In most cases I restrain myself from passing a judgement on obsessive eaters.
In recent weeks though, I have become severely agitated when I go to my classroom which has a sign right on the door reading "NO FOOD OR DRINK" and people insist on bringing their dinner or their snacks in and eating them in front of everyone while people are trying to do their work and socializing while they eat. The classroom should not be treated like their living room.
They almost seem to be testing their limits. The teacher lets them get away with it and the school has ignored the complaint I sent to them.
I find the sound of them chewing their food revolting, offensive and distracting. Sometimes the sound of the food sloshing inside their mouths gives me chills down my spine.
The cafeteria is just right in walking distance, a place where if I see them eating, I refrain from evaluating them.
They also have option to take their food outside, a place where I can easily mind my own business.
Not only do people insist on bringing food into class but also continue to eat for extended periods of time. They go get more food after they finish what they have.
Unless it's a small class with a mutual agreement about food, eating in front of people is disgusting and disrespectful.
Got to thinking - wonder how many of those bring-food-to-eat-in-class students will become bring-food-to-eat-on the unit staff nurses???
The same ones who bring cereal and bananas, egg mc-muff sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, cremecheese bagels, etc and chomp away during report while others look on.
Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.
- If I see a 'don't eat/drink' sign, I don't.
- I wouldn't be reporting the eaters. That's just unnecessary.
- Other people eating in class? I wouldn't call it 'rude' but I'm very anal about dining etiquette/table manners and I really can't tolerate the sound of people 'eating'. So long as people are 'seen and not heard'? I'm fine. I probably won't notice it. In fact, I never notice people eating in class.
Gum-chewing is another story. If you want to see me get irrationally hostile? Sit next to me in a quiet room and start popping your gum. I've had words with a woman over it, once. I, literally, despise people who 'snap' their gum. LOL
I don't really see how eating in a classroom can be considered rude. You may not like it for personal reasons, but it's not an action directed toward you or inherently offensive (like tuna )
People doing something that bothers you does not automatically = rude.
There was a girl in my cohort who would make entire meals in class. As in, she'd bring an entire block of cheese and a knife, a pack of lunch meat, and a loaf bread and make a sandwich. It was weird and distracting.
I find the sound of them chewing their food revolting, offensive and distracting. Sometimes the sound of the food sloshing inside their mouths gives me chills down my spine.
If you are this freaked out by people eating in your presence, what will you do when they are pooping, peeing, puking, bleeding, belching, screaming, crying, etc. in your direction? I mean, you do realize you are preparing to become a nurse, right? In which profession, people EATING will be the least of your worries?
And PS, since when I make it into school I will still be raising five children, working full time, and maintaining a household, cars, and a marriage..... I *will* be eating in class and anyone with a problem can step off.
Now the socializing, as in, talking over the lecture? Yes, THAT'S rude. But if your professor doesn't demand respect, no one's gonna give it.
I find it to be highly rude and offensive, especially when there are rules specifically against it. The classroom is a place of learning. It's not your personal kitchen or restaurant. People did not pay money to listen to you cling, clang, crunch, smack, chew, etc. if you 'just have to eat in the classroom', you better have a medical condition. As heartless as this sounds, it's not my problem that you work 900 hours a week raising 20 kids you adopted from Zimbabwe and this is the only time you can eat. That's a deficiency of your scheduling. Your problem, not mine. Don't make it mine.
Also, foods can give off noxious odors (shocker: you may not view your delightful sauerkraut as being noxious, but other people do). This can be distracting in and off itself, but it may also trigger allergic reactions in certain individuals. Not wanting people to eat in a classroom is drastically different than if you have a patient where you're not learning new information (at least the same breadth and depth). Here's another surprise, I have no issues with patients eating or any bodily fluids or excretions! I only have issues with people eating when I'm trying to learn! Fancy that!
I work full time and class is at night. Sometimes in class is the only time I have to eat. It's a 4 hour class that doesn't end until 9:00 and I'm hungry long before then. As for the No Food or Drink sign, maybe the instructor understands that's the only time some people have to eat.
In our small breakroom at work, one staff member heated up their salmon burger in the communal microwave. Talk about smelly!
I would agree that if someone is eating something with a strong smell or they are being particularly loud (or it comes in noisy packaging, like a bag of chips) it is not appropriate and--since it interferes with learning--I would say something to the instructor. Otherwise, I would let it go.
Refrain from "evaluating" people eating in the cafeteria? How generous of you. On a side note, it kinda creeps me out to think that when I am eating in a public place, I am being judged by others (although not the OP thankfully).
Also, as others have mentioned, being a bedside nurse is going to be difficult if the sound of eating sends "chills" down your spine...and since this is a real disorder, maybe you should consider getting some help with this.
I hate when people whip out an apple or a super noisy snack in the middle of a quiet lecture. I get if you gotta eat, you gotta eat. But I get distracted really easily, so people rumpling a bag of chips in the middle of lecture drives me crazy.
Yup, your (the in class eater) scheduling problem, should not be made MY problem.
I find it to be highly rude and offensive, especially when there are rules specifically against it. The classroom is a place of learning. It's not your personal kitchen or restaurant. People did not pay money to listen to you cling, clang, crunch, smack, chew, etc. if you 'just have to eat in the classroom', you better have a medical condition. As heartless as this sounds, it's not my problem that you work 900 hours a week raising 20 kids you adopted from Zimbabwe and this is the only time you can eat. That's a deficiency of your scheduling. Your problem, not mine. Don't make it mine.
Also, foods can give off noxious odors (shocker: you may not view your delightful sauerkraut as being noxious, but other people do). This can be distracting in and off itself, but it may also trigger allergic reactions in certain individuals. Not wanting people to eat in a classroom is drastically different than if you have a patient where you're not learning new information (at least the same breadth and depth). Here's another surprise, I have no issues with patients eating or any bodily fluids or excretions! I only have issues with people eating when I'm trying to learn! Fancy that!
)
amoLucia
7,736 Posts
Got to thinking - wonder how many of those bring-food-to-eat-in-class students will become bring-food-to-eat-on the unit staff nurses???
The same ones who bring cereal and bananas, egg mc-muff sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, cremecheese bagels, etc and chomp away during report while others look on.