Have you ever wanted to prove someone wrong out of spite so much that you were willing to risk it all just to do it? Maybe you let them make some terrible mistake that they’d regret for a long time, but hey - they really needed that lesson.
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A poster by the nickname of RussianAnnaB on Reddit shared the story of how her boyfriend, who had a peanut allergy, was told to wash a dish full of leftover peanut butter. He tried arguing, but when that didn’t work, he chose the ultimate option - giving himself the allergic reaction to spite his boss.
More info: Reddit
You have to be careful if you've got allergies, especially if you're working in a place where they are abundant
Image credits: Oliver Sjostrom (not the actual image)
The poster's boyfriend, who had a peanut allergy, was working in a smoothie shop, with a difficult boss
Image credits: u/RussianAnnaB
The boss wanted the boyfriend to wash a bowl with peanut butter leftovers and wouldn't take no for an answer, so BF decided to just wash the bowl and show him what would happen
Image credits: u/RussianAnnaB
After dealing with the bowl, his hands quickly broke out in hives; he then sent a picture of them to the work group chat and just took the rest of the day off
Image credits: u/RussianAnnaB
The owners of the shop showed up shortly after and according to a colleague, the boss got a good screaming at
The poster’s boyfriend had been working in a smoothie shop and was handed a bowl full of peanut butter residue. He tried raising a protest, but when that didn’t work, he decided “you know what? I’ll show 'em,” and just washed the bowl.
Minutes later, his arms were covered in hives, so he took a picture of them, sent it to the work chat and just took the day off.
The owners of the business came over to yell at the boss, dubbed Michael for the story, who was also fired not too long after, for being a creep in general.
Oh, and it’s worth mentioning that the BF got a free espresso machine when he left, so there’s that.
In the comments, the poster provided a bit more detail and answered some questions. Lots of people were flabbergasted at the fact that someone would risk getting an allergy triggered just to prove a point, but OP assures readers that that’s exactly the point of the story - the BF was a hotheaded young guy who wasn’t going to take it from nobody. He also had anti-allergy medication with him at the time, so there was no huge risk to his safety.
Image credits: RODNAE Productions (not the actual image)
In order to get a more informed perspective about allergies, Bored Panda reached out to Megan Lavin, owner of Allergy Awesomeness. With her son having a rare disease called eosinophilic esophagitis, leading to him having 30+ allergies, she has learned to create delicious meals to make her family’s and others’ lives just a little bit more awesome.
According to her, encountering people who don’t understand food allergies is common, but she understands, as she was in their shoes in the past.
“It's really not until you deal with any medical condition on a day-in/day-out basis that you really understand the depth of it.”
She hopes that we can educate people to help make things more accommodating and safe, but knows that it’s not a priority issue for people not living with any allergies. Megan says communication is of the utmost importance when making sure that food is safe, whether you’re at a party or in a restaurant. “Planning ahead of time so that the host has enough leeway to make changes or accommodations is the best approach.”
Most modern restaurants have menus online, so Megan likes to make sure and research if it seems safe, calling or emailing to make sure they have safe procedures in place before arriving.
It’s important to ask not only if the dish is safe, but whether their processes are safe too. Different utensils and containers need to be used in order not to cross-contaminate (also known as cross-contact) food with allergens.
Some restaurants don’t do this, their chefs and line cooks aren’t trained or there isn’t enough space. There have been moments when they weren’t able to eat at all or just had to bring their own food.
“That happens a lot and that's why it's nice to know ahead of time so you can make different accommodations for yourself,” Megan provides.
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION (not the actual image)
Megan also emphasizes the importance of communicating your allergies well enough, as if we don’t say it out loud, people won’t be able to help.
In their experience, friends and family want them to be included, but need to be taught how and told about the allergies in advance.
“If you're not willing to be vulnerable and ask for help, you won't get it. It's also easy to take it personally or think that you're being ignored or discredited, but you also have to ask yourself if you were willing to take the time to educate and advocate enough. It's a two-way street,” she says.
If someone is rude to you, it’s always hurtful. Megan feels for anyone who has to go through that and suggests for people to find their tribe, their people, their safe restaurants - which are out there - and you can and will have a good time in the future, just don’t give up, Megan movingly finishes.
If you’d like to read more about Megan, her recipes and experiences, make sure to visit her website. And for delicious and allergy-safe recipes, look up her cookbook, which will help you learn loads of smart substitutions for your cooking.
A lot of people lack knowledge about allergies these days. Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) share various myths and misconceptions about food allergies. As in OP’s boyfriend’s case, loads of people think that allergies aren’t serious. An allergy may be much more than an itch or a stomach ache, but can also cause vomiting, severe hives, and if it turns to anaphylaxis, it may even be deadly.
Another common reaction to people’s allergy concerns is that “a little won’t hurt.” In actuality, even tiny trace amounts of allergens can cause people to have allergic reactions.
There are far more interesting facts on FARE, for example, the fact that a dairy allergy is far more common in babies and children than the more well-known peanut allergy.
A final big one is the fact that any food allergy is as serious as any other one. No matter what the allergen is, any allergy has the potential to be very severe or even life-threatening.
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual image)
Food Allergy Canada speaks more about misinformation about food allergies. A big one is how potentially dangerous cross-contamination can be. It happens when you use the same cutlery to cut two different foods, wash dishes or hands improperly or in any way that would allow allergizing food to pass to food that’s supposed to be allergen-free.
Even if you don’t need to worry about your friends’ or family members’ allergies, you shouldn’t use the same cutlery or dishes for raw foods or unwashed products or you may get very seriously ill. If you still aren’t convinced, you can read another story on Bored Panda about the horrors cross-contamination can play on your stomach.
Another big thing Food Allergy Canada mentions is how people often misrepresent themselves as having certain allergies. For example, people may say they’re allergic to this or that, while they really just dislike a certain taste. This can lead to people not taking allergies seriously or misunderstanding allergies, which, in turn, itself leads to fatal mistakes.
If you’re hosting folks with allergies, you can take steps to make sure they have a good time and eat tasty, allergen-free meals. Michigan Medicine has tips for people wanting to be good hosts to friends with allergies.
Plan ahead: call your guest and find out the things they can’t have. Make sure you write it down, just in case you forget or misremember something. You can also ask where they get substitutes that they prefer.
Then, when it comes to the preparation of food, you should make sure you clean all surfaces and utensils very well before cooking, best if you can use a dishwasher to do so. You could cook the allergy-friendly dishes first, labeling them clearly and safely putting them away.
When cooking, wash your hands before and after coming into contact with allergens and clean off any utensils that came in contact with them during the process carefully, if you intend to use them again for the same dinner.
You could also suggest for the guest to bring their own food or purchase premade dishes for them that would be safe for sure.
OP’s post collected more than 9k upvotes and about 400 comments. Commenters shared their own stories of being spiteful teenagers and risking their own safety just to prove a point. If you have stories of your own, make sure to share them with us!
The commenters shared their own stories and supported the boyfriend's petty behavior, saying they would have done the same thing
Image credits: Jeremy noble (not the actual image)
