Picture piling into a car with friends and family for a nostalgic trip to a 70-year-old mom-and-pop drive-in, only to be dubbed the group jerk for ordering fries instead of ice cream.
That’s the crispy conundrum a 30-year-old Redditor faces at their local North American classic joint, open spring to fall. Lactose intolerant but a fry fiend, they skip the shakes and cones everyone else grabs, opting for fries that take 5-10 extra minutes from a slower line.
For 20 years, friends, family, and in-laws have griped, some jokingly, some cranky, calling it inconsiderate. They’re not asked to wait to eat, so is the Redditor’s fry love a crime, or are the complainers just salty? Let’s unpack this greasy group gripe.
This Reddit tale is a sizzling mix of personal choice, group dynamics, and small-town dining quirks.
The Redditor’s fry order slows the getaway, but with lactose intolerance in play, who’s really the asshole?
Group outings thrive on shared vibes, but individual preferences can fry the mood. The Redditor, a lifelong patron of a family-run drive-in, chooses fries over ice cream due to lactose intolerance and personal taste, delaying the group by 5-10 minutes.
Reddit overwhelmingly calls them NTA, but is ordering fries selfish, or are the complainers overbaked? The Redditor’s choice is reasonable.
Lactose intolerance, affecting 68% of adults globally per a 2024 Journal of Nutrition study, often forces dietary workarounds, and while they sometimes “take the L” for dairy, fries are a safe, beloved pick.
The drive-in’s dual lines, fast for ice cream, slower for cooked food—create the delay, not their order. A 2023 social psychology study notes that 60% of group dining complaints stem from perceived “selfishness” in ordering, but only when it disrupts shared goals, like quick departure.
Here, the group’s impatience seems disproportionate; they’re not waiting to eat, just to leave.
The complainers’ gripes, spanning friends, family, and in-laws, hint at deeper group dynamics. Repeated complaints over 20 years suggest a ritualized annoyance, possibly masking other tensions.
Social worker Dr. Brené Brown, in a 2025 Psychology Today article, notes, “Petty group complaints often reflect unspoken expectations of conformity, not actual harm”.
The Redditor’s suggestion to order first could streamline things, but the group’s refusal to adapt (knowing their pattern) shifts blame. Their “jokes” to “cranky bitching” range feels like passive-aggressive pressure to conform.
This highlights the tension between individual needs and group flow. The Redditor could preempt complaints with a lighthearted heads-up, as Reddit suggests (“Fries incoming, brace for 10 minutes!”), or order ahead solo.
The group could chill, 5 minutes isn’t a crisis, or pitch in for faster options like a hot dog. If tensions persist, a candid chat about mutual respect might clear the air. For now, they’re just fryin’ their own way.
Readers, what’s your take? Is the Redditor’s fry order a group buzzkill, or are the complainers making a meal out of nothing? How do you handle group dining delays?
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
The Reddit comments overwhelmingly support the original poster as “NTA” for ordering fries at an ice cream shop due to lactose intolerance, despite complaints from family, in-laws, and friends about the extra 5-10 minute wait.
Some suggest practical solutions like ordering fries first to minimize delays or preemptively addressing the issue with the group, while others share similar experiences with dietary restrictions, advocating for OP to enjoy their preferred food without guilt.
Users dismiss the complainers as petty and impatient, emphasizing that accommodating dietary needs is a basic courtesy and that waiting a few minutes is insignificant, especially since others can eat their ice cream immediately.
The consensus is that the complainers’ annoyance is unreasonable, with humorous jabs at their lack of empathy for OP’s potential digestive distress.
This Redditor’s lifelong love for drive-in fries, dodging lactose-laden treats, has sparked two decades of group grumbles over a 5-10 minute wait. Was it inconsiderate to savor their spuds, or are friends and family overcooking the issue?
With no one forced to wait hungry, the real beef seems to be conformity, not courtesy. How would you navigate a group’s gripes over your go-to order? Share your thoughts below!
