Wasteful people (rant)

[sergio]

Wasting food from a buffet is not just a sin. It also shows that a person has no class, and most likely of a poor upbringing.

If his upbringing was poor, that's not actually the guy's fault. Maybe he started to feel sick. Maybe the food just sucked (we're talking take out Chinese here). There are a million more tactful ways to get the point across without harshly telling him that if he does this again he's not welcome to eat at our house anymore. This is a potential future son-in-law we're talking about here.

 

[NW-Bound]

Maybe he thought the food would taste good but didn't turn out to be his liking? I wouldn't stuff food down if it wasn't any good.

A savvy person would try a very small portion first. Again, this loading up to throw away shows no class, whether at a host's house or on a cruise ship.

 

[NW-Bound]

If his upbringing was poor, that's not actually the guy's fault. Maybe he started to feel sick. Maybe the food just sucked (we're talking take out Chinese here). There are a million more tactful ways to get the point across without harshly telling him that if he does this again he's not welcome to eat at our house anymore. This is a potential future son-in-law we're talking about here.

Yes, I would find a different way to get the message across.

But a person cannot go on blaming his poor upbringing as an excuse. If he could not get better, it would not be other people's fault for not wanting his company.

 

[braumeister]

He loaded his plate a foot high, ate half of it and then threw the rest in the garbage

Unfortunately, I have often seen that in hotels that offer a free breakfast. Sometimes they only eat a little of it, and the food is good (I'm eating there too). Makes me crazy.

 

[Music Lover]

Maybe he thought the food would taste good but didn't turn out to be his liking? I wouldn't stuff food down if it wasn't any good.

I probably should have been more clear earlier...loading a plate and dumping excess in the garbage is a habit of his. If you're not sure if you'll like something then you only take a little bit then go back for more. Especially when someone else paid for it. And if you're an adult (he's 21) then you should be able to figure out how much you can eat in a sitting. When in doubt, default to taking less. You can always go back for more.

 

[athena53]

I used to hang out on CruiseCritic a lot and apparently many waiters on the big ships tell kids at the table that they'll bring them something unfamiliar (say, lobster) and if the child tried it and didn't like it they'll take it away and bring something else. Yes, it's VERY good to encourage kids to try something new on a no-risk basis- I do it with my grandchildren all the time and they like a surprising range of foods. They start with a taste from someone else's plate, though. (And now I have to order TWO servings of seaweed salad at their favorite Thai place so there's enough to go around.)

But what happens on a cruise ship to the foods that a kid tries and doesn't like? Does the staff get the remainder or is it thrown out?

 

[Badger]

A savvy person would try a very small portion first. Again, this loading up to throw away shows no class.

+1 It also shows a lack of respect for the potential future in-laws who generously invited him into their home and provided a meal. I don't agree with those who make excuses for his indifference to wasteful behavior.


Cheers!

 

[sergio]

Yes, I would find a different way to get the message across.

But a person cannot go on blaming his poor upbringing as an excuse. If he could not get better, it would not be other people's fault for not wanting his company.

Someone who was never taught properly is going to have to learn eventually. My upbringing was not great and I had to learn a lot of stuff on my own in college and later in life. I always appreciated when someone was a 'bro' about it, versus calling me out and acting like a wannabe tough guy. Something like "hey man, we're trying to reduce the amount of food we throw away, next time do you mind grabbing smaller plates and getting more as you need it?" in a friendly way while drinking beer is going to go a longer towards maintaining good relations, than threatening to ban someone from the house.

 

[teetee]

One of my friends reuses the plastic sheets he used to seal the windows during the winter for years. When I suggested him to replace those old windows with the modern vinyl windows, he didn't think it was worth the money and the new windows do not fit the style of the house.

On one hand, he is thrifty, on the other hand, he is wasteful in terms of letting energy go out. He does save money with the plastic method.

 

[Chuckanut]

After walking my dog about 3 times per day for the last 5 years, bagging poop has become an art form for me. I use special bags that mask the odor and tie them off with a special knot.

It's a skill one can learn in retirement.

.

I'll pass on that skill.

I did not work, save and invest for decades so I could pick up dog poop.

 

[Music Lover]

One of my friends reuses the plastic sheets he used to seal the windows during the winter for years. When I suggested him to replace those old windows with the modern vinyl windows, he didn't think it was worth the money and the new windows do not fit the style of the house.

On one hand, he is thrifty, on the other hand, he is wasteful in terms of letting energy go out. He does save money with the plastic method.

My house used to have leaky double aluminum sliders (Canadian prairies). I used the plastic window kits every winter and they made a huge difference. I eventually replaced the windows with triple pane vinyl but the energy savings were not really noticeable, although the comfort level was greatly increased.

Windows make up 10% or less of the total wall area so as long as the leaks are plugged, replacing the windows may never pay back financially...especially if you're paying someone to replace them instead of doing it yourself.

 

[NW-Bound]

One of my friends reuses the plastic sheets he used to seal the windows during the winter for years. When I suggested him to replace those old windows with the modern vinyl windows, he didn't think it was worth the money and the new windows do not fit the style of the house.

On one hand, he is thrifty, on the other hand, he is wasteful in terms of letting energy go out. He does save money with the plastic method.

I was proud of repairing my pool pump to make it last for decades. It was only when the impeller was so worn out and I had to replace the whole pump that I realized that the worn-out pump efficiency was so poor I was wasting money on electricity all those years. And the new pump ran so quietly compared to the racket that the old one made. Argh! All that noise for nothing.

No, I was not penny-wise pound-foolish, and definitely not wasteful. I was just ignorant.

 

[Chuckanut]

My home came with double windows. Single pane windows benefit, but the double pane the benefit is minimal at best. I used the plastic sheets for several years, compared energy usage and realized I was doing a lot of work for nothing. From what I have read, single pane windows benefit, but for the double pane windows in my home the benefit is minimal at best.

I could get new windows, but the difference in energy usage - in my climate - is minimal. Using the new windows money for extra insulation in the attic or to purchase a few long sleeve thermal undershirts is a far more efficient use of funds. My Hybrid car cost me an extra $800 in purchase price. The energy savings from that decision far exceeds spending $800 to replace a few windows. And at today's gas prices the hybrid payback is measured in several years, rather than the several decades for windows. Again, in my area's climate. Those of you who live in Frozen Nose Minnesota may have different numbers.

Energy and resource efficiency needs to be viewed as a full-length movie, not a snapshot of one event.

 

[Car-Guy]

Wasting food from a buffet is not just a sin. It also shows that a person has no class, and is most likely of a poor upbringing.

On the other extreme; talk about no class or poor upbringing (or just plain stupid) I've seen people go back to the buffet to get "more food"...(which is fine if you are going to eat it.) However, many don't get another clean plate and just add new food to their dirty plate, (possible cross contamination when using shared serving utensils). That happens a lot....

WARNING - GROSS from my POV

And 100+ times worse at a buffet, (I've seen this happen more than once) the customer will scrape what they didn't eat from their plate back into the community serving bowls.... The first time I saw this, the "guy" dumped what he had not eaten from his personal bowl back into the main large serving bowl.... "Then" he took more. I immediately told the manager what happened and he remove the community serving bowl and contents and replaced it with a new one.

Now is that taking avoiding waste too far or just plain stupid. (Rhetorical)


No buffets for me!

 

[COcheesehead]

I see waste in our neighborhood, but then I go to the recycling place and see all the folks recycling and it restores my faith in humanity.

 

[Amethyst]

You mean the remainder on the child's plate? I doubt the staff would eat it. Would you want to eat it after the kid put his grubby fork in it?

As for the un-served food, I don't know how cruise ships handle it.
But Mr. A. worked summers at a beachside hotel during college, where the kitchen provided meals for the staff. In addition, staff were often served what the guests had been served the day before (properly stored and refrigerated, of course).

He remembered the food as always good, lots better than having to go out and buy your own food, as workers in other hotels had to do.

But what happens on a cruise ship to the foods that a kid tries and doesn't like? Does the staff get the remainder or is it thrown out?

 

[travelover]

I see waste in our neighborhood, but then I go to the recycling place and see all the folks recycling and it restores my faith in humanity.

About 8 % of plastic is actually recycled into another product. We used to "recycle" everything by shipping it to China in big bales so they could throw most of it into the ocean for us, but they cut that off. So, most of plastic recycling, at least, is performance art.

 

[jollystomper]

I probably should have been more clear earlier...loading a plate and dumping excess in the garbage is a habit of his. If you're not sure if you'll like something then you only take a little bit then go back for more. Especially when someone else paid for it. And if you're an adult (he's 21) then you should be able to figure out how much you can eat in a sitting. When in doubt, default to taking less. You can always go back for more.

This brought up a pleasant memory. The first time I met DW's grandmother, when Dw and I just started to date, we visited her home. She cooked and put in front of me a large dish of couscous. I am not a fan of couscous, and this version tasted to me like paste. But I sat there and ate the entire plate. After we left, and after I saw DW home, I made a beeline for Burger King .

DW later said this made a huge impression on her grandmother. DW related that her grandmother told her "I did not do a good job of cooking that day. But your boyfriend was polite, ate all of it, and did not complain. That is nice." After that, DW said she could never say anything bad about me when her grandmother was around, as she would always bring up this example of me being a "nice young man." Another life lesson in "you never know how much the little things matter" .

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Not criticizing but why does this stuff bother folks so much. Live and let live. As long as it does not affect us directly, we let them be, if it does we tell them. Life is too short to worry about what other folks are doing.

 

[Winemaker]

Not criticizing but why does this stuff bother folks so much. Live and let live. as long as it does not affect us directly, we let them be, if it does we tell them. Life is too short to worry about what other folks are doing.

Amen.

 

[grasshopper]

Living in a Dark Sky community unshielded lights my get you ostracized, or even a citation.

All we can recycle now is aluminum and cardboard, it was said that glass and cans, were to heavy transport and plastic was not accepted by anyone anymore.

In cattle country dog poo is the least of your worries.

Ms G's cooking specialty is getting 3 different meals out of a big pot of beans no cans to recycle.

My only real fun in life is eating in a restaurant, cleaning my plate and than asking the wait staff to bring me a to go box. More giggles get a bigger tip.

 

[NW-Bound]

I probably should have been more clear earlier...loading a plate and dumping excess in the garbage is a habit of his. If you're not sure if you'll like something then you only take a little bit then go back for more. Especially when someone else paid for it. And if you're an adult (he's 21) then you should be able to figure out how much you can eat in a sitting. When in doubt, default to taking less. You can always go back for more.

I guess you do not know if he is throwing away food that he buys with his own money the same way.

I would regard with very suspicious eyes people who have no regard for things that are "free" to them. Would they trash an Airbnb that they rent? Would you feel comfortable lending them your vacation home, your car, let them be in your house when you are not there?

And even if a person has disdain for things that he buys, I still question his character. Is there anything in life that he values? Tangible and intangible things included.

 

[Andromeda]

You could also consider doing something about it through something like a fun neighbourhood challenge promoted through social media or another association (like an HOA).

We have a pretty active and usually friendly neighbourhood FB group. To encourage people to consider alternative, climate-friendly lawns, I've been posting photos of the growth of our "bee turf" (a mixture of certain clovers, grasses, short flowers and other plants that need less water and attract bees and butterflies). I got lots of questions about and some people came over to check it out.

We have fundraising events and certain "challenges" in our group from time to time. If you have a similarly active social media group for your neighbourhood, you could post a challenge about, e.g. reducing water usage, AC usage, unnecessary lights, etc. Set a new theme each month and encourage people set their own goal and report on it. People who participate get entered for a monthly draw (maybe local businesses would support it with a small gift card). Tie it to climate change etc and make 2022 a year for your community to come together, learn about sustainability and make changes.

If you don't have a social media network that this would work for, it might be possible to do it through some other association (like an HOA, or your local school).

And if your neighbour isn't aware of it or doesn't seem interested in participating, you can invite them to join in.

 

[Sojourner]

Not criticizing but why does this stuff bother folks so much. Live and let live. As long as it does not affect us directly, we let them be, if it does we tell them. Life is too short to worry about what other folks are doing.

Amen.

Not trying to sound holier-than-thou here, but a "live and let live" philosophy can lead one to overlook really terrible things. See a neighbor pouring gallons of used motor oil into the storm drain? So what, not my problem, doesn't affect me directly. See a neighbor viciously spanking and abusing his child? Ehh, not my problem. Live and let live.

Of course, I am not equating things like child abuse with generating excessive trash that gets dumped into landfills. But, in all fairness, both things are "bad" (for society as well as the individuals) and should be discouraged. I don't see anything wrong with looking upon people who do bad things with scorn and disdain. Something can be bad for society, humanity, etc. without it being directly bad for just you.

 

[NW-Bound]

Of course, I am not equating things like child abuse with generating excessive trash that gets dumped into landfills. But, in all fairness, both things are "bad" (for society as well as the individuals) and should be discouraged. I don't see anything wrong with looking upon people who do bad things with scorn and disdain. Something can be bad for society, humanity, etc. without it being directly bad for just you.

I agree, in principle.

The hard part is how to define it. It is universally accepted that child abuse is a crime and sin. Does a person throwing away a perfectly good laptop after 1 year of use deserve the same scorn? Of course not. How long should he be keeping the laptop in order to be called not wasteful?