Construction workers build home backwards to comply with impolite architect's instructions: 'I'm in charge here! You don't have the right to question me'

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 12, 2025 3:00 PM EST

All respect towards construction workers, who spend their days doing the difficult labor that most of us could never do. These workers lift bags of concrete, use jackhammers, hammer steel into place, and do other tasks that require a lot of know-how. Many spend years--or an entire career--honing their craft in order to make buildings that are safe and sturdy. 

If you work with skilled people for a while, you'll find they have something in common: they won't suffer fools. If someone around them starts questioning their expertise, they'll give them a stare and push back. But if that newbie insists on doing things their way, the wiser and older worker might just let them do it. Making mistakes is certainly one way to learn! It'll also teach all the coworkers around them that you can publicly embarrass yourself into learning a lesson, if that's the path you so choose. 

Check out what happened when a bossy architect tried to boss around his workers. They came up with an awfully clever solution, which people in the comments celebrated. 

Next, read about the guy who teased a husky with his $900 drone and swiftly found out why that was a very bad idea. 

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  • 01

    "I'm in charge here!"

    First, this a story my grandfather told me. He was a albañil (builder) in México, but has been retired for some years now. I'll try my best to translate the story.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 02
    So, grandpa and a bunch of albañiles were hired to construct houses for the Infonavit. It was nothing new for grandpa and the other albañiles because they had done some work for Infonavit before. This time around a young architect, who had just graduated, was put in charge.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 03
    The architect thought he was a hot shot(grandpa called something else) because he was in charge. The architect wanted to micromanage everything, from how the cement was mixed to how the cinder blocks were placed, because he was in charge and he had an education.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 04
    Grandpa and the other albañiles started to notice that the first house they were building looked a bit strange. So one of the albañiles told the architect that he thought there was something wrong going on. The architect got mad and said, "I'm in charge here! You don't have the right to question me you ignorant piece of crop." The albañil didn't show up the next day.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 05
    The albañiles kept working, they have to feed their families, and began to notice what was wrong with the first house. The house was built backwards, facing the wrong way. The architect didn't notice and thought the house looked great, and ordered for the start of the next house. The
    via u/redragon1929
  • 06
    albañiles, who were still angry, decided that they would follow the architect directions since he was in charge and it would s k if the architect's boss showed up out of nowhere.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10453322496
    via Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 08
    One day, the architect's boss (AB) showed up, he had heard that there was something wrong going on. AB asked for the plans and began to inspect the houses with the albañil that had left. AB kept noticed that the house had been built wrong and was told how the architect had micromanaged everything and kept antagonizing the albañiles.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 09
    AB looked for the architect and went off on him, telling the architect he would never find work again and that he was making the architect responsible since he was the one in charge. That the architect should have listened to the albañiles, since they had experience.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 10
    The fallout was that the albañiles had to tear down the bad houses and rebuild them again. Which was fine, since the albañiles got paid for the extra work, and the new boss was nice. The architect wasn't seen again on the construction site.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 11
    Tldr: Hot shot architect is put in charge and goes on a power trip. Then crop hits the fan.
    via u/redragon1929
  • 12

    The drawing doesn't always translate the same to a real-life project

    fantsukissa my dad used to draw the actual blueprints after the architects designed them. he often had to say to them that some designs were either against regulations or just not possible to build.
    via u/fantsukissa
  • 13
    catdeer602 That house probably looked pretty bad.
    via u/catdeer602
  • 14
    Cheezburger Image 10453322752
    via JSB Co. For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 15
    BlackLiger You are in command. You are NOT in control. How does that make you feel?
    via u/BlackLiger
  • 16
    hotlavatube (turns blueprints around) "Ohhhhh...."
    via u/hotlavatube
  • 17
    simpson_hey I actually know of a guy who's house was built mirrored from the plans. The builder tried to downplay it but he was p ed.
    via u/simpson_hey
  • 18
    UniqueRegret someone clearly put the road in the wrong place
    via u/UniqueRegret

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malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit grandfather construction buildings building malicious compliance reddit boss workplace-stories jobs job bosses architecture work workplace bad bosses
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