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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have eaten an unauthorised chip?

108 replies

discusstin · 15/01/2019 14:49

I was at a lunch with external visitors and senior staff in the corporate hospitality suite at work. We were given fish and chips and as we were served a colleague leapt up out of her chair and dashed off, saying she would be 'only a moment.' The colleague has form for disappearing for large periods of time as she is extremely busy.

So, we all sat there looking at the food and waiting for her to come back. Time dragged on the and food got colder and colder. I got hungrier and hungrier. And then....

I surreptitiously took a (cold, manky) chip and ate it. Everyone looked at me. The visitors stared hopefully at the most senior member of staff who said "Let's not wait for X to get back, let's continue."

Everyone started to eat and then the most senior person said:

"The problem with social mobility is that you find people in professional positions who just are not aware of correct social conventions due to their upbringing," as she stared pointedly at me.

AIBU to think that my appallingly working class eating of an unauthorised chip is not as rude as her appalling lack of manners in bringing it to everyone's attention in that way?

OP posts:
MrsTommyBanks · 15/01/2019 15:22

We're you waiting for The Queen?

This is why I'd never be able to work at your level. I'd have looked her in the eye and said, 'Rude.'

StrangeLookingParasite · 15/01/2019 15:23

"The problem with social mobility is that you find people in professional positions who just are not aware of correct social conventions due to their upbringing," as she stared pointedly at me.

Good grief, what an enormous snob.

omarlarge · 15/01/2019 15:24

@ChrisjenAvasarala

To have eaten an unauthorised chip?
newyearnewwhat · 15/01/2019 15:24

What a bitch! My very middle class mother would have been mostly tutting at her rudeness, not your chip munching Grin
Fwiw, I misread your post initially and thought you were questioning if eating your colleagues chips, while she was out of the room was rude.
I was actually debating if that was ok, my mum would disown me.....

omarlarge · 15/01/2019 15:25

OP, what a horrrible thing to say. Who would get uptight about this? She was rude in not urging everyone to eat.

ChrisjenAvasarala · 15/01/2019 15:26

@omarlarge

Omg, I can't believe I did that! I'm a grammar nazi as well! Was on another thread going on about may I instead or can I, then I go and chop some limbs off few guests at a dinner table to make less!! Oops!

ChrisjenAvasarala · 15/01/2019 15:27

*of

omarlarge · 15/01/2019 15:29

@ChrisjenAvasarala I love any excuse to bring out Stannis!

boringlyboring · 15/01/2019 15:29

If I’m hungry and food is in front of me, the rest of the world no longer matters. Must be my peasantry roots.

She sounds a right knob.

Yinv · 15/01/2019 15:30

Yanbu

Bet everyone in the room thought she was a total twat saying that to you.

Actions speak louder than words. All the rest of the people were with you, eating the chips. Everyone thought she was a twat.

I wouldn’t even say it was WC v MC or whatever. I’d say this woman has no idea of practicalities, likes trying to make people feel stupid and is the kind of person who makes everyone around them miserable. Even if she thought you were poorly brought up/lacked manners (bullshit) she could have told you privately.

Some people are assholes.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 15/01/2019 15:31

She must have meant the woman who
Buggered off leaving you all to sit there like lemons.

billybagpuss · 15/01/2019 15:31

Are fish and chips not traditionally a working class meal? Without social mobility how many people would have missed out on the best meal ever?

And OP YADNU they should always be eaten hot, lots of examples of rudeness in your OP but not from you.

BitOutOfPractice · 15/01/2019 15:32

You should have picked up second chip and placed it on her shoulder !

Grin
Slothslothsloth · 15/01/2019 15:33

I wouldn’t even say she’s merely rude but that she has prejudices that would actually affect her ability to do her job. If there are witnesses who would back you up, report her.

Imagine thinking “social mobility”, which is in any case still very limited in this country, could ever be a bad thing!

ambereeree · 15/01/2019 15:33

Think she was referringto the other woman.

diddl · 15/01/2019 15:34

Probably would have been better to say something first, but if I was one of the visitors I would n't have been impressed with person leaving so long that food was cold/snidey remark of ill mannered twat.

I'd like to think I would have joined in with you!

sproutlove · 15/01/2019 15:34

'Omg, I can't believe I did that! I'm a grammar nazi as well! '
Well now you know how silly you are then.

Slothslothsloth · 15/01/2019 15:35

Even if she did mean the other woman - what a massively inappropriate, classist comment in any case. I’d still report her. People like that have no business holding positions of power over others.

Lweji · 15/01/2019 15:36

OP, you actually work in the WH, don't you? Grin

AWishForWingsThatWork · 15/01/2019 15:36

please report her. please.

ChrisjenAvasarala · 15/01/2019 15:37

@sproutlove

I've never corrected the grammar of anyone on here so not quite sure why I've annoyed you?

My only comments on grammar was on a thread where the OP asked "what typing or grammar errors really annoy you". So I answered, but I've never had a go at anyone directly. Not sure what your problem is.

londonrach · 15/01/2019 15:37

Seriously who lets food cold. Yabu op for not eating the fish and chips whilst it was hot. What was everything thinking. Op...report her to hr for food crimes and her comment.

ChrisjenAvasarala · 15/01/2019 15:37

*comment

Bellasorellaa · 15/01/2019 15:37

wtf what an arsehole she is

thedevilinablackdress · 15/01/2019 15:38

What an absurdly rude person.

I think I'd have burst out laughing if I was there (probably spraying chips out of my mouth as I did so).

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