“Victory Smells Different Now”: Gurugram Man Regrets Fighting RWA For Maids and Delivery Boys Use Main Lift

A Gurugram resident who once proudly fought for equality in his housing society now admits that his “victory” might not have been such a win after all. In a viral Reddit post, the man shared how his fight with the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) to let delivery personnel and domestic helpers use the main residents’ lift instead of the service lift has taken an unexpected turn.

Gurugram Man’s Viral Reddit Post Sparks Debate Over Lift Rules

The resident said he had fought “tooth and nail” with his RWA to end what he saw as a discriminatory rule. Earlier, the society had restricted delivery boys and house helps to the service lift, while residents used the main one. “Victory felt sweet. Everyone clapped in the WhatsApp group. I felt like a one-man revolution for equality,” he wrote, recalling how proud he was after the RWA reversed its decision.

However, just a week after this policy change, his excitement turned into regret. “A week after ‘winning’ against my RWA… I’m not sure I won anymore,” he wrote.

What Happened After the Rule Change

The man described how things changed once the new rule took effect. “Fast forward a week, now the lift permanently smells like concentrated humanity, someone’s left a pan spit art installation, and I found two empty pan masala sachets next to the lift buttons,” he said.

A week after “winning” against my RWA… I’m not sure I won anymore 😭
byu/No_Complex_2117 ingurgaon

The once-celebrated victory for equality had literally started to stink. The resident now questioned whether his campaign had been worth it, writing, “Did I really win? Or should I go crawling back to the RWA and say, ‘You were right, I have seen things no nose should endure’?”

The Reddit post quickly went viral, sparking a debate about class, convenience, and cleanliness in shared housing spaces. One user responded with their own experience, saying, “I also felt the same for my society lift, but then one day I had to use the service lift, a melting pot of human existence stopping at each floor till I reached mine. So I decided some revolutions should stay in your mind only. I can’t compromise on my freedom to breathe.”

The Equality vs Convenience Debate Gets Real

Another comment compared living in two different societies, one with lift restrictions and one without. “Society 1, yes, I felt it was wrong. But whenever I took the service lift, the experience was exactly as OP has written. But I adjusted because I didn’t use it frequently,” the user wrote. “Society 2, now the lift stops at every other floor because of the delivery guys, and because I live on the 12th, it’s so maddening, especially when I’m in a hurry, and yes, what OP wrote applies here too.”

A third user humorously called it “the unsolved equality paradox” and offered some tongue-in-cheek solutions: “Teach the staff that they should not litter or go back to the service lift, make sure it remains clean by hiring cleaners if the first doesn’t work out, turn a blind eye, or go back to inequality mode.”

Why the “Lift Equality” Debate Refuses to Die in Indian Housing Societies

This isn’t the first time Gurugram societies have faced backlash over lift restrictions. In February 2025, another Reddit post went viral after a housing complex penalised domestic workers and delivery staff for using the main lift. A notice inside the building read, “All domestic helpers and delivery staff, please use the service lift only.”

The rule was enforced with fines, one slip reportedly fined a woman named Kajal, identified as a maid, ₹100 for “not following rules.” The post drew massive criticism online, with many calling the policy discriminatory and classist.

The latest incident adds a new twist to the ongoing conversation about equality in shared spaces. While some argue that rules like separate lifts are unfair and reinforce social divides, others point out that practical concerns, like hygiene, lift delays, and maintenance, can make shared access complicated.