# What do you do if you find a hair in restaurant food? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073 "2010-04-05T20:03:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/1 "2010-04-05T20:03:39Z")
Went out to lunch today, ordered some pasta. The sauce wasn’t too thick, it had softened cloves of garlic, very good… Except for a single small hair nestled in it. It was a quarter inch long (maybe even shorter), thin, only mildly curled. Since it didn’t resemble my conception of a nose or crotch hair, I plucked it out and ate the dish. It got taken off the tab (which, since it was a business lunch, saved me not a penny), but it did make me wonder: what do you do? Take it out and disregard, like I did? Do you get worried your dish was infected with swine flu or e. bola from said hair, or make you concerned for what else might be in there? Do you mention it at all? Does it depend on what the dish actually is? ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/2 "2010-04-05T20:22:43Z")
Meh. Hair falls out, sometimes in to food. Sometimes in to my food. I just remove it and keep eating. I figure, with the amount of skin I probably eat without knowing, making a big deal over a hair is kind of silly. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/3 "2010-04-05T20:26:05Z")
Unless it’s obviously not, I assume it’s probably mine. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/4 "2010-04-05T20:39:02Z")
_There once was a man from Perdue Who found a large mouse in his stew Said the waiter, “Don’t shout and wave it about Or the others will be wanting one too!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/5 "2010-04-05T21:27:23Z")
One hair - remove it and keep eating. I’m willing to bet that a hair isn’t the least clean thing that has touched my food. Now if it looks like someone brushed their cat over my plate (lots of hairs), I’ll send it back and talk to the manager. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/6 "2010-04-05T21:29:38Z")
I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who sometimes just removes it and keeps eating. I thought I was weird. It does depend on my mood, though. I don’t mean that as in sometimes I’m in the mood to bug the waiter, but as in sometimes I’m more easily grossed out. I don’t have a problem asking for them to bring me a fresh plate. I’ve never asked that a meal be comped, though. Never. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/7 "2010-04-05T21:32:30Z")
No big whoop. The one time I bitched was I found an actual label in my food (Olive Garden) to which they replied “Oh yeah, that’s the label that tells us how long it’s good for.” They didn’t give a rat’s ass about it. They told me I could have a dessert, and when I said “I’d rather have the soup taken off” they said: nah. You can have a dessert. (???!) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/8 "2010-04-05T21:33:18Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > No big whoop. The one time I bitched was I found an actual label in my food (Olive Garden) to which they replied “Oh yeah, that’s the label that tells us how long it’s good for.” They didn’t give a rat’s ass about it. They told me I could have a dessert, and when I said “I’d rather have the soup taken off” they said: nah. You can have a dessert. (???!) That way you’re still paying a minimum amount. ---
**Author:** ![Chickie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chickie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickie)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/9 "2010-04-05T21:41:37Z")
What really grosses me out is if the hair is particularly long and I spend 10 entire seconds pulling it out of my food. Blechhh. But I have long blonde hair, so you never know. I usually get over it and eat the food. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/10 "2010-04-05T21:43:08Z")
I generally assume it’s mine, remove it and keep going. I’d complain if there was more than one that were clearly not mine, though. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/11 "2010-04-05T21:56:56Z")
> [@Chickie](#): > > What really grosses me out is if the hair is particularly long and I spend 10 entire seconds pulling it out of my food. Blechhh. But I have long blonde hair, so you never know. I usually get over it and eat the food. This. It’s not like I’d say anything, (unless there are several hairs) because clearly it was accidental and the rest of the food is fine, but it is still disgusting. I’d much rather find a bug in my food than pull out a long hair that just keeps coming the more you pull. I’d probably lose my appetite if I had to pull it out of my mouth. _blurghh_ ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/12 "2010-04-05T22:04:34Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > No big whoop. The one time I bitched was I found an actual label in my food (Olive Garden) to which they replied “Oh yeah, that’s the label that tells us how long it’s good for.” They didn’t give a rat’s ass about it. They told me I could have a dessert, and when I said “I’d rather have the soup taken off” they said: nah. You can have a dessert. (???!) I have always wondered about this. What if you had answered, “Nah, I think I will just pay for everything, sans the soup” Then just place the cash on the table after your meal and leave. Would the restaraunt call the police or something? I mean what? If I find a long hair in my food, I am not going to be able to eat it. I swear to god, almost anything else I can just pick out. A label? I’m still able. A button? Pass the mutton. But I simply cannot get past a long string of hair. If it was just in the soup or something, I would probably just push it aside and forget the soup. If it was wound up in my lobster and sauce, I would politely ask for a different plate. I just can’t do the hair. And I am the type that conciously strives to be _no trouble at all_ to the waitstaff. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/13 "2010-04-05T22:21:38Z")
I’m not remotely disgusted by hair - so if I find it in my food I just set it aside and don’t give it a second thought. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/14 "2010-04-06T01:20:05Z")
Pfft, I once found _half_ a cockroach in a Spanish tortilla, considering things could only get better from there I set it aside and kept eating. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/15 "2010-04-06T02:21:12Z")
Floss ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/16 "2010-04-06T02:39:15Z")
Pull it out and set it aside. It’s hair, not toxic waste. Who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/17 "2010-04-06T05:36:44Z")
I’d assume it was mine. Unless it obviously was not. And if it obviously was not, I’d take it out, set it aside, and keep eating. It’s gross, but not dirty. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/18 "2010-04-06T08:49:25Z")
I wouldn’t turn a hair. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/19 "2010-04-06T10:14:04Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Went out to lunch today, ordered some pasta… with single small hair nestled in it… It got taken off the tab… There’s a gap in your story. Did you show the waiter the hair _after_ you’d eaten the pasta? I don’t want to take the restaurant’s side here, but they _would_ have been happier to give you two dishes for the price of one, than one dish for the price of zero! 😉 I’m afraid I’ve got food stories that go beyond a single hair. Funniest perhaps was in a cheap dark Asian bar where some dancers invited me to share their snack. Sticky rice and … something crispy; I don’t see well in the dark. When it was almost gone, the silhouette on the almost-empty plate allowed me to see what I’d been eating: small insects, looking almost like houseflies! I love fried grasshoppers, but I’d have politely turned this snack down if I’d known what it was. (I think I know what you’re thinking. 😃 But no, these girls weren’t _teasing_ poor septimus, just being polite and friendly.) ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073/20 "2010-04-06T13:42:50Z")
Generally, I’ll pick it out and move on. It squicks me out a bit, but not enough to do anything about it. But one time, I ordered a dish that involved smallish chunks of fried chicken, and there was a long hair that was all tangled up in the batter and holding a few of the chunks together. That one got sent back to the kitchen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-if-you-find-a-hair-in-restaurant-food/535073.md?page=2)