Community Chat

[sunshine45]

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@noodleann wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

I'm just curious to know how the OP would pull apart pull apart rolls except with her hands?

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What I thought was strange was a restaurant putting out food they hadn't finished prepping. Those rolls should have been separated in the kitchen. I've never eaten at a place that served rolls as if they came right out of the package.

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@noodleann

i have eaten at plenty of restaurants where they serve "connected rolls" and "partially sliced bread." even places like outback steakhouse serve their dark pumpernickel bread unsliced.....it comes with a steak knife to cut it.

[FrostyBabe1]

Reading thru this thread made me oh so happy that I had a job where I traveled a lot and didn't have to be in the office for potlucks, birthdays, etc. I went to work to do my job, not to make friends, and tried very hard to keep my private life private. When I had a team that reported to me, we didn't do any of this stuff. No gift giving, no office parties. None of it. I did give them birthday cards and picked up their tabs in the cafeteria on their birthday, but appreciation was shown in their performance reviews and merit increases. All but one person told me repeatedly how much they appreciated NOT having all of that other nonsense. 

[qbetzforreal]

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

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@Isobel Archer wrote:

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@Allegheny wrote:

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@redwingsgal wrote:

OK, I have to share an update!  We obviously went to a birthday lunch this afternoon and the gal whose birthday we were celebrating brought back a piece of chocolate cake to eat later.  A girl who sits in our area just asked her if she could have a bite of the birthday girl's cake!!!  This is unacceptable to me!!!

Of course the birthday girl gave the beggar a bite, but I had to walk away as it was too much for me to handle!!!

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@redwingsgal I know you are venting, but I am curious if you like the environment and people you work with?

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I also wonder why the "girl who sits in our area" wasn't invited and thus became a beggar after the fact.  I agree there is more going on here than worry about food making her sick.

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@Isobel Archer, somehow I must have just skimmed this. I do find it a bit odd that anyone would begrudge somone asking another person for a taste of the cake.

I know for a fact that the word "beggar" would never enter my mind.

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Why would anyone get upset with someone asking another person for a sample of their cake.  It's not the OP's.

[qbetzforreal]

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@noodleann wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

I'm just curious to know how the OP would pull apart pull apart rolls except with her hands?

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What I thought was strange was a restaurant putting out food they hadn't finished prepping. Those rolls should have been separated in the kitchen. I've never eaten at a place that served rolls as if they came right out of the package.

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Cheesecake Factory serves the bread partially cut.  You have to tear it apart.

[qbetzforreal]

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@redwingsgal wrote:

I work in a corporate office setting, my department has 13 people, including out boss.  We celebrate every birthday by going to lunch at a restaurant chosen by the birthday person. I am appalled at the lack of manners that all 12 of these people display, no matter where we go.  For example, grabbing the rolls with bare hands to pull off the one they want, cutting part of the appitizer with their used utensils to get the part they want, asking for a taste from someone else's plate.  I am no Emily Post, but the way the act every time we go out is disgusting to me!  The boss always orders several appetizers to be shared by everyone, and if the plate is not place near me so that I can take the first piece, I usually do not eat any of it!  

Any suggestions on how I can get out of these lunches without making it obvious??!!  I even left work sick one day just before we were leaving so I did not have to go!!!

Thanks for letting me rant!!!  Have a great weekend!!!

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Pass on all future luncheons by saying no thank you.  Schedule appointments at that time.

[Tinkrbl44]

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@redwingsgal wrote:

I work in a corporate office setting, my department has 13 people, including out boss.  We celebrate every birthday by going to lunch at a restaurant chosen by the birthday person. I am appalled at the lack of manners that all 12 of these people display, no matter where we go.  For example, grabbing the rolls with bare hands to pull off the one they want, cutting part of the appitizer with their used utensils to get the part they want, asking for a taste from someone else's plate.  I am no Emily Post, but the way the act every time we go out is disgusting to me!  The boss always orders several appetizers to be shared by everyone, and if the plate is not place near me so that I can take the first piece, I usually do not eat any of it!  

Any suggestions on how I can get out of these lunches without making it obvious??!!  I even left work sick one day just before we were leaving so I did not have to go!!!

Thanks for letting me rant!!!  Have a great weekend!!!

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@redwingsgal

There's a couple things you stated that are just not clear ......  

Is this "free food" for your co-workers?  If the boss orders several appetizers, then he/she is paying the full meal tab ... correct?    

ITA that you could whisper to the waiter to bring all appetizers to you with two serving spoons.  That way, you can start the rotation and get the first piece of whatever.   

Secondly .....   ITA, ordering a salad is a good choice ....  who is going to want some of your iceberg lettuce?  They will leave your food alone, lol.

Thirdly, eat at least a snack before you go, or have something waiting for you at your desk when you get back.   

I don't think you should try to "get out" of these 13 lunches a year.   Rather, learning to adapt to less than perfect circumstances and try to have some fun.   I think that is the point of these lunches ... don't you?

[Tinkrbl44]

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@redwingsgal wrote:

OK, I have to share an update!  We obviously went to a birthday lunch this afternoon and the gal whose birthday we were celebrating brought back a piece of chocolate cake to eat later.  A girl who sits in our area just asked her if she could have a bite of the birthday girl's cake!!!  This is unacceptable to me!!!

Of course the birthday girl gave the beggar a bite, but I had to walk away as it was too much for me to handle!!!

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@redwingsgal

Did she pick up the piece of cake and shove it in her mouth ... or take a piece with a clean utensil?  

Just HOW is this woman supposedly a "beggar"?    

What seems unacceptable is your snotty attitude!   Yikes!   

[minkbunny]

Just read this thread and had to make sure I read the OP correctly - ALL 12 of her co-workers are pigs in public !  

I have worked at a law firm for years and have gone to many "corporate" lunches/Christmas parties/celebration dinners, etc. and if there was disgusting behavoir exhibited I perhaps am so disgusting a person myself I didn't notice it.

The concept of sterilizing oneself after handling a menu would have to therefore be expanded to the salt and pepper shakers, any condiments on the table,  napkin holder if one is eating in a country diner like this hick, the backs of the chairs one might touch while sitting down - the PUREL would need to flow by the gallons.

If anything, we as a nation have been too germaphobic which is only resulting in the rise of antibiotc resistant infections.  Having been raised a Baptist and spent 68 years attending pot luck church dinners  -  all I can say is, some of the best food I have ever eaten !

I say, go, don't eat the appetizers or the bread, enjoy your meal - be grateful you have a good job with co-workers who want to share a meal with you.

And enjoy ! 

[suzyQ3]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

I'm an outlier here. I just can't get worked up over some of the actions described, certainly not a person asking another person if she can have a bite. Hey, I had a boss once who didn't even ask. :-( And the washing of hands after touching a menu? Sorry, I just choose not to live like that.

And before anyone accuse me of being a big ol' slob, I was taught impeccable table manners, to a fault. And for the most part, they have stuck with me. But not all of them. I do put jars on the table...heaven forgive me, Mom.

My punctillious, manner-ish mother believed that you should never finish what's on your plate; you should at least leave one bite. So fast forward to adulthood  and a dinner at a very high-end restaurant in Beverly Hills with my husband, my mom, and her SO.

I finished my plate! So my mother took her fork and put a morsel of her food on my empty plate (yes, now after reading here, I see that that would be apparently disgusting, but I digress).

I looked at her and said something the effect of "Uh-oh, was I not supposed to clean my plate"? She smiled yes. I ate her morsel.

With a group of people with whom you have close contact everyday, have fun at such celebrations. Your chances of getting sick from someone forking up a shared appetizer are very slim...probably no more than our regular office activities.

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@suzyQ3

LOL!     I was beginning to think we had the same perfectionist mannerly mother ....  until I got to the "leave a morsel" comment.   

Just what is such good manners about leaving a morsel of food on your plate?  I've never heard this one before!

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@Tinkrbl44, I was wondering when someone should ask. :-)

The way I understood it, she believed that if you "cleaned" your plate, it was rather pig-like.

She was something else.

[sunshine45]

@suzyQ3

@Tinkrbl44

interesting......if we DIDNT clean our plates at home we were being "wasteful." if we put it on our plates then we had to finish it.

even now when we go out we ALWAYS get doggie bags if there are leftovers.