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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Biscuit police -AIBU?

242 replies

Supermagicsmile · 20/01/2017 07:16

There is no rule on buying biscuits, if the team are gifted any we put them out in the staff room and all enjoy them.

One woman at work had taken it upon herself to monitor and ration the biscuits/sweets as she sees fit.

Yesterday we were given a box of chocolates. I was looking forward to having one but they were not in the staffroom. I was told X had put them away because we already had some biscuits out (they were the dregs of a Christmas box that no-one wanted to eat.)

She will often appear at random times with a new box of sweets/chocolates that were donated and she was keeping 'safe.'

I also noticed that at the end of our break last week she took the whole box of biscuits with her to stop anyone eating them when it wasn't our collective break time (we don't all have breaks together everyday so feel this is unfair as when we are in the staffroom there is often nothing to eat at all.) she has not bought any of these herself so has no more 'claim' on them than anyone else.

Aibu to think it should not be up to her what we eat and when?

OP posts:
TowerOfJoyless · 22/01/2017 06:41

Caspo the charge nurse on my old ward did this, plus she had a 'chocolate rota'. No chocs or biscuits were allowed to be opened, had to be handed to her instead for redistribution later via rota. Charge nurse was also a bully as well as a control freak, if anyone dared take sick leave they would miss their turn on the chocolate rota Hmm

scaryclown · 22/01/2017 06:50

Mental. Controlling. Weird.
The last person i know who did this also tried to put wrappers for what she bought onto other people's desks and then try and blame them for it. The trick is to undermine her control and watch her freak out. Try saying 'can you get the biscuits please' as if you have told her to ration the biscuits.. and perhaps buying a whole load of biscuits putting them on her desk with a note 'can you make sure these are put away properly please?

scaryclown · 22/01/2017 06:54

hang on, what i'm I thinking! Report her for accepting gifts and bribes and that she does not accpunt for them appropriately. .. Do you have an ethics line?

Original poster
Supermagicsmile · 22/01/2017 07:28

No we don't! In our line of work, anything we get is always well received!

OP posts:
sleepachu · 22/01/2017 08:10

Jesus. These threads always bring my rage issues to the fore. I would struggle not to say "are you the fucking biscuit police?" the instant she made a move to take them anywhere. The woman upthread who cut the brownies someone had made has got me incandescent and I hope she was made to cry.

Ellapaella · 22/01/2017 08:16

Just ask her who made her the biscuit/chocolate police? And then tell her to get a life in a jokey way and tell her to hand over the bloody biscuits!

user1477282676 · 22/01/2017 08:18

Is someone taking more than their fair share though? Perhaps she's noticed someone's scoffing loads and then there's none left.

HighDataUsage · 22/01/2017 08:33

I'd turn it around and ask her if she's suffering from any financial hardship and then say that you understand if she needs to take treats home to supplement her food shopping in front of everybody. That should stop her controlling behaviour.

Also to people who received little cling film rations of biscuits from the biscuit police, refuse to take them next time you are offered your next portion. Refuse on hygiene grounds, how do you know that the person had gloves on, clean hands etc, doesn't have d&v, good toilet hygiene before handling the biscuits. Make a big deal about hygiene every single time and hopefully the madness will stop. The biscuits are in a tin for a reason, so groups of people can share with minimal touching of biscuits and passing on germs.

LilaTheLion · 22/01/2017 10:11

Can we stop saying gifted PLEEEEEEEASE?

Given is fine Grin

StealthPolarBear · 22/01/2017 10:40

Agree :) not on this thread but pissed seems to have replaced pissed off. To me it means drunk so I always have to go back and re read "I was pissed and started shouting at him"

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 22/01/2017 12:30

@TowerOfJoyless - I had a ward sister who did that, when I was training. There was no attempt to make sure everyone got something reasonably similar - the person before you could get a massive tin of Quality Street, and you could get a tiny box of those horrible jelly fruits, that aren't even chocolates at all! Bitter? Moi?

And when student nurses moved to a different allocation, and were replaced by another lot, those students didn't take over the leaving students' places in the rota - ohhh no - they went straight to the bottom.

limitedperiodonly · 22/01/2017 13:46

In [a recent] thread...it was deemed bad to have biscuits etc at work for people who are struggle with their weight and those who have hidden eating disorders

Neversaynevers That dentist and cake culture thread was bonkers. The first reply went on about feeders and the horrors of the office alcohol culture and she wasn't alone.

We have loads of treats in work. If I don't like the type of treat, I don't eat it or I eat one to try it and then decide whether I want another one or not. If I liked it I wouldn't gorge on the whole packet.

We always have a few bottles of wine for after 4.30pm on a Friday. I realise that's not usual for many workplaces but it's allowed where I work. I'm a drinker but I hardly ever touch it because it's not usually the type of wine I like, I don't like wine in mugs and if I drink a mug of wine I don't like then it's spoiled the experience of having a really nice alcoholic drink later on. I used to drink at lunchtimes but I don't now because it's frowned upon. I've had no difficulty adjusting to this change and it saves me money.

That's how adults with a sensible relationship with food and alcohol think. The people who believe in rationing have the problem, not us.

FurryLittleTwerp · 22/01/2017 13:56

dyls I'd've bloody well said who had cut them up & why!

Brownies are supposed to be rich. Cut a small piece off for yourself certainly, but don't infantilise the whole lot!!

FurryLittleTwerp · 22/01/2017 13:57

Stealth agree - Pissed is American for Pissed Off, but it's creeping in over here too - sigh

sleepachu · 22/01/2017 14:49

Trying to police which inoffensive words other adults use is on par with trying to police what they eat Hmm

HappyFlappy · 22/01/2017 14:53

Also to people who received little cling film rations of biscuits from the biscuit police, refuse to take them next time you are offered your next portion. Refuse on hygiene grounds, how do you know that the person had gloves on, clean hands etc, doesn't have d&v, good toilet hygiene before handling the biscuits. Make a big deal about hygiene every single time and hopefully the madness will stop. The biscuits are in a tin for a reason, so groups of people can share with minimal touching of biscuits and passing on germs.

This is brilliant "DataUsage*.

And she can't argue with it. You can always claim that you saw her pick her nose and eat the contents and not wash her hands, or adjust her knickers when she thought there was no-one else in the office. Obviously you can't prove you saw her (because you didn't) but she can't prove she didn't, either.

I like your thinking.

Have a Biscuit. In fact, have Biscuit Biscuit

You deserve them

StealthPolarBear · 22/01/2017 14:54

Why am I trying to police it? I'm pointing out it changes the meaning of what people say to quite a large extent and therefore I don't always read what they're saying correctly. For example if they were drunk then certain actions are interpreted in different ways.
its the same as this new thing of completely leaving out the word "not" reverses the meaning of what you're saying yet everyone is meant to read between the lines. Surely accuracy in the first place would make more sense.
Apologies for the inevitable typos.

HappyFlappy · 22/01/2017 14:58

WolefGenius

I wish we worked together. We could have such larks!

(We'd be an unstoppable force for insanity in the workplace).

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 22/01/2017 15:31

Ohhh yes!

sleepachu · 22/01/2017 16:04

I was referring to Lila re the policing, Stealth. Lack of proofreading and leaving out a crucial word annoys me too. (Bet I've done it now)

limitedperiodonly · 22/01/2017 16:16

STDG Nobody likes those jelly fruits. Meltis make them. What else do they make? I've never heard of any other Meltis product.

I think they just exist for thoughtless people to give to people in hospital when they do their one duty visit, ostentatiously look at their watch after 36 minutes, talk vaguely about how busy they are and are never seen again.

HighDataUsage · 22/01/2017 21:07

HappyFlappy thank you , it's the only way to deal with these petty minded individuals.

HappyFlappy · 23/01/2017 18:40

Limited

You are right that no-one likes Meltis fruits.

They are purposefully designed to be given to invalids who will either get better very quickly, or actually die - anything to avoid the risk of a second box of the nasty effers.

Either way, the victim patient is no longer taking up valuable bedspace in a beleaguered NHS ward, or requiring a relative to run up and down stairs 147 times a day, with cups of Bovril, murmuring - "No darling, honestly - it's no trouble." through gritted teeth.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/01/2017 18:43

Meltis fruits = fruit pastilles with ideas above their station.

ArcheryAnnie · 23/01/2017 18:56

I like Meltis fruits! I haven't seen any since about 1975, though.

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