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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"You can't have it for free",aibu?

360 replies

imacccu · 02/12/2022 15:00

So I'm at Manchester for the Christmas markets.
Spent £20 on a Greek sharing box to eat for lunch.
I ask for two forks and she tells me they've ran out and to get them from the Brazilian stand opposite.
So off I go and say "can I have two of the plastic forks please as the Greek stand have ran out"

She says "no I'm not allowed as you didn't buy food here,you can't expect them for free"
I said okay il buy a drink
She said no only food
The cheapest thing was £10
So I sad no
Aibu to think she could of gave me a plastic fork
Is this what the worlds came too?
She had a huge and I mean huge tub of cutlery

So we had to eat with our hands which was near impossible as it was coated in sauces etc

OP posts:
RishisProudMum · 02/12/2022 15:03

I don’t get this, sorry. They’re a business. Why would she give you free cutlery?

Paq · 02/12/2022 15:03

She could have sold you some cutlery for a token amount.

But the Greek food stall are U for selling you food without warning that they had no cutlery.

Luredbyapomegranate · 02/12/2022 15:04

Yes very wanky.

Go back and tell the Greek place - international fork wars will break out over Christmas.

I would recommend a spork, very handy and more environmental.

Luredbyapomegranate · 02/12/2022 15:05

RishisProudMum · 02/12/2022 15:03

I don’t get this, sorry. They’re a business. Why would she give you free cutlery?

So the stall opposite will do the same when she runs out, and also not to be a wanker. The cost of a plastic knife and fork is titchy.

monsteronahill · 02/12/2022 15:06

Greek place ABU, you just got caught in the middle! They need to sort themselves out otherwise a lot of saucy fingered customers will be upset!

Original poster
imacccu · 02/12/2022 15:06

It's a plastic fork
Hardly breaking the bank
I offered to buy a drink (at £3 ) so it wasn't like she was getting anything
The greek stall made it sound like they would help each other out

OP posts:
Sirzy · 02/12/2022 15:06

The problem is with the other place not having the cutlery not someone else not wanting to give it away.

the place you went to could have gone and asked the other seller if they could buy some off them if desperate

Strugglingtodomybest · 02/12/2022 15:07

That would piss me off, yanbu.

Original poster
imacccu · 02/12/2022 15:07

Tbh I found the markets a bit overpriced anyway and the food not that great
The best thing we bought were brownies from a little independent trader

OP posts:
RishisProudMum · 02/12/2022 15:09

Luredbyapomegranate · 02/12/2022 15:05

So the stall opposite will do the same when she runs out, and also not to be a wanker. The cost of a plastic knife and fork is titchy.

Show quote history

We have no idea what their relationship is. And someone who runs a small business not handing out free stuff does not make them a wanker, however ‘titchy’ a third party may consider the costs.

So much entitlement, my God!

RishisProudMum · 02/12/2022 15:09

Sirzy · 02/12/2022 15:06

The problem is with the other place not having the cutlery not someone else not wanting to give it away.

the place you went to could have gone and asked the other seller if they could buy some off them if desperate

This.

FibulaTibea · 02/12/2022 15:10

surely the greek place can't magic itself more cutlery, so i imagine the Brazilian place would start feeling annoyed at endless requests for cutlery. Because you won't be the only one getting forkless meals from the greek hut.

PetraBP · 02/12/2022 15:11

The stall opposite owes you nothing.

It would have been nice of them to have given it to you, but you’re not entitled to
it.

Original poster
imacccu · 02/12/2022 15:11

It was near the end of the day (8.30pm) so I'm assuming the next day the would re stock
It's not a massive big deal but it's a tiny thing to help someone out and they couldn't do that

OP posts:
WaltzingWaters · 02/12/2022 15:13

the Greek place need to sort out cutlery or buy some off another stand. You wouldn’t be the only customers of the Greek place then needing to ask other vendors for their cutlery.

TrentCrimm · 02/12/2022 15:14

If the Greek stall were that certain that the Brazilian stall were the caring sharing types, they would have gone and asked for a handful before serving you.

The Greek stall is BU

WhatWouldHopperDo · 02/12/2022 15:16

You don't know when the Greek stall ran out - maybe you were the 20th person to have gone across and asked.

Hobbesmanc · 02/12/2022 15:20

You should have gone into the Morrison's by the food market and grabbed cutlery. Tip for next time 😏😂😂😂😂

10HailMarys · 02/12/2022 15:21

So if you bought a burger from Burger King, would you take it into McDonald's and expect them to provide the ketchup because Burger King had run out?

The cost of giving you a plastic fork is tiny, yes - but I expect you were not the only person who had asked that day. My guess is that the Greek stall runs out of cutlery all the time and the Brazilian stall are now heartily sick of supplying cutlery on their behalf, the cost of which mounts up.

Fine to be annoyed with the Greek stall for not having any cutlery, but not fine to be annoyed with the Brazilian stall for not wanting to provide cutlery for people to eat food from somewhere else.

poefaced · 02/12/2022 15:23

I’ve had this happen, the food stalls are very competitive with each other.

As she had so many forks, she was idiot not giving you the forks and drink for £3. Drink probably cost her 50p.

poefaced · 02/12/2022 15:25

However, OP, you should have gone back to the original food stall and asked for a refund. They should have told you about the lack of forks before you paid.

Whilst I think the second stall were silly, you should be angry at the stall you bought from.

ilovesooty · 02/12/2022 15:27

The Brazilian stall did nothing wrong.

You have lunch at 8.30pm?

Blanketpolicy · 02/12/2022 15:32

The greek stall were being CF sending you to another trader for forks to eat their food. It is likely you were not the first to ask and after a few the other stall were pissed off giving their forks away.

The greek stall should have asked other stall if they could purchase some from them. Y(and the greek stall)ABVU

SirGawain · 02/12/2022 15:33

FibulaTibea · 02/12/2022 15:10

surely the greek place can't magic itself more cutlery, so i imagine the Brazilian place would start feeling annoyed at endless requests for cutlery. Because you won't be the only one getting forkless meals from the greek hut.

This!

loudbatperson · 02/12/2022 15:35

It was the Greek food stall that were being unreasonable.

I am sure they don't want the counter filled up with people wanting free forks. They have probably had quite a lot of requests already. The Greek stall need to sort their stock out, even if that means buying from a neighbour.

You're annoyed at the wrong stall.

Also was it lunch or at 8:30pm?