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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

896 replies

openitsoicanseeyousmile · 12/10/2019 15:34

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 Sad

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
leomama81 · 13/10/2019 17:54

I'm pregnant and I crave fizzy drinks. When I do I go and buy one. We have a whole fridge of people's food and drink and I've never even considered taking anything, because I'm not a thief.

jade9390 · 13/10/2019 17:57

If I really needed one and could not get to the shop, I would give you the money. She has no intention of replacing the drinks and will keep using her pregnancy as an excuse.

cherish123 · 13/10/2019 17:58

She is being really cheeky. Why couldn't she have gone out and replaced it at lunchtime. I can't imagine why anyone would have the brass neck to do this. I was feeling sick at work last week but I didn't steal people's lunch. I would have been quite short with her.

neighbourhoodwitch · 13/10/2019 18:00

I put my can in the freezer at home in the morning before work for 2 hours (max) - then it stays lovely and cold in a separate bag, may be worth a try.

DeniseRoyal · 13/10/2019 18:06

You should reply " I'm not offended Sharon, I'm deeply pissed off that you keep fucking STEALING from me " pregnant or not, I would feel like slapping her for her highly cf reply!

nuxe1984 · 13/10/2019 18:16

If she's that sick and the fizzy drinks help then she should bring them in herself and make sure she has a store in the fridge.

She's using the fact she's pregnant to take advantage.

LittlePaintBox · 13/10/2019 18:16

I'd get a lockable fridge box, that's the only way to stop her without inconveniencing yourself.

It's unbelievably rude and inconsiderate to take stuff that someone else has brought in for their lunch! It's the sort of thing that happens in student accommodation, but it shouldn't be happening in the workplace.

I can only assume that she's getting treated like a princess by her family and her every whim is being satisfied, but she needs to realise you're not her family!

timshelthechoice · 13/10/2019 18:20

She's a thieving cunt. 'No, it's not okay to steal. I'm never okay with being stolen from. Please don't steal from me anymore.'

LagunaBubbles · 13/10/2019 18:20

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

And the reason she can't but her own juice is?? Hmm

LagunaBubbles · 13/10/2019 18:20

Buy!

Goondoit19 · 13/10/2019 18:24

Better be kind and thoughtful than a miserable wotsit. She could buy her own but who cares just be nice and share.

Jack80 · 13/10/2019 18:25

I would bring mine in a cool bag, leave under my desk, problem solved she will have to bring her own.

iklboo · 13/10/2019 18:27

The OP isn't sharing. She's having her stuff taken from her and being deprived of it. On several occasions. It's not miserable to want your own things that you paid for.

timshelthechoice · 13/10/2019 18:27

All the 'be nice' posters, where do you live? Since you're so kind, I'd like to burgle your house and nick whatever stuff in there I fancy because you don't mind being stolen from. Hmm

OJZJ · 13/10/2019 18:28

I want to add, get your own back by decanting her bottle into your empty can every day and see how she likes it Grin
(Would love to do stuff like that but in all fairness I wouldn't even have the balls to say stop stealing my stuffHmm)

Tiggy321 · 13/10/2019 18:37

Just be nice and buy a multi pack and tell her to help herself. It’s only a can. You can take turns to buy a multi pack and leave it at work surely???

SchadenfreudePersonified · 13/10/2019 18:39

Nothing to stop her buying a multi pack is there.

THIS ^

Even when pregnant and queasy I wouldn't have taken someone else's stuff without

a) asking if it was okay*

b) going out at lunchtime myself to replace it

c) brining in my own sugary drink the next time.

*If the owner of the drink wasn't there to ask, and I was desperate I might have taken it, but the other two points would still apply.

She's pregnant - not suffering from a terminal illness. She can get her lazy entitled arse to the shops and buy her own pop!

Toooldfornonsense · 13/10/2019 18:39

Get a multipack for yourself and keep at at your desk. She is being a CF and if you don’t want to say anything, then keep a stash at your own desk...

Original poster
openitsoicanseeyousmile · 13/10/2019 18:42

Just be nice and buy a multi pack and tell her to help herself. It’s only a can. You can take turns to buy a multi pack and leave it at work surely???

Yes but I can guess with fair certainty that it'll be muggins' over here buying the multipacks every time

OP posts:
Trudij123 · 13/10/2019 18:43

Wow. What a cow.
I’m on the side of the lockable box / cool box where she can’t get it crowd, while also telling her to fuck off away from your stuff. Friends don’t steal from each other. As others have said, she’s pregnant - not terminal

joystir59 · 13/10/2019 18:44

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

iklboo · 13/10/2019 18:45

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

Are you the colleague?

ExhaustedGrinch · 13/10/2019 18:45

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

Your comment reminds me of some cunt who was stealing drinks from me on a night out once. It happened one night and then again the following night. It was around 5 bottles taken in total from our table of about 8 on the both nights. When confronted her response was

"Hmph well the drinks are only a pound, can't you afford a pound!" Hmm

I saw red. I can't repeat what happened next because I fear my reaction was a bit on the extreme side, however I'd be shocked if she ever went around stealing drinks from people again.

redcarbluecar · 13/10/2019 18:48

In defence of the ‘nice’ people, kindness is sometimes a bit shaming, and so may be worth a try. But I would also be absolutely clear with her that you don’t want your drink taken. As you have been, I think.

AutumnRose1 · 13/10/2019 18:50

Don't do the multipack thing

Just take yours in and keep it in a cool bag.

Sadly she's such a CF she will turn it into a thing if you try to tell her to buy you a replacement.

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