Would you give me the replacement chips?

[Houseofdrums]

Im with a group of mum friends at a food court. We all go off to different kiosks. Order our food. We find an available table.

I order from a Thai cuisine, a noodle dish and some chips for the little one.

I pick up the food, put toddler in highchair, put the chips infront of her. I’m about to take my first serving of noodles and baby kicks the chips all over the floor.

The chips cost £5. One of the mums says that it’s been less than 5 mins and they didn’t touch the chips, I should be able to ask for a replacement.

So I go to the kiosk, politely explain that I was just here and the baby annoyingly dropped all the chips. I show them the picture (we are sitting on the other end of the food court).

They say no. But I plead a little bit - I do have a soft voice so I’m being nice. Then they go on and on about how every mum will be asking for freebies. I should pay for another one. And I should go to another one of their stores who would provide me free chips.

Turns out she was also the manager.

I worked in waitressing many years ago, and honestly, we would have just given a portion of chips. Id be hesitant if it was the whole meal - but a couple of chips for a baby?

Was I being unreasonable?

Clearly it became one of those Daily Mail stories with a photo of the OP with a tragic expression, holding her toddler, pointing towards the very section of floor the chips fell on. If possible the toddler is crying. The headline is TRAGIC CHIP MUM ASKS FOR MORE.

If you were worried about a hungry baby then why not most buy more chips?! It’s embarrassing and telling that another mum felt the need to offer her own food before you decided to share yours instead!

Not a bloody chance would i give you a free replacement. Why on earth did you give the whole bowl of chips to the baby at the one time? You should know little ones throw food everywhere and why the hell is your baby having just chips for lunch ?

Probably a soft voice the same way Umbridge was all nice and soft.

I know. Talk about a stealth boast 🤣

Or not. As it didn't work!

It was an accident. Either way.

Spill/kicked - they were trying to grab it and something went wrong.

It wasn’t lunch.

I have a pretty hungry toddler that pretty much east’s every hour. So it was just to get us over the line until we got home.

Im actually quite interested in hearing about how other parents manage food for toddlers while out. But I’ve explained more in previous replies.

It takes a village…

oh Yh, no it doesn’t here.

Thats why depression and anxiety is so high.

I’m glad you are one of the few with this opinion.

I just asked. and honestly, I have seen so much worse - there are worse things I could have done. And as I said, if it was my own food that was knocked over, I would t have asked. but £5 for some chips…

But yes, society seems to hate mothers. We should all Apprently just be quiet and focus on our kids not stepping out of line.

Id be interested if the reaction would had been different if it had been a dad - who knows? We tend to allow men to be more “bold”.

No, that’s the point. I look young. I lecture sometimes and people often think I’m a student! So I’m saying she probably thought I was young. Ageism exists - both ways.

I thought people hated the term geriatric mum?

Ahhh baby/toddler/ child - I figured people on MN were smart enough to get the drift.

Spend a day in my shoes and you will see I have a very hungry baby. If she’s not fed before sleep, she’ll just wake up in the middle of the night.

Why does it hurt you so much? I understand that a majority of people think that I was unreasonable for asking

BUT

most would say that they would replace the chips anyways out of good will - but I shouldn’t have been “bold” enough to have asked for the replacement.

I personally don’t see a difference. They’ve lost a customer anyway - if they even care.

This post has been interesting.

I did what I did. I don’t live with regrets. I speak out when I need to. It’s always served me.

Thanks for all your comments. I’m home cooking today - so if I spill my food or baby knocks it all over - it’s on me.

Interesting you don't say the member of staff was rude until people started disagreeing with you.

If she was rude, it is because she thought you were a cheeky fucker - which you were.

Your child dropped the chips. If you want more, you pay for more. I can't believe you asked tbh.

Surely stopping to get food is therefore a waste of time knowing you have such a hungry child. Keep some snacks in your bag and rather than being too busy socialising with your friend go home and feed them properly.

And here you make it very clear that the toddler kicked the chips...can't be that hungry then?!!

I’m home cooking today - so if I spill my food or baby knocks it all over - it’s on me.

So if you or 'baby' kick their food on the floor, will you march back into M&S/Tesco/Sainsburys and ask them to replace the brown rice and spinach???

Cheekfuckery of the highest order

… most would say that they would replace the chips anyways out of good will - but I shouldn’t have been “bold” enough to have asked for the replacement.
I personally don’t see a difference.
The difference is the same as the difference between being given a birthday present and asking for one. (In any case, I haven’t counted or even read every single response, but it doesn’t seem to me to be true that most have said they would replace the chips anyway.)

I speak out when I need to. It’s always served me.
But you didn’t "need" to - you just wanted to, to save yourself money and make someone else bear the loss. Maybe that's how you sail through life, interested only in doing what will "serve" you.

Why does it hurt you so much?
It doesn’t "hurt" me. I just don’t like grifters, especially ones who go out of their way to get people who resist the grifting into trouble.

Literally everyone has a mother. Society does not hate them, what absolute drivel.

I know it’s frustrating but it’s not their responsibility. I bought my son a burger from a chip shop once, as soon as we walked out the door a seagull stole it from him, still in the wrapper. I asked, they refused. I had to buy another. Realistically they can't really replace if it’s not their fault or there’d be no end to it.

Look at it this way, if you bought and paid for a box of eggs and dropped them on the way to the exit would you expect the supermarket to replace them?

No, the following rule of life applies both to a 1p stamp from the post office - if you drop it in a puddle outside the post office you can't go back and ask for another one for free; and to £50 million mansion in Mayfair- if you buy it and then your builder accidentally knocks it down, well you can't ask the vendor for your money back or a replacement house.

How. “Young” do you look? Half your age as in teenage to think that people are acting treating you so differently because of how you present?

society seems to hate mothers

No @Houseofdrums - society hates CFs, mothers or not

@Houseofdrumswhy does it mean you look young because people think you’re a student? I’m 31 and I AM a student. Universities are for every age.

I just bought a kebab and gave it to my DH, who threw it on the ground and stamped on it (he was high on PCP). I can't believe the kebab shop didn't replace it free of charge. That's the last time they see OUR valued custom!!!

I was in McDonald’s years ago and accidentally knocked my chips into the floor, a waitress came rushing over and said she’d get them replaced, which she did, free of charge.