Food waste is a massive issue in many countries. In the UK alone, 9.5 million tons of food get thrown out every year, even though there are 8.4 million Brits living in food poverty. So it’s understandable that some people get really serious about not wasting even a single bite. However, there have to be some common sense limits.
For one, you probably shouldn’t be eating random strangers’ leftovers when you go out with someone. However, that’s exactly what one Mumsnet user, Runki, had to deal with. She was left shocked by how her date behaved. She turned to the internet community for advice about the uncomfortable situation, wondering whether she should have been more accommodating. Read on for the full story.
Bored Panda has reached out to Runki via Mumsnet. We’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
Food waste is a huge problem. However, eating other people’s leftovers while out on a date is probably something you should avoid doing
Image credits: yurakrasil
A woman turned to the internet for advice after the guy she was dating helped himself to some cold food, left by strangers
Image credits: Prostock-studio
Image credits: Runki
The entire situation is far more complex than it might seem at first
According to the author of the viral Mumsnet post, Runki, her date didn’t order lunch at the pub and instead nibbled on some leftover sausages and toast from a nearly uncleared table. She was shocked. Especially since he didn’t take her up on her offer to treat him to lunch instead, either.
“I ordered my own lunch and ate it, alone, as he had already gobbled up the leftovers from the people who had left,” the OP shared, to the astonishment of her readers. She added that her date didn’t much care that someone else’s saliva might have been on the leftover food. This was the first time that he’d eaten strangers’ leftovers in public, in front of her.
This entire situation has a lot of layers and nuances. For one, you’ve got the date’s potential cheapness and rudeness to consider, alongside the potential dangers of nibbling random leftovers.
Then, you’ve got to think about the possibility that the OP’s date might have grown up in a household where food scarcity was a constant issue. Or that he might genuinely care about food waste so much that he’s willing to break social norms to reduce the issue as much as he personally can.
Eating random people’s leftovers can be risky, looks cheap, and may be seen as rude
So let’s start from the top. First things first, eating leftovers is not a good look. It’s just not. You’re bound to raise some eyebrows from the other patrons. You’re likely to turn your date off. And you might even find yourself being (ever so politely) asked to leave by the staff working at the pub.
There are certain social norms that we should all adhere to when we go out in public. Scrounging for food, unless you are actually destitute or starving, shouldn’t be your go-to response.
It’s human to judge others. We do it all the time. Most people who see a well-dressed person going up to strangers’ tables and taking their sausages and bacon would be shocked. They’d think that the individual might be having a breakdown. Or that they’re incredibly cheap.
If money is tight and your finances are a genuine issue, it might be best to eat a light lunch at home before the date, instead of embarrassing your date in public. Eating out is expensive. There’s nothing shameful about cooking and eating at home, and then just enjoying a drink or two on the date.
Alternatively, you might want to come up with some cheaper or even free date ideas. Like going on a hike in nature, going on a tour around the city, or doing some painting at home. The only limit is your imagination. You don’t necessarily need to spend any money to have fun.
But playing around with leftovers is risky. For one, you don’t know how long they’ve sat there. On top of that, you have no idea if the other patrons weren’t ill or if they’d washed their hands before eating.
There might be deeper reasons for such behavior, such as having dealt with food poverty in the past
According to ‘Business Waste,’ billions of pounds are wasted each year due to food being thrown out unnecessarily. Food waste goes beyond just leftovers. It also includes expired products, by-product waste from production processes and agricultural practices, as well as unsold product waste at shops and bakeries.
Reducing food waste is something that everyone can do at home. However, it also requires a bigger shift in how society and companies approach the issue.
One possible explanation for why the Mumsnet user’s date ate leftovers is that he grew up in a household where food was scarce.
These sorts of traumatic childhood experiences can massively impact an adult’s life. For one, ‘Psychology Today’ notes that food insecurity leads to obesity among children and adults, as healthier items are seen as more expensive. This, in turn, leads to lots of health issues, from diabetes and high blood pressure to the increased risk of cancer and stroke.
The author shared some more context with her readers
Many internet users thought the date’s behavior was awful
However, some people understood where the guy might have been coming from
A few folks shared similar stories of their own
The post Guy Eats Strangers’ Leftovers, Freaks His Date Out first appeared on Bored Panda.
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