was i being unreasonable? — Page 3

Uh, muscle, what would Abba's getting upset if someone asked her to put out her cats have to do with holding a grudge?

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In my new job I very recently received training about nut allergies and I totally understand the importance of informing the customer of any dish containing nuts or nut oils (and I've successfully resisted making juvenile nut and nut oil jokes despite my usual level of humor), but my training was based in making sure that a guest with a nut allergy didn't order a dish containing nuts and ACTUALLY INGEST something to which they were allergic.

At no time in my training did anyone mention the orders of the rest of the guests at the table. The focus was on informing the allergic guest of exactly which dishes contain nuts or nut products so that they could make an educated order from our menu.

In your original post you said that you began experiencing symptoms simply because they were consuming nut products in your immediate vicinity. Singingwendy reinforced this with her post about children interacting with one another in a school environment.

I understand that some people can be overly dramatic with their allergies and I know from personal experience that many allergies can be easily overcome, but can nut allergies be so severe as to affect the people around them consuming them?

I'm not being snarky or contrary when I ask that. It has very real and actual implications in my current situation. If I have a customer with a nut allergy and the person sitting next to them orders a dish containing nuts do I as the server need to step up and suggest something else? How does having a nut allergy affect people in your immediate vicinity? I'm genuinely curious about the best standard of protocol when I have a guest who has this issue.

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wonderwaiter -- this isn't true for everyone with nut allergies, but more often than not, peanut allergies are airborne. Most food allergies are not, though; allergies to peanuts are a little bit distinct in that way, and it makes them much, much more dangerous than other food allergies. Many people who are allergic to peanuts cannot be around them, or anything with them in it -- even the smell can cause sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, and sometimes more severe anaphylactic reactions. When I was really young, kids in school were doing a project in which they used peanut butter as "glue." I didn't touch it, but just from being in the same room, I almost stopped breathing.

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Updated On: 5/18/07 at 12:22 AM

Right, and my allergy (to wheat) is only if I ingest it. I can touch it and be around it all day long, just can't eat it.

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I don't want to threadjack, but it's actually quite common. They're saying 1 in 100 people have it, but it's very underdiagnosed.

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it has to do with the spores in the air or something... i had it explained to me years ago and forgot most of it.

sometimes it's the type of the food too... i can be around peanuts but not peanutbutter. and i can be around cooked corn but not corn startch.
and some foods i could be around all day and not be bothered unless i eat them, like eggs or wheat or milk, like emcee said.

i made immature nut jokes :)
i told my brother's male friend to keep his nuts to himself when we were at a hockley game haha

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I think wheat allergies are more commonly referred to as a gluten allergy. I had to babysit a child with gluten allergies that couldn't have it come in contact with any mucus membranes. She was playing with homemade play-do containing flour and I had to make sure she didn't stick her hands in her eyes or nose or mouth before she washed her hands. Easier said than done with a two-year-old.

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Updated On: 5/18/07 at 12:38 AM

I think it's more commonly referred to as a gluten allergy.

Yes, it is, but it's usually just easier to say "wheat" as opposed to gluten, which many people do not know what it is. Specifically, it's called Celiac Disease.

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"Leave me alone"

LOL, you are the one that started it, and quoted me. Go back and re-read it, if you also happen not to be believe me.

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Two of my munchkins are severely allergic to peanuts and peanut butter.... (one is also allergic to sesame seeds) I dont think your request was at all unreasonable.

And at 18, your cousin is old enough to know better.

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Back on topic: Your cousin's behavior was inexcusable, and you shouldn't feel the least bit guilty for asking her to respect your allergy. Hopefully she'll be a little more empathetic next time.

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I don't know whether you're actually that dense and truly miss every point, or just dumb enough to think everyone else is really stupid.

Either way, have a fantastically offensive night!

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No one suggested that you were or should be involved in the problem.

This wasn't a matter of disagreement with a contrary opinion; as someone who has dealt with these kinds of experiences entirely too often, I was legitimately offended by something he posted, insinuating that Abba's cousin was right to be upset about a minor inconvenience in that "well, wouldn't you be, too?" kind of way. It would be petty to get that upset about a difference of opinion, but I found his comment and flippancy about something that is serious and places limitations upon my entire daily life incredibly offensive and insensitive to an issue that runs far deeper than an opinion. Read the first page if you want to know where I'm coming from.

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Updated On: 5/18/07 at 01:47 AM