Use This Passive-Aggressive Trick the Next Time Someone Lends Your Pen.
Are you tired of people taking your stuff to work – like an expensive pen with your preferred 0.38mm line size and a comfortable grip – and never return it?
If you’ve ever lent a colleague a pen that you really want to return, here’s a quick tip: Don’t remove the cap when you give it back. No cap is more likely to actually get it back after use, as u / jothebest75 explained on Reddit .
They probably don’t want your pen ink to cover their hands or the inside of their bag, and this is a reminder to your borrower: This pen doesn’t belong to you, and if you take it, you’ll ruin the pen for both of us. In fact, instead of plotting to steal your precious writing instruments, most people simply forget. I have a few pens at home from dentists and doctors that I must have thoughtlessly took with me after signing. Taking off the cap before giving someone a pen is just a reminder to return it when they’re ready.
And you can say no if someone asks you to borrow your pen too, especially if it’s a fountain pen and doesn’t work like your standard ballpoint pen. (Just say you’re out of ink.)
To cut your own pen-stealing, start wearing these promotional pens from hotels and banks whenever possible, but especially when you know you will be flying an international flight with customs forms or queuing up at the DMV. In these situations, pens are a valuable commodity, whether caps or not.