A vegan family has been branded ‘entitled’ after sending a letter to their neighbors asking them to close their windows when cooking meat.
The neighborly dispute began in Perth, Australia, when a Burns Beach resident said the smell of meat wafting from their neighbour’s home was making the plant family “sick and upset”.
The handwritten letterwhich is presented to Hey Perth The Facebook account had the disclaimer “Please take this seriously” and “Important message” written on the front of the note.
Inside the letter, the note read: “Hi neighbor, can you close the side window when you cook? My family is vegan (we only eat plant foods) and the smell of the meat you cook makes us feel sick and upset.’
“We would appreciate your understanding,” said the letter, which was signed by “Sarah, Wayne and children.”
On May 5, popular Facebook account Hey Perth captioned the post: “Sent to us by Kylie from Burns Beach.”
In the comments, many people were furious at the vegan family’s “legitimate” demand that their neighbors close their windows when cooking meat.
“I’d fire up the smoker and make a 12-hour brisket, with an added hot dog for lunch,” replied one Facebook user. “Very right?”
Some people joked that if they received such a letter, they would hold a neighborhood barbecue in revenge. “Jesus, what’s the world for when you can’t cook a steak in your own kitchen,” said one man. “And I would spin a Weber just to post this.”
“They should have a street party and get drunk on the front lawn,” suggested another person.
Others argued that it was nobody’s “business” what people cooked in their own homes and that the plant family should stop “forcing (its) views on food” on their neighbors.
“People like this should be in their own suburb,” said one Facebook user.
“It’s none of their business what you cook,” said someone else. “Complain about what they cook and see how it goes.”
“These people will then ask the fast food restaurants to close the vents so the smell of cooked meat doesn’t pollute their precious air,” joked a third user. “If that makes you this sick person, maybe you should be the one to close your windows. Stop pushing your opinion on other people’s food.”
Meanwhile, some people shared their suggestions for how a carnivore family should respond to their veggie-loving neighbors.
“If their side window was very close to their own home, I would accommodate the request. I don’t see why not,” wrote one person. “If I was grilling in the yard, though, difficult. Close your own windows.
Another said: “The same answer is enough. Dear neighbor, please close your windows when cooking vegetables, as I am a carnivore (I only eat meat) and the smell of cooked vegetables is offensive to me.