to be annoyed when "vegetarians" eat fish?

[purpleandpink]

It cannot just be me who finds this irritating?

Someone who eats no meat, but does eat fish is a pescetarian. As a fully fledged vegetarian it bugs the HELL out of me when people say "I'm a veggie, but I eat fish" Or even worse "but I eat fish AND CHICKEN".....

The problem is there are now so many of these "fish eating vegetarians" that people seem to assume all veggies eat fish, and when I eat out and ask what veggie choices there are, I get offered fish and the "true" veggie options are limited to perhaps 1 or 2 dishes.

I have no problem with people eating just fish but PLEASE do not call yourself a veggie when you clearly aren't one! I don't know why people do it, whether they think it's trendy or they are just lazy or confused about what they are.

I know this is a BIG rant but it really really annoys me. If I am a veggie and someone ask me "do you eat fish?" I practically rip their heads off (which I know is unreasonable but there you go )

But AIBU to ask that people only call themselves vegetarians if they actually are one???

YANBU at all! I am a veggie and get so fed up with being offered fish. The Vegetarian Society has a strict definition - you would think chefs would care. (Although if all they can offer is pasta, perhaps not!)

This thread is very insightful.

I did not know vegetarians were so aggressive!

I always ask vegetarian dinner guests if they eat fish, as quite a few DO. A lot of vegetarians I know are not vegetarian because they are worried about animal welfare, but because they are worried about their waistline or their health. This kind of "vegetarian" eats fish.

Thankfully, I have not had my head ripped off for this inconsiderate ( WTF) question.

AllBellyandBoobs, yes, I am vegan.

kungfupanda - Great post !

Also it's up to the restraunteurs to respect and cater for people's differing dietary preferences properly.

I don't think vegetarians should be blaming pescatarians or other versions of nearly or sometime vegetarians for the fact that people aren't taking on board what a true vegetarian is.

Some people, like myself, do find eating fish (occasionally or otherwise ) a dietary preference they are comfortable with.

When I've declared myself vegetarian I have over the years been served with both fish and chicken. So I know what it's like a bit from that point of view.

Also some people are just stricter about their dietary preferences than others.

YANBU, i don't care what anyone chooses to eat/not eat, but why can't people just state their dietry requirements? i.e. say "I don't eat meat" rather than claiming to be a vegetarian (& confusing caterers) when they're not!

bessie - But what's wrong with saying that you're vegetarian, or would like to have the vegetarian option, in any particular situation.

eg. If you want the veggie option for a plane flight I don't see anything wrong with saying "vegetarian please" or "I'm a vegetarian"
Perhaps you've only been a vegetarian since this morning !
You should be able to choose what you'd like to eat !

I don't buy that this sort of thing is really confusing the caterers. People just have a variety of preferences !

That's why I fall down on the side of YABU regarding OP - as I think it's fair enough for people to clarify what your dietary preferences are.

I think the problem comes because so often this is done in a pushy and un-accepting way.
Or people are just served up with something they haven't eaten for years, and often wouldn't consider eating.

jj. Can't you see that it's BECAUSE of the wishy-washy not-really-vegetarians that there is confusion, and can't you see the consequent impact on the true vegetarians, who may get served fish when they go to an establishment that has served a so-called vegetarian before, and thinks that because that first vegetarian ate fish, so will this one. It's very annoying for the real vegetarians.

Saying you would like the vegetarian option is different to stating you are a vegetarian.

mycarscallednev--regarding your veggie friend who wears leather. Some vegetarians are veggie for health reasons rather than ethical/moral ones so have no problem with wearing leather. Some vegans continue to wear leather while they are transitioning because it is expensive and wasteful to replace all their leather items (despite the obvious contradiction) I eat a vegan, plant-based diet because I have watched so many members of my family suffer with lifestyle related illness (type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers). My kids and hubby are lacto-ovo vegetarians. Although we choose to be vegetarians mostly for health reasons; I can certainly appreciate that our carbon footprint is a little lighter and saves the unnecessary suffering and slaughter of a lot of animals. It's not about being perfect, more a case of doing what you can (whatever your motivation).

I

is eating eggs and wearing leather being a wishy washy vegetarian? because a lot of people think that you shouldn't if you are vegetarian (not even vegan).

some people might even say eating in a restaurant that serves meat is supporting meat eating.

some people need to stop being so staunch. not saying it's not good to think about what you eat but it's not all so black and white as some people are painting it.

Chandon
"I always ask vegetarian dinner guests if they eat fish, as quite a few DO"

I think that's at the heart of the thread, those guests of yours that DO, are not vegetarians!

BTW, I'm not a veggie, nor aggressive IMO

kepler10b, I meant the term wishy-washy to describe the 'vegetarians' who eat fish.

Re the no face rule, I've always wanted to ask ... do you eat cockles, mussels etc?

I'm not annoyed. I just think that person lacks a certain sharpness.

Somebody who claims to be vegetarian apart from fish and/or chicken is not vegetarian, just picky. All these newspeak -arians have been invented by supermarkets who don't want to label customers picky.

purple, you are beyond reasonable. A vegetarian is a person who does not eat flesh, fowl or fish. Any alleged other type annoys me beyond reason too. :)

Would you eat a potato if I drew a face on it?

There's being a vegetarian and there's being picky about what types of meat / fish you like. These are both acceptable but it annoys me too when people misuse the term vegetarian.

It does slightly annoy me, as a vegetarian, when I hear this. YANBU.

However, I am impressed with their eforts to minimise the meat they eat so I'd never say owt. I might just cringe a wee bit inside, thinking perhaps they don't understand what being a vegetarian, by name, means.

"You give love vegetarians a bad name" :o

(great song)

YANBU. I'm vegan and I really don't like it when people presume I eat fish. Yuck!

As a vegan, vegetarians piss me off more than meat eaters as I find them hypocrites (except for those who are vegetarians due to taste or other non related cruelty concerns). I don't people being honest, but you tend to find more vegetarians spewing holier than thou crap

(which I know IABU to generalise in such a manner)

I get annoyed by vegetarians who don't like vegetables!

ooh Lamorna, I am a mushroom-hating vegetarian!! Brides and chefs hate me, in equal measure!!

Imprison them it's the only answer