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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that people in food courts should clear their rubbish away

140 replies

workshy · 03/11/2011 21:30

went to my local shopping centre tonight, ended up staying longer than anticipated so decided to eat there

got food with 2x DDs, went to find an empty table and all the empty ones were covered with rubbish with one member of staff trying to keep on top of it

there are about 20 bins on this food court -how difficult is it to put your stuff in the bin ffs????

I ended up clearing a table myself for us to sit down -when we had finished eating DD2 took our stuff to the bin I'm not advocating child slavery, she enjoys doing it strange child and the man cleaning up went to help her and said thank you so enthusiastically, it was as if she was the ONLY person who had put their rubbish in the bin all day!

OP posts:
Arachnophobic · 03/11/2011 21:37

If everyone cleared up that bloke would be jobless.

YABU

cheesesarnie · 03/11/2011 21:38

whats a food court?

Tryharder · 03/11/2011 21:41

YABU. Restaurants should employ sufficient numbers of staff to ensure the tables are clear.

Shutupanddrive · 03/11/2011 21:41

Yabu

Arachnophobic · 03/11/2011 21:43

In fact, take one of these from the food court Biscuit

AnotherEmptyNest · 03/11/2011 21:45

Don't know what a food court is? It's an area where there are several food/cafe outlets. You can choose your meal from one cafe and eat in a central area where customers from other outlets are sitting

Clear up your own mess or at least put your debris in one place or onto one tray and leave it on your table. It would be cleared away and someone will still have a job. Same as in any cafe / restaurant.

You did well clearing up for your own visit but it should be down to the establishment involved.

pointythings · 03/11/2011 21:49

I always clear my own things away. The staff are there to wipe down tables, sweep floors, deal with spills, not to put people's stuff in bins. People are such slobs!

rhondajean · 03/11/2011 21:49

YANBU - BUT at times I have left our stuff sitting in places because the bins are overflowing. It would be much better if everyone tidied their table and staff tidied the bins imo...

rhondajean · 03/11/2011 21:50

A food court is hardly a restaurant!

alemci · 03/11/2011 21:50

I think i would clear up my mess in a food court. Isn't it a bit like McDonalds where people usually clear up after themselves.

Haven't really seen many food courts in UK but have been to them in the USA.

poorbuthappy · 03/11/2011 21:54

same as Ikea. We were in the cardiff 1 over the weekend and it specifically tells you to clear away your own mess so that the prices can be kept down. (family of 5 eating for £15, main course, drinks and afters!)
But still people walked away from their tables, and past the tray holders where the dirty dishes are put!

People are just crap nowadays.

cheesesarnie · 03/11/2011 21:55

oooh i see!

FlangelinaBallerina · 03/11/2011 22:11

I always cleared my own rubbish, until I realised it was someone else's livelihood. It always makes me feel skanky leaving my shit for other people to get rid of, even in a restaurant, and I make sure it's all on one tray or piled up for ease of removal. But it would be wrong to do something that contributes to taking someone's job from them. I don't mind paying a little more for my meal to fund this. If everyone who clears tables in food courts were unemployed because we all cleaned up after ourselves, our taxes would have to pay to support at least some of them anyway.

Lucy88 · 03/11/2011 22:27

Can't get over the amount of comments (excuses) from people about the reason for not walking 10 yard and throwing your rubbish in a bin.

You are not taking someones job away by acting like a decent human being. The staff are there for more than just clearing tables. They could do their jobs more quickly and keep tables and floors clean if we took 1 minutes to throw our rubbish in a bin. It would also mean that new customers could get a clean table more quickly.

A question for those of you who are too bloody lazy to throw your rubbish away - do you also throw your litter on the street and use the excuse that it keeps street cleaners/sweepers in a job?

Its just plain lazy and scruffy to leave your rubbish on the table. It also sets a bad example to your kids.

Original poster
workshy · 03/11/2011 22:34

can't believe people are saying te guy would be out of a job????

he would actually have more time to do his job which is to wipe tables down, sweep, keep the bins emptied etc

I'm sorry but it's just lazy and inconsiderate

OP posts:
manicbmc · 03/11/2011 22:37

Food courts can be really busy and so staff need to be able to clean, wipe tables and empty bins.

Customers should put their rubbish in the bins or why would they provide them in the first place? It's just laziness to not spend 30 seconds putting rubbish in a bin.

my2centsis · 03/11/2011 23:55

I COMPLETELY agree with you OP!!!

DP, DD and i were having McDonald's in the food court a few weeks ago (was her special treat) and i was actually amazed at all the people leaving their rubbish behind, they left food all over the tables and everything! It was DISGUSTING and the thing that baffled me the most was that they literally had to walk past a rubbish bin to leave the eating area!

I think its just rude and lazy that people cannot spend 20seconds picking up their own rubbish!

RIDICULOUS

Stupify64 · 04/11/2011 00:15

Where I live the council has installed little bins for chewing-gum/fag-ends on the lamp posts. Am very torn between providing work for the little bin manufacturing/distribution/emptying staff, or for the council staff who drive the special pavement cleaning buggies. Fag-end in the bin always wins, but then as a family we will spend more time arranging our detritus (tall stuff in the middle) to fit the special tray trolley than we did eating the food in the first place.
Oh the shame of shattering glass if you get this wrong, which is why KFC is good tho their bins are always overflowing.

SecretNutellaFix · 04/11/2011 00:16

We always have done.

JoInScotland · 04/11/2011 01:05

Yes, my sister never puts her shopping trolley into one of the bays after emptying her bags into her car. She actually thinks it gives someone a job. Erm, pushing trolleys in is hard work, but it is much harder when you have to bloody hunt for them.... used to do it sometimes at Tesco. Oh, and it's tons of fun if a car hits a trolley too, I suppose that makes work for the insurance folks. Honestly, some of the replies on here are ridiculous.

auntiepicklebottom2 · 04/11/2011 01:13

even if i am in a restaurant i will clean up after myself.

RomanKindle · 04/11/2011 01:31

YANBU.

MrsMoominTroll · 04/11/2011 02:34

Agree completely OP.

It also drives me mad when people, including well-educated friends who should know better, leave the floor of a cafe where their DCs were sat covered in food mess. It takes 30 seconds with a couple of baby wipes to pick up the bits of food dropped by your baby. Why should the staff have to deal with that?

BupcakesandCunting · 04/11/2011 09:49

YANBU. I do love the brass neck of posters claiming that actually, they are being considerate by leaving their crap everywhere or else they'd be helping boost the unemployment statistics. Hmm Grin

It's lazy. They put bins there for a reason. If they didn't want to you chuck your rubbish in the bin, they wouldn'tpay good money to install them.

Towndon · 04/11/2011 10:30

YABU. It's not made particularly clear that that's what you are supposed to do.