Food and Drink The ethics of get-it-yourself refills.

**Rain Man** · 11:57 PM

I was in a restaurant tonight, and it had a system in place that I like. They set the soda machine out in the dining room, and you can just go get your own refill. Getting my own soda refill is one of my key selection criteria for restaurants these days.

However, I have a conundrum. When I order a soda, I'm usually asked if I want a small, medium, or large.

Now, think about that for a moment. It's free refills with no shame. I don't have to ask someone for my refills, I just go get them.

So the logical approach here is to always order a small drink, right? Maybe I have to get up sooner to get my refill, but big deal. It burns calories to walk over there.

But at the same time, I feel guilty ordering a small soda if I'm already figuring that I'll get a refill. Essentially, I'm getting a large soda for the price of a small. Is this ethical? If I know that I want more than the XX ounces in a small size, should I order the size that closest approximates my need? Or should I look out for my own self-interest and always order the smallest size at the lowest cost?

Poll coming. You can get up and vote on it yourself.

View Poll Results: What is the ethical approach to ordering soft drinks in a self-refill environment?
Always order the smallest size. It's the logical best value and the restaurant knows what it's doing.	65	67.71%
Order a medium soda with expectations of getting a refill. It's the compromise that is most fair to both parties in combination.	19	19.79%
Order a size that approximates your expected need, even if it means paying more for a large.	5	5.21%
Don't order a soda in a self-refill environment. It's too fraught with ethical minefields.	2	2.08%
I would need to take a college philosophy course before I can answer this.	5	5.21%
Voters: 96. You may not vote on this poll

10-09-2018, 11:52 PM	Topic Starter
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3268491 VARSITY	The ethics of get-it-yourself refills. I was in a restaurant tonight, and it had a system in place that I like. They set the soda machine out in the dining room, and you can just go get your own refill. Getting my own soda refill is one of my key selection criteria for restaurants these days. However, I have a conundrum. When I order a soda, I'm usually asked if I want a small, medium, or large. Now, think about that for a moment. It's free refills with no shame. I don't have to ask someone for my refills, I just go get them. So the logical approach here is to always order a small drink, right? Maybe I have to get up sooner to get my refill, but big deal. It burns calories to walk over there. But at the same time, I feel guilty ordering a small soda if I'm already figuring that I'll get a refill. Essentially, I'm getting a large soda for the price of a small. Is this ethical? If I know that I want more than the XX ounces in a small size, should I order the size that closest approximates my need? Or should I look out for my own self-interest and always order the smallest size at the lowest cost? Poll coming. You can get up and vote on it yourself. Last edited by Rain Man; 10-09-2018 at 11:57 PM..
Posts: 141,486