Free Of Gluten, Free Of Thought, Part 10

I work in a restaurant where I cook or wait tables depending on how long it takes me to get fed up with one or the other and need a change. We always have to be very conscious of allergies in food service as it can be life or death for some people with shellfish allergies, nut allergies, Celiac disease, etc.

Enter the gluten-free trend crowd.

While I recognize that some people have a legitimate allergy, there are so many that are trying to be trendy. The big difference is that a person with a true allergy already has a general idea of what they can and cannot have and will start the whole process off before ordering by letting us know what said allergy is, which we appreciate as it saves time. No big deal.

The trendy gluten-free peeps need to tell us three times throughout their order, and then, they always end up backtracking after they find out that basically everything they desire to order either contains gluten or is potentially cross-contaminated.

I am waiting tables this time around, and I’m starting to get tired of hearing about it. We have a particular almost-daily regular who tells us every time about her gluten intolerance, tells all the people sitting near her about it, and then proceeds to order items that have gluten.

I am having a bad day when she comes in. She does her normal spiel about being allergic to gluten.

Me: “Yup.”

That isn’t sufficient attention for her. She emphasizes what it does to her delicate system because she’s allergic. Then, she orders the usual: food cooked and prepared in the fryers — which have had gluten-ridden food fried in them all day. I’m thoroughly annoyed now, having to listen to her graphic details about her gut and the effects of gluten.

As usual, I inform her:

Me: “The food you’ve ordered is cooked in fryers that also cook items containing gluten.”

As usual, she replies:

Regular: “Oh, that’s fine.”

I have an evil idea pop into my head.

Me: “Ma’am, you just said you’re allergic to gluten. I cannot in good conscience put this restaurant or my job at risk by serving you food that you will have an allergic reaction to. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to pick another item.”

She’s shocked and starts backtracking. I stand firm.

Me: “No. I’m sorry, but I just can’t do it. If you get sick from the food because I was careless about your allergy, then I could lose my job. These are the items you can choose from today.”

She asked for a manager and I called one over.

My manager was tired of this woman, too, and backed me up after hearing the story. The lady indignantly ordered one of the items I had listed to save face.

Obviously, there was no tip, but I don’t care; it was worth it.

She still came back two days later, miraculously cured of her gluten allergy.

Related:
Free Of Gluten, Free Of Thought, Part 9
Free Of Gluten, Free Of Thought, Part 8
Free Of Gluten, Free Of Thought, Part 7
Free Of Gluten, Free Of Thought, Part 6
Free Of Gluten, Free Of Thought, Part 5