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?

Yeah you could be right

no, why should they give you free chips because you’ve knocked them over.

This is one of the most entitled things I've ever read... I'd not even have the nerve to ask for free chips that my baby has kicked all over the floor. The only time I've had a free replacement for something dropped is when an ice cream comes off a cone - but that's because the person serving hadn't stuck it in enough not because my child picked it up and chucked it on the floor

Baby-toddler eats every hour. Helluvalot of brown rice and spinach right there.

Did the rude member of staff at least thank you when you cleaned up the mess your child made? 🙃

I'm much more likely to replace something for free when someone doesn't expect it. The amount of people who expect a replacement drink when they've knocked it over themselves blows my mind.

Why did you buy nice food for yourself but nasty deep-fried potato for your own child? And don't say the baby doesn't like Thai food if you've never even given the baby Thai food before (and I'm going to assume calling it Thai food is a streeeeeetch).

And the answer to what should you take with you for your hungry ‘baby’ when you go out: is your brown rice and spinach stew in a thermos bag/flask.

No one is being anal about your child’s bedtime or stopping you from going out. But most parents prepare for the trip. If you living in a busy city then there would be plenty of places to eat anyway. If you know you have a long journey home then you take plenty of snacks with you.

And this is how normal, non entitled people behave in these situations.

I would have asked them too op. It’s happened before to me when one of the children dropped an ice cream.
i was very grateful but I didn’t assume they would do so.

Well no they won't care as you are a chancer, they dont want customers who want freebies. Your child knocked it or whatever, it does not mean they should replace.
You think you're right, others think you're not. This is a time for you do you. I would never ask for food to be replaced because my child chucked it/kocked it to the floor. Thats my fault for not supervising closely and it happens to us all, doesn't mean its the food places job to fix. 🤷‍♀️

Every mn trope here. OP probably asked the "rude' staff in a tinkly voice and a head tilt, "Did you mean to be so rude?" When the poor staff was just doing their job

The histrionics!

Oh jesus, not another entitled cow. I own a business and sell a certain, very desirable product. It flies off the shelves; I have more orders than I can fulfil.

If I had a quid for every cheeky fucker who's after a freebie, discount, 'can I get a second item half price, if I buy one' - no, no you fucking can't. I don't need you; I have lots of clients. And then they go with threats, I'll boycott you, I'll leave a neg on social media, I'll go to the press, yadda yadda. Yes, yes, Brenda, I'm quaking in me boots here.

It's immensely satisfying that I can tell them to fuck off. In no uncertain terms. I'm my own boss, I can do that.

This is surely a joke? Your child kicked the chips over. Buy more. Stop being so entitled

Why on earth would you pay a fiver for a piddly portion of chips only to give them to a baby in a highchair knowing they would do nothing but chuck them anyway(maybe eat one or two of them). Nobody's replacing a fiver portion of chips for the kid to fling them again and have this begging mummy asking for another free replacement

@Houseofdrums are you an influencer?
because the entitlement is strong in your post, and the voice thing, wtaf?
This doesn’t sound like someone grounded in reality

The mistake you made was asking for free chips. If you had gone and explained that you needed to buy another portion as baby had knocked them over, then most restaurants would be likely to give you them free.
You were entitled.

yabu, when I worked in a food court, we'd be giving out freebies all day, lots of people drop the food, it sucks, but that's on them, you can't expect a restaurant to be giving out free food for that. you're not special, this happens day in day out, and you're entitled to think this is their problem to solve, rather than yours.

Yes and when you give your babytoddler the lovely spinach and brown rice, do you have the sense to put it out of reach in the first instance until you can supervise them? Otherwise your kitchen must look like the I’m a celebrity assault course. If you know what that looks like though I imagine you and babytoddler don’t watch ITV….

Personally I think the babytoddler probably realised that the chips were severely lacking in dietary fibre and B vitamins and made her protest with the Messi-esque kick for her own good. You should be thanking the staff for refusing to replace them because that enabled the babytoddler to eat the spinach and rice instead for her nighttime repast.

Yes YABU. Your baby dropped the chips, you pay for the replacement. Your responsibility not theirs!

It wasnt a couple of chips though was it? Id have picked them up off the floor and given them back to baby to eat, but then Ive only had 4 kids and successfully managed not to poison them so what do I know!

Same sentiment!

You weren’t unreasonable to ask but you should have left it when they said no. I agree the odd bowl of chips is a perfectly fine emergency tea for a 2 yo when required. Particularly when it comes from what sounds like a flash food hall - op is not giving the impression it was a bog standard chippy…..probably organic goose or duck fat being used😂.
Afraid I also had a giggle when you suggested mid 30s was a young Mum but see in your updates you say this is because you look young.

You complained - that is horrifying - you are unbelievably unreasonable!!!!!!

’one of the mums said it’s been less than 5 minutes and she hadn’t touched them ‘ HOW is that relevant ? They were on the floor ?
Are your friends a bit thick ?