Manager Says “No Exceptions,” Worker Takes That Literally When A Cop Shows Up

Every low-wage worker knows the phrase that haunts their shift: “Under no circumstances.” Usually, that’s followed by a situation that absolutely is a circumstance.

A Redditor shared how their boss at Subway laid down a strict rule, never give out the bathroom code without a purchase. Not to friends, not to family, not to anyone. Hours later, when a police officer urgently needed that code during an emergency call, the worker stuck to the rule, and learned how absurd blind obedience can look when authority meets fast food policy.

It’s a story of loyalty, irony, and one unforgettable bathroom break gone bureaucratic.

A Subway worker, following a manager’s strict “no bathroom code without purchase” rule, denied a cop access during an emergency call

Do you know “policy myopia”? It is when a company’s rules are applied so rigidly that common sense disappears.

According to Dr. David Burkus, author of Under New Management, “Strict, inflexible policies don’t prevent mistakes; they create new ones. Empowering employees to use discretion actually reduces conflict and increases customer trust.”

In this Subway case, the boss’s blanket ban left no room for judgment, forcing the worker to either break a rule or face a uniformed officer’s anger.

A 2019 report by Gallup found that only 30% of frontline workers feel trusted to make independent decisions, even in emergencies. And when they do act with initiative, 42% report being reprimanded afterward, just like our sandwich artist.

The cop’s behavior adds another layer. “Interfering with an investigation” became a power play, a tactic experts like Dr. Philip Zimbardo have linked to authority bias. In stressful moments, people in positions of power often expect immediate compliance, even when they’re in the wrong setting (like a sandwich shop bathroom).

The tragedy here isn’t about a bathroom, it’s about how rigid systems strip workers of autonomy. Both the cop and the manager demanded obedience without accountability, while the one person actually following the rules took the fall.

It’s a perfect, if depressing, snapshot of workplace dynamics: power punishes logic, and policy replaces empathy.

Here’s what Redditors had to say:

Reddit users slammed the manager’s contradictory “no exceptions” stance and called out the cop’s power abuse

Some ridiculed the cop’s “investigation” excuse

Some commenters shared similar stories

So, what would you have done in their shoes? Follow the rule to the letter, or risk your job to keep the peace? Share your thoughts below!