# Would you accept leftover food from diners at the next table? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106 "2024-08-23T18:41:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/22 "2024-08-23T20:26:02Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I absolutely would, then ask for a doggie bag, and present it to the nearest deserving doggie! I was going to say “yes, and give it to a homeless person” but I like your answer better. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/23 "2024-08-23T20:43:36Z")
Friend and I were at a pub in Edinburgh. I asked the woman next to me what her drink was (it was pretty and pink) and she handed it to me and said “have a taste.” I had no problem taking a slug and friend and I had a few… It was Prosecco, strawberry liquor and rose wine. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/24 "2024-08-23T20:54:16Z")
No, and leftover pizza is about the only food I might accept from someone at my own table except my husband and my son, but that’s going to go in the opposite direction. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/25 "2024-08-23T21:03:30Z")
The fear in this thread is appalling. Humans have been sharing food since forever. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/26 "2024-08-23T21:09:35Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > Friend and I were at a pub in Edinburgh. I asked the woman next to me what her drink was (it was pretty and pink) and she handed it to me and said “have a taste.” I had no problem taking a slug and friend and I had a few… > > It was Prosecco, strawberry liquor and rose wine. When you gave it back, did it live up to your user name? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/27 "2024-08-23T21:13:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > situation where someone orders a pint of beer, takes a sip, and wants no more. I’ll happily finish it. I would never had guessed based upon your avatar. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/28 "2024-08-23T21:30:19Z")
Nope, wouldn’t do it. It may not be rational, but it’s the way I roll. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/29 "2024-08-23T21:33:42Z")
Chances are they never even touched it, let alone got any saliva on it. It would be very tempting. My main reason to say no is dietary, not germ-related. I think it’s fine, and would not begrudge anyone else eating it. Food on a plate that has touched a fork is different. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/30 "2024-08-23T21:40:14Z")
Sure, if I was hungry. It would certainly never occur to me that one of the people at the next table might be a (one-in-several-million) random poisoner, rather than someone in the extremely common, mundane situation of having ordered more food than they felt like eating. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/31 "2024-08-23T21:49:00Z")
> **Hid hijacker's posts.** > > Not me. Mainly because no one would eat mine. > > I’m a germaphobe, too. So there’s that. > > It’s a personal failing. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/32 "2024-08-23T21:51:00Z")
Yes, I would. Pizza is always acceptable. Long ago when I was 5 months pregnant, we were at some gathering, my husband and I. I cannot recall if I knew everyone there, maybe it was a church, and I walked up to people, pointed at something on their plate and said, “Oh, that looks good! Can I have some?” ETA- They obliged. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/33 "2024-08-23T22:02:57Z")
I’d only accept food in this situation if there was some kind of extraordinary circumstances, such as not having any money, kid is starving and there’s a long wait, or so on. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/34 "2024-08-23T22:09:28Z")
@Beckdawrek, OK, enough of your hijack. Your are banned from this thread. I will hide your posts. **Moderating:** ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/35 "2024-08-23T22:13:02Z")
Ever eat Chinese, real, with a dozen or more plates circulating in the center? Some of the people I’m sharing with don’t know me other than one or two meals a year. Ever eat family style at a restaurant? Maybe family, maybe your bowling/soccer team, some people you met at a game? I have no problems sharing with adults. Silverware, sure, but food; no problem. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/36 "2024-08-23T22:17:15Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Ever eat family style at a restaurant? Maybe family, maybe your bowling/soccer team, some people you met at a game? I have no problems sharing with adults. Yep. In some places you share, that is the idea. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/37 "2024-08-24T12:54:08Z")
**Moderating** : You came in attacking @Beckdawrek and bringing up stuff from prior threads. The Van nonsense had nothing to do with this thread, but you should have just flagged it. Someone else did. @Eyebrows_0f_Doom, you are also **banned from this thread** , and instructed to remember to not attack other posters (outside of the pit). Flag when a poster is hijacking a thread. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/38 "2024-08-24T16:49:00Z")
Wow! Didn’t realize I was starting such a contentious thread, to lead to RTWO bannings! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/39 "2024-08-24T16:59:54Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > cannot recall if I knew everyone there, maybe it was a church, and I walked up to people, pointed at something on their plate and said, “Oh, that looks good! Can I have some?” > ETA- They obliged. That’s bold coming from an adult, I’d probably look around for your caregiver as I’d suspect you of a child like mind asking to take food off a strangers plate. In answer to the OP, I’d probably pass unless I was sitting with ravenous wolves disguised as teenagers. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/40 "2024-08-24T17:44:29Z")
Again, ever been to a party or event when someone is holding a plate with appetizers (easier to spell); you and others pick something that looks good off the same plate; even surrounded by strangers including the server? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2024, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106/41 "2024-08-24T17:52:52Z")
I don’t consider family-style dining or a party buffet as the same thing at all. At those events, that style of eating is the norm. While it’s true I may not know everyone at those kinds of events, it’s not considered weird to eat food in that manner. But it’s weird to have a total stranger at another table offer food. That weirdness aspect is why I wouldn’t just take the food. I don’t necessarily think they’ve poisoned or tainted it. It’s that it’s weird and outside of normal social behavior, so I’m not going to accept unless there’s some extraordinary reason for taking their food (e.g. I’m starving and have no money). I’d prefer to get my food in ways that are considered normal, such as ordering it myself or having one of the people at my table pass one of the dishes to me that our group has ordered. This thread reminds me a bit of a Seinfeld episode where George eats an eclair that was in the trash. The eclair was sitting at the top of the trash on it’s serving paper. The eclair itself was not touching the trash. He grabbed it from the trash and started eating it. That’s a similar example where there’s nothing technically wrong with eating the eclair, but it’s weird and unappetizing. In the show, the other characters were disgusted with his actions. That’s another aspect that would make me reluctant to accept food from a stranger’s table. Even if I’m okay with it, the people I’m with may think I’m weird for doing it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-accept-leftover-food-from-diners-at-the-next-table/1006106.md?page=3)