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>I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish

>I remember my vacation in the states (in the South). I got served a absolutely massive glass of coca-cola with my dinner. When I had finally managed to finish it a waiter came and refilled the bloody thing when I wasn't paying attention. How can you enjoy your meal with that much to drink? Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you? Saying that you "finally managed to finish it" implies that you were putting effort into drinking the entire glass despite not wanting to. And being put out by the fact that the waiter refilled it implies that you felt obligated to drink the refill as well.

teddyh 10y ago
Are you from a place where it’s culturally accepted to let left-over drinks simply go to waste?
- philipodonnell 10y ago
  Yes
- SomeStupidPoint 10y ago
  In a situation where the water is recycled effectively and we have massive stores of it far in excess of what we need? Yes. That's the whole point of modern water systems in the US -- that we're very wealthy and water cycles anyway, so why not cycle it a little faster if it makes us happy? In the US, our troubles with water stem from corruption from people meant to be maintaining the system and inefficient agriculture. Personal consumption is well covered.
- rhapsodic 10y ago
  > Are you from a place where it’s culturally accepted to let left-over drinks simply go to waste? Absolutely. Where I'm from, no one bats an eyelash at a half-glass of soda left on a restaurant table.
toyg 10y ago
Most countries in the world will have taboos on wasting food, built over thousands of years of scarcity.
- saint_fiasco 10y ago
  Also a couple decades of over-abundance. Remember "reduce, reuse, recycle"
Symbiote 10y ago
> Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you? I think that describes most of the world, if allowance is made for places where leaving the last sip (or last mouthful, for food) shows enough was served.
- nilkn 10y ago
  I've never felt this pressure in the US. For food, sure. I was always told growing up to finish my food at each meal. But for water or soda, never.
  - davidivadavid 10y ago
    So it was a common occurrence that you would fill a full glass of soda and dump half of it in the sink?
    - DrScump 10y ago
      No, it's comment occurrence to say, "no, thank you" when the pitcher-bearer approaches, or turn that glass over.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
riffraff 10y ago
ATM this post is downvoted below zero. I think it poses a legit question, there are in fact a different mindsets related to leftovers in different places, i.e. asking for a "doggy bag" is a thing in some places and not others. To stay on drinks, my wife leaves glasses of water half full, and it drives me insane.
superzadeh 10y ago
> Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you? Not a specific culture, it is only abouy not waisting food and drinks. Remember many people still don't have enough of both to live.
- DougN7 10y ago
  Whether you drink your drink or not, once it's in your glass, it's not able to go to someone else. Might as well pour it down the drain if you don't want it. At least it will help keep the sewer system running well.
stinos 10y ago
For me, and probably many Europeans: yes, that is how we are raised. It's not su much of being taboo, more like a sense that it makes no sense to waste anything (not just food/water) and is bad for the planet in general. (well, there is truth in that). My parents even had a picture of a bunch of underfed kids from Ethiopia (or so) on the wall in the kitchen. If we didn't eat our plate, they'd point to it and say something like 'You see that? They would go nuts for that bit of food that is still on your plate. Eat it.' Thinking of it now I can see that might not be regarded as best practices in education, but they meant it well.
- jessriedel 10y ago
  The marginal cost of that sugar water is less than the cost of the waiter's time to walk to your table.
- aembleton 10y ago
  My parents had the same attitude and I'm from the UK. My Dad passed away at a younger age than his father from obesity related conditions and it was then that I realised that my parents generation (born in the 50s) were the first in history to have access to unlimited food. Their own parents had instilled in them this view that you must finish your plate. They had experience of rationing. My parents continued this attitude probably because this just seemed like the thing to do but really this sort of thing seems like a bad thing when many of us are overweight.
  - DrScump 10y ago
    Their own parents had instilled in them this view that you must finish your plate. They had experience of rationing. In the wake of WW2 clear into the 1950s, there were food shortages in Europe, with hunger and malnutrition. Even Americans were guilted into not wasting food. For example, Allan Sherman (an overweight Jewish American comedian, sort of a Weird Al Yankovic of his era) said in a song monologue: 'My parents would say, "clean your plate; children are starving in Europe!" So, I would clean the plate. Four, five, six times a day.'
    - 10y ago

teddyh 10y ago

Are you from a place where it’s culturally accepted to let left-over drinks simply go to waste?

philipodonnell 10y ago
Yes
SomeStupidPoint 10y ago
In a situation where the water is recycled effectively and we have massive stores of it far in excess of what we need? Yes. That's the whole point of modern water systems in the US -- that we're very wealthy and water cycles anyway, so why not cycle it a little faster if it makes us happy? In the US, our troubles with water stem from corruption from people meant to be maintaining the system and inefficient agriculture. Personal consumption is well covered.
rhapsodic 10y ago
> Are you from a place where it’s culturally accepted to let left-over drinks simply go to waste? Absolutely. Where I'm from, no one bats an eyelash at a half-glass of soda left on a restaurant table.

toyg 10y ago

Most countries in the world will have taboos on wasting food, built over thousands of years of scarcity.

saint_fiasco 10y ago
Also a couple decades of over-abundance. Remember "reduce, reuse, recycle"

Symbiote 10y ago

> Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you? I think that describes most of the world, if allowance is made for places where leaving the last sip (or last mouthful, for food) shows enough was served.

nilkn 10y ago
I've never felt this pressure in the US. For food, sure. I was always told growing up to finish my food at each meal. But for water or soda, never.
- davidivadavid 10y ago
  So it was a common occurrence that you would fill a full glass of soda and dump half of it in the sink?
  - DrScump 10y ago
    No, it's comment occurrence to say, "no, thank you" when the pitcher-bearer approaches, or turn that glass over.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

riffraff 10y ago

ATM this post is downvoted below zero. I think it poses a legit question, there are in fact a different mindsets related to leftovers in different places, i.e. asking for a "doggy bag" is a thing in some places and not others. To stay on drinks, my wife leaves glasses of water half full, and it drives me insane.

superzadeh 10y ago

> Are you from a place where there is a cultural taboo against only drinking part of the beverage a restaurant serves you? Not a specific culture, it is only abouy not waisting food and drinks. Remember many people still don't have enough of both to live.

DougN7 10y ago
Whether you drink your drink or not, once it's in your glass, it's not able to go to someone else. Might as well pour it down the drain if you don't want it. At least it will help keep the sewer system running well.

stinos 10y ago

For me, and probably many Europeans: yes, that is how we are raised. It's not su much of being taboo, more like a sense that it makes no sense to waste anything (not just food/water) and is bad for the planet in general. (well, there is truth in that). My parents even had a picture of a bunch of underfed kids from Ethiopia (or so) on the wall in the kitchen. If we didn't eat our plate, they'd point to it and say something like 'You see that? They would go nuts for that bit of food that is still on your plate. Eat it.' Thinking of it now I can see that might not be regarded as best practices in education, but they meant it well.

jessriedel 10y ago
The marginal cost of that sugar water is less than the cost of the waiter's time to walk to your table.
aembleton 10y ago
My parents had the same attitude and I'm from the UK. My Dad passed away at a younger age than his father from obesity related conditions and it was then that I realised that my parents generation (born in the 50s) were the first in history to have access to unlimited food. Their own parents had instilled in them this view that you must finish your plate. They had experience of rationing. My parents continued this attitude probably because this just seemed like the thing to do but really this sort of thing seems like a bad thing when many of us are overweight.
- DrScump 10y ago
  Their own parents had instilled in them this view that you must finish your plate. They had experience of rationing. In the wake of WW2 clear into the 1950s, there were food shortages in Europe, with hunger and malnutrition. Even Americans were guilted into not wasting food. For example, Allan Sherman (an overweight Jewish American comedian, sort of a Weird Al Yankovic of his era) said in a song monologue: 'My parents would say, "clean your plate; children are starving in Europe!" So, I would clean the plate. Four, five, six times a day.'
  - 10y ago