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.

I seriously cannot believe those of you saying buy her a multipack?! I think a lot of us here have had MS but it’s not a pass to take other people’s stuff, try to pretend you haven’t, and keep doing it.

The non CF person would buy their own fucking drinks if they know the drink in question helps the MS!

You buy a mate something to show you empathise, not some twat at work milking it. Pregnancy isn’t a fucking illness or get out of jail free card!

I shared an office with a woman who pontificated about her healthy eating, but kept ‘borrowing’ my Coke Zero. Ended up keeping it in the car and just bringing a can a day in.

If she always replaces it I'd probably just bring an extra one. If it was two cans from a multi pack and she was buying single cans, it wouldn't even be kind just pragmatic.

More likely I'd bring in a multipack, but then I'm probably kind a bit of a people pleaser.

She’s not stealing your husband 😂 it costs nothing to be nice. Getting upset over a drink just shows how narrow minded you all are 😂

She’s not stealing your husband 😂 it costs nothing to be nice. Getting upset over a drink just shows how narrow minded you all are 😂

You still pushing this crap

If it's the fruit punch KA then good choice op!

To people who think stealing other peoples food and drink is ok, beware. I have put laxatives in something that was repeatedly being stolen by a CF. Not that I'd do that to a pregnant lady. I'd probably lean towards shaking the can up for ages. Yes I'm highly protective of my stuff.

it costs nothing to be nice.
There's a difference between being 'nice' and being a doormat.

Getting upset over a drink just shows how narrow minded you all are
I'm not sure you quite understand what narrow minded means?

She’s not stealing your husband 😂 it costs nothing to be nice. Getting upset over a drink just shows how narrow minded you all are

What the hell is 'being nice' got anything to do with it? Are you really saying that if the OP was a 'nice' person there wouldn't be a problem? Where do you work? Free drinks all round from your lunch there?

What a cheeky cow.
I would just start putting my stuff in the fridge in a locked bag. No more discussion. She should be ashamed of herself but she clearly isn’t.

Well OP hasn’t been a doormat as she’s directly asked the colleague not to take the drink. If that was followed by giving her a couple of cans of pop to help with whatever her malady is, I think that would be kind but also send quite a pointed message. Perhaps it partly depends how nice / rude the colleague is generally though.

I feel like all the "nice" people have probably behaved like this themselves and have greedy and entitled tendencies and are trying to make themselves feel better!

Being pregnant doesnt stop you from bringing your own drinks in. Surely with the sickness, it's much more incentive to remember to bring one. It's just plain rude and entitled.

@Tiggy321 ridiculous! Entitled CFs are a pet peeve - PLEASE don’t encourage them

I feel like all the "nice" people have probably behaved like this themselves and have greedy and entitled tendencies and are trying to make themselves feel better!

Yep, people are very generous when it's other people's money and time on the line. When it's their own money, they'll scratch people's eyes out for 20p.

Whereas the people who have suggested things like piss in the bottle, fill it with Bovril, put chilli powder round its rim etc would probably give you their last cent and the shirt off their back!

I once put over 10 laxative pills in a drink to teach someone a lesson and funnily they shared the one-litre bottle with their friends. Unfortunately, there were not enough cubicles available and the thief and 2 friends ended up with a violent explosive episode of the 'Shxts' much to everyone's horror in the office. I was everywhere, their legs, work area, floor, and the smell was unbelievable. They had to make arrangements for friends and family to pick them up but the walk of shame to the kerb and the embarrassment and smell ensured that nothing went missing again. Little cryptic notes appeared suggesting the possible eating of contaminated food and eventually one of ' your friend just loves laxatives in their drink' appeared along with 'some drinks just go right through you'. A 1-litre bottle with about 6 doses of laxative in it solves all problems.

She is the sort of person who will use her kid as an excuse not to do her turn at shifts over and around the Christmas period.

Id lay money on it.

Cool bag with icepack under your desk me thinks

Fridge safe!

All the people saying it's only £1.50... If I pm you my bank details, please can you set up a £1.50 direct debit to me, once a week? Since, you know, it's only £1.50 ffs.

OP, now she's being PA I would be very tempted to rise to the challenge and reply something like:

Hi CF, so sorry to hear you're still having a bit of queasiness. I wish I did understand how that felt - I actually had HG, which is horrible and no way would I have been up to pinching people's drinks! Apology accepted though. Next time you fancy a drink, let me know and I'll give you directions to the shop. It's only 5 minutes away, and the fresh air might make you feel better! Followed by a totally non PA

Yep I’m still pushing it, just read all the responses over a drink and you think I’m the nut job.....🙄 I guess if that’s the biggest problem you have in your life then fantastic but some people aren’t as petty 😂

Can you not just buy a zippable lunch bag and use a small padlock to lock the zippers together? You can then keep it in the fridge without Mrs CF taking it.

THE OP IS KIND! She brings in 'yummy treats' for everyone to share! She has, thus far, put up with a colleague stealing her lunch and only asked her to replace it, despite not having even received an apology from the thieving colleague!

If she wanted to be more kind, she could do something for one of her colleagues who isn't stealing from her regularly. Suggesting that she buys her colleague a multipack isn't suggesting kindness, it's suggesting that she perpetuates and contributes to a situation where someone treats others poorly and is never expected to behave better.

redcarbluecar yes they probably would if you asked or if they saw you were truly in need they would at the very least offer.

It's a really simple standard to live by - don't help yourself to things that don't belong you, use your own time and money to purchase what you need or want.