This Redditor’s job allowed him to encounter people who would lie to get some special treatment. So, when he came upon a passenger who said he was vegetarian, he immediately started having doubts!
At Your Service!
OP (Original Poster) is a flight attendant who’s been doing the job for over 10 years. He’s so dedicated to his career that he said he’ll “bend over backward” to accommodate people and fix any issues during his work days if he can.
All Kinds of Deceitful People
Unfortunately, a handful of people lie to try and get what they want. For instance, some people would fake injuries to get upgraded; others would fake their birthdays even when the airlines’ systems 100% knew their birthdays.
OP added, “You name it, people have tried it, and believe me, I’ve had loads of scenarios where people try to cheat the system because it makes them feel special or that they have one-upped me, I guess?”
Cue the Fake Vegetarian
One of the stories OP just had to share would be his encounter with a fake vegetarian he had to serve while flying. This passenger was flying in economy or coach, seated in the second from the last row.
When asked what he wanted to eat, he opted for the pasta option, and OP apologized and told him that, due to popular demand, they ran out of it in the middle of the cabin but suggested the chicken if he wanted it. However, without skipping a beat, the passenger answered, “I’m a vegetarian. Last time, they brought me a meal from business class, so I will just wait for that.”
If He Only Asked Nicely
OP said it was something that he would have offered anyway as a nicety if it was available. He said that he’s not too much of a “d***,” and he genuinely liked being able to help people out whenever he could.
He joked, “After all, it’s a 747, not a 7-Eleven, as the saying goes.”
He Can Smell the Lies!
However, the way the passenger expected his request to be accommodated right off the bat didn’t sit right with OP, and he also “smelled a rat.” OP was 99% sure he had cleared an empty packet of smokey bacon crisps from the guy earlier on, and it wasn’t a vegetarian brand, as OP has the same one occasionally.
OP added, “I was certain he was being picky and wanted a higher quality meal. Plus, any regular flier would know how often we run out of the veggie option and to preorder a veggie meal.”
On the Hunt for Veggies
He then told the passenger that it was unfortunate he didn’t preorder a vegetarian meal and would see what he could do for him. He asked for five minutes to finish up what he was doing before he went on to find a vegetarian meal for the passenger.
OP then went to Business Class and found they had also run out of vegetarian options.
A First-Class Meal Is for First Class Only
He also went up to First Class and asked if they could spare anything, but they ended up “putting a few leaves together with a bit of dressing.”
Since people from First Class spend more than $1,200 and can dine anytime, they didn’t want OP taking any hot vegetarian meal options in case someone wanted it later.
Presenting a Meal of Top Quality
Then, OP thought this would be the perfect opportunity to not-so-subtly call the passenger out. He said, “I could probably have some fun with this fake vegetarian. Cue malicious compliance,” and brought the meal down on a silver tray and held it above the passenger’s eyeline so he couldn’t see what it was.
OP explained to him that Business Class had unfortunately run out of vegetarian options. As he was about to cut OP off to complain, OP held up his hand and said, “However, I managed to go one step further, and I got the last vegetarian meal from First Class.”
The Look of Regret
That’s when OP pulled the linen cloth off the top of the tray as he placed the salad in front of the so-called vegetarian man. Once it was presented, it was clear that he had served a basic but large salad.
OP added, “His face said it all. His face went from a smug, ‘Haha, I worked the system,’ to ‘What the f*** is that?’ within two or three seconds flat.”
Quickly Changing His Mind
Afterward, the passenger said, “I wanted something hot. I’ll just have the chicken then.” So, OP put on a shocked face and said, “I cannot give you that, sir. I would feel awful.”
The guy told him not to worry and that it was fine, and OP gave him a look, asking, “Are you sure you’re a vegetarian?” Then, he brought back the chicken, which had been sitting and drying up in the oven a little longer.
Real Ones Know What to Do
According to OP, if the passenger was an actual vegetarian, he should’ve preordered, and the same goes for gluten-free, vegan, children’s meals, diabetic, and others.
This was a common SOP for people with dietary restrictions, after all.
Redditors’ Thoughts and Suggestions
The community loved how OP handled the situation, especially vegetarians who almost always don’t get what they need due to people pretending to be what they aren’t.
A Redditor said, “I love it! I am vegetarian, and I always preorder. And even with preordering, some flights run out of vegetarian options. Sigh. I’ve never been offered anything more than a bag of chips as a ‘sorry’ for that. You are a great cabin crew member for doing that for the vegetarians! And I loved this malicious compliance!”
Another one wrote, “As an actual vegetarian who has gotten screwed out of more than one meal when the non-vegetarians go for the vegetarian option: thank you.”
It’s Better Than a Cheap Meal
Some said they would rather eat the First Class meal than the chicken.
“I’d take a First Class salad over a coach chicken entrée any day of the week,” a commenter wrote.
Another person added to the previous comment, saying, “Even if it’s just an iceberg with a side of dressing. I’m not interested in the massacre of the formerly edible chicken.”
Do Better, Airlines!
A few Redditors then shared their bad experiences regarding vegetarian meals on airlines and how they always mess the food up.
A commenter said, “I am a vegetarian. I’ll get sick if I accidentally ingest meat, and I try to preorder vegetarian meals, but even so, I often don’t get one. And the quality of vegetarian meals is awful. It seems that airlines try to make a special meal fit a lot of needs, so it’s low sodium—flavorless—as well as meat-free, possibly also gluten-free, and just generally gross. I just bring some snacks with me and do not expect to get anything I’m willing to eat on the plane. It’s a happy surprise if something edible is served to me.”
What do you think? If you were OP, how would you deal with someone like the fake vegetarian he encountered?
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This post first appeared as An Entitled Passenger Demanded He Get Served a Meal From Business Class, Saying He’s “Vegetarian.” He’s Obviously a “Fake” Who’s Lying, so the Flight Attendant Ensured He Learned His Lesson! on Quote Ambition.
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