Cheesed off
So I was about to enjoy an afternoon snack of my just-purchased-on-Saturday package of snack-size cheddar cheese cuts, when I went into the office fridge and found my cheese missing. The fridge didn’t smell like death on a hot day like it normally does, so I figured whoever cleaned the fridge moved my cheese. But, no. My cheese was gone. (I even dug tentatively on the top layer of the trash ala George Costanza, and had there not been a busload of greasy chicken bones there, dug even further to see if my cheese was salvageable.) Nope – GONE.
And I know there are worse things in life, blah blah blah economy, etc., but dammit, I was really looking forward to eating some cheese. My 401(k) may be hemorrhaging money, mortgage refinancing at this time seems unlikely, and it’s about to turn into winter here, but good god almighty, can’t a person be assured of eating their still-within-expiration-date cheese snacks? I mean, come on!
So naturally, I called Jason to whine, and he told me that at least four times in the past few weeks, someone at his workplace has stolen his string cheese from the fridge. I ask of you, what is this dairy-deprived nation coming to that we are stealing cheese bits from our fellow man?
And if you have your own work fridge story, let’s hear it.
Oh, that SUCKS. When I bring a cube of cheese for my afternoon snack, I MAY obsessively daydream about said cube of cheese most of my day.
I would be heartbroken if someone through my dairy goodness away! Oh!
Comment by Artemisia — October 8, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
We had a webcam installed right by the refrigerator because we had such persistent problems with someone stealing food out of the fridge.
Comment by My Buddy Mimi — October 8, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
my current job is very good – no missing food in 2.5 years! but my last job was crap. i used to bring frozen dinners for lunch (like lean cuisines… i was poor!) and keep them in the freezer in the break room. then i would come to retreive my meal… and it wouldn’t be there. tjat was my ENTIRE LUNCH, thoughtless coworkers! i had my name written ALL OVER these things, too. i started leaving notes taped to the boxes saying things like “is your name alice? no? then YOU ARE STEALING.”
Comment by Alice — October 8, 2008 @ 3:22 pm
There’s a lady here who takes personal responsibility for the staff fridge. She cleans it, organizes it and provides supplies to label your food (don’t forget the date!) She’ll send around an email to the effect: I’ll be cleaning out the fridge on Tuesday. Unless I’m otherwise notified, I will be discarding all food labeled before X date/not date-labelled. I don’t store anything in there, but I find her dedication to the fridge amusing.
Comment by LoriD — October 8, 2008 @ 3:29 pm
Funny you mention this. I haven’t had any problems until yesterday when I discovered my pudding was missing. Jerks.
Comment by Sara — October 8, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
I used to work at a high school and I often brought my own diet coke to put in the fridge so I could drink it whenever I felt like it. 9 times out of 10 I would go to the fridge, after day dreaming about how good it was going to taste.., and it would be gone. So I started writing my name on the cans with a sharpie. Didn’t change anything. Then I thought…ok, fine, I’ll bring plenty so the cheapskates to swipe my Coke can have one and then there will still be one left for me. Can you believe I had an entire 12 pack taken between the hours of 8:00-12:00??
So, I started to keep my Coke at my desk and brought in bagged ice. I think you know where this story is going….. Yep. Someone took my entire bag of ice.
Now that I don’t work there anymore…I wonder who is supplying the beverages?
Comment by TamiW — October 8, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
My Buddy Mimi’s comment cracked me up. My only work-related fridge story is from long ago when someone put a Coke in the freezer, forgot about it, and it exploded all over my frozen lunch. Grr.
Comment by Nowheymama — October 8, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
Well, I thought someone had stolen my yogurt (labeled clearly with my initials – KR) out of the fridge, so I took their identical yogurt (labeled with their initials – SL) in retaliation. Then the next day I sheepishly found my yogurt elsewhere in the fridge. I figure one of two things happened:
1. SL realized too late that she had inadvertently taken my yogurt, and replaced it the very next day – but placed it behind stuff in the fridge so I would think I had just misplaced it.
2. I am a yogurt-stealing bitch.
Comment by nonsoccermom — October 8, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
I had taken a sleeve of saltines to work one day. When it came time to eat my lunch, I found the sleeve had not only been opened, but was half eaten. We also had a problem once where this guy would go into the fridge and poke his fingers into other people’s sandwiches. You could clearly see the hole where he had poked it. Weirdos.
Comment by Tina B — October 9, 2008 @ 7:14 am
First of all, I’ve never been one to pack my lunch and eat in the office. If I don’t go out to lunch, I’m a pissy bitch and there is a serious danger of me killing a co-worker. So I have no stolen food stories of my own. I do have a funny one that happened to a co-worker at my previous job. Stealing was rampant there, and not just of lunches. But one day, my friend had brought some leftover fish and hushpuppies for her lunch. When she retrieved it at lunchtime, though, she discovered that someone had opened her lunch, eaten the fish, and put the container of hushpuppies back in the fridge.
And LoriD, I’m kind of in love with your fridge lady. Having been one of the ones to clean out the fridge at more than one job, I envy her organization.
Comment by Shelly — October 9, 2008 @ 8:27 am
We don’t have enough people at our office for anyone to get away with stealing. More often it’s “Hey, are these your moldy carrots in here? No? Well, we’ll just leave them for whoever (whomever??) they belong to.” No one want to toss someone else’s stuff. But I do have a complaint. Our mini fridge has a small freezer. But the fridge is old, and the freezer door thing is kind of broken, so it frosts over and isn’t even openable about 2 days after defrosting the fridge. So frozen dinners are mostly thawed by lunch. Lame.
Comment by Becky — October 9, 2008 @ 8:37 am
Oh this is beyond the pale. Anything, Anything but cheese. I would run screaming through the hallways like a maniac. “Cheese! Where’s my CHEESE?!”
Comment by Ellie — October 9, 2008 @ 8:40 am
You sound like Ross from Friends, ala the Sandwich episode.
But more importantly, is NOTHING sacred anymore? Perhaps next time you can affix a note, or write your name on the package or something.
I’m sorry.
Comment by moo — October 9, 2008 @ 8:42 am
People are rude…serious, cheese? I would be PISSSEEED and then do something totally horrendous, like hide laxatives in brownies or something. I hate thieves.
Comment by Shannon — October 9, 2008 @ 9:46 am
I do believe we’ve stumbled upon a much more decisive indicator of the health of the U.S. economy: the direct ratio of Lunch Stealing to financial trouble for the American worker.
Hmmm.
Also: DUDE THEY STOLE YOUR CHEESE! That’s not right!
Comment by Whimsy — October 9, 2008 @ 11:10 am
First: Who Moved My Cheese? heh.
Second: I share a mini fridge with my boss, and I keep it stocked with beverages for us plus my lunch. Since he never brings in food, it is clearly always mine, which leads me to be much more strict about removing stuff that is old as I don’t want him to think I’m gross.
Third: I temped one summer at an office where this was a problem, and one woman would get so enraged about it she would write out page-length notes about how people should feel pleased that they are stealing food from a diabetic. How would you feel if she went into diabetic shock because you ate her sandwich???
Which brings me to this: http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com
enjoy.
Comment by Jill — October 9, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
I should have been more specific:
http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2008/09/29/who-moved-my-cheese/
Comment by Jill — October 9, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
We have moe of a problem with people stealing creamer and condiments. This person won’t touch the actual fdood but will use all the condiments.
Comment by Christina — October 9, 2008 @ 2:36 pm
I think that is the most horrible thing anyone could do. However think about how you are helping dairy farmers sell more cheese. Since the thief appartently won’t or can’t afford the great taste of cheese.
Comment by Horseman — October 9, 2008 @ 3:50 pm