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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Substantial_Desk_670 on 2025-07-02 14:28:26+00:00.

This happened decades ago for a food production company where I was a Quality Control manager. I regularly checked the quality of the food we produced and the food production lines for four plants in the area.

One plant I inspected was operating within tolerance and received a generally good report, but I had to note one potential hazard: the parking lot was in terrible condition, and the dust that employee vehicles kicked up and they entered and left work could enter the plant and contaminate the food production line. I gave a copy of my report to the Plant Operations Supervisor, and suggested he get it taken care of before the USDA inspector noticed it.

His response: “You were here to inspect food production, not the parking lot!”

“I’m here to ensure the quality of the food product that leaves this plant.”

“Bullsh–!” and then he said the words every malicious complier thrives on. “Don’t tell me how to run my plant!”

Six weeks later, the USDA inspector shut down the plant, citing the quality of the parking lot and the heightened risk of dust entering the food production line. Who knew?

But even then, there was a work-around that could have kept the plant open. Only… plant operations had demanded that I don’t tell them how to run their plant.

Even so, I had to ask, the following month after the lot had been repaved and the inspector had finally approved the plant to be reopened: “Why didn’t you just close down the parking lot and have the employees park on the street?” Schedule the repave on a weekend, the plant could have stayed in operation.

He didn’t lose his job. In fact, he retired from that company. So I guess it was a lesson learned? But he didn’t talk to me again.