In what sounds like the very worst case of “Get off my lawn!” syndrome, police say the owner of a Boston-area storage facility was so ticked off at a Verizon worker who had parked on his grass, he locked him an underground vault. And if we know anything about sealed underground chambers, it’s that they usually don’t have a lot of air. You know, for breathing.

Cops say the worker was on the premises to do some work in this mysterious sounding chamber, but the 71-year-old suspect didn’t appreciate his Verizon van parked on the grass nearby, reports CBS Boston.

Officials claim he not only slammed the door behind the worker, but placed large rocks on it and removed the ladder necessary to get out of the vault, ostensibly to keep him in there. Trouble is, humans need air to live.

“He sounded extremely nervous right from the get go,” said one of the police officers. “When the hatch was closed, it didn’t allow for any more oxygen to get in, so it was time sensitive to get to him.”

Lucky for the worker, he had his cell phone on him — and even had service, whaddya know? — and was able to call 9-1-1. Police showed up and freed him, as well as arresting the suspect and charging him with kidnapping and aggravated grumpiness.

Westborough Man Accused Of Locking Verizon Worker In Underground Vault [CBS Boston]

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