"But I'm ALLLEERRRGGGGIICCCCC!!1!1!"

[Marlowe]

I swear to God, if one more person whines "I'm ALLLERRRRGGGGIIIICCCCC" or "OMG I'm so OFFFFFEEENNNNDDDEEDDDDD" at me, I may finally break and go on that five-day bender I have been so sorely needing.

Why does EVERYONE have to be a victim now? Do you REALLY have such a desperate need to be somehow "speshul"?

...Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking about. Never mind.


Does anyone else get this kind of shite constantly, or is it just me?

(And why is it ALWAYS the freaking tourists??? )

[Sandiercy]

I dont work in an environment where that would happen unfortunately.

[mathnerd]

I do feel your pain, as I'm pretty convinced that a fair number of people claim allergies when they really just don't like something.

However, as a person who really does have a severe food allergy, I'd advise to not blow them off. A certain apple themed bar and grill learned that lesson the hard way a couple of weeks ago when a cross contamination issue was enough to stop my ability to breathe in roughly 45 seconds. Thankfully my son knows how to administer an epi-pen and was smart enough to give me two doses, which opened up my airways enough to keep me alive long enough for the paramedics to arrive.

[bhskittykatt]

I always hear "Make sure it's a non-smoking room. I'm allergic to smoke!"

I get that you don't want a smoke-smelling room. But there's no such thing as a smoke allergy. Sensitivity, yes. Actual allergy, no. It's a minor piece of terminology, but it irks me a bit.

Also, I tell people with pet allergies that we are 100% pet friendly, and while we do extra deep-cleaning after a pet has been in the room, I cannot guarantee there hasn't been a pet in that room because at some point all our rooms have had pets in them because we are 100% pet friendly. Arguing with me isn't going to change that. If you allergy is that bad, then I'm giving you important information. Accept our deep-cleaning is enough or stay at a chain that, oh I don't know, doesn't take pets.

[Marlowe]

However, as a person who really does have a severe food allergy, I'd advise to not blow them off.

That's the worst because I KNOW never to blow them off. Even when I know 100% they're talking out their ass, I have to take the same precautions as if they were blessed nuns with medical degrees. I have allergies myself so I know the risks, I just... ARRRGGGHHHHH. It's people like this that makes eating out for someone with an actual allergy that more hazardous.

[mathnerd]

Oh, I totally get that. I get really frustrated with people who use "allergies" as an excuse to be a special snowflake. It really puts people who actually do have allergies in a really rotten position.

[Cecily]

I agree that it puts people with actual allergies on the spot. Then again, we've had the answer "But it doesn't taste like peanuts!" thrown at us. My daughter has a severe peanut/nut allergy (all praise to the Epi-Pen), so she learned to ask nicely very young.

How hard is it to say no tomato or no pickles because you don't like them rather than stress everyone out?

[Catwoman2965]

I will ask if certain things have certain ingredients, mainly walnuts, but not because I'm allergic, but because I despise the taste. Same with anything where black pepper is a main ingredient. And when I've asked, I've been asked, oh are you allergic, and real concern was shown. But I'm glad since if i did have allergies, I'd like to think that I wouldn't get anything that would set tehm off.

[raudf]

It's okay to ask for something to be left off because of taste/texture. I often request pizza sauce to be left off the pizza because honestly, I find it kills the flavor of the cheese and I luvs me some cheese. Yes, I will ask for it to be remade if I find sauce on it.. that's not what I requested or paid for.

And in some cases, I don't think crying "allergic" is to be speshul.. I think it's to keep the food item from being added to the meal. I know I've wanted to cry that when one place kept adding the pizza sauce.. but it was just flat wrong to do so.

[EricKei]

I don't think I could get used to NO sauce (pizza joints don't like it because the lack of weight tends to allow more bubbles), but I usually get light sauce. I like a bit o' that flavor, but I deffo agree with you that too much simply overwhelms the overall taste.

[Marlowe]

I don't think I could get used to NO sauce (pizza joints don't like it because the lack of weight tends to allow more bubbles), but I usually get light sauce. I like a bit o' that flavor, but I deffo agree with you that too much simply overwhelms the overall taste.

I always request triple cheese

[tollbaby]

I've had one restaurant actually hide a large piece of bell pepper under my steak when I sent it back to the kitchen when it came to the table COVERED in peppers. I had specifically asked for no bell peppers (i'm okay with hot peppers, weirdly enough) because I do get a full-body rash and persistent vomiting when I eat them. I did say I was allergic when I ordered. When the steak came back pepper-free, I started eating... then found the big piece UNDER the steak. UGH. Bitch waitress was smugly watching me eat waiting for me to find it. Never ate there again, nor did any of our rather large group who had become a Friday night fixture.

[Marlowe]

It's okay to ask for something to be left off because of taste/texture. I often request pizza sauce to be left off the pizza because honestly, I find it kills the flavor of the cheese and I luvs me some cheese. Yes, I will ask for it to be remade if I find sauce on it.. that's not what I requested or paid for.

And in some cases, I don't think crying "allergic" is to be speshul.. I think it's to keep the food item from being added to the meal. I know I've wanted to cry that when one place kept adding the pizza sauce.. but it was just flat wrong to do so.

Oh yeah, there's nothing wrong with saying "can I get that with no olives, please, I don't like them", which I've done many times since olives to me taste like Moby Dick's salty white butt, but saying "pleeeaasseee no olives I am SEVERELY allergic!" when you just don't like them is where it's sucky. If you don't like it, cool, tell me, I won't add it. If you're actually allergic, thanks for letting me know, I'll check the menu and keep an eye on cross contamination.

However... if I had a penny for every time I would use fresh, untouched utensils, newly-opened ingredients etc specifically for this one person's meal - even down to the tongs in the salads - and thoroughly wiped down every surface in between uses, used a fresh slicer, and heck, even changed gloves and so on to avoid accidentally contaminating anything, only to go out there and watch the woman with the "severe deadly tomato allergy" smother her meal in ketchup... I would be rich enough to buy that 747 I've always wanted.

That's where it's sucky, because they're wasting my time.

I remember on one occasion a woman who claimed she had a tomato allergy. I wasn't the one cooking that day, I was the one behind the counter, and somehow I guess a tiny bit of tomato slipped through and wound up on her plate. It happens, which is why I always check carefully for onions or any of their poisonous brethren on my food when I eat out. Said woman finds tiny piece of tomato and pitches a shit fit. "OMG I COULD HAVE DIIIIEEEDDDD WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOOOOUUU I'M SEVERELY ALLERRRGGIIICCCC!!!!" etc, with a repeating theme of "I COULD HAVE DIIIIEEEDDDDD!!!" Yes, if she was allergic, yes, it could have been bad, we were very apologetic, comped everything, etc etc...

Except the next time she came there, after an equal spiel on her deadly allergy, she smothered her food in ketchup. (And I should add, this is not bog standard Heinz ketchup, it's a homemade passata thing which is more like a mix of thick puree and relish with some herbs. It's hard to describe except as DELICIOUS... but regardless, there's next to no processing. If you spent long enough with a stick of crazy glue and some strong lights, you could probably rebuild the tomatoes in it. But then again if you tried that, you've probably got more problems than just allergies. But I digress.)

Me: MA'AM! MA'AM, that has tomato in it!
SC: So?
Me: ...you're allergic!
SC: Wha- oh yes! No, I just don't like them. *munch munch*

Fucking bitch.


When did honesty become nothing more than a vague inconvenience?

[Marlowe]

I've had one restaurant actually hide a large piece of bell pepper under my steak when I sent it back to the kitchen when it came to the table COVERED in peppers. I had specifically asked for no bell peppers (i'm okay with hot peppers, weirdly enough) because I do get a full-body rash and persistent vomiting when I eat them. I did say I was allergic when I ordered. When the steak came back pepper-free, I started eating... then found the big piece UNDER the steak. UGH. Bitch waitress was smugly watching me eat waiting for me to find it. Never ate there again, nor did any of our rather large group who had become a Friday night fixture.

I had that exact thing happen to me with onions! I got a big ribeye steak (looove ribeye steaks) and specifically said no onions, no sauces, none of onions' evil minions, etc etc. Lo and behold, steak rocks up covered in onions. I had to ask for it not only to be taken back, but to be replaced with a fresh steak with fresh plate, sides etc rather than just have the onions brushed off, because even cross contamination can be enough to make me sick. It all seemed OK, until I found the huuuge mess of onions hidden right under the middle of the steak - and, since I had had to get everything replaced like I said earlier, it couldn't just have been accidentally left there.

Suffice to say they got a thorough chewing out from me both before and after I spent the weekend alternately scratching, wheezing, and paying homage to the porcelain God. Douchebags.

[mathnerd]

That stuff pisses me off more than anything.

Side note about tomato allergies: One can actually be allergic to tomatoes but not react to ketchup or other forms of processed tomatoes. My doctor explained this to me at some point, though I forget all the details. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find a link.