When Aparna Mohan started bringing her lunch to work, rather than shelling out over $10 each day to eat at one of the many over-priced lunch stops, she realized that she was not alone. Soon, she and her colleagues were sharing stories about what to pack, how to pack it and how to avoid being the victim of lunch bag thievery. She started her own blog on the subject http://lunchcounterculture.blogspot.com
The Washington Post recently offered tips from etiquette expert Shawna Schuh about what to do if your lunch mysteriously disappears:
• Don't assume that someone is doing this to you. It's probably being done to everyone. It's not personal.
• Don't complain and whine. You have to take a different tack; otherwise you'll just weaken the workplace more.
• Prepare. If your lunch always gets stolen, shame on you. (This is when you need to get yourself an insulated lunch bag.)
• Educate. A sign on the fridge as simple as ``This is not your mother's refrigerator. You can't just take anything out of it'' may clue in the clueless. Or put a note inside your lunch bag: ``Stolen food rots stomachs.''
With sunny spring days right around the corner, take the time to enjoy a meal away from your desk. You may even want to bring your lovingly packed lunch to your local park...that is, if it isn't already being eaten by someone else!
