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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/freckles42 on 2024-06-09 07:48:55+00:00.
When I was in high school 25 years ago (ouch), I had the same math teacher for both junior and senior year. She was a hard-ass and a riot. She liked that I was good at math; she did not like that I did not give a crap, study, or do my homework for math class. I still got As on my tests and quizzes, which were the vast majority of our grades. I had, in fact, done the math and realized I could go all year without doing any homework and still get an A, so long as I participated in class regularly.
Anyway, one of the rules for our math tests was that we were normally permitted to use a freshly-wiped TI-83 calculator. However, for some of our tests, she warned us that we were not going to be permitted to use any kind of electronic calculator for the test. She gave us a sheet with the instructions for the test, what was being tested, etc.
I heard that, immediately spotted a loophole, and heard a challenge being issued.
Went home and asked my father — an attorney, so also a fan of malicious compliance — if he could show me how to use his scientific slide rule. It was the same make/brand that NASA used on the Mercury and Apollo missions, so HIGHLY accurate, and he had it because he went to a prestigious tech school (think MIT-quality). Once I had the hang of it, I happily brought it to class for the test a few days later. I sat in the front row (assigned seating) so she saw it immediately.
‘Freckles42, no calculators on this test.’
‘Miss, the sheet you gave us says no electronic calculators.’ I handed her the sheet she’d given us at the beginning of the week.
A long silence.
‘Do you know how to actually use that?’
‘Yes’m.’
A sigh. She asked me to demonstrate with a quick equation. I did just fine and she finally just shrugged and said I’d still have to show my work.
I would have had to anyway, but it was good to be able to confirm my answers were correct, which was the entire point for me, really.
Next test said, « No calculators besides your brains and your fingers are allowed to be used on this test. » I’m guessing she didn’t want someone to turn up with an abacus.