OMG!!! Some people....

[Wishing on a star]

First, I wouldn't order pizza and set it out if I were going to that stringent on a one-slice rule. Don't put food out on offer to people and then say 'no'.
That is were the rudeness began.
Second... Pizza.... and DIET pepsi.... now THAT sounds really healthy.... Not.

 

[jrmasm]

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[wvjules]

I would have grabbed for two. When I was told only one I would have assumed OP was kidding and continued with two. (Because, really? Who only orders enough pizza for each person to only have one?" When it was obvious she wasn't kidding then I would have obliged and only taken one as requested.

How were you going to ensure that the others only took one? Were you going to guard the pizza until everyone was served?

Next time, just order for yourself or order enough for everyone to have the usual 2 slices.

ETA: You said in the OP "Just about enough for everyone to have 1 slice.". Sounds to me like there possibly wasn't enough for everyone to have JUST ONE anyway?

 

[HopperFan]

I could see people taking 2 slices if it were pizza ordered for a meal. But this was just something I did because I wanted pizza (ok, I wanted diet coke) and I wanted to share. Think of it like someone sharing their lunch. Everyone should have their own lunch, this was an extra treat for everyone.

I think I was just surprised, like a PP said, that she continued to take the 2nd slice as I was telling her I wanted to make sure everyone got 1 slice before people had a second slice.

THIS. You didn't take orders or were signed up to provide a meal to folks which would infer two slices. You bought pizza for yourself and were offering a nice snack/treat to co-workers.

I would have never taken two, and even at offer for one slice I would say "Are you sure you have enough?" It was all made worse when she didn't listen or respect your request.

I guess the moral is:
- Don't share your pizza. Put a note on it to do not eat, tape it shut, put in fridge then take it home.
- When offering and before you open box say "I only have enough for one slice each, would you like one?"
- Do not offer this person again.

 

[sam_gordon]

How would the recipient know how many people you were trying to feed?

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

I'm surprised at the outright entitlement of some here. A person buys pizza with her own money and wants to share it with her co workers. She says please take only one so there's enough to go around and we have people on this thread saying they would take two anyway because pizza slices should be offered in twos or nothing? Wow.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I don't think taking two slices is a big deal but she pushed it when she continued after you asked her to stop so everyone could have some.

 

[soccerdad72]

Sure but what was goofy here? 2 slices is the average amount of pizza people eat, the woman was grabbing 2 slices but did ask if she could take 2, the OP said no, and she asked again. She was told no again and put down the 2nd slice so when all was said and done, she only took 1. The amount she was "allotted".

Yes to all of the above.

The OP can't honestly expect to monitor food that she puts out for the group, but general courtesy should indicate that you don't take extra, especially once you've been told that not everyone has gotten some.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

Don't put food out on offer to people and then say 'no'.
That is were the rudeness began.

She didn't deny pizza. She asked the person to take one slice.

Second... Pizza.... and DIET pepsi.... now THAT sounds really healthy.... Not.

Some people don't drink diet soda for health. Some just like the taste better than regular soda.

The OP is not the rude person in this story. OP, it was very nice of you to offer pizza to your co-workers. It was rude of the first co-worker to automatically take two pieces because that is what she always does.

Again, basic math. Look around. If you take two slices, will there be enough for others to even have one slice?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You bought pizza for yourself and were offering a nice snack to co-workers.

Unless the OP told everyone "hey this is just a snack" most would assume a meal or 2 slices. I don't really count 1 large piece of pizza (which is likely the size of 2 pieces elsewhere) as a snack.

Honestly had the OP cut the piece up it probably would have solved the issue. Being that most get 2 pieces of pizza cutting the 1 large piece in half gives the same amount of pizza as one slice but satisfies what most would do--which is get 2 slices.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

How would the recipient know how many people you were trying to feed?

Exactly. So that is why you use restraint and take one piece. I taught my children this from a very young age. Think of those around you.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

I would have grabbed for two.

Who only orders enough pizza for each person to only have one?"

Wow. I think it was very generous for the OP to share her pizza with others.

How entitled to start dictating that she should have ordered more pies so people could have more than one slice.

 

[soccerdad72]

Free food ANYWHERE.
Nothing makes me rage more than people at Costco who abandon their cart mid aisle for a bite of cheese. And I am the opposite. No thank you. A bunch of people hovering around food? I'll pass.

Very true - one of my pet peeves at Costco is when I'm trying to get in and out of there in a reasonable time and I can't get down an aisle because there's 4 or 5 people standing at the end, waiting for a bite of whatever sample they're passing out.

 

[Jennasis]

When we order pizza for groups (which we do often) I order enough for everyone to have 2 slices...however I always ask them (they are children) to take one piece and come back for seconds/thirds after everyone has been served the first round. Same with desserts like cookies or brownies.

I totally get the coworker trying for two to start...however after being told no, she should have just stuck to 1 piece.

And lastly, those chain pizza places like Dominoes, Pizza Hut, and papa johns slices are so small. One slice isn't usually adequate (except to me...because it's blech pizza so I can only tolerate one slice out of politeness lol)

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Wow. I think it was very generous for the OP to share her pizza with others.

She didn't share her pizza...unless you mean she ordered 2 large pizzas for herself giving herself 12 slices..

If the pizza was just for her she would have ordered a smaller size or just 1 large and made it so she had leftovers. She purposefully ordered more. Yes she shared with her coworkers but it doesn't sound like she ordered the pizzas for her and her alone and then shared with others, it sounds like she ordered with the purpose of giving the extra slices to her coworkers.

*edited grammar

 

[wvjules]

Wow. I think it was very generous for the OP to share her pizza with others.

How entitled to start dictating that she should have ordered more pies so people could have more than one slice.

I'm not dictating anything. I don't know the OP.

However, if I ordered pizza to share with co-workers, I would have ordered enough for an average of 2 slices per person. Or I would have just ordered some for myself and avoided the whole issue. Seem weird to order something to share with coworkers and only have enough for "Just about enough for everyone to have 1 slice."

 

[willowsnn3]

Some people don't drink diet soda for health. Some just like the taste better than regular soda.

Exactly. I love regular soda but now watching my sugar intake, I settle for diet soda.

 

[willowsnn3]

If offered pizza, I would just take one piece and hope to be offered another slice, lol.

Different situation but I used to have to order pizza for large groups of students on Saturdays. Boss said to order 2.33 slices per person. Some would want 2, some would want none so it averaged out.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Exactly. So that is why you use restraint and take one piece. I taught my children this from a very young age. Think of those around you.

I'll never forget years ago when my brother took a friend to our cottage for the weekend. We used to take turns taking a friend so we wouldn't die of boredom. On the way home we always stopped at a fast food place for dinner (our one and only of the week). We stopped at McDonald's and my brother's friend orders two Big Macs, a large fries, large milkshake and some sort of dessert. The four of us siblings sat there mortified and terrified that my parents would take a strip off of him (like they'd have done to us). I remember my father coming back to the car with one Big Mac, a small fries and a milkshake for him but no dessert. The kid whined the rest of the way home. He was lucky, we never got a milkshake or dessert.

As kids we were always taught to order the smallest thing on the menu when others are paying. I've taught my kids pretty much the same thing.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

I don’t know why but I’m fascinated by this thread. I certainly don’t know all there is to know about social norms and I love learning how they often can differ from what I’m thinking. So I want to make sure I’m reading the OP and responses correctly...

Are people saying that if I’m walking down the hall in my office and a random coworker is walking the other way carrying a pizza and says to me “Hey, would you like a slice of pizza?” it socially acceptable for me to take two?