To not pick up the peas?

[inpixiehollow]

We were invited out yesterday for sunday lunch with my MIL and her 94 year old mother. We went to a local pub, me and my partner, MIL, partners grandma and our 11 month old daughter.
I hadn't been to the pub before but wasn't impressed with it, the food wasn't great and the pub needed a good clean everywhere but we made the best of it wanting to be polite. We all had a carvery and I shared some of mine onto my daughters plate including peas. When we were done there was some mess left under the highchair (honestly not much at all, some very small bits of meat and peas) MIL's mum remarked that our daughter had made such a mess. I replied that it would only take a few minutes for them to sweep/hoover it up but she seemed horrified I wasn't going to get on my hands and knees on a pretty dirty carpet, in 29 degree heat and diligently pick up each scrap of food. I should add that the pub was almost empty too so no reason why the staff wouldn't have time to quickly tidy up. Having worked in hospitality I wouldn't have expected parents to bother about this small amount of food on the floor? I wiped down the highchair and the table where she had left gravy/mashed potato but left the, at the most 10 peas on the floor.. WIBU?

Sorry. You or better yet (as your MIL specifically singled YOU out), your husband should have cleared it up or at least offered to.

And noone needs to get on their hands and knees to pick up food rubbish either.

I've worked in a lot of pubs and bars and I have to say that people who would bring in kids and leave mess everywhere were the some of the worst (to the point we would enjoy turning people with kids away after a certain time in the day). Yogurt lids with the sticky side down on the table, food everywhere on the floor, wet wipes all over the place I think your review of food and cleanliness is fairly irrelevant. Someone in there is probably working a 12 hour shift on minimum wage and it's just a bit a-holey to ask them to scrape your peas off of the floor. Trust me, that's not in the job description... I hope you left a tip

@mamaatthegym

Well I’ve learnt today that I must be lazy, skanky and entitled too and all my friends with babies and toddlers for that matter! When I take 19 month old DD for lunch and she’s in a high chair food inevitably gets on the floor! Big pieces I’ll scoop up quickly and put them aside so she can’t touch them again but little bits that get flung off etc (especially something like peas!) I will leave. I always make the effort to say “sorry about the mess!” when leaving though.

I don’t often come equipped to restaurants with my own mops, hoovers, dustpans and brushes so how else would I clean up after myself without getting on my hands and knees? Yeah…I’m not doing that. The staff won’t be on their hands and knees lol. They’ll have the tools to be able to clean it. Don’t like it? Get another job.

Well, doesn't seem that you intend to change your frankly mucky behaviour though

Dirty nappies in a food area is a first.

Ha, this reminds of years ago when my friend had a waitressing job. Customer left a used nappy, unwrapped, dunked in a half eaten bowl of soup. The kitchen staff bagged it up, soup and all, and gave it to the parents as they left

I always pick up any food that the children dropped. I thought everyone did, until your post 🤣

Your mother in law's mum is right.

You've said that you don't want to get on your hands and knees on a dirty carpet... is that because a skanky family like your's sat there beforehand?

@mamaatthegym

Well I’ve learnt today that I must be lazy, skanky and entitled too and all my friends with babies and toddlers for that matter! When I take 19 month old DD for lunch and she’s in a high chair food inevitably gets on the floor! Big pieces I’ll scoop up quickly and put them aside so she can’t touch them again but little bits that get flung off etc (especially something like peas!) I will leave. I always make the effort to say “sorry about the mess!” when leaving though.

I don’t often come equipped to restaurants with my own mops, hoovers, dustpans and brushes so how else would I clean up after myself without getting on my hands and knees? Yeah…I’m not doing that. The staff won’t be on their hands and knees lol. They’ll have the tools to be able to clean it. Don’t like it? Get another job.

I've asked to borrow the dustpan It's not complicated

I would usually have said “can you give me a dustpan and brush” - and then they could decide whether it was more hassle to have me do it or do it themselves.

I wouldn’t have gone down on hands and knees.

Also, why were the comments addressed to you and not your dh?

Don’t like it? Get another job

What a piece of work you are

@PeanutButterCheesecake

They will have cleaned up after you, and then called you a 'fucking scruffy bitch' behind your back. Because you are.

Yabu. Wait staff are there to serve and clear off the table. You could have at least made an effort to clean up after your own child.

When DD was that age, I just got down on my hands and knees with a couple of baby wipes and swept everything up. Took seconds. I'd feel incredibly rude leaving a mess on the floor behind us. Just because you're paying for your food doesn't mean it's right to create a mess and leave it for someone else.

(I say hands and knees, I crouched so nothing was touching the 'dirty' ground. Although it was our dirt anyway)

After managing several cafes all that ever crosses my mind when I see a mess from a "family table" is that they must live like pigs at home. Most people are on their best behaviour in public so if that is their "best behaviour" then they are simply dirty fuckers, there's no other explanation. It takes seconds to pick up the worst of the mess, nobody is expecting anyone to get down on their "hands and knees" and pick up every crumb and in fact, like previous posters have said, if a customer asks for the dust pan and brush we always decline and are happy to deal with it ourselves, but it's definitely nice to have the offer made and the mess acknowledged.

I work in a pub/restaurant and some of the food mess we are left to clear is disgusting! Vast majority of parents are lovely, either asking for dustpan and brush or wet cloths etc, or at least making an attempt to clear up.
But some….😮
I’m sure some kids are given food to play with rather than eat, given the lumps of food screwed up and thrown about!
I have also been left dirty nappies, vomit- splattered and poo- stained high chairs … not forgetting several incidents of poo being done under the table and left for us to find….
After 12 years in this job, absolutely nothing surprises me😫

not forgetting several incidents of poo being done under the table and left for us to find

Seriously 🥱

I honestly can’t imagine that at all but I have to believe you.

I try never to judge other people’s parenting but I’d make an exception for this. You should be embarrassed.

@Tealwarrior

not forgetting several incidents of poo being done under the table and left for us to find

Seriously 🥱

I honestly can’t imagine that at all but I have to believe you.

I really think people sometimes underestimate how massive pigs some members of society are

@tealwarrior

Oh believe me, it’s true!! The first time was not long after I started the job and a child had spent the entire meal “quietly” under the table… we were alerted to the poo by the smell…💩 I don’t think the parents were aware, to be honest!
Second time was not a surprise… the family was very demanding and loud, and the kids were allowed to “express themselves” in whatever manner they chose… this involved running round skidding on the floors and hitting another families child!!
The emptied condiments (on to the chair seats) and ripped wallpaper were second only to the turd under one of the chairs…
I’m guessing the loo paper blocking the toilet and the emptied soap dispenser were also something to do with these “little darlings” too

@BoysTownGang

Oh, I do believe you - but at the same time I’m still open mouthed about it.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I’m shocked. Really. 🥱

I was ‘open-mouthed’ too, when I first started the job, now it’s more🤷‍♀️
Lots of our customers are just lovely and make the job a pleasure… but some are not!!
And to whoever said “If you don’t like it, get another job”
We can tell who YOU are - before you even sit down….

I am confused about your yawning emoji there😂

I can testify for @SchrodingersImmigrant - DH went away with friends and children a while ago. One (child) did indeed poo under the table... and it's not the first time. And they're old enough to know better.