crime on her neighbor† In addition, people were shocked when the… ceiling shook in a clip of a noisy neighbor†