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| From last Summer. |
Here are three situations where this has worked.
1. Macdonalds last week- I asked them to put my chips and burger (I have the one in the paper) in my Lock n Lock box. I also did the same in Macdonalds at a service station at New Year and KFC after school too (I have to eat on the go on my way to orchestra so I have to grab something takeaway)
2 Taken 3 enamel mugs to my orchestra rehearsals in January which meant CBC, myself and my friend Izzie have not had to use the polystyrene cups the orchestra provide.
3. Carrying my spork, stainless steel straw, insulated mug, plastic container and paper bag around in my rucksack means I haven't had to take take any disposable items - my friend Izzie took her left-over chips and mushy peas from the chipshop restaurant home in my plastic container so she could eat them today.
But, I had a moment today which I don't think I dealt with well and I wonder what you might have done as me.
We went to Wagamamas for dinner and I had ordered a raw juice. When I saw them serving someone else's, I saw they had straws in so I quickly went up to the bar and asked them if it would be possible to have my drink without a straw. She said they were paper,if I was worried, but I still asked if I could have the drink without one. The girl behind the bar said that was fine.
When our waitress turned up with our drinks, there were straws in the drinks. I said, "But I asked not to have a straw.". She said she was sorry she didn't know - she said she could take it away and I said yes please. CBC said to me that I should just take it now since they have put it in the drink and said I was being obsessive over it. But that's not the first time it has happened- I've asked for no straw before and been bought one in my drink. When the waitress came back, I said to her, I wasn't annoyed with her, but it was just that I had asked at the bar, for them not to give me straws.
The point is, I wondered what you would have done in the situation? Would you have kept quiet and just used the straw? I'm still not sure- I feel like I wanted to say something but perhaps I need to develop a way to say it where my anxiety over it doesn't make me come across in a way I don't want to come across (if you know what I mean?)
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Hi Kezzie, you have so much integrity. I think if you would explain the "why" you don't want a straw with the drink when you order your food, maybe they might remember better. Usually the waitress does not prepare the food but simply put the order in and when your order is ready, she brings it to you. That being said, I find that sometime the younger generation seems to lack the desire to please. I think that narcissism is on the rise.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Julia
I think mentioning it is a good idea, other people are probably requesting no straw too and eventually staff and managers notice which can lead to change.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comment that sometimes it can start a conversation that makes someone think in a different way.
I think I would have mentioned that I asked for it without a straw but used it anyway. Even if she took it away she would only throw it in the bin anyway and I wouldn't actually have gained anything, so I think just saying "I actually didn't want a straw" would get the point across. Obviously it would have been better if the people at the bar had done as they were asked in the first place.
ReplyDeleteOn a vaguely related side note, Jan took his travel coffee mug to a café at the train station the other day and asked if they could put his coffee in there instead of a disposable paper cup. They were happy too, but the mug was too big to go under the machine so they used their paper cups to fill it. So much for that!
I admire the way you are organizing yourself in order to avoid waste. I really should take a leaf out of your book and do more myself. As for the straw, I admit I would have been annoyed, but I think that ultimately I'd just use the straw, seeing that it was a paper one. xxx
ReplyDeleteMind that spork - I depleted our store of table knives by forgetting I had one in my hand luggage at airports. Love the fact that you are unafraid to admit a McDonalds - I'm a firm believer in a little by little approach myself (eat there and make it better, well done!)
ReplyDeleteI would have used the straw because if it was made out of paper, that makes it ok. But you've raised awareness, so that might be even better.
ReplyDeleteWell done for taking our own packaging for takeaways. I'm not eating takeaways because I don't like them, but I would have coffee on the go. I imagine they would use one of their cups to make the coffee and pour it in my travel mug, so there isn't any point to get my own. But, I do take a travel mug with me, filled with coffee from home or made in the caravan (when on holiday). This way I even save a few pennies (more like a few pounds considering how expensive takeaway coffee really is).
I could take a few ideas from you here. I don't find myself out and about much but I always forget my water bottle, even though I asked for it for my birthday specifically so I could avoid waste. Now if I want a drink I 'sit in' to use washable crockery, but sometimes just taking my own bottle would be so much easier!
ReplyDeleteAs for the straw, it's a tough one, and I'm surprised anyone is still using them really, even paper ones. As it was a paper one I probably would've let it slide, but if it were plastic I would've made my feelings known. But, you have to do what feels right for you. You made sure that the waitress knew you weren't angry with her, and that's admirable, not many people would've done that.
Keep up the good work!
xx