Okay.. so today I go to a local restaurant and I order chips and guacamole. I take it home, open it up and discover they've put cheese all over it. Now I'm vegan so of course I don't want to eat it, so I take it back. First off the guy behind the counter gives me total attitude and then proceeds to remake the plate. Then for some reason he put the chips in the deep fryer full of lard and then boxes them with guac. Of course I'm pretty pissed at this point cuz I can't eat the second fucked up batch either but I end up just taking it and leaving cuz he's still giving me attitude. Here's my problem: I hate to waste food, especially food that has been taken from the life of an animal. I felt bad the first time cuz I knew they were just gonna throw out my original order. I even struggled with the idea of trying to eat it so as not to waste it but I just couldn't. I ended up leaving the second order by a trash can in an area where I knew a homeless person would be able to see it and take it. Here's my question: Is it double bad to waste food by not accepting it because someone fucked up your order? I mean I'm a veghead for ethical reasons, but because I have such a strict diet people tend to fuck my shit up when I eat out and I end up having to get it re-made thus causing more waste and more consumption of animals. I can't help feeling guilty about it.
I think she means dont expext other people to make special orders with a smile. You have a right to be pissed, so do they. Food service is an irritating job. People can be quite annoying. Did you make it clear to him that your vegan. Did you say "Uh I know its a pain but could you make my stuff without animal products?" People arent pychic...
No.. I just ordered chips and guacamole. There's nothing special or out of the ordinary about that, especially not in a mexican restaurant. I didn't feel the need to explain. And I know all about the restaurant biz. I've been in it for many years. I've dealt with all kinds shit from people. I understand his agitation at having to remake the order, but he's the one who fucked it up in the first place. He can't blame me for his putting something in there I never even ordered. And I sure didn't deserve his rage. He should've waited 'til I left to bitch & moan, that's what I do. Or I at least go do it in a hidden arena away from ears and eyes.
Are you even sure that the chips were not fried in animal fat? ...actually now that I think of it, I think they usually use peanut oil. So... nevermind.
That's a tough one. I guess it depends on how strongly you feel about it. Being realistic, being veggie isn't likely to save the life of a single animal, so it's really a personal ethical stance. I couldn't eat something that I knew came from a dead animal, because the thought honestly sickens me. I just have a total aversion to consuming dead creatures. I'm not evengelical about it, it's just the way I feel. On the other hand, if you can't stand to see the food thrown away, then that's an ethical decision that you just have to weigh up for yourself. It all comes down to how you feel about it. I don't think there's an objective right or wrong.
Urgh I know exactly what you mean. I went on a college trip to Poland this year and on the first night in the hotel despite having been warned about my vegginess I was served meat (it was a set menu) so that got sent back and five minutes later they came back... with fish. Finally I got a mushroom omlette, which was quite nice actually. Dok: Several sources state that veggies save the lives (by default) of 80+ animals a year (81, 83, something like that) TTFN Sage
>Dok: Several sources state that veggies save the lives (by default) of 80+ >animals a year (81, 83, something like that) Sage Thanx for that tid bit... Someone owes about 300 cattle then. We could have a stampede
Never heard that figure before, but I have to say I'm dubious. Even if you assume that less animals are bred for slaughter as a result of vegetarianism, then they're simply not brought into the world - it's not as though they're put out to pasture to live to a ripe old age. Hopefully, one day enough people will become veggie for us to have a significant impact, but I'm not holding my breath.
I read somewhere, long ago, that the figure is based on the weight of meat that the average American eats and averaged into the living critters. I have NO back up on this, but it is a curiosity.
The accepted average number of animals "saved" by each vegetarian every year is 83. It actually refers to the number of animals the average omnivore eats per year. And no, obviously there is no magical place where those animals are now roaming free. But it is 83 animals per year less demand, and it's a nice number to think about when you've heard the same ignorant omni comments for the 11,000th time and you are wondering if it's really worth it. I don't expect service with a broad grin and a back slap. In fact, the effusive waiters actually give me the willies. However, I certainly expect the servers and the cooks to at least make a good faith attempt at getting it right. I have worked in the food service industry both as a waitress and as a chef, and I know it's an often thankless job. But I am a polite, for the most part low maintenance customer, and I tip well above average. I don't think I've actually ever had anyone be rude to me about a request, even if a mistake was made. I had one girl get mortified right along with me when I ordered a garden salad no cheese, and the cook took it upon himself to make up what he must have thought was lactose intolenance when he dumped half a cup of bacon all over it instead. YUCK! But I've also been places where they were polite but not helpful or where there was obviously going to be little or nothing for me to eat, so I don't eat out in those places any more. You know, as a side note, I've pretty much stopped eating out except on special occasions, because it really is kind of a PIA, and I've lost a ton of weight since giving up my eat-out-twice-a-day habit. I feel better too, knowing that I'm putting healthy food in my body.
