To everyone working in the food service industry
Look, I get it. Working in the service industry sucks. Ok, now that we have that settled, I have something I need to say to everyone working in the food service industry.
Food is important. And there are some of us with food PREFERENCES and some with food RESTRICTIONS. Preferences are: I can eat both mangoes and apples but given the choice, I will choose mango. Restrictions are: I have peanut allergies and if you disregard how serious it is, I will go into anaphylactic shock in front of you and my throat will swell up and I will be dead in under 2 minutes. Ask anyone with anaphylactic allergies, I'm not kidding.
So the reason I'm writing this today is because I've recently been seeing posts of baristas "bragging" about how "this skinny bitch came into my Starbucks and ordered soy/no fat lattes, but I gave her full-fat hahahaha".
No. Stop. That is not ok. Firstly, not only are you not doing your job, you could be putting someone's life at risk.
And I say this to the barista who rolled her eyes at me when I asked for lactose-free milk in my latte instead of regular milk. Sure, she charged me for the substitute, but continued to make my drink with regular milk. How did I know? Because I drank a few sips and within 10 minutes I was doubled over, sick, because I"m lactose intolerant.
I say this to the waiter at a Thai restaurant, who again rolled his eyes at me when I asked if we could make Pad Thai without peanuts. When it came with peanuts on top, I had to send it back because I am SEVERELY allergic. How did I know he didn't make me a new order but just took off the bits at the top? Because it came back, I ate literally one bite and within 15 SECONDS, I could feel my throat swell up and I couldn't breathe; I had to use my epi-pen and had to be driven to the hospital. THAT is how severe my allergies are.
To Air Canada, who said uses peanut oil in their food despite claiming to be 'peanut-free', which apparently only means they don't SERVE peanuts. You know what's worse than going into anaphylactic shock? Going into anaphylactic shock 30,000 feet in the air, flying over an ocean, in an enclosed space and people judging you for throwing up in your seat.
I say this to the baristas in independent coffee shops, who continue to add syrups and sugars, despite the fact that my dad asked for none. And I say this to the waiter who brought my dad a regular coke instead of a diet coke. He can't have sugar; for health reasons, he needs to be really strict in his sugar consumption. If his liver fails, are you going to donate part of yours to make it better?
What I'm trying to say is: you don't know WHY people are asking for substitutions and food considerations. It might be as simple as someone preferring the taste of soy milk to regular milk. Or they're trying to be healthier, reducing sugar intake, without completely depriving themselves of their favourite espresso drink. Or it could be as serious as diabetes or life-threatening allergies.
The point is, YOU DON'T KNOW. And it is not your job, nor is it your position, to say or judge someone based on what they order. It might sound rude or harsh or crass, but just do your damn job. Give me what I ordered. I know what I can or can not ingest and it shouldn't be up to your whether I feel ill or not, simple because you think "skinny bitches can suck it and get fat drinking regular milk lattes".
