# “Coke, with no ice”



## Skeletra (Aug 30, 2012)

Every time I dine out, I order a coke, and because I have sensitive teeth, I prefer it without ice. I always dread specifying that I don't want the ice. For some reason, it makes me feel like an entitled B****. Like I'm so special I need extra care or something.. Never judged people who could do that, but still, this is how I've felt about this for years.

Today I did it. I said "Coke, with no ice" and I didn't feel like a b****. I didn't feel guilty about this at all. It felt normal. Like it should. It's just a coke, without the cubes of ice for crying out loud.

(the restaurant was empty, and I followed local Corona-guidelines)


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## aqwsderf (Aug 16, 2013)

Good on you!

Sometimes we order without ice cause then most of the drink will be the ice.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

There's another good reason for not wanting the ice. Where I used to work, the ice would come from a huge icemaker/chest in the back and if you looked in the top of the machine, you could see there was black mold growing in there. After I saw that, I always got mine with no ice everywhere I went. 

They had the same machine the whole time I was working there and it was never cleaned and always had the mold problem.


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## Fever Dream (Aug 18, 2015)

Skeletra said:


> Every time I dine out, I order a coke, and because I have sensitive teeth, I prefer it without ice. I always dread specifying that I don't want the ice. For some reason, it makes me feel like an entitled B****. Like I'm so special I need extra care or something.. Never judged people who could do that, but still, this is how I've felt about this for years.
> 
> Today I did it. I said "Coke, with no ice" and I didn't feel like a b****. I didn't feel guilty about this at all. It felt normal. Like it should. It's just a coke, without the cubes of ice for crying out loud.
> 
> (the restaurant was empty, and I followed local Corona-guidelines)


Good for you. I don't drink soda very often these days, but if I do order it at a restaurant I always ask for "no ice". I used to feel bad about it, but I've long since gotten over it. It really isn't any different than customizing an order the way you want it.


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## either/or (Apr 27, 2020)

I always order soda without ice as well. I feel as though things like that are OK if you are polite about it and remember to say please. Sometimes I can come off like a dick though because of my monotone voice. But good for you hooray for small victories!


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## staticradio725 (Oct 25, 2020)

I've always ordered soft drinks at restaurants without ice, too. It's because, if you don't, half your drink will be ice, and then it will melt and water down your drink, so you feel the need to drink it super fast before that happens, and then you don't get to savor the drink and you just end up with a brain freeze.

It never really bothered me to ask; to me, it's like asking for a burger without tomatoes or something (because tomatoes are awful). But I do have it sometimes where, when I get to the counter or whatever to place my order, my brain locks up or whatever it usually does when I'm put on the spot, and I completely forget to ask for no ice. And then I have a drink that's half Sunkist and half water.


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## Fixxer (Jul 12, 2011)

I know it's easy for us to feel like we are being fussy about stuff, or to feel like we'll be put down (again) if we ask for specifics. We have the right to get things how we want. Of course, when we make a choice that is "unconventional", we might be looked at as if we have 2 or 3 heads. I'm glad that there was no guilt or shame, to ask for something, especially as it affects your well-being. Congrats!


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## rabidfoxes (Apr 17, 2016)

Awesome! I know the feeling, I sometimes end up asking for things in a ridiculously OTT way ("Could you kindly bring it without the ice, please?") just because I feel so awkward about someone serving me. I guess I want to signal "I'm an OK customer! I'm not going to be an *******!". But I am getting more relaxed as years go by, so now this only happens when I get flustered for whatever reason.


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## Micronian (Nov 11, 2004)

Skeletra said:


> Every time I dine out, I order a coke, and because I have sensitive teeth, I prefer it without ice. I always dread specifying that I don't want the ice. For some reason, it makes me feel like an entitled B****. Like I'm so special I need extra care or something.. Never judged people who could do that, but still, this is how I've felt about this for years.
> 
> Today I did it. I said "Coke, with no ice" and I didn't feel like a b****. I didn't feel guilty about this at all. It felt normal. Like it should. It's just a coke, without the cubes of ice for crying out loud.
> 
> (the restaurant was empty, and I followed local Corona-guidelines)


Don't worry about ordering without ice. I always order without ice because (1) it's already cold enough for me, (2) by the time I get to the bottom of the glass, my drink is already 90% water and I don't like that.

Also, having experience serving fountain drinks many, many, years ago, it's actually more trouble to serve with ice. You have to scoop up the ice and put it in the glass, you have to replace the ice more often, etc. just putting the cup under the fountain is way easier--and it makes a difference when there is a long line.

Also, I remember my manager would always tell us to put more ice than was ever necessary. That way they "save" on product. Pretty pathetic!

So the point is that ordering with no ice does have its own positive points. Don't feel bad about it.


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## IcedOver (Feb 26, 2007)

When I was a kid, I used to order drinks with no ice, for the same reason as George Costanza: "Don't you find that you get more without it?"


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## staticradio725 (Oct 25, 2020)

Skeletra said:


> (the restaurant was empty, and I followed local Corona-guidelines)


Sorry to be off-topic, but I just barely noticed this at the end of your post. To be honest, going into a restaurant that was completely empty and devoid of customers would have been a way harder challenge for me than asking for no ice in my drink. It always makes me feel like there's a spotlight on me, to walk into an empty establishment. Obviously COVID doesn't help in that regard, because most restaurants these days are empty due to no dine-in allowed.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

Speaking of the COVID thing, I have honestly not eaten anything that wasn't packaged since this started. The idea of eating things people have been handling and breathing around while the virus is going on just freaks me out. But I generally don't eat from restaurants anyway. I like to make my own food so I can make sure it's cooked properly.


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## macky (Jan 25, 2015)

Skeletra said:


> Every time I dine out, I order a coke, and because I have sensitive teeth, I prefer it without ice. I always dread specifying that I don't want the ice. For some reason, it makes me feel like an entitled B****. Like I'm so special I need extra care or something.. Never judged people who could do that, but still, this is how I've felt about this for years.
> 
> Today I did it. I said "Coke, with no ice" and I didn't feel like a b****. I didn't feel guilty about this at all. It felt normal. Like it should. It's just a coke, without the cubes of ice for crying out loud.
> 
> (the restaurant was empty, and I followed local Corona-guidelines)


Great stuff!

I like that, through acknowledging these self-conscious feelings "don't make sense with reality" (feeling that you come off as entitled), you still decided not to let your feelings dictate your actions. What's even better is you reconfirming with yourself that ordering a coke with no ice is normal. If you dine out again, continuing to do that will reinforce this feeling of triumph, which you may be able to use to overcome other areas of your anxiety. But one step at a time is fine.

Nice work Skeletra :smile2:


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## MCHB (Jan 1, 2013)

Awesomeness!


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## CoolLilChickadee (Nov 10, 2019)

Good for you! I bet the server didn't think anything of it, and it will probably be easier to ask for it next time. :smile2:


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## movingbee (Oct 12, 2017)

I also order cola without ice, but I don't feel entitled in doing so. Anyway, don't worry on what they think because you are absolutely doing nothing wrong.


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## SuperSky (Feb 16, 2011)

Old post but I still remember my first "custom order" where I asked for a variation from the menu-specified item. It was a bbq chicken pizza, without the mushrooms. I was 19 or 20 years old, and was splitting the food with my younger brother so if I failed in customising the order it would've affected him too. Even now I don't do it often, but I know that it's possible lol.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

SuperSky said:


> Old post but I still remember my first "custom order" where I asked for a variation from the menu-specified item. It was a bbq chicken pizza, without the mushrooms. I was 19 or 20 years old, and was splitting the food with my younger brother so if I failed in customising the order it would've affected him too. Even now I don't do it often, but I know that it's possible lol.


 It's a sin to eat a pizza without mushrooms.


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## SuperSky (Feb 16, 2011)

WillYouStopDave said:


> It's a sin to eat a pizza without mushrooms.


Oh well, I hear hell's got the best pizza ovens.


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

The nearby Subway I use to go to often, the owner, instead of asking what drink customers want during the order, he simply asks "Dew?" If you don't assert yourself and say "No, I want this instead", he pours you Mountain Dew by default. A lot of times, when I simply made the mistake of saying small, medium or large soda without clarifying what soda I want forgetting staff pours me the soda, he also pours me mountain dew by default and refuses to pour me another one if I protest. I usually just pour the entire mountain dew into this same little jade plant bush tucked behind a big decorative rock just right outside. I've always wondered if it's because they always had trouble getting rid of their mountain dew stock... 

Also oddly enough, that same mountain dew drenched jade plant has grew and grew over the years. Last month I passed by that same bush, it is now a giant bush and has completely engulfed the big decorative rock.


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