Most of us were raised to never talk about money, religion, or politics—a directive that many today consider outdated. But if we want to keep this list, we may need to add a fourth topic: dietary preferences and restrictions, especially given the request that one particularly picky individual made of his neighbors.
The vegan asked her neighbors not to cook meat with open windows so she wouldn’t smell it.
Okay, now we’ve heard it all. The exact origin of the post is unknown – it appears it was originally posted on a local Facebook community page in the UK and has since been screenshotted in countless tweets.
But wherever it came from, the consensus seems to be clear: the guy who wrote it has a hell of a lot of guts.
“Just a gentle reminder, please close your windows when cooking meat,” the post began, and it only got worse from there.
The vegan said the smell was “offensive” and was ruining their daily runs.
The person who posted the notice identified himself as a “vegan runner” who runs around the neighborhood several evenings each week and that people’s cooking habits make it “difficult for me.”
“When cooking with open windows, the smell of meat can be quite strong,” they wrote. “Honestly, the smell is disgusting.”
They then essentially accused their neighbors of being unsympathetic because of their cooking and eating habits. “Please be considerate of your #plantbased neighbors by closing windows when cooking meat and only cooking vegetables if possible.”
“I don’t want to be a stereotype, so I won’t go into detail about why cooking animals is offensive,” they continued, although it seemed too late for that! “I encourage you to do your research and join the movement with others who are struggling.”
The post garnered a flurry of angry and derisive comments, including criticism from fellow vegans.
There is no disputing that veganism is a valid choice, and so are the various issues associated with it. The meat industry and factory farming are fraught with animal abuse issues that, in addition to being cruel to the animals, pose a health threat to those who eat the products produced by them.
Chief among these, for example, is the growing threat to public health from antibiotic resistance, which is partly due to the widespread overuse of antibiotics in factory farms due to the near-constant illness of animals due to the cramped and unhealthy living conditions they live in. .
These abuses also contribute to problems like flu epidemics—the 2009 H1N1 “swine flu” outbreak originated on a factory farm, and the current circulating H5N1 “bird flu” is thought to have jumped to humans via a dairy farm worker. (Fortunately, scientists believe there is little threat to humans.)
And that’s before we even get into the environmental impact.
But uh… it’s honestly about the last resort to win people over to the cause and get them to change their diets if actual change is the goal. It goes without saying that requiring people to follow your rules in their own homes is ridiculous.
And to say that people online were less than receptive to this guy’s post would be an understatement. Comments of “no thanks, I’ll do whatever I want variety” were pretty much standard.
On Twitter, people were downright gleeful in their mockery, with dozens of users posting variations on the theme of brazenly and purposefully cooking meat not just with open windows, but outdoors, just for spite.
It’s no wonder the old adage “fences make good neighbors” has had such enduring appeal. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs, but asking them to change their cooking habits in case you happen to run up to their windows? Maybe you can find a nice treadmill at a nearby gym instead.
Jon Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.
