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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think greedy people should be shot at dawn?

110 replies

GlitterGlue · 16/04/2017 17:12

And by that I mean people who take more than their fair share just because they can, not because they need it.

Went to an Easter egg hunt thing today. Community event so low cost (£1 a child) as some eggs had been donated. Each child given a small cardboard basket - big enough to fit in four or five eggs/items. Some children were scooping up enough everything they could see. Fair enough, small children so probably didn't know any better, although the rules had been explained beforehand - only what you can fit in your basket. However, several adults were encouraging their children to stuff their pockets full, and one woman actually shoved a load in her handbag!

There were complaints, but apparently she refused to put them back because she'd paid for them. Oh yes, that £2 you paid for your two kids really covered the price of the eggs you all took. And there weren't quite enough to go round because of those who took far more than their share.

Next year they are planing to use fake eggs which will have to be exchanged for chocolate, or do it as a treasure hunt type event, to stop the greed. Apparently they had issues at Christmas as well.

What on earth possesses people to be so greedy? It's even worse when they take way more than they can possibly eat (think 9 fairy cakes!) and are wasteful as well.

OP posts:
Andrewofgg · 16/04/2017 17:13

YABU

Not shot at dawn. Too easy.

Boiled in oil.

ProudBadMum · 16/04/2017 17:14

Made to sleep on lego for eternity

changename7 · 16/04/2017 17:16

Some people are so desperate. It's probably the type of families who already have a ton at home too. So annoying!

Sparklingbrook · 16/04/2017 17:17

There's always one. These are the same people that pile their plates high at carveries and buffets.

And they are producing the next generation of selfish greedy people.

lalalalyra · 16/04/2017 17:17

We have to do fake eggs at our local hunt for similar reasons.

Everyone knows there is there small eggs per child. Two years ago one collected 13!!!

We have blue eggs and red eggs. Find a blue and you win an egg, find a red and you win mini eggs.

RedDogsBeg · 16/04/2017 17:18

Proud with the most irritating children's shows on a permanent loop.

Scribblegirl · 16/04/2017 17:18

I think it's less 'greedy' and more 'entitled'. I deserve... it's my right.. etc etc. Yanbu though.

highinthesky · 16/04/2017 17:19

If she puts her purse before her health, obesity and type 2 diabetes beckon. That's punishment enough.

RedDogsBeg · 16/04/2017 17:20

It is a hideously unattractive human trait.

Original poster
GlitterGlue · 16/04/2017 17:22

Oh, god, the buffet slayers as well. Plates piled high, quick nibble then discard the lot. And repeat.

Given that one of the greedy children was heard to say that they have eleven eggs at home I'm fairly sure it wasn't a case of deprivation.

On the plus side some children spontaneously gave an egg or two to the little ones with only one.

OP posts:
ThomasRichard · 16/04/2017 17:22

YANBU. I ran an Easter egg hunt at church last year: all children I know and my own children were part of it too. I was so disappointed by the behaviour of the older ones, literally pushing the littlies out of the way so that they could scoop up more eggs and then boasting to me about it afterwards. I didn't do one this year :(

Sparklingbrook · 16/04/2017 17:24

An old friend used to pile her salad bowl high at Pizza Hut. She had a technique for what went where to get the most in. Then tomatoes went in her pockets. Hmm

Blodplod · 16/04/2017 17:25

I remember getting really pissed off at my niece and nephew for this. Although not with eggs.. Sunday lunch at my mums, she never quite caters enough for the people/appetites at the table. Roast potatoes get put in a dish for you to serve yourself. You can see there's roughly 2 potatoes per person (not enough imho) and niece and nephew take about 5 each. The most galling thing is they then don't eat them.. it leaves my mum, me, DH and sister with 1 or no pots each.. drives me insane.. thankfully, we're well able to tell them not to be so greedy but the lack of thought astounds me sometimes! They're 21 and 19 so not wee children.

welshweasel · 16/04/2017 17:26

Some of the kids at the egg hunt I went to today must have had over 40 creme eggs or similar. They had brought carrier bags with them. I actually started pointing out all the children arriving who wouldn't get to find any eggs. Kids started to put some eggs back. Parents went and picked them up again. FFS!

longlostpal · 16/04/2017 17:27

There's a big difference between nabbing all the eggs on an egg hunt and taking a big helping at a buffet. In the latter case you're not depriving others (unless it's a wedding or something and there's limited amounts).

ellencherry · 16/04/2017 17:28

Disgusting. Not surprising if their parents teach them to be such greedy gits.

At an Easter egg hunt my toddler was given some by an older girl about 7 who was pointing them out and playing with her... Only for a much older child to over hear her saying 'look over there, behind the plant pot' and shove them out to way to get to the eggs.

TittyGolightly · 16/04/2017 17:28

Went to one this morning. Children all told to take one egg from each location - 24 in total. So our group set off and follow the rules. They have 24 each. Out comes organiser and announces prize for the winner who has 38 eggs! They got a huge egg. Then the organiser said there were still eggs left and the children could go and help themselves. I caught up with DD who was still taking one from each location, only to have the winning kid shout at her for having too many before emptying the rest of that bucket into his basket. Little shit.

CaptainBraandPants · 16/04/2017 17:28

The worse example of this that I saw was after a family funeral.
Church service, then immediate family and those that wanted to, went to the crematorium, which is some distance away.
Understandably, some couldn't get to the crematorium, or didn't want to go. So, they went straight to the reception.
By the time we got there, the majority of food was eaten. Shock Sad
My DF has still not got over the fact that there were no chips left.

Sparklingbrook · 16/04/2017 17:29

Taking all the eggs on an egg hunt and enormous helping at a buffet=greedy. Grabbing excess just because you can.

Original poster
GlitterGlue · 16/04/2017 17:31

There's a big difference between nabbing all the eggs on an egg hunt and taking a big helping at a buffet. In the latter case you're not depriving others (unless it's a wedding or something and there's limited amounts).

True, but I hate the waste. If you're not sure if you'll like it, take a tiny portion to try. Don't fill your entire plate.

OP posts:
CactusFred · 16/04/2017 17:31

We had similar at a Halloween thing.

After the walk there were drinks and biscuits/fairy cakes. No biscuits or cake left for us at the end of the queue because people had taken handfuls and there was meant to be enough for all. The organisers were mortified.

It was difficult because 3yo could see others eating a bourbon and there wasn't one for him!

Maudlinmaud · 16/04/2017 17:31

YANBU that would get on my tits.
I had an egg hunt for my youngest and few neighbours and used those plastic eggs, filled them with crafty things and chocolate, was great. And everyone got plenty.

Bluntness100 · 16/04/2017 17:31

I hate this, I have a friend who is somewhat similar. She is always on a diet, very slim, watches what she eats, but put her in front of an all you can eat buffet and you'll see something special. She literally rolls her sleeves up and gets on with it. It's quite disturbing,,😂

EwanWhosearmy · 16/04/2017 17:32

longlostpal what sort of buffet do you go to where there is an infinite supply?

We had this at Disney Paris breakfast; first people down taking half a dozen pastries each then leaving them, and none for the later people.

I used to work in Conference and Banqueting. I hated buffets for this reason. The people at the back would be asking when we were going to bring the rest out, and we'd have to explain it was all out, and their colleagues had taken it all.

AuntJane · 16/04/2017 17:36

I've been to two Easter Egg Hunts this year. The children collected coloured "corks" (actually 2.5cm bits of dowelling), and exchanged them for one chocolate egg at the end. Number of corks gathered determined the size of the egg they received.