Don't, one of my ex-bosses (nice and wealthy) once got someone's half eaten pizza OUT OF THEIR WASTE-PAPER BIN and ate it.

nona1

YUK! I'd rather be poor.

Ira, Me and 5 of my friends want the address of that buffet where you can order a MAN...

I am a Norwegian living in Norway, and here is the rules for taking food from breakfast buffets. Very often you can take food from the breakfast buffets in Norway, but please be courteous and ask first if you may take a "matpakke" (packed lunch) with you. In Norway it is very common to prepare a packed lunch when you go out for a hike so hotels won't find it a strange request. They will usually provide you with something to pack your food in. Some may charge you extra for the food, but a lot won't. Grabbing a piece of fruit with you is totally acceptable without asking in advance.

Yeah, this practice in south Florida isn't just the breakfast buffets - I see it in Chinese buffets as well. Ugh. Who wants purse-smooshed sweet and sour pork??

I have asked a B&B owner if she could set out some stuff the night before (fruit, etc.) so we would make an early flight. She ended up getting up early to make the full breakfast :) Another B&B owner, upon discovering we were driving a good part of the day to our next destination, offered to make us a picnic lunch.

I think if you ask or if it is offered, fine. If not, just don't do it.

The difference between that and hotel soaps/shampoos; the soaps cannot be re-used once they are opened, so if you use a shampoo, it's expected that you take the rest. It would just have to be thrown away, it's part of the service provided. The food is not - other people need to eat as well.

I was on the losing end of the locusts cleaning out the dining room once. Came down for breakfast early as ismy wont, and was told I couldn't go in as the tour group needed to be ready for an early call to be on their bus. They came out carrying fruit, etc. When I went in, there was an empty fruit bowl, my least favorite cereal left, not much milk and a few slices of anappetizing white bread. I poured out a cup of tea and thought I would wait for things to be replenished. Other guests came in and looked over the table sadly. The staff made some comment to the effect, "Your compatriots have been here and cleaned us out. Sorry." They did get another cereal choice, more milk, and some yoghurt.

The other thing, on a hot bus or car trip, many kinds of coldcuts and condiments can spoil by lunchtime and make you very sick.

teacher33,

Was that one of the Rick Steves led tours?

He uses the Amadeus Hotel in Haarlem and that hotel has strict rules about taking food from the breakfast table.

Hopscotch, no it wasn't at the Amadeus, though I have been there and enjoyed it. It was Germany. Can't remember the name of the tour group. The hotel would not have been my first choice, but was traveling with others and it was their turn to organize the night's lodgings.