Awkward Situations

Grub With Us: No Drunks, No Hogs, No Political Ranting

Sorry, not invited.
Sorry, not invited. Photo: istockphoto

Grub With Us, a program that unites total strangers over restaurant meals, launched in Boston back in June. When we first heard about it, we thought the program kind of seemed like a first date multiplied by … well, multiplied by however many people signed up that night. Today the Herald reports from the front lines of a Grub Hub meal, and frankly, we’re dubious.

Why? Well, according to the piece, “Diners don’t need to know Emily Post by heart, but are asked to silence mobile phones and abstain from rants on politics, religion or war. And if you’re looking for a night of drinking—forget it.”

Such behavior violates Grub Hub’s rules of etiquette, apparently, which also include a stipulation not to overeat: “If someone is hogging the food, if someone is getting drunk, then the meal failed in its purpose,” a Grub Hub “ambassador” is quoted as saying. Also, the “ambassador” sits near the Grub table, just to make sure things don’t get frisky.

So: no drunkenness, no overeating, no juicy conversation. Aren’t these the only things that make dining with total strangers palatable??

Grub With Us Gathers Strangers for Social Meals [Herald]

Grub With Us: No Drunks, No Hogs, No Political Ranting