Funny, I don't *feel* like a vegetarian...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I recently started a new summer job at my college, and a few days ago, as I read an invite to a picnic with the other members of my lab, I realized that nobody had assumed I was a vegetarian for a few weeks.

This may not seem like much, but to me it was a significant relief, because at my previous job, it happened all the time.

I used to work at a sub shop near campus, and it seemed like every time we got a new employee I’d get asked the same question. First it was the tall high school guy with whom I had a pleasant argument about the Stoned Ape Hypothesis on his first day. Then it was my shift manager, a string of teenage guys, and, most memorably, the stupid husband of one of my coworkers, who had nothing better to do than hang around in one of our booths all day and act like an ignoramous.

He would always ask me if I needed any cigarettes when he left to get some for himself and his wife, and I always told him I didn’t smoke, and he never remembered. One day, the exchange went thus:
“Do you need any cigarettes?”
“No thanks. I don’t smoke, remember?”
“Oh, right. And you’re the vegetarian! I bet you never get sick.” :confused:

I am befuddled by all of this. I mean, I don’t look like a vegetarian. Well, maybe I look like the kind of vegetarian who lives on Nutella and kettle chips and sequesters quite a bit of carbon on her person. I’m pretty sure I’ve waxed poetic about bacon on occasion, I’ve never paused to apologize to a stick of salami before slicing it, and I don’t dress in the granola hemp and paisley style (often comorbid with vegetarianism) that lots of kids at my school adopt as freshman once they discover the funky import shop down College Avenue.

And with the exception of Stupid, most of the time I get it from vegetarians who think they recognize me as one of their own. Is it simply because I tend to get along with them pretty well? That I’m socially liberal and enjoy talking about things like the Stoned Ape Hypothesis? That I once ate a toasted cheese sandwich on break? Or is it something more subtle and mysterious?

People who ask about dietary preferences, please weigh in.

Everyone else: what do people mistake you for?

2

How bizarre. I’ve never heard of such assumptions before. But then I live in a very multicultural area where a lot of people have diverse diets - vegetarianism, kosher, halal, etc. Whenever I bring food somewhere or invite someone over I just ask if they have any requirements. But that’s everybody - not just one specific person who looks a certain way.

3

I get the vegetarian thing, too. I, too, wax poetic about bacon on occasion. It’s certainly not because of my political views because I got it from people lefter than me. Mostly from my housemates when I lived in a co-op. Maybe it’s because I like tofu and preferred veggie patties to those hockey pucks that my housemates called hamburgers. Almost weekly I’d be cooking dinner for myself and someone would come in:
“Is that tofu?”
“No.”
“What is it?”
“Chicken.”
“I thought you were a vegetarian.”

I think my henna’d hair doesn’t help matters. Do you dye your hair in an unusual way? Do you have dreads or refuse to own a car?

4

A lot of people assume that only vegetarians eat veggieburgers. Or any other similar food traditionally prepared with meat. The idea that people might simply prefer the veggie version (like I do veggie lasagna) is difficult for them to understand. And some people don’t understand why would ever have a meal without meat.

Though, I must admit that seeing somebody eat a grilled cheese sandwich is never likely to make me think they are a vegetarian. Maybe it’s just a stereotype, but I think of vegetarians as healthier eaters, and the amount of grease/butter needed to make a typical grilled cheese…

5

Mmmm, veggie burgers. Esp. the ones at LeBus that come with the sweet potato fries that they serve with a bleu-cheesy dip …

twicks, unrepentant omnivore

6

I’m full-on vegan, not just a vegetarian, and people at my office never remember. They keep giving me milk chocolate, even after I explain I won’t eat it; they order lunch for me from the Red Hot & Blue cardiac special menu.

What people do mistake me for – although no one at work does so – is a woman.

I’m a man.

I don’t dress feminine – I don’t even dress well – I’m not slight of build, I don’t have long hair or a high voice.

I only have one physical aspect in common with most women – I’m 5’ 5", average female height.

Apparently that’s all it takes. Servers in restaurants will ask my wife and me “What would you ladies like?” when I am wearing a coat and tie and she’s in a dress. It predates my going vegan, so it’s not based on what I’m ordering. Service station attendants – males, with long hair all the way down their backs in a pony tail – have called me “Ma’am,” on a Saturday, when I was unshaven and stubbly, and wearing a football team shirt, and had the game on the car radio.

My wife is highly amused by this – she’s seen it over and over.

What happens is they speak before looking at me; probably they’re just going by height. I could be buying sports magazines, bullets, beer, and condoms and the cashier will call me “Miss” just as he starts to look up at me.

Are tall women called “Sir” a lot? I don’t get it.

7

I got thought of as a vegetarian on a few occasions …

Im sorry that I like tofu, and have it at least 4 meals a week … and i really like quorn, and will use it all sorts of ways … and one of my favorite lunches to take to work was a chopped salad of cabbage, carrots, celery, red onion, spinach and garbanzo beans with a nice olive oil balsamic dressing … not a scrap of animal there at all …

[can’t remember the brand name, but I have these great seasoning packets that make faux scrambled huevos rancheros out of tofu, they make killer breakfast burritos! I think it comes out better than regular scrambled eggs in the burritos.]

8

Oh yeah, I get mistaken for a vegetarian all the time! I thought I was the only one.

When strangers do it, it’s at least vaguely understandable, since I do look like a granola-crunchy hippie chick, although this is mainly because I cannot be bothered to cut my hair or wear makeup. Lately, though, my own mother has taken to saying things like “I noticed you didn’t have any of Aunt Mary Jane’s chicken salad – are you turning into a vegetarian?”

This is pretty much inexplicable, since my mom knows perfectly well that I’ve never liked chicken salad. I’ve never liked any “salad” containing mayonnaise. I most especially would not eat chicken salad containing grapes, which my aunt’s did. But no, apparently my saying “no thank you” to this particular chicken salad meant I was turning into a vegetarian :confused:

9

If anybody calls me Sir when I buy my bullets, beer, and condoms, I’m going to have to cut a bitch. :slight_smile:

10

Well, I do have a tall female friend who has broad shoulders, a short haircut, and gets called “sir”. She also has a pretty big bust and wears a fair amount of makeup, so I don’t get it.

aruqvan, if you remember the name of the stuff, please do post - I am a vegetarian. :smiley: Quorn is pretty awesome, I agree.

11

Most people assume I’m Jewish or plan on becoming Jewish at some point in the near future.

You see, The Boy is Jewish… which means that even though it’s okay for me to be Not Jewish so long as we’re not married to each other, I’ll definitely have to convert once we decide to get hitched. Because Good Jewish Boys don’t marry Not Jewish Girls, or somesuch nonsense.

I usually end up having to explain that bacon is the first love of my life, so if it came down to a choice between The Boy and bacon, he’d have to find himself another girl.

(For the record, The Boy has absolutely no interest in me becoming Jewish, especially since he’s as invested in his faith as I am in mine… meaning, not at all)

12

A full on, hefty male, meat eater here and yet, I get mistaken for a vegetarian from time to time. I think that most people really, honestly don’t know anything about vegetarians and are just surprised when they think they have run into one. I order the veggie sub at a local place sometimes, other times I get the meat. Every time I order meat now I get a curious look and a “I thought you were a vegetarian?” If you fail to have meat in a meal, even once, you are a vegan for life - every time you eat meat afterward you are in denial. I admit that I sometimes order a vegetarian entree. Does that mean I have to give up my carnivore club card?

13

Heh. When I was a young server I did that once. I was approaching a table such that I could see one obvious woman and the back of the other’s head, who had long flowing hair. I walk up to the table and say “Hello ladies” only to turn and see that the other one was a man. I was so embarrassed but before I could apologize and correct myself he immediately cut me off and started ordering an appetizer. Though I could tell he seemed perturbed I didn’t want to bring it up after the fact so I just went on serving them like nothing happened. The tip was less than stellar.

14

“Are you becoming a vegetarian?” No, I happen to like spinach lasagna, so sue me.

The question has been triggered by salads (which may even have contained egg, tuna and bits of ham), by spinach lasagna, mushroom-filled pasta, rice with mushrooms, white rice (most people take that correctly as a sign of a bad tummy), rice’n’beans (with bits of bacon)… considering some of the bits of stuff mentioned, I think some people are both shortbrained and shortsighted.

15

I get the vegetarian assumption sometimes, I think it’s because I always bring food from home and never get lunch in the cafeteria or order out. I have chili today (with beef).

Also, an odd number of people are under the impression I’m one of those people “who can eat anything and not gain weight”. I do eat fairly often, but somehow people seem to ignore the fact that while I’m eating yogurt & fresh mango, I’m avoiding the cake/cookies/whatever in the break room. And see that gym bag under my desk? I don’t carry it around for funsies.

16

I often walk around wearing a bib with a picture of a lobster on it, so this doesn’t come up for me.

17

A college student (I’m a few weeks shy of 26) and, occasionally, a lesbian. (The latter happened more when I was in college and my hair was blue, it was cut very short or buzzed into a mohawk, I dressed very punk, etc.)

Ahah. Ahahaha. Ahahahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAHA. BWAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA.

You need to meet more vegetarians.

In the winter when I’m all bundled up so you can’t see ye olde secondary sex characteristics like boobs ‘n’ hips, yeah. (6’ even.)

18

I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m hooked on south Indian vegetarian foods and eat at one of these restaurants at least once a week. Yum, dosas and idlis! I also love tofu and happily scarf up bubbling tofu and vegetable soup in the Korean district near here. However, I don’t talk about this at work at all because folks already think my tastes are weird and exotic. Therefore I’m spared the vegetarian assumption and all the dumbass discussions.

19

I’m a vegetarian who is offered meat constantly. I dress like a generic “sporty dude” and bike to work, so I think people see me and think: “Oh, he works out. Must be a meat and potatoes kind of guy.” At work it used to be: “OMG, when did you become a vegetarian???” and my answer would be “Oh, about 20 years ago.”

Everyone knows better at work now, but when I used to go out for a pint with my ball team, they always assumed I was an omnivore. One time someone told me I “looked too healthy” to be a vegetarian. I guess they think we veggie heads are supposed to be pale and sickly looking.

20

How do cell phones fit into the vegetarian diet?