Imagine your sitting at your desk at work, and the person opposite you is a vegetarian....?

Question

..., and they've only just moved into that desk today but will be sitting there for the forseeable future (management decide where people sit, you can't just move). It's lunch time and you've just nipped out to the shops to buy yourself a bacon sandwich like you do every lunch time, and your just tucking into it when the vegetarian opposites complains about the smell and says it makes her feel sick. She asks that you not do it again.

What would you do?

Answer 1

I dont' know anyone who would make a comment like that. I certainly wouldn't because everyone's entitled to eat what they want.

Answer 2

tell her to respect your right to eat meat as you respect her right to not eat it. she can always go out for lunch if it bothers her so much.

Answer 3

Tell her the smell of her cucumbers make you feel sick HA. You have the right to eat your lunch whatever it may be at YOUR desk.  Tell her if she doesn't like it she can leave the room but you are going to continue eating your lunch, what is she going to do?  Complain to your boss they will laugh at her and tell her tough luck!

Answer 4

In my mind, just say sorry before you eat to her, and you do your lunch..

or do not bring any "sharp smell" food near by her,

Just say sorry or avoid bringging "sharp smell" food,

may recipes on the web bellow can help you

Answer 5

stop eating murdered animals and have some respect for people who have the right not to smell cooked flesh

Answer 6

Is this a hypothetical or something that's happened to you?

I wouldn't be in that exact situation because I'm vegan; but if someone complained about the smell of my food I'd apologise, but suggest they removed themselves at lunchtime rather than expect me to change my routine. I wouldn't do it rudely though - some of the childish abuse people have suggested here is surely beneath you.

But unless things were really hectic, I wouldn't be taking my lunch break at my desk anyway. And it isn't pleasant when workplaces smell of food, whatever food it is.

Answer 7

i'm a vegetarian, but i think people have the right to eat what they want.  

if someone were complaining about the smell of my lunch (garlicky, you know, some sort of offensive smell) i would probably say, "sorry it bothers you....it won't take me long to finish it.  maybe some fresh air would help you feel better."  hopefully they would get the hint and head outside for a moment or something.  i wouldn't stop eating my meal because someone else was annoyed by it.  haven't we all had to put up with a coworker eating a stinky meal?  this isn't really an issue with the fact that she's vegetarian, it's the fact that she thinks that she is entitled.  if SHE is the one who is offended, SHE is the one who can leave, IMO.

EDIT:  just make sure you're polite about this, seeing as you have to sit next to the woman every day.  i guess if nothing else works you could always pick up an air freshener from the dollar store and leave it on her desk as a little hint, lol.

Answer 8

I think In a case like that, I would go to management and ask them to perhapss move you, (Under the circumstances). I mean, the vegan has a right to "Not Eat Meat", you have a right to "Eat Meat". So really Its a bit of a "Stale mate" Is,nt It?.

Having said that, perhap,s If she Is a nice approachable person you could come to some arrangement?,  and apologise to her about the whole thing. It sounds a bit sad to me really. I would think the management at the  end of the day, should come and go on this one and move the two of you from each es vicinity so that this doesn't happen?.

In the meantime, you go on enjoying your "Bacon Sandwich". That's my absolute favourite as well.

lol

tom777.

Answer 9

Buy a bigger bacon sandwich - and ignore her. My sister is a vegan and prepares meat for her husband - shes just being anal.

Answer 10

Tell her that only some sort of freakish weirdo would find the smell of bacon disgusting and finish your meal.

Answer 11

either eat in the workroom or tell her that not everyone is a vegetarian and she needs to get over it. or talk to her and make it to where while you are eating your lunch she is out getting hers. get to know her a little. im sure she would be more forgiving to you and your bacon sandwich if she knew you. OR maybe you should switch to a turkey sandwich. they are so much healthier and dont smell so much.

Answer 12

i would get a churizo burrito and tell her what in it,, i love churizo,, its yummy,, cow lips and intestine and lymphe nodes all chppoed up and cooked with eggs and cheese, you could also remind her that her car has animal parts in it,, look up tallow, it comes from cows to make thousands of things from concrete to asphalt to lumber to allergy medicine to jelly beans to marshmallows,, the list is endless

Answer 13

Give her a full body slam and shove a ham sandwich down her throat.

Answer 14

Carry on as normal as others have said. In fact have another bacon buttie.

Tell that person to p**s off! and dont bother u ever again.

Its obviously war with that person - no common ground - just make sure u win. She's an utter cow and contemptible knobble her sandwiches with salmonella.

p.s. I have many vegetarian friends who do not carry on like that!!!!

Answer 15

I would wonder why in the world I bought a bacon sandwich.

Answer 16

I am...... hiya!! (waves)

I would not complain its choice.

I do not critised, just like i don't like to be.

xx ;)

Answer 17

I'd apologise, but ever-so-smilingly point out that I am on a gluten-free diet which is a medical necessity rather than a choice, and considerably more restrictive. (Except that I wouldn't have nipped out for a bacon butty, but I could have other smelly meaty food).

Having got that off my chest, I'd explain that it is my usual lunch, and my usual custom is to eat it there. I don't want to make life difficult for her, but perhaps we could arrange some sort of compromise.

Answer 18

Do you have to eat at your desk?  If you do, I'd say, "sorry, but this is my lunch and I am eating it." then if she don't like it she can ask management to move one of you.

If you don't have to eat at your desk, you could eat in the break room or something just to be polite.

Answer 19

why are you eating sandwiches at your desk..

but yeh if i HAVE to eat infront of her id explain that:

A) im not a vegetarian

B) im hungry

C) tell me what to do again and ill smear pigs blood on your seat

easy :D

(but seriously eat what you want, its not like your forcing it into her face or anything rude like that)

Answer 20

Tell her to spend her lunch break somewhere else if it really bothers her. You can't back down. She's entitled to her views but she cant impose them on others

Answer 21

I am a veggie and i frequently go out with friends and they eat meat in front of me and i dont mind; so if i was u I'd tell her not to be so whiney coz she cant expect you to conform to her belief system, if she dosent like it tell her to move away while you eat.

Answer 22

Tell her that she should f*ck off if she doesn't like it. You were there first. Buy a sausage one day and come up behind her and ram it down her throat to teach her a lesson

Answer 23

Well having sat on both sides of the vegetarian fence I would suggest you carry on regardless. But do state that as much as you respect her choice it is a choice for herself and made in respect of herself. To try to impose her beliefs in this manner is disrespectful to your choice to eat meat.

Answer 24

I'd eat in the break room. If there is no break room, or if eating at the desk is by this point a ritualized daily occurrence, I would tell the vegetarian that I apologize, but I really have nowhere else to eat, and that she is free to move away from the desk for the short time it takes to munch through a bacon sandwich.

Of course, if bacon smell were an official carcinogen, like cigarette smoke, it would be different. Unfortunately for us vegs, it's not, and so dealing with the smell of cooked meat is a part of life.

Answer 25

I'm a vegetarian so I'm not sure... i guess the person would have something in common with me. normally vegetarians don't complain about the smells because they made the choice to be a vegetarian.

Answer 26

Hey!

I'd tell her that you think it's great you think she is a vegetarin but you eat meat.  And that you don't want her to feel sick but you want to countinue eating what you want to eat, and you enjoy this dish.  so you are sorry but you are going to countinue eating this!

Hope this helps!

Becky

Answer 27

Tell her to mind her own business.

Anyone that must draw attention to themselves in such a way doesn't sound like a person that's vegetarian for the animals.

Make it very clear that she is an embarrassment to herself and other people that may be improperly associated with her eating habits.

Answer 28

I am vegetarian, but if I wasn't, I would say "mind your own business or go sit somewhere else." If that didn't work, I would report it to her supervisor.

Answer 29

Try to change your lunch opitions. Or try to eat lunch outside or wait to eat lunch when your co-wroker is out.

Answer 30

I think I would suggest to her that this is what you normally do, and if the smell bothers her she might prefer to eat her lunch somewhere else (politely though) - I am actually a vegetarian myself but I have no problem with other people eating meat if that is what they want to do. Occasionally meat smells do bother me, but I would move rather than asking someone else not to eat it, especially since she has only just been moved to that desk.

Answer 31

maybe eat your lunch when she goes to buy her lunch

or

eat further away from your desk

or

eat in a canteen/park/restaurant/cafe