Dear Urban Diplomat: Should I be embarrassed that my husband stockpiles free food from the airport lounge?
Dear Urban Diplomat,
My husband and I recently bought a chalet at Mont-Tremblant and have been flying Porter back and forth. He is famously frugal and always loads up on free cookies and nuts from the lounge before boarding, which draws nasty looks. What’s the rule when it comes to free snacks?
—Hunger Pains, Leslieville
There isn’t one. But that doesn’t mean he should make like a squirrel hoarding for winter. For the same reasons civilized people don’t pocket baked potatoes at a wedding buffet—i.e., it’s committing two deadly sins, gluttony and greed—he shouldn’t start stashing for the journey. A single carry-on snack is acceptable, but as soon as he starts wrapping food in napkins, feel free to alert the authorities to something suspicious in that man’s bag.
Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com
There are four arguments surely:
* If everyone did this, as with hotel rooms and the idiots who stuff bagels in their pockets at breakfast buffets, the cost of the flights would go up.
* No amount of “savings” on 50 cent snacks will make up for an expensive airline weekend commute to indulge in a pricy skiing hobby at a second home. This is not frugal.
* Eating too much of that junk ultimately will impact his health, which will cost money.
* Embarrassing your partner over something so unimportant is insane.
Stop doing this Hunger Pains’ husband!
Um if they can afford a chalet in Mont-Tremblant, they can afford not to horde the snacks from everyone else.