[jeneticallymodified]

<span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"><span style="color:#800080;">i've been thinking about veg*anism, and people having problems getting served suitable food, being treated seriously diet-wise, and getting good service, etc.<br><br><br><br>
i've read posts where people have said things along the lines of 'you could just say you have an allergy', or 'it would be a different situation/be taken more seriously, if i was allergic, instead of veg*an' and other similar things.<br><br><br><br>
i've also noticed more people recently voicing that they have allergies, and that its not seen as such a big deal or unusual thing as it was say... 10 years ago- and wonder if this affects how seriously its taken in the kitchens of restaurants, etc.<br><br><br><br>
i'm interested if non allergic people see it as acceptable to lie, and play 'the allergy card' when ordering food, explaining/justifying your veg*anism to less than sympathetic others, or bringing food into venues where they wouldn't otherwise be allowed, etc, or if they see it as dishonest and perhaps even damaging to those who do actually have allergies.<br><br><br><br>
What do those who do have allergies think about non allergic people doing it?<br><br>
Do you not have real allergies, but do it yourself, and if so, how do you feel about doing it?<br><br>
Do you see it as a way of ensuring your needs are taken more seriously where otherwise you feel they wouldn't?<br><br>
Do you think it makes light of people with real allergies and puts them at risk of not being taken as seriously as they would otherwise be?<br><br>
Or perhaps you're helping those with real allergies by doing it, by helping allergy knowledge and awareness become a more mainstream thing?<br><br>
Does it lower the profile of veg*anism to use an excuse like this, instead of proudly declaring your veg*anism?<br><br>
Does it make veg*ans look dishonest or silly in the eyes of omnis?<br><br>
Is it acceptable to use a 'made up' allergy like this, to get the desired result- ie: your needs met, or is it a cop out?<br><br><br><br>
i'm really interested in finding out how others see this, and what they think...</span></span>

 

[DCVeg]

I won't get into all of the specific situations, but I think it's perfectly acceptable when ordering food at a restaurant, especially one where the staff is unfamiliar with veganism. Food allergies get their attention, because a restaurant can face major repercussions for knowingly serving allergy-causing food. Otherwise, you might end up with food with small amounts of dairy or egg because "you'll never find out" or they don't do more than a very basic check.<br><br><br><br>
Saying that you don't want to eat a dairy product won't always capture their attention or lead the staff to thoroughly check the ingredients of their products. Saying that you're allergic to it leads to a more serious response. It's not necessary at all places, but it does increase my confidence when I'm in doubt, and I don't see anything wrong with it.

 

[Sevenseas]

Better to say you have an allergy than eat animal products.<br><br><br><br>
But I think it's also important to make one's veg*nism known, in order to show people that it's becoming more common (so they might try it too) etc.<br><br><br><br>
Can't come up with any reason why it would be bad for those with real allergies.

 

[1vegan]

it's perfectly ok to claim to have a dairy allergy for a vegan imho<br><br><br><br>
at least then you've got a better chance they'll take you seriously.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
I know a real food allergy is a serious problem that is not to joke about, that's why I claim to be "dairy intolerant" and say "it makes me sick".

 

[chiaraluna]

I sometimes say that I'm lactose intolerant when I'm ordering somewhere that I don't think that they'll understand the vegan thing. I don't see this as lying, because it's not -- I AM lactose intolerant. Just because that's not the reason I'm not eating cheese doesn't make it untrue.<br><br><br><br>
Usually, I just say "without (whatever)" and leave both allergies and veganism out, quite frankly because I'm lazy and don't always feel like explaining.

 

[meatless]

I don't know if I have an opinion on whether or not it's ok, but I do know I wouldn't do it myself because I'm a horrible liar. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[GhostUser]

It may be right for some people, but I know I personally would never make up reasons why I do not want to eat certain things. I do not have allergies, and it would feel silly for me to pretend I have them.<br><br><br><br>
I don't care what others thing of me, and if people at an establishment would give me weird looks or not take me seriously if I were to tell them I'm vegan, I can take my dollars elsewhere. I wouldn't lie to make things easier.<br><br><br><br>
Maybe it works for others, I don't know.

 

[zoebird]

personally, i do not find it acceptable to lie, and as a vegan and as a vegetarian, i have not lied in order to get food that suited my needs. and, i've never gone without foods for very long. if i need to, i leave a restaurant or whatever, or i have a snack (brought with me) and then get something appropriate somewhere else later.<br><br><br><br>
i'm clear about my needs and desires. i am calm about it and i do not mention that i'm vegetarian or vegan. I found that when that is mentioned, my service changes--it's often harder to get what i want. So, i simply say "i do not eat meat or dairy or eggs (even though now i do eat dairy and eggs).<br><br><br><br>
nowadays, more often than not, when i say "I do not eat meat" the waitstaff asks me "do you do eggs and cheese?" and when i would say "no" i always got something vegan. and when i say yes, i get something vegetarian.

 

[Elena99]

What do those who do have allergies think about non allergic people doing it?<br><br><br><br>
n/a<br><br><br><br>
Do you not have real allergies, but do it yourself, and if so, how do you feel about doing it?<br><br><br><br>
I don't.<br><br><br><br>
Do you see it as a way of ensuring your needs are taken more seriously where otherwise you feel they wouldn't?<br><br><br><br>
I can see where people would see that, because saying you don't eat meat sounds picky, where saying "I could die if I have shellfish" is a huge deal.<br><br><br><br>
Do you think it makes light of people with real allergies and puts them at risk of not being taken as seriously as they would otherwise be?<br><br><br><br>
Possibly.<br><br><br><br>
Or perhaps you're helping those with real allergies by doing it, by helping allergy knowledge and awareness become a more mainstream thing?<br><br><br><br>
I doubt it's helping with knowledge. If anything, it might make people think that vegan/vegetarian means allergic, not against for ethical/health/taste reasons.<br><br><br><br>
Does it lower the profile of veg*anism to use an excuse like this, instead of proudly declaring your veg*anism?<br><br><br><br>
Yes, sometimes.<br><br><br><br>
Does it make veg*ans look dishonest or silly in the eyes of omnis?<br><br><br><br>
It depends on how far they take it, I guess.<br><br><br><br>
Is it acceptable to use a 'made up' allergy like this, to get the desired result- ie: your needs met, or is it a cop out?<br><br><br><br>
I think it's best to tell the truth.

 

[gas4]

I think it depends on the situation. Of course it's better if you can help to publicise the concept of veg*nism, but if you don't feel like it, or you don't think you'll get the food you want, or you think you might be picking a fight that you can't be bothered dealing with etc, then I don't see any problem with it. There is some possibility (I guess) of people using the allergy thing all the time and other people catching on so that when people have real allergies they don't believe them, but I don't think there's enough veg*ns for that to be a serious possibility. Plus it's not worth the risk when some food reactions can be really quite serious.

 

[kpickell]

One way it could be bad is if you tell the server that you are allergic to dairy and they serve you dairy anyway unbeknownst to you, and you don't have an allergic reaction, they may not take people as seriously in the future.

 

[inie]

Most people here think it's unacceptable for omnivores to claim that they are vegetarian. I could imagine that people with allergies would be similarly insulted if people would just go around claiming to have allergies for convenience. People with allergies sometimes face the same problems of not being taken seriously enough, so no need to encourage that in any way.

 

[jeneticallymodified]

i've known people who will say they are allergic to something because they don't like it (a little different, i know). they'd say, for example, that they were allergic to eggs, to avoid eating something that they didn't like, and get something changed from the standard menu in a restaurant, but then finding that the dessert they wanted, for example, chocolate cake, had a small amount of egg in it, they'd brush it off and say 'oh, a little won't hurt me'.<br><br><br><br>
that kind of thing sends really mixed messages.

 

[Sevenseas]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>inie</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Most people here think it's unacceptable for omnivores to claim that they are vegetarian.</div>
</div>
<br>
If you're talking about the fish-eating etc. omnivores, the reason why it's unacceptable is that they create the image that vegetarians can eat fish or other meats, which will result in people serving meat to real veg*ns.<br><br><br><br>
But the same doesn't apply to a consistent vegan who sometimes claims to be allergic to some animal products, since (s)he will be avoiding those products just like an allergic person.

 

[bethann]

I do not do this, and I wish people wouldn't for two reasons.<br><br><br><br>
Mainly, because my mother has a very dangerous allergy to eggs--she goes immediately into antiphalatic (sp?) shock, and could easily die from consuming eggs. Occasionally, if there is a mistake with her order, a waitress will try just scraping off the maynoise. Fortunately, she always checks. But if waitress here that people have allergies, and then pull stuff like that, and see that they don't get sick, I worry that will encourage them to keep doing it, endangering someone with a true allergy.<br><br><br><br>
My second reason, although less important, is that I think it's important for people to learn to respect veg*nism as a choice, and the more we politely insist on having our needs respected, the better it will get--or at least I hope.

 

[Sevenseas]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>bethann</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br><br>
Mainly, because my mother has a very dangerous allergy to eggs--she goes immediately into antiphalatic (sp?) shock, and could easily die from consuming eggs. Occasionally, if there is a mistake with her order, a waitress will try just scraping off the maynoise. Fortunately, she always checks. But if waitress here that people have allergies, and then pull stuff like that, and see that they don't get sick, I worry that will encourage them to keep doing it, endangering someone with a true allergy.</div>
</div>
<br>
That's a good point.

 

[remilard]

It is similar to a non vegetarian claiming to be a vegetarian in that it can be misleading. It is worse in that the price to be paid for desensitizing the public is much more severe than some socially awkward kids getting their personal purity panties in a bunch.

 

[Moechalatte]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>hoodedclawjen</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"><span style="color:#800080;"><br><br>
What do those who do have allergies think about non allergic people doing it?<br><br>
Do you not have real allergies, but do it yourself, and if so, how do you feel about doing it?<br><br>
Do you see it as a way of ensuring your needs are taken more seriously where otherwise you feel they wouldn't?<br><br>
Do you think it makes light of people with real allergies and puts them at risk of not being taken as seriously as they would otherwise be?<br><br>
Or perhaps you're helping those with real allergies by doing it, by helping allergy knowledge and awareness become a more mainstream thing?<br><br>
Does it lower the profile of veg*anism to use an excuse like this, instead of proudly declaring your veg*anism?<br><br>
Does it make veg*ans look dishonest or silly in the eyes of omnis?<br><br>
Is it acceptable to use a 'made up' allergy like this, to get the desired result- ie: your needs met, or is it a cop out?<br><br><br><br>
i'm really interested in finding out how others see this, and what they think...</span></span></div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I don't have food allergies, but I did used to say I had food allergies so that restaurants would take me seriously. Nearly EVERY time I've ever told the waiter I couldn't eat certain food because I'm veg*an, it would show up in my dish somewhere. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wall.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":wall:"> If they thought I was allergic to that food, there's no way that food would have made it into my dish, whether it was done intentionally or accidentally.<br><br><br><br>
However.. I have been talking about this a bit on other threads lately, and so I no longer agree that it's the best idea to claim to have allergies when you don't. I guess it's sort of like how I would feel about someone who claimed to be vegan but then ate meat at home.<br><br><br><br>
I think I've decided on a good line (although I haven't gone out to eat in forever, so I haven't used it yet) - "My body can't digest these things" (which IS the truth mostly) "so please don't serve them to me unless you want me stinking up your restaurant!" <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/kiss.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":kiss:"><br><br><br><br>
As far as not declaring your veganism ... yea, I guess I never thought about that before... but being vegan shouldn't just be about not eating/wearing certain things IMO. How're you going to change anything if no one knows you're trying to change it, right? I think my new line will fit in nicely with that ... "I've been vegan for so long, by body can't digest that food..." etc.... haha. I don't know.<br><br><br><br>
I do think there will always be discrimination as long as you profess to be veg*an... for a while still at least. Oh well...

 

[MaryC1999]

I don't and won't because I think the more restaurants hear about it and the more they're asked about it the less weird it will become. I also think that because allergies aren't a life choice they can brush it off as being uncommon. If they hear about people making the CHOICE not to eat these products more then maybe they'll start offering choices that don't include them. Negating the need for special ordering.<br><br>
Optimistic I know. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/laugh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lol:"><br><br>
mary

 

[Skylark]

I tell the waitstaff I want this item "without ____" and if it comes with it anyway, I send it back. If the server asks if I am a vegetarian, I say yes, and if s/he gives me flack, I never go back. I probably should write a letter to the managment explaining why so they know to educate their servers better, but I haven't yet.<br><br><br><br>
I would never say I have an allergy when I don't. If they don't take me seriously as a vegetarian and refuse to accomodate my requests, they do not deserve my business.