Vomit in restaurant.

[ClaryFray]

I need a dose of straight talking, I'm aware my own mental health issues may be clouding my judgement so some perspective.

I suffer with emetophobia, which for those of you who don't know, is a fear of all things vomit.

So today I went for a meal with my family which is rare for me, as I have an eating disorder which is due to restrictive diet I implement based on foods that are likely to make me sick.

We were sat at our table, eating our mains, when a man was sick all over the floor right next to our table. I didn't notice this as was dealing with DS. However when I did notice it, my dad (bless him tried to tell me someone had spilled coleslaw.) however I had to flea to the bathroom to wash my hands, and use lots of the alcohol gel I carry with me at all times. My hands are now red raw.

Yes I am being treated. I'm aware it's my issue and the world cant stop to accommodate it.

Now on to my AIBU - it took the staff 10 minutes to clean it up. There was 4 staff members stood there discussing other things for 5 minutes, one of the staff even escorted a child back to the table she was with after she stepped in it. when clean up finally commenced one of the chefs (of all people) came out to assist in cleaning it!! AIBU to send an email to complain, as it's health and safety or is my aniexty about now becoming ill clouding my rational brain.

Please be gentle I struggle enough living with this day to day. I know it can make me irrational which is why I'm asking others opinions on this before I complain.

That's beyond disgusting and yes complain.

It must have been pretty vile for the staff to have to clean this up, so no, I wouldn't complain and make things worse for them.

I'm sure the chef washed thoroughly afterwards.

What Nanny said.

The chef should definitely not have helped cleaning up. That is grim.

I am sorry to hear of your condition. I know two people with similar and it is very restricting.

This is a tough one I think, as I would imagine for most restaurants, it is a relatively rare occurrence. For those who encounter this regularly like schools and soft play, I have seen their reactions and the quick and efficient way they deal with it, but then it happens all the time.

I am not sure whether it would be unreasonable to complain or not, but it certainly sounds like they may need a prompt to review their approach to such a situation, should it occur. Maybe word it in that way?

I understand it was awful for you but a 10 minute delay doesn’t warrant a complaint email in my opinion. I would hate it but what do you want them to do about it now? What would writing the email achieve?

I worked in the kitchen at a residential home so accidents in the dining room happened semi frequently. Kitchen staff were categorically not allowed to clean up bodily fluids because of cross contamination. Unless he changed his outfit, which I doubt, it's a risk.

It's because the chef cleaned it warranted why I feel it needs to be addressed.

So as not to make the OP more anxious, whilst it isn’t ideal for the chef to clear up, I am sure it isn’t much of a risk. I have never changed my clothes following a vomit clean up, and have never spread it around our house.

why didn't you just leave the room if it was affecting you that badly?

Honestly, I would have left. I have emetophobia too.

I'd have left as well. Screw that!, even without emetophobia I'd have been out of there, how disgusting.

I don't have emetophobia and this would have made me disgusted enough to get the fuck out of there and take a shower :(

I wanted to leave. But I didn't want my DS to pick up on it. I'm desperate not to pass this horrific burden on to him. It's the worse

Was it definitely sickness? Strange that a grown adult has so little warning when out for dinner. Could it have been soup?

What did the person who threw up do?

When DD was sick in a restaurant we were handed kitchen roll, spray and a mop to clean it ourselves. The waitress apologised and said she couldn't carry on serving food if she helped us, she was really helpful in other ways though.

Personally l don't see why it's up to the Resturant to clean it up. What did the other table guests do?

I work in a similar environment and can have had people throwing up occasionally. We don’t have a body clean up kit to hand so had to spend 5 minutes frantically searching for it. I think complaining about the time is an overreaction but Yanbu for not wanting the chef to clean it.

Im also slightly phobic and would have wanted to leave.
You can inhale it and it makes you sick.
Im sure a chef should not have been cleaning it.
As it's airborne how would people know if they are spreading it?
It's particularly bad for us as dd gets ear infections from vomitting then her ear drum bursts horribly painfully.
I have 2 young kids and despite them being ill many times each it has very rarely (maybe1/15) made either of us adults ill. Although i think that is because some cold type viruses affect kids in that way.

Tbh i think leaving if posible when someone is sick is quite sensible. Afterall you would get picked up from school or leave work etc if you are ill. And yes i would try to clean up if i was ill in a restaurant

I dont know how come everyone didn't leave immediately

If he wasn't drunk, the first thing to worry about is noro surely? I'd have thought the restaurant would want to turf everyone out?

Then again, we live in very strange times.

Maybe worth finding out what general hygiene policy is before asking them anything?

I would have panicked and had to leave. There’s no way the chef should have been clearing it up, that’s vile, and I would never eat there again on account of that.

TBH I'd have paid for my meal and left immediately. Chances are that that person had a vomiting bug and I'd have been long gone.

It's awful that it wasn't cleared immediately, I can't think of anything less hygienic when other people are eating.

I dont suffer with emetophobia but I would have walked out. Thats vile.