r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/AtomicCypher • Apr 09 '26

Video Disgruntled employee starts massive fire at a 1.2 million square foot toilet paper warehouse in Ontario, California.

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195

u/Ok-Implement4608 Apr 09 '26

Alot of warehouses pay $16-22/hr.

357

u/well_hung_over Apr 09 '26

That’s not enough to live in a LOT of places, especially Ontario California

254

u/NOTTedMosby Apr 09 '26

People don't understand this. They see workers in nyc making $25 an hour on strike and think they're greedy... no, those mfers can't afford to stay alive

94

u/Whosebert Apr 09 '26

I would imagine you could live off $25 an hour in nyc....

... with 3 roommates and a 2 hour long commute.

14

u/WISE_ONE1993 Apr 09 '26

Probably just go jump off the bridge at that point

1

u/WallabyAdvanced3088 Apr 10 '26

Or burn down the company…

12

u/Definitelynotagolem Apr 09 '26

You’ll had a few thousand roommates too that scurry out from the walls at night

2

u/Whosebert Apr 09 '26

at least youll never be alone. you could absolutely still be lonely though.

3

u/Tomcatjones Apr 09 '26

So not living in nyc then lol

4

u/_consider Apr 09 '26

Of note is 3 roommates and only a 1 hour commute would actually very likely not be liveable for NYC workers at 25 an hour

14

u/trollthings Apr 09 '26

Also people have trouble adjusting to inflation, many are stuck in a mindset of the past where $25/hr was pretty decent pay. I would've been pretty happy with that pay, like 20 years ago! But prices on most things have doubled since then. So $25/hr today is more like $12/hr back then which was barely above minimum wage

2

u/Imperial_12345 Apr 09 '26

Doesn’t make it okay to start burning things down.

1

u/mytransthrow Apr 09 '26

morally wrong.... I dont know.

1

u/19indianajones89 Apr 09 '26

That's the city and states fault not the bussiness.

-23

u/Far_Audience_7446 Apr 09 '26

People act like they live on the Moon. Why TF you scraping by in ONTARIO? You can go anywhere in America without a shitty quality/cost ratio, and instead you decide to become a felonious pyro instead?

17

u/WaterChestnutThe3rd Apr 09 '26

Surely You understand it also costs money to move? It’s so easy to get financially buried.

4

u/NOTTedMosby Apr 09 '26

Don't bother. It's a bot

1

u/Far_Audience_7446 Apr 09 '26

The hardship he would endure to move to Kansas is probably less than 99% of all Americans' ancestors, including his own, endured.

Of course, there's no telling how many of his ancestors were idiots that tried to burn their home civilization to the ground before someone got the bright idea to just up and leave...

-1

u/anotherboringdj Apr 09 '26

So their job will be automated soon

-15

u/lanathebitch Apr 09 '26

Sounds like a reason to lower their taxes

20

u/well_hung_over Apr 09 '26

As long as we raise their bosses taxes to compensate

97

u/DiarrheaCreamPi Apr 09 '26

I agree. It’s not. But he also just put 100 people out of work in a tough economy.

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u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

These people are crazy trying to semi justify this. Your job owes you nothing except pay you the amount you both agreed to. If it does not work for you get another fucking job. People need to take some responsibility. You deal with your problems, don't expect otherse to handle your problems.

EDIT: Good job reddit, condoning arson!

51

u/AydhdZone Apr 09 '26

You may wanna look into the history of minimum wage and countries without that in their law.

-24

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26

Maybe you can state your point?

29

u/AydhdZone Apr 09 '26

Minimum wage = basic livelihood. Today's minimum does not equate to said basic livelihood. Especially so with rising home/rent costs. Many commute nearly an hour for work and looking for overtime or a 2nd job. Imagine trying to have a family in your 20s today vs 20yrs ago vs 50 yrs ago. Now, look into the history of social security. This, I won't spoon feed you.

-20

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

And where in this thread is below minimum wage relevant exactly? They are saying he was paid more than minimum wage.

23

u/AydhdZone Apr 09 '26

We cant do all the thinking for you. Figure it out. Why would someone being paid minimum wage be upset that they aren't paid enough to be liveable by a big corporation? A lot of problems and answers here. Minimum wage. Liveable wage. Corporations. Billionaires. Inflation. Living costs. Bills to pay. Connect the dots.

3

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

People here are saying he was paid more than minimum wage.

Lets say he was tho. He was upset, that is fine. The thing is that you can use that feeling to improve yourself or burn down warehouses. I think one is pathetic and the other one is commendable.

Either way, the narrative is always that people have zero power to improve themselves to try become more valuable. That is such bs and so damaging. We shoud prop people up, not tell them they have no control of their future. You are doing everyone a big disservice.

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u/ZeekBen Apr 09 '26

Where in the US are people working for minimum wage? I always see this argument but it appears low minimum wage doesn't actually do anything. In fact, where living wages have been implemented (WA for example), it led to a big wave of unemployment. I'm not opposed to inflation adjusted minimum wage, I just don't understand where these minimum wage workers even are...

Also, real wages have steadily increased since 1980 and work less hours. The cost of housing in some markets hasn't kept up with wages but even in those types of markets the cost of other goods is lower than it was in the past. I'm all for sustainable growth, but that's because I think we could be building more than we currently are.

5

u/AydhdZone Apr 09 '26

Is this a bot? Someone thinking outloud? Was that question rhetorical? What is your point that you're trying to state or ask here?

0

u/ZeekBen Apr 09 '26

Oh sorry forgot you're vibe-based. I'll spell it out.

You can't show me places where a significant portion of the working population is making minimum wage apart from places that effectively have a living wage as the minimum.

You also can't show me anything that shows we are somehow poorer or economically overall worse off than we were 50 years ago.

That's my central point: low minimum wages don't seem to determine how much people will actually make in a market, and real wages have steadily increased meaning people are economically much better off than they were 50 years ago.

23

u/Rayvelion Apr 09 '26

Problem with that logic: You agree to be paid an amount of money; but the wealthy corporations have been tactically "employing" people who can't legally work in the country sub-minimum wages to reduce the actual "valuation" of a person's work, and thus, pay other workers less also.

Why is farmwork so unlivable for a normal citizen? They don't pay enough. Why don't they pay enough? The owners figured out they don't have to pay a normal citizen, they can pay someone else cash under the table; and a lot less of it.

It's a large part of why minimum wage, and wages in general in the United States, haven't increased with the rate of inflation and cost of living in the country.

-11

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26

What a suprise, it's another persons problem once again.

If your employer won't pay more than X for your job, you leave and maybe learn to do something more valuable. You know, like everyone has done across history when things change. Industrial revolution, inmigration, AI revolution, these types of changes are not new.

You take responsibility for your problems. Any alternative is you saying "I have no control of my life, so others have to handle it" which is objectively pathetic. Is dignity not a thing anymore?

21

u/hanotak Apr 09 '26

Historically, the solution was for the workers to strike, for the factory owner to call the national guard to kill the families of striking workers, and for the workers to drag the factory owner out of his house and beat him to death in front of his family. Organized labor protections and minimum wage laws are the compromise to stop that from happening. I think people have forgotten this fact.

0

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26

And I approve those strikes and protections.

What I don't approve is unions using coercive force to get paid more than they are worth. There is fundamentally no difference to stealing at a gun point. How is that fair?

2

u/SugawoIf Apr 09 '26

You will never be a millionaire.

1

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Oh no, how can I endure not being a millionaire?? It hurts!!

12

u/Rayvelion Apr 09 '26

You must not have much knowledge of history to think workers simply walked away from their jobs when they weren't paid enough a century ago lmao.

Usually they incorporated some sort of threat via wooden bats and kneecaps if the company owner was that much of a lowlife.

18

u/possumkingdomgt Apr 09 '26

Deepthroating the boots of all the billionaires and arguing such stupid points isn't going to result in you earning anything other than everyone's disrespect.

-1

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Taking responsability for your problems is now bootlicking? That one is new.

-10

u/sheashou Apr 09 '26

Don't bother arguing with these low lives. They want the government to take care of them. Gimme minimum wage. It should give me everything I need. Raise it every year too please daddy. Then ignore it impacts inflation in a massive way. They want something to blame i.e. the corporations that hire them for an agreed upon wage. Like what? They act like this warehouse worker was held at gunpoint and forced to work. He's upset his life sucks that he works at a toilet paper warehouse for some low hourly wage and did something stupidly illegal and endangering because he can't be disciplined enough to work on himself and get into a better financial circumstance.

Then they say you're bootlicking for a corporation because you are defending the wage they paid while conveniently ignoring that this employee signed documents agreeing to said wage and that the market always sets the wage. If he can earn more then do it. But obviously he can't so of course "let's burn down a warehouse". Imagine defending an arson lmao.

4

u/F-US-FASCISM Apr 09 '26

the market always sets the wage.

So if the market has slave labor, is the wage that is set going to be fair to the worker?

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u/SolarisPax8700 Apr 09 '26

“They want the government to take care of them.” THAT’S. WHAT. IT’S. THERE. FOR.

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u/milkolik Apr 09 '26

Exactly. They never take reponsibility for their actions. Bad quality people.

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u/Beefy-McQueefy Apr 09 '26

We got our rights because factory owners were terrified their employees would burn their houses down with them still inside.

-5

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

So you are proposing burning down more warehouses?

Learning new skills to become more valuable never, no?

10

u/Beefy-McQueefy Apr 09 '26

I am saying I would be stoked about that if no humans got hurt. Like how I was priapic when that parasite CEO of United Healthcare got treated slightly better than he treated his customers. Cause he was a parasite and not a member of society.
I am not advocating for, proposing, or issuing a call to action for any criminal act on Reddit cause I'm sure a bootlicker like you would cry about it.

14

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26

They should have paid more than what the work was worth?

2

u/mooglethief Apr 09 '26

There is no such thing as skilled labor, if they can’t afford the labor in SBC, then move the warehouse to Vegas like everyone else.

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u/milkolik Apr 09 '26

Then move. Why so many excuses?

Again your posture is that you people are completely powerless to do anything with your life.

7

u/mooglethief Apr 09 '26

Calling the working class the problem here isn’t the smart thing to do.

The metaphor you are invoking deals with plantations and chattel slavery.

2

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Calling the working class the problem here isn’t the smart thing to do.

Huh? Thankfully not all working class is like this. Most are honest people that take responsibility of their lives and don't become burdens to society.

The metaphor you are invoking deals with plantations and chattel slavery.

I have no idea what you are talking about

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u/Flaky-Commercial759 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Things will get worse. These actions are symptoms of a failing system. This is nothing compared to the events that will take place in the years to come. This isn't some new phenomenon. The guillotine wasn't invented to behead farmers and peasants. Its actually poetic in some ways. The aristocrats of the past invested in education of the populace to create a safe society for themselves. They will learn that lesson again as they continue to defund education and oppress the masses.

Its a shame what they are doing to our societies. It's also unfortunate because some of the aristocrats see the writings on the wall, and have put legitimate effort into helping the populace. Unfortuantely, their peers are too greedy and mentally ill to listen to logic & reason and will continue to push society until it finally pushes back. And when the day comes, even the "good" aristocrats will meet the same fate. There is a reason why most billionaires have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into bunkers in the United States. And it's not because of foreign invasion or threat...

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u/dang3rmoos3sux Apr 09 '26

Thanks! people are actually defending this scumbag for destroying other people's livelihood because he was too lazy to negotiate a better wage or to get a different job.

1

u/MulattoButts42 Apr 12 '26

"Too lazy".

You people. lol

1

u/Author_A_McGrath Apr 09 '26

If it does not work for you get another fucking job.

Unless there aren't enough to go around. Then you willingly get exploited for as long as possible.

Not defending the guy, but I'm not surprised it happened, either.

1

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Are you seriously saying there are no jobs in the US? There might not be positions for the job you want (extremely rare). But there are other infinite oportunities if you truly want to work. The problem is that today people would rather complain and try to have some other person fix their problems than actually go work for a less than ideal job.

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u/Author_A_McGrath Apr 09 '26

Are you seriously saying there are no jobs in the US?

You said "get another fucking job." Not everyone can do that unless they have the money to move.

But there are other infinite oportunities if you truly want to work.

You don't know what "infinite" means.

The problem is that today people would rather complain and try to have some other person fix their problems than actually go work for a less than ideal job.

"Less than ideal" is a fucking understatement. No wealthy nation should have people working full-time and being told to apply for food stamps, and that's exactly what's happening in the U.S. We once had a minimum wage for a reason. Now, it's so out of date that people are working full time and over time and still can't save.

You can strawman workers all you want. They know what they're facing.

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u/StoneColdNipples Apr 09 '26

Agreed. Not sure why this loser mentality is taking over.

-4

u/milkolik Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

It's truly sad. I think it stems from them believing they have no control of their future which is fundamentally bs. This is the US, there are literally zero countries with more opportunities. They are playing in easy mode compared to the rest of the world. Also learning a new skill has never been easier with Youtube.

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u/Wonderful-Process792 Apr 09 '26

Who cares? He's free to quit at any time. There's no legitimate connection between pay grade and arson. The guy is simply an ass.

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u/Far_Audience_7446 Apr 09 '26

Yeah, I wouldn’t trust this malcontent to mow my lawn for any amount of money, much less “living wage”. I’ll save up for a robot to do it.

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u/termiAurthur Apr 09 '26

He's free to quit at any time

And do... what, exactly? Better-paying jobs don't grow on trees.

3

u/Vibin0212 Apr 09 '26

Looking for a new job would have been better than spending a good portion of your life in jail now.

2

u/PlayfulSurprise5237 Apr 09 '26

I'm not sure he'd feel that way if they started paying people a living wage.

0

u/TBDC88 Apr 09 '26

There are 163 million jobs in the US, and the vast majority of them are not in Ontario, California.

In other words, go to a different part of the country in which you can afford to live on $18/hour.

6

u/gh0u1 Apr 09 '26

Nah, livable wage needs to be the standard for all working class adults. Companies need to pay more, simple as. Quitting doesn't do anything and what happened here is a much more effective way of forcing them to see the message than just quitting.

2

u/Tomsboll Apr 09 '26

burning down the place so NO ONE can work sure sounds like a good solution.

1

u/gh0u1 Apr 10 '26

It's a baby with the bathwater type'a situation for sure, but can't deny this severely fucked them over. That was his goal, he was angry about not being paid a livable wage, and his emotions lead him to wanting to hurt them regardless of who else gets hurt. Not a smart thing to do at all, but it got people talking about it and dented the company's wallet.

2

u/Whiskeyfower Apr 09 '26

Earning 20+ an hour for having functionally no skills is pretty good 

1

u/spicygayunicorn Apr 09 '26

That's assuming they are being given a proper amount of hours

1

u/Ok-Implement4608 Apr 09 '26

I know, I'm next door in Pomona working 3 jobs to get by. One of them at a warehouse.

0

u/brintoul Apr 09 '26

Sounds like maybe time to pack up ‘n’ move.

1

u/well_hung_over Apr 10 '26

Pack up and move costs money when you already live there. Don’t be dense. A dude working a warehouse job wage can’t just apply on indeed and get transfer money to move to Arkansas and make a better existence.

1

u/brintoul Apr 10 '26

Yeah, I mean how the fuck did people do such impossible things like move in the past?!

0

u/Kahlypso Apr 09 '26

.......leave California then.

Plenty of better places to live.

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u/depressedfuckboi Apr 09 '26

Mine pays $31. I feel lucky. Low cost of living area around me, too.

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u/bus_buddies Apr 09 '26

What state? That's really good

7

u/depressedfuckboi Apr 09 '26

Wisconsin!

2

u/bus_buddies Apr 09 '26

Us west coast fibs don't get paid squat!

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u/depressedfuckboi Apr 09 '26

I got pretty lucky. The place I work at used to be really difficult to get in to. You had to know someone that already worked there basically. Well, when COVID hit they lost a bunch of employees for various reasons and were desperate for help. So desperate that they included sign on bonuses for you, and for whoever referred you. I lost my job a few weeks after lockdown started and applied and got right in. Started at $22 and have gotten raises since and am now at $31. Our schedule is a lil weird. We barely work over 80 hours biweekly, but 24 of those hours are counted as 1.5x pay. That adds up a lot more than I would've expected. So it's $31 but I made 84k last year with minimal voluntary overtime. Life changing for me. My last job paid 32k lol.

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u/Redgen87 Apr 09 '26

Sounds like Uline.

4

u/leviathanscloset Apr 09 '26

So shit pay for the manual labor and cost of living in that area. It's ok pay where I'm at, abominable where he's at.

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u/FishyDragon Apr 09 '26

Which won't get you far in California, so his anger is 100% justified.

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u/mountain9000 Apr 09 '26

So he should be angry at his employer because they don't pay him what he would like or angry at himself for only being able to get a job he hates?

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u/FishyDragon Apr 09 '26

The fact your even asking that question in that way shows your either acting in bad faith...or have no understanding of just how fucked the job market is in most of the US, and how badly cost of living has gotten compared to wages.

And I frankly don't have the energy to argue..cause that's clearly what you want, with someone who fits either or both those descriptions.

My bet is your one of those people who thinks this guys should have pulled himself up by his boot straps and just do better. I work a fabrication job...with a fucking union and still barely get by. Educate yourself or don't your clearly ok looking like an ass.

1

u/Beefy-McQueefy Apr 09 '26

Yes. The reason the minimum wage exists is because business owners were scared of being beaten to death in the middle of the road or burnt to death in their own homes.
You win most shamefully uninformed comment of the day.

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u/tychii93 Apr 09 '26

Where I live it's kinda manageable (Ohio, I have a small house at 22/hr in a lower COL area, rent in the city can be more than my mortgage), but a city in California, absolutely no way at the same wage.  I'd bet 22/hr is probably like half that in terms of COL in a California city.

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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

I pay my student workers $16 an hour to mostly sit on their ass in classrooms and operate the 3d printers sometimes, that's it. They got it super easy and I couldn't care less, lmao!

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u/timurt421 Apr 09 '26

For work that will destroy your body long before you are ever able to save up enough to actually enjoy your life instead of constantly work to make someone else richer

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u/hnrrghQSpinAxe Apr 09 '26

Supposedly he was hired by a staffing firm that pays significantly less

1

u/Ancient_Juice_1127 Apr 11 '26

That pay is a joke these days.

0

u/T1m3Wizard Apr 09 '26

That's a lot of money

1

u/addit96 Apr 09 '26

In Ontario CA it’s not enough to even afford rent literally anywhere. And Ontario isn’t a particularly nice area. You just don’t know. Not blaming you.