I'm starting to think I'm the only person in my building who cleans the shared grill.
By @laney · Petty or Nah
Every weekend it's the same thing. A neighbor has a cookout on the rooftop, and when I go to use the grill after them it's caked in burnt food and grease. Am I seriously supposed to scrub their mess before I can cook my own dinner?
The full story
I feel like I'm losing my mind. My apartment building has two really nice gas grills on the roof that are first-come, first-served. In theory, it's a great amenity. In practice, it's a nightmare. Almost every time I go to use one, it's been left a complete disaster by the person before me. Today I went up with my veggie burgers and corn, all excited for a summer dinner, and was met with a grill grate just absolutely caked in old, burnt cheese and what looked like hot dog remnants. The grease trap was overflowing. It's so disgusting. I just stood there for a minute, getting quietly angry. It would have taken the last person literally two minutes with the wire brush to clean it while it was still hot. Instead, I have to spend 15 minutes scrubbing their cold, greasy mess if I want to eat. I ended up just turning around and cooking in my kitchen. It feels so disrespectful. There’s a sign that says "Please Clean After Use," but I guess that's just a suggestion? I don't want to be the person who sends a passive-aggressive email to the whole building, but I'm getting close.
How people voted
- Side A — 31% (26 votes)
- Both — 40% (33 votes)
- Side B — 29% (24 votes)
Readers are split: “Both” leads with 40% — 83 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@austink — This is a classic case of the bystander effect; everyone assumes someone else will do it.
@remylol — Just clean it.
@hankkindof — My last apartment building had a shared laundry room and people would leave clothes in the washer for DAYS. Some people just have no consideration.
@peytonish — smh
@edieactually — Honestly you have way more patience than I do. Having to scrub someone else's nasty food off a grill before I can even cook would send me over the edge.
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