[100% veg*n ] Just walked out of a work lunch - am I bad? (long)

[Guest guest]

No, Rob, I don't think you took your vegan beliefs too far. Because there is no

such thing as how far vegan beliefs can be taken - being vegan on its own is

already 'too far' to the standard non-vegan. As vegans, we need to draw a line

and stand firm. I mean, unless it gets to the point where it's threatening your

job then it would be something that you'd have to judge! But as far as this

story went, I think you're right on - you knew what made you uncomfortable and

you knew there was no reason for you to tolerate it. By being vegans, we are

backing a lifestyle...and if we don't live this lifestyle to the fullest we can,

who will?

 

Rob, I think you did the right thing...apart from tolerating the meat, why

tolerate those immature comments from your colleagues? They really need to

learn that they are NOT funny...(I've made this clear to my non-vegan

friends...the silly 'jokes' have stopped).

 

You go, boy!

 

Honor

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Walking out of the scenario you just described Rob, is

hardly surprising.

 

It is one thing to accept others' beliefs, but another

to go remain silent in an environment such as a steak

house. I doubt the vegan variations on any veggie

dishes were uncontaminated anyway, since the whole

establishment is geared towards blood thirsty

carnivores.

 

I support you fully in this action - the

friends/career opportunities you lose aren't worth

having in the first place! Explain your case to those

who'll listen, and stand firm.

 

Regards,

 

Matt (desperatley trying to find a non-exploitative

job in the science world!)

 

P.S. And smoking/drinking animal-filtered alcohol is

also an entire violation of the vegan philosophy - I

can't sit in a bar for more than 5 minutes either!

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

not everyone can cover up their reactions to such hostile environments.

ive been out plenty of times with friends and ended up not eating anything.

if i was there with anyone else i woulod have walked out but theyre my

friends, and ive never been to a place with such hideous surroundings

(cow skin everywhere is enough to turn my stomach). the worst i ever

had to endure was when my grampa, who was going through chemotherapy

at the time, took me to a big steakhouse. all the salad items had meat

or milk so i ordered a potato so that he wouldnt feel bad. i dont thinnk

he understands cos when he grew up there was no running water or electricity,

let alone factory farms... =[

spiggy

 

PS i would have walked out too. next time suggest that you meet at a

veggie restaurant, where EVERYONE can eat. or flat out tell them to lay

off the veggie jokes because not only are they annoying, it jsut shows

that they are arrogant. do they think theyre better than you becasue

they order bloody steaks and doom themselves to angioplasties and triple

bipasses?

 

--

Priscilla Pelkey

spiggy - email

(210) 576-2701 x5770 - voicemail/fax

 

 

 

---- " spacevegan " <rob wrote:

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[Guest guest]

spacevegan wrote:

>

 

> So, I explained I felt uncomfortable and was leaving. My boss and the

> project manager were concerned, and offered to go to one of the other

> restaurants in the area (there's Italian, Chinese etc). But when I

> thought about it, it would have been just as bad really, but probably

> not so graphic. So I explained I didn't want to spoil their lunch,

> and we all agreed that we would have a team drink at some point in

> the future(Actually, they know I don't drink alcohol! and I find

> smoke filled pubs unpleasant, so I'll probably just decline when the

> time comes anyway). And then I walked out.

 

Firstly, the manager - who you say can't manage - should choose

something for a team-building meeting that doesn't divide the team into

insiders and outsiders so bluntly. On that basis, veganism aside, I

think you'd have been right to say " Actually ... if the point is

team-building, perhaps we could meet somewhere where the ethos of the

establishment isn't diametrically opposed to my profoundly held

beliefs. "

 

Except try not to sound like me .

 

Secondly, they were being anti-social by not making you feel welcome.

 

Thirdly, the point of being vegan is to boycott cruel behaviour. A

" carnivore " restaurant is unlikely to diversify its platter to support

veggies and vegans, so buying a nut roast there is less like by a

McVeggie burger (example chosen deliberately), and more like buying a

Bernard Matthews T-shirt - technically vegan, but actually supporting

animal farming.

 

> Anyway, do you I took my vegan beliefs too far?

 

Well, that depends on how much you think you'll suffer for it,

professionally. And whether the suffering you get through walking out is

more than the suffering you would get through enduring that place, and

the animals would get through you patronising it.

 

But I'm a utilitarian, so I have to say that .

 

> I'm not sure I can

> stand to be in any restaurant with meat-eaters - ideally I'd like to

> only eat at vegan/veggie places.

 

I went to a restaurant at my new place. They were okay - one of my new

colleagues had a vegan ex-GF. (Does anyone know Kate Taylor?). I just

had a bowl of rice and ginseng tea, figuring they couldn't make that

not-vegan.

 

I'm getting to the point where if it isn't a veggie place, or very

obviously pure and unflavoured, I don't feel comfortable delegating my

choices to a restaurant that doesn't share them.

 

> There'll be another walk out tonight - I'm meeting to ex-colleagues

> after work and I know that at some point they'll suggest going for a

> meal...

 

Get a copy of Vegan London and have a restaurant ready to suggest?

 

One thing I'm realising about being vegan (after ten years!) is that I'm

going to have learn how to cook, so I can entertain people as an

alternative to eating out.

 

> --

> Rob

>

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