McDonald’s in a hospital waiting room

[Schuyler]

AIBU to think I don’t care how hungry you are, you don’t eat McDonald’s in a hospital waiting room? There are 2 adults eating it, so surely one can pop out and then they swap.

P.S. do you think I can ask for a chip?

When I was in the waiting room (this was a room that had people waiting for day operations) a lady was eating and drinking coffee.
There was a sign saying no food or drink because it wasnt fair on the people that was nil by mouth!
Some people just dont give a shit unfortunately.

"I don't understand why you think this is unacceptable."

Because MN is full of bloodhounds who can smell hot food several post codes away.

@obviously

What hot food smells make YOU nauseous? Where does the line get drawn?

What about people being considerate to the person next to them who may not want food smells inflicted?

"It's just food" to you, but personally I don't eat hot food (especially the pungent sort) in public places such as trains or waiting rooms, next to people who made other choices that day.

Before HG I would have judged horribly but honestly after the weird things I’ve had to eat in the most inconvenient places to keep from vomiting ... I no longer judge!

I am sure I’ve probably been the subject of several posts like this but my choices are eat what I need to or hurl up my guts...sometimes both x

Outpatient waiting room, yeah, surely there are more acceptable options, presumably the hospital cafe is open, and there are vending machines.

My sister did go and fetch us McDonalds in a&e though... i stayed with my dad, she went and got us cheeseburgers and fries...

2am.
Hospital cafe closed.
Vending machines only offering chocolate bars and crisps.
I'd been with him at his home since 1pm, no food in his house.
I am diabetic.
Hospital could not provide us with anything.

So in that instance that was reasonable, plus, a&e full of horrible smells anyway!

@GinDaddy

Like I said, it doesn't bother me. It bothers you, that's fine. But I'm not about to get drawn into a ridiculous discussion about why i don't care anymore than I expect you to explain why you do.

Perhaps they have low blood sugar or other condition which requires they not go without food too long, and a McDs was the easiest, fastest option for them.

If both people had the same condition that required this you would think at least one of them would have considered this a possibility before they went and sat in a&e. Yes I am aware that people go there for emergencies. But come in, if you've had time to go maccy's you have had time to go and find something more suitable.

Would love to know though what low blood sugar thing could possibly need to have a maccyds. The drink I could understand. But there are vending machines in a&e rooms isn't there?

And seeing as they are sat in a&e, they wouldn't be sitting there to eat it if low sugar that required an urgent maccyds. Staff would be dealing with the person.

@obviously

My caring doesn't affect anyone. Your "not caring" is highly likely to affect others.

Nothing ridiculous about that.

They are not in A&E

Because of blood sugar stuff, I often need to eat when out and about, but it's really not difficult to eat something that doesn't impact on other people too much.

McDonalds might smell like heaven to some, but it smells bloody awful to others in a reasonably confined space. In that particular environment, there might well be other considerations. All in all, YANBU.

My caring doesn't affect anyone. Your "not caring" is highly likely to affect others.

I'm trying to work out why my not caring if others eat in a waiting room can affect others.

A sandwich would be less antisocial as wouldn’t smell

Egg mayo sandwiches reek the more they have been sitting there.
Tuna reeks.
Meatball sandwich
Salmon sandwich
Bacon sandwich with or without the egg.

Loads of them smell. People want to eat these foods they can. I would choose a stinky meatball sandwich any day over a ham sandwich (I don't eat it, I can smell it when I open the fridge door and it hasn't been covered).

All food comes with a smell.

I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just a smell of food.

I had to wait in A&E when about 12 weeks pregnant for something unrelated and got a toastie from the Costa in the hospital. I don’t think that was ‘antisocial‘ as I’d been there for 6 hours and needed to eat.

I was a bit perplexed once I was moved to the ward and the woman in the next bed had her Dad bring in a doner kebab and a Chinese takeaway

As long as they tidy up after themselves, that's not so bad. But sadly many seem to think it's ok to leave a mess lying around.

Our local hospital has a Subway franchise just inside the entrance. The smell seeps down the corridors and there aren't many places in the hospital, including A&E, where you can't smell meatball marinara.

And by God could I murder a meatball marinara right now 😂

no one knows other people's actual circumstances.
esp in a hosp, it may not be selfish but necessity.
let's not be so judgmental.
it can be very difficult waiting for long hours in hosp.
i often think there is very little consideration by the organisation for the whole=person needs of people, patients and supporters, attending hosp.

Egg mayo sandwiches reek

Work of the devil.

When I went to hospital for my gestational diabetes fasting glucose test there was a man sat eating a McDonald's breakfast who was accompanying his partner, she was also doing the test. The room had about 6 of us who had fasted for 12 hours and had to sit there for a further two hours after drinking the glucose drink. I hated that man so much! Ridiculously selfish.

It wouldn't bother me as long as they disposed of their rubbish appropriately afterwards

@HubeusRagrid

I would hate that chap too...

I ended up with McDonald's after DD was born because it was Sunday night, I'd missed ward dinner (5.30pm) having given birth at 2.30pm and frankly toast wasn't cutting it - the ward had run out of sandwiches (and all the shops/cafes were shut. Nearby retail park had KFC and McDonald's, possibly DH could have found a Chinese or Indian takeaway but none of the local garages had any sandwiches left (funny that, Sunday night and all).

Hospital catering is a bit arbitrary in its availability even for inpatients.

Also ended up having to buy dinner for DH when his op to pin a broken arm was delayed enough that he was stuck in the day case ward overnight as he only got out of surgery at 8pm and they wouldn't let him home - as it was unplanned they had no food available - also the o/n staff were shit, no interest in the amount of pain he was in and didn't keep decent records of obs either!

I was brought up with the rule that with the exception of an ice cream at the beach, one shouldn't eat in public. That was the stated rule, although obviously one could eat at a restaurant, and countryside picnics were acceptable too.

I still rarely eat in public.

That said, I don't get worked up about other people eating in public. Even if it smells.

As an aside I once sat on a train watching a woman opposite me eating a box of raw mushrooms. She pulled the stem off first, ate it and then ate the cup. I found it fascinating,

A man ate a McDonald's when i was fasting for my diabetes glucose test. I was so starving. And so livid!!!

While I accept I am unreasonable about the very specific smell of McDonald’s (not all food!), in my defence, I’m a bit hungry and not taking this very seriously, certainly not as seriously as some seem to think.
The waiting room is typical NHS - small and hot. It’s an outpatient clinic, also not A&E.