So our office is small..16 people at full capacity, but usually around 11-12. We have a fridge in the break room. My office is right next to it, so I'm always going in there for a drink and to see what people have in the fridge. I've always treated the fridge as a "community chest" of sorts, where anything is fair game. You can eat my shit, and I can eat yours.

Some people don't like this. They feel that you should only eat what belongs to you. The other day I ate someone's Olive Garden and they got pretty upset, and it got me thinking that maybe it was time to rethink my policy. Because I don't really put that much good shit in the fridge to make up for the shit I take out, so I guess its understandable when someone's lunch is missing and there's nothing to eat in its stead.

Thoughts ? How does the fridge at your office work ? Is it open to all comers, or do you only take out what you put in ?

6/18/2009 10:21:37 AM

The people in my office will put their names on their takeout containers


My office gets really pissed off if somebody eats their leftovers or lunch they brought for the day.

6/18/2009 10:23:39 AM

The fridge where I work is gross and has smelled like fish for over a month.

6/18/2009 10:23:49 AM

Be careful with that. I know women who put BREAST MILK in the fridge. And a couple of women have noticed that their breast milk was TAKEN. WTF mate.

THAT's why you don't drink from the communal fridge.

6/18/2009 10:24:12 AM

My office fridge is a full-size fridge. We have about 15-18 people in the office on any given day. That fridge is full of old leftovers, rotten fruit, expired yogurt. OMG it's horrendous. Our admin doesn't think it's her job to clean it, so I have to offer to help in order for her to go clean it out once a month.

I only take out of that fridge what I put in it, but I much rather prefer to bring an ice pack in my lunchbox and NOT use that nasty cesspool of mold and decay.

6/18/2009 10:24:48 AM

Lunch they brought for that specific day is one thing, but if they had lunch out somewhere and brought back leftovers, thats another. I try not to eat someone's lunch if they brought it from home, but sometimes people bring leftovers from dinner the night before and it gets confusing.

6/18/2009 10:25:10 AM

Eat your own food is our rule. Also don't leave shit in there for weeks. Randomly someone throws all the shit out with a friendly warning.

6/18/2009 10:25:12 AM

Have you ever discussed this with your co-workers? (The fact you feel it's communal.) I think anything that's in a take-out box is obviously not fair game... That person paid for that lunch at Olive Garden themselves and took the rest with them for a reason -- to eat it later!

My office fridge isn't super communal, although we do share. And if either of us want something of the other person's, we ask first.

Quote :

"I try not to eat someone's lunch if they brought it from home, but sometimes people bring leftovers from dinner the night before and it gets confusing."

How is it confusing? They still brought it from home, for their lunch..

[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 10:26 AM. Reason : .]

6/18/2009 10:25:18 AM

throw some thoughts on it

6/18/2009 10:25:27 AM

why would they put their breast milk in a work fridge?
do they bring their kids to work?
are they pumping in the restroom or cubicle?

6/18/2009 10:25:34 AM

everybody knows that the office fridge is not a community chest

don't take what isnt yours

6/18/2009 10:25:36 AM

we're an office of 11 and we go by the you-eat-only-your-own-food policy, unless you ask first. we have drinks and snacks that the office provides, but i think it's rude and just plain nasty to eat someone's leftovers. it's my money, don't eat it.

6/18/2009 10:26:04 AM

BTW, did anyone hear about the office fridge in California that was so nasty that several employees were hospitalized?

Office fridge full of rotting food hospitalises seven... and sparks chemical terror attack alert

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1181218/Office-fridge-rotting-food-hospitalises-seven--sparks-chemical-terror-attack-alert.html

A fridge full of rotting food stank so badly that it sent seven workers to hospital - and sparked fears of a full-scale chemical attack.

Hundreds of staff were evacuated from the office block in California after the noxious odours caused people to vomit.

Emergency services dispatched 18 fire engines and ambulances and specially trained crews equipped with full protective bodysuits, to the AT&T building in San Jose.

6/18/2009 10:26:32 AM

My office is totally cool with people eating anything they find in the fridge. It's all good.

Nope, not really. Who does this? Seriously? This is why there are threads about how to secretly poison food thieves. Wouldn't be surprised if Slave Famous's tongue has been dyed blue, had the runs, or bit into something really, really spicy.

Troll thread fed.

6/18/2009 10:26:54 AM

the office fridge is not a free for all unless the item in the fridge is labelled as such.

although...a few weeks ago i was getting kinda low on cash, so i had a little fun with the fridge/freezer. there were a bunch of frozen dinners that had been left behind (it happens...i've left a few myself if i decided to dine out one day instead of eating what i brought). so i sent an email to everyone saying if dinners weren't claimed in 2 days i was going to start eating them to not only help out my wallet, but help clean out the freezer. some had expired (like whoa 2007 expired) so i threw those away. but for about a week i ate for free some were pretty good too! some not so much...but hey, they were free!

6/18/2009 10:27:05 AM

who the fuck goes into their office fridge, sees someones bag lunch and decides that they have a right to eat it?

you eat what you bring for yourself, or what co-workers openly declare as free for everyone

6/18/2009 10:28:47 AM

This isn't college where someone protects a half eaten turkey sandwich like its worth its weight in gold...these people have money. Yeah, it might inconveneince them to have their marsala randomly dissapear, but those are the breaks. I'm not immune, I had scallops scarfed last week, but I usually finish my plate, so leftovers are few and far between.

Point is, I feel its a little juvenile to "protect" your food like a fucking 4th grader...if its that big of deal, get a mini fridge for your office

[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 10:30 AM. Reason : x]

6/18/2009 10:28:47 AM

Quote :

"Be careful with that. I know women who put BREAST MILK in the fridge."

OMG! My coworker had to start labelling her breast milk (she pumped every day at lunch) because someone would see milk in a bottle and use it for their coffee!

My coworker pumped in a back room in private for nearly 2 years after the kid was born. Both kids actually. Kinda weird, cuz I thought the kid switched off of breast milk after 6mos or so.

6/18/2009 10:29:35 AM

Eating my food out of the fridge will get you a grade-A ass-whooping, son.



Don't eat other people's shit.

6/18/2009 10:29:54 AM

How do you know how much money they have? Also, have you even discussed this policy with them? Obviously the person who was pissed that you ate their Olive Garden doesn't agree with you.

6/18/2009 10:30:03 AM

Quote :

"Eat your own food is our rule. Also don't leave shit in there for weeks. Randomly someone throws all the shit out with a friendly warning."

6/18/2009 10:31:04 AM

Besides, who wants to eat the food someone else cooked at their house? You don't know if they washed their hands or anything

6/18/2009 10:32:12 AM

Quote :

"everybody knows that the office fridge is not a community chest don't take what isnt yours"

For real. What the goddamn fuck were you thinking?
Unless EVERYONE IN WRITING agrees to CLEAR AND DEFINED TERMS of "community fridge", then no one should ever eat anyone else's food. If necessary, put up cameras and press charges against any thieves.

Simple.

6/18/2009 10:32:32 AM

if people ate my food i'd seriously start loading it up with exlax or something. that's just not right

6/18/2009 10:32:40 AM

I see TWW is a crowd of possessive infants...ITS MINE !!! GIVE IT BACK !!!

6/18/2009 10:32:48 AM

Quote :

"If necessary, put up cameras and press charges against any thieves. Simple."

nice thought David Caruso

6/18/2009 10:33:36 AM

so everybody else is crazy, huh?

6/18/2009 10:33:58 AM

um, if i PAID for it, leave it the fuck alone.

the only thing i'll mess with is something like salad dressings...rarely. or if someone has like 2 dozen cream cheese and butter containers from catering. if it's catering from the office, it's fair game. otherwise, "communal" doesn't mean "raid me!"

6/18/2009 10:35:11 AM

OP, i think you're the only person who thinks its ok to eat other people's shit. seriously? use some fucking common sense.

6/18/2009 10:35:28 AM

It's not like its just me...everyone eats other peoples shit at some point

Its just the line between whats cool to eat vs whats not...like yeah I'll eat your baked potato, but I should probably leave your ribeye alone

6/18/2009 10:35:58 AM

shenanigans

6/18/2009 10:36:37 AM

Eating my food out of the fridge will get you a grade-A ass-whooping, son.



Don't eat other people's shit.

6/18/2009 10:37:19 AM

Obviously I've struck a nerve with the masses here

When you guys have pizza parties, do you make everyone pay an equal share ?

Do you still charge for a "cup" at parties in your mid 20's ?

Do you split the bill evenly when you go out with friends ?

Fucking unbelievable

6/18/2009 10:39:15 AM

^ There's a big difference between eating a few crackers someone had and eating their Olive Garden - and you should still ask before eating anything of someone else's! It's called common courtesy.

And yes to most of those things. Some of us actually have a budget.

[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 10:40 AM. Reason : .]

6/18/2009 10:39:18 AM

Sally, you can only have 1 slice, you didn't pay a full share !!!


get the fuck out of here

6/18/2009 10:41:40 AM

Hey, look, Slave Famous made another one of these threads.

6/18/2009 10:41:46 AM

I was hoping this thread was a joke

6/18/2009 10:43:02 AM

^3 I mean, if Sally is a total fatass and wants like 4 slices, then yeah bitch better pay up.

^ me too

[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 10:43 AM. Reason : .]

6/18/2009 10:43:03 AM

your mother should be ashamed for raising a boy so wrong

6/18/2009 10:43:07 AM

Why wouldn't you split the bill when you go out with friends? I am sure they don't want to pay for my wine. If they have a round of 4 bud lights ($8 total) and I have 2 glasses of wine ($25), then it's silly for them to pay for me just because we're friends.

6/18/2009 10:44:03 AM

Quote :

"I was hoping this thread was a joke"

I have good news: it is.

6/18/2009 10:44:13 AM

Quote :

"When you guys have pizza parties, do you make everyone pay an equal share ? Do you still charge for a "cup" at parties in your mid 20's ? Do you split the bill evenly when you go out with friends ?"

the only people that would complain about this are moochers.

6/18/2009 10:44:21 AM

Quote :

"When you guys have pizza parties, do you make everyone pay an equal share ? Do you still charge for a "cup" at parties in your mid 20's ? Do you split the bill evenly when you go out with friends ?"

no to all of the above.

but if i pay for a meal and eat less than half of it (typically i do), i'd like the rest, kthx. fortunately, most people have the courtesy not to eat shit they didn't pay for.

6/18/2009 10:44:46 AM

If missing out on the rest of your panini is going to upset you for the rest of the day, then you proabably have bigger issues

6/18/2009 10:44:51 AM

probably. but most people have bigger issues. i generally like to leave people the fuck alone and not cause anything that could spark the bigger issues.

6/18/2009 10:45:52 AM

Quote :

"your mother should be ashamed for raising a boy so wrong"

OH SHIT


BIGMAN SHUT THIS SHIT DOWN


THERE AINT A GOD DAMN THING YOU CAN SAY TO COUNTER THAT.

6/18/2009 10:46:15 AM

In theory, Slave Famous seems like a good person to mooch from. Don't let those words deceive you folks, this man will eat you out of house and home before you ever experience the free pizza, beer, and dinners of which his silver tongue speaks.

6/18/2009 10:47:15 AM

i just assume this was a weak troll attempt

6/18/2009 10:47:22 AM

Quote :

"If missing out on the rest of your panini is going to upset you for the rest of the day, then you proabably have bigger issues"

Dude, if I bit all over my panini (or slurped up noodles from my Olive Garden pasta) and put my leftovers in the fridge, you'd eat it? After I've had my fork and mouth all over half of it? That's just disgusting.

6/18/2009 10:48:20 AM

We only have like 8 people in our office and tiny, tiny fridge so there's not much that can be put in let alone left overs. But I would never take anything out of the fridge that wasn't mine. That just seems rude and kinda weird.

6/18/2009 10:48:55 AM