Hi /c/vegan,
I just picked up tacos from some cheap Mexican place. They don’t really do anything to cater to vegans but in the past, they basically just gave me extra rice and beans and removed any cheese, cream, or meat.
Today I ordered and they put sour cream on it. I know that this place doesn’t have a vegan sour cream, so it was a mistake.
For a second I thought I wouldn’t eat it, but I got in a moral debate in my head and decided that at this point, the damage is already done, and I tried my best to scrape off all the sour cream and ate the tacos.
Obviously I still consumed a decent bit of sour cream which makes me sad, but I don’t know, I couldn’t see it being more moral to not eat it. And I don’t want to call them back and harass some minimum wage workers about it either, since they’ve gotten it correct in the past.
TL;DR: Cheap takeout had sour cream in it, would you scrape it off and still eat it? Throw it away? Demand a refund?
I tend to avoid this situation by not buying (takeaway) food from non-vegan places. Why support the same places that profit from animal exploitation? Obviously, no ethical consumption under capitalism, but I think it’s harm reduction to not buy food from non-vegan restaurants. This limits me to like one place within a 10km walk, but cooking beans and rice at home is cheaper and healthier for me anyways.
If I were to buy food from some place and they gave me something instead of my order that I don’t want (especially something that makes me an accessory to murder and/or rape) I would ask for a refund. I will not harass the workers at the place, but I would take it up to management if I am not able to get a refund easily. The store should find a way to deal with the food, but they probably won’t. This is just how they’re set up and it’s cheaper for them to dispose of it rather than give it to people who need it.
That being said, if I knew anyone around me that would need/want some food, I would offer it, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it. I definitely won’t eat it, and I would rather starve to death than do so.
The only time I have ever encountered something like this would be when I was hospitalised. Despite the fact I told everyone who tended to me that I was vegan, I kept getting non-vegan food. I refused to eat it and made a fuss and asked to talk to the main person treating me and they were able to and also were the only person who could mark me down as “Vegan”. So more “food” would have been given to me if I hadn’t made a fuss.
Thinking about things as “the damage has already been done” leads to a bit of a slippery slope. Does this mean leather is OK, because it is a coproduct of the animal ag industry? What about the farm animals already alive? They’re already here and suffering, what more harm can be done? (I’m not saying you are thinking like this, but I have seen some people argue for leather by saying something like this)
Anyways, glad there is actually a discussion on /c/vegan about veganism. Who would have thought.