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Yes, I'm Tee-Total. Deal With It.

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Hippo, all you can do is go for the job, keep on doing things as you have been and abusing everyone when they try and get you to drink. After all, if they're drunk then they're not going to notice.

I have had the whole "Aww go on, just some beer" stuff, but thankfully not vvery often, and always by people too drunk for me not to outwit.

Reply 81

Kerry350

I haven't read the past 5 pages, so sorry if this has been said. Really it doesn't matter if you don't drink, I do, but I see no problem if people don't. I have friends that don't as it makes them sick, some just don't like the taste. However, the more concerning factor here is the way he was speaking to you. They seem like very personal and hurtful attacks (the Mum thing etc) and someone in his 'big boss' position shouldn't be speaking to someone like that. Did he happen to attack anyone else? as they're very harsh 'jokes' to be making purely because you don't drink.

Reply 82

Swi1ch

King Hippo

The thought of it doesn't "repulse" me, it just doesn't appeal to me. I've never had a bad experience with it, I've never had a drink, I'm just not bothered with it. I'm certainly not against it, and I don't think I'm doing the right thing or anything. It's just a choice: do I prefer salt and vinegar or cheese and onion, Xbox or PlayStation, alcohol or non-alcoholic drinks. The difference is I don't get people telling me to have a salt and vinegar crisp all night. :teeth:

Whilst obviously some of the comments your boss made are just uncalled for, I can see why people question why you don't drink. It's your choice yes, but if you've never tried, how can you make a choice? It's like saying you prefer beef over chicken when you've never tried chicken.

Also, you say "I've never had a drink" and seem to throw all drinks in together with each other just because they contain alcohol. Not everyone drinks alcohol just to get drunk, a lot of people like the taste and have preferences. I often try a few of the guest beers at places and then switch to coke. There's a difference between drinking something because you like it and drinking it because it's alcoholic.

I'm not excusing your boss/co-workers for what they said, or wanting to force you into doing something you don't want to do, but a legitimate reason may go farther with people than a reason that doesn't make any sense at all to a lot of people or invites pressure ("I've never been bothered to try"). Failing that, just claim medical problems.

Reply 83

Earl Grey

King Hippo

I don't drink alcohol. I don't have a problem with people drinking, I enjoy going on nights out, I even buy rounds sometimes. It just doesn't appeal to me. Yet some people seem to think this is a problem and take it upon themselves as their mission to "fix" me.

Today my new boss started and the "bigger" boss (who's in charge of him too) took the whole team (about 10 people) out for drinks. When we was getting a round I said I wanted a Coke and from that point on the "bigger" boss hassled me about it all night... despite the fact he's known for two and a half years that I've been tee-total.

At first it was just the odd joke... "go on, have a drink" and so on, but as the night went on he effectively kept hassling me and trying to convince me to do it... as if the fact I've managed to live 25 years without doing it suddenly didn't matter and that he could convince me to change my mind.

Here are some gems that I was treated to throughout the night (in front of my new boss, mind, who was laughing along):

"If I'd have known you didn't drink I wouldn't have hired you"

"Okay, so everyone wants another pint but not [me] because he's a complete homo"

"Why don't you drink? Is it because you're Scottish and it reminds you of when your dad used to beat up your mum?"

"Is your dad tee-total?"
"Yes"
"What, ever since "the incident"?" (there never was an incident)

The problem here is that someone higher up than me is leaving soon and I want to apply for his job, but the "bigger boss" and my new boss will probably be the ones doing the interviews. I don't want to feel that the fact I don't drink will hinder my progress in my career, but I can't help feeling that it will. And if I don't get the promotion then even though I won't be able to prove it, I'll always think that's why.

Incidentally:

1) Please don't say "get another job". This is my dream job and the one I went all the way through high school and uni doing.

2) Please don't tell me to just start drinking. This is a personal choice and I get enough friends trying to convince me to do it without (effective) strangers doing it too. Sorry if that sounds a bit dicky, I didn't mean it to. :o:

I suppose I don't really know what my point is... I just felt like telling it to someone because it really annoyed me and ruined my night. I feel like I've made a crap first impression on my new boss simply because I choose not to drink.

But I hate this unwritten social rule that if you don't drink there's something wrong with you. Who's the one with the real problem: the person who's having a perfectly good night not drinking, or the person who can't accept that?

We're worse than sheep.

We don't just follow, we actively ridicule and ostracize those who don't follow the social norm.

Reply 84

Psyk

This thread is a bit old, so it's probably not that helpful now, but I think some of those comments could be grounds for harrassment, especially the homo one.