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Oh I'll tell you why... I worked for a bank that had a large operations building. Over 100 people in cubicles on our floor, and a large lunch/break room with rows of microwaves, refrigerators and vending machines. Double doors required to be open for fire code. Some gal decided to microwave some very STRONG fish.
My boss, even behind his closed door office caught wind of it. Now this guy- he was something. He was a POW in Vietnam for 6 years, and he was a Green Beret and a First Sgt. to boot. He was constantly tortured, fed a diet of fish 'stuff' almost every day, often kept in a hole. He went thru HELL.
He comes FLYING out of his office SCREAMING "WHO THE F*** IS COOKING FISH??!!!?!!!! WHO THE F*** IS COOKING FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He goes in the breakroom, grabs the gals lunch, goes to the backdoor and throws it into the parking lot. SERIOUS.
Why though? Especially if it isn't a particularly strong fish?
The smell of cooked fish has never bothered me -- I actually like it. I also don't find sardines to have an unpleasant smell.
On the other hand, I don't care for the smell of pork and beef, unless it's a freshly cooked steak.
What is it with fish that people hate so much?
Because it STINKS to high heaven! The smell almost makes me upchuck. It's a well-known breech of office etiquette to heat fish in the office MW. Don't do it.
I guess it depends on what kind of fish dish. I can't imagine how fried catfish or McDonald's fish sandwiches would smell worse than other entrees.
The microwave is also not the main issue. Suppose someone orders grilled mackerel and then decides to eat it at the cubicle. Back when I still go into the office I can't really recall people cooking strong smelling fish in a microwave, although I do remember noticing people who ate lox or smoked whitefish salad in the office.
Other than having a designated eating area that's away from the working areas I don't see how employers can deal with this without stepping on landmines. Maybe that's a good reason to have a more hybrid work model.
Because it STINKS to high heaven! The smell almost makes me upchuck. It's a well-known breech of office etiquette to heat fish in the office MW. Don't do it.
Fried eggs is a second runner up. I realize that virtually nobody is cooking eggs at work, but I once worked for a woman with some sort of egg obsession. An electric skillet was set up in the break room, where once and sometimes twice a day she would fry a couple eggs. The floorplan of the building was all open doorways, and the smell of her eggs cooking would permeate the entire work area and front lobby and linger there. Occasionally a customer would be there and ask "Is someone cooking breakfast?" Ugh, it was nasty.
Someone else mentioned bringing fast food in, that has also repulsed me in the past. Having to work while surrounded by the smell of McDonald's or greasy fried chicken was enough to make my eyes water.
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Meh, I'd rather deal with stinky fish or other smelly foods than some of the BO I've run across, or the people who take a bath in their favorite cologne, or maybe stuff all their pockets with fabric softener sheets.
Why though? Especially if it isn't a particularly strong fish?
The smell of cooked fish has never bothered me -- I actually like it. I also don't find sardines to have an unpleasant smell.
On the other hand, I don't care for the smell of pork and beef, unless it's a freshly cooked steak.
What is it with fish that people hate so much?
Evidently you’ve not been in the cafeteria when a Japanese or Vietnamese person has microwaved one of their “special” fish sauces.
Evidently you’ve not been in the cafeteria when a Japanese or Vietnamese person has microwaved one of their “special” fish sauces.
No, but I did just have some natto over rice for lunch.
Thankfully for my coworkers, natto isn't typically microwaved, so them smell didn't travel through the office.
People hate it for the same reason they would hate someone farting at will in the next cube. It's nauseating. No one wants to work in an environment that smells like a wartime brothel.
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The smell almost makes me upchuck. It's a well-known breech of office etiquette to heat fish in the office MW. Don't do it.
