To think don't keep taking my drink at work?

[openitsoicanseeyousmile]

I'm known to bring a can of drink in everyday for lunch. It's kept in the shared fridge at work - Everyone knowns it's mine as there's a little section box for each person with their name on.

A colleague of mine is pregnant and for the third time has taken my drink and not bothered replacing it. When questioned, she says something along the lines of "Sorry! Bad sickness. This helps. I'll get a new one for you tomorrow".

She always does, it's there the following day. But it means having to go out at lunchtime to get another one. The local shop is only 2 minutes away but it means eating up time I don't have since I have 30 minutes lunch.

I'm really not sure how to go about it. If it was the usual person, I'd tell them to stop the cheek and buy their own to bring in! But she's pregnant and suffering from sickness. I had HG with my son so I feel awful at the thought of telling her she can most certainly never take from me again without asking

I remember the horrendous feeling of needing something sweet and fizzy to curve the sickness and it did often help, so I imagine it's very helpful to her.

Perhaps I should buy a multipack and suggest she goes half's so we can both enjoy them during the week? Or is this too doormat like?

I'm really not sure how to go about it. I don't think she thinks she's being cheeky in the slightest, and is an otherwise lovely colleague.

What would you do? I usually have no issues being assertive but I feel as if the lines have been blurred.

Please tell us ExhaustedGrinch. I would love to hear about a CF getting a well deserved commuppance.

It's temporary. It's cheap

It's not OP's responsibility . . .

If she replaces your next day why can't she bring in another for herself or a multipack especially as she finds it helpful for her nausea. She is taking the p..s looking for sympathy due to pregnancy. I to suffered terribly with sickness for whole 9 months and would have done anything to ensure I had whatever helped.

Just buy a fucking multipack and stop whining about absolutely nothing!

Yes, if you are a repeated victim of theft, it is YOUR fault and never that of the thief. How could you possibly think you have the right to complain about being stolen from? You must buy extras of everything in case somebody quite reasonably can't be bothered to plan ahead and buy their own and would prefer to just help themselves to yours. Also note that, if you by a multipack of 6 cans and said thief decides that, although one can 'really helps', having all 6 is an ENORMOUS help, so better just take the lot. How dare you think that, having felt forced to buy extras to supply the thief AND yourself, you should still have any right to expect any of them to be left for you?

As PPs have said, if she can't even plan ahead to keep a supply of her own drinks at the workplace, what hope will she have of looking after and keeping alive a baby?

Please tell us ExhaustedGrinch. I would love to hear about a CF getting a well deserved commuppance.

Oh god. I'm going to be massively judged here but in my defence I was very young, very drunk and very pissed off.

I headbutted her.

Grinch

I think I love you. . . .

SchadenfreudePersonified ... why thank you ... not my proudest moment though.

I'd put cold bovril or an oxo cube with water in a diet coke bottle instead.

I would PA the hell out of her back next week. Make a big show of savouring your drink at lunch time 'Oooh that's good - so nice to have a drink and not have to go thirsty'

OP, does your drink come in bottles? Years ago I had similar issue at work, bringing my own drink and thief drinking it. I eventually flipped and made stuff undrinkable with copious amount of salt and chilli pepper.

Just buy a fucking multipack and stop whining about absolutely nothing!

Guess you are the entitled type that would also steal someone else's stuff judging by that stupid reply.

She's being really cheeky but as you say, you know how it feels and she replaces it. I would suggest to her that she gives you £2 a week or something and you'll take in 2 cans each day, one for her and one for you. Would you do that?

She's a cheeky mare. Either she's stupid or she's deliberately misunderstanding your point/issue. Screw her.

Just be nice and buy a pack for her as a gift. It’s only £1.50 ffs
Sod off. Honestly.

When I was pregnant I really suffered from mental and planning hormones on my brain.

Its also known as baby brain

You have all been too angry with her because she is forgetful due to hormones

The same thing happens when women go through the menopause

May sound dramatic, but she is stealing. Suggest she brings her own multi-pack in as she feels sick & you are having to go to the shop when you shouldn't have to. If it continues, report it to her line manager. Who should take action, regardless of her pregnancy. I know most are saying, " oh she is sick it's a shame", but she is taking advantage and the "P"

You have all been too angry with her because she is forgetful due to hormones

What exactly did she forget? That she's a grown woman capable of walking to shop (2 minutes away) to buy her own fucking drink!

This would piss me right off. What a bitch.

Having been both pregnant with 'baby brain' and gone thru the menopause fog, I can confidently say that although I forgot plenty of things, I did not steal anyone else's drink ! Pregnancy and the menopause are not excuses for anti- social behaviour!

I just read the updates and her cheeky as fuck passive aggressive response to your text. Tell her to jog on and buy her own! No one on this earth would just help themselves to other people's items without knowing it's totally cheeky unless they are self centered and entitled weapon!

I read the thread about Friday lunch and how one woman never pays. I can't believe this behaviour goes on!

@FrenchBoule how did they react? Did you find out who it was?

Buy a small bottle of coke, pee in it and if it goes tell her it was a sample that your Doctor asked for to measure against a known volume to compare your excreta rate.of liquids and sugars.
That will stop her and ensure that she is really sick and upset.

The same thing happens when women go through the menopause

I have been through the moenopause.

It is but a memory to me.

I have NEVER stolen anything from anyone else.

Eeesh that response though the cheeky bitch! Also I hate the phrase yummy treats. Is she a billboard from the early 00s.

None of the posters expecting OP to purchase 'Sharon's' drinks for her have come up with any reason other than to be nice. Why stop there with the niceness? Perhaps OP should give her her lunch too, or buy her lunch everyday and why stop there? Weekly shop, kit out the nursery..

My theory is that all those advocating being nice are the people who just help themselves to other peoples stuff, or don't pay their way, delay paying friends back, borrow things and never return them and this is how they justify their behaviour.

Since when did bringing in 'yummy' treats to share with everyone mean that you have given them carte blanche to help themselves to your lunch?

Why should OP buy her a multipack? Seriously? She can get her own ffs.