To be freaked out by the buffet?

[BornInSydneyy]

We had a huge buffet at work today (last day today) and as my colleague who sits next to me was away all the food was placed on his desk.

I hate buffets really, just the smell is enough to make me feel sick. The team descended on it like a pack of hyenas.

People started plating their food up on my actual desk whilst I was trying to work ... food wrappers being left, cutting bread next to my hand on my mouse, leaving crumbs, piling dip on their plate on my desk.

Aibu to think it’s gross to be doing that and felt like my personal space was invaded?

I did snap eventually and told them to stop it.

Why were you trying to work and not tucking in with everyone else ? It's Christmas, enjoy yourself!

Was this the remains of a buffet being shared out between your team, or was it a pre-christmas buffet for the team? If the latter, it's slightly odd to be sitting working in the middle of a social event.

Are you serious? Do you think maybe you might be the odd one here?

I think you have food issues you need to address rather than blaming other people.

This would've freaked me out a bit too. But then I did used to have bulimia in my teens.

Haha, sounds like my work place except I'm the first up there with my elbows out blocking everyone else so I get first pick

I’m with you OP. I’m not a fan of a bog standard ‘beige’ buffet. Unhealthy food and some seem to descend on it like it’s the last available meal. Once it’s been harvested, it looks even more unappealing. Dorito flavoured dip anyone?!

You should have raised your concerns about the siting of the buffet with your manager long before it got to the point of snapping at colleagues who were doing nothing worse that availing themselves of the buffet provided for them.

Merry Christmas!

I fucking love a buffet.

This would drive me insane. But I have food issues. Not sure what ‘normal’ people would think

It's not the buffet. It's your rude coworkers who invaded your (desk) space while you were sitting there.

Don't assign their bad behaviour to poor defenseless buffets. :)

Oh sweet Jesus. The Dorito flavoured dip stage < not envy, not envy at all.

I'm sympathetic in that I HATE the combination of food & paperwork!
But I would have taken it as a sign to knock off work, tidy my papers away and join in....

Of course YABU -if this is even real--.

Why were you working during the official 'last day Christmas buffet / social' ? You should have put your computer away and joined in the social with everyone else, even if your food issues prevented you eating with everyone else.

Even if I wasn't eating the buffet I would have stopped working if everyone else was.

Beige buffets are my idea of heaven!

I don't know why but the idea of someone stoically working away at their desk while a Christmas party literally goes on around them has really amused me.

You didn't need to eat the buffet, just mingle with your colleagues. Then again you clearly have a low opinion of them to describe them as being a pack of hyenas.

Merry Christmas OP, try and unclench a bit.

I think you need to relax a bit.

OP - I would have felt exactly the same. I hate buffet food too. All that double dipping.... brown food.... yuck....

Try to relax. x

You can't beat a work buffet. However at my old office the buffet would start two days before 'the last day' and would sit out all day and then be dragged out again until it was gone. The fridge was tiny so some things sat on the side for three days (think mini quiches etc).
I used to chuckle to myself as I sat at my desk fending off (to an extent) personal injury claims from solicitors for our clients who claimed they had fallen ill with food poisoning from foreign hotel buffets. You'd have thought we'd know better!

YANBU to dislike any sort of food but YABU to take it being served near you as a personal affront and to belittle other people whose tastes are not the same as yours. All you had to do was move away from the food service area and nibble daintily on a carrot stick or sliver of ham whilst dispensing festive charm and cheer to all your colleagues.