Reddit user u/AccomplishedCandle83 found herself in a saucy situation at a nice restaurant.
At 19 years old, this picky eater was dragged along by the family for a flavor-filled adventure, but while everyone else was savoring hibachi chicken, she just couldn't stomach the idea and called for a fast food delivery to the rescue.
However, her decision wasn't met lightly, and the teenager turned to the subreddit 'Am I the [Jerk]?' to help her figure out if her actions were, indeed, a mistake.
This 19-year-old picky eater couldn't find anything suitable for her taste buds on the menu at the restaurant she and her family were dining at
Image credits: Purple Slog (not the actual photo)
So she ordered a delivery there from another establishment
Image credits: Mike Mozart (not the actual photo)
Image credits: AccomplishedCandle83
It's not just children who can be picky eaters
We often hear about kids being picky eaters, but adults can be fussy about what they put in their mouth too. There's something called avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and many people who have it eat fewer than 20 foods, mostly carbs and dairy.
Even though ARFID is on the polar end of the picky-eating spectrum, affecting about 0.3 percent to 3 percent of the population, moderate pickiness is much more common. In fact, according to Hana Zickgraf, an assistant professor of psychology who studies eating behavior at the University of South Alabama, roughly 30 percent of people identify as picky.
Evolution has played a big part in this. Zickgraf said that as omnivores, we're biologically prepared to reject really novel foods the first couple times we try them to prevent ourselves from ingesting toxic substances. It's no accident we reach the height of pickiness around 2 years old, soon after we've gained the motor control and chewing skills required to go around and potentially consume things we shouldn't.
Although most pass through our peak picky phase around age 5 or 6, some people do not. Zickgraf said nature, rather than nurture, is most likely responsible for it, with potential factors including heightened sensory and disgust sensitivity, as well as cognitive rigidity.
Image credits: Farhad Ibrahimzade (not the actual photo)
However, getting food delivered at a restaurant from another place is just disrespectful
It's not illegal what the author of the post did, but a restaurant can decide to not serve customers for any reason. Bringing in outside food was disrespectful to the establishment, since they're seating someone who is not contributing to their bottom line and disrupting the atmosphere they sought to create.
The expectation is that you are there for their service, not to use their establishment as a dining hall for whatever it is you want to have. Bottom line is, this behavior is not classy and anyone doing so shouldn't be surprised if they're asked to leave. So this wasn't even the worst case scenario that could've happened to the 19-year-old.
Image credits: Norma Mortenson (not the actual photo)
The majority of people who read the story thought that the teen was out of line
But some weren't so quick to judge her
