It's an allergy, not a choice

[TexasT]

This post http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...ad.php?t=92325 reminded me of a couple instances, but I didn't want to threadjack.

I'm allergic to caffeine and you learn pretty quickly what's caffeinated and what's not when it can cause a bad reaction, as you can imagine. It has caused issues to me twice:

1) I was in a buffet style place years ago where you say the drink you want at the beginning and you get the drink at the end.

Me: I'd like a Sprite or 7Up, whichever you have.
The kid working: We have Sierra Mist.
Me: That's fine.

So I get to the end and the drink was bright yellow. Just in case you don't know. lemon-lime clear soda=caffeine free, yellow=FULL of caffeine, more potent than regular cola.

Me: I'm sorry, I can't have this. I thought you said Sierra Mist.
Him: I was wrong, we have Mountain Dew, but it's the same stuff.

I ended up holding up a long line having to explain to him repeatedly that it's not the same thing and explained to him about my allergy. I had to get the manager to give me a refund and get me a water glass. Thank goodness my boyfriend at the time, who was there, was supportive. Boyfriend prior to him would've said, "Just get it and drink small sips. You're causing a scene."

2) Barqs root beer has caffeine. Don't ask me why. That's the "bite" they mean with their slogan. This conversation may have actually happened more than once, but not with as much work on my part.

Waitress: What would you like to drink?
Me: I'd love a root beer, but need to know. Is it Barqs?
Her: I'm not sure. So you said root beer?
Me: Well, that depends. I need to know the brand first.
Her: I'm not sure on the brand. Would you like a cola instead?
Me: Would you mind finding out the brand for me?
Her: I guess, if you really want to know.
Me: It'd be really helpful if you would do that. Thanks!

I did tell her about my allergy when she came back, but I didn't like the fact that I was treated like a nuisance for asking a question most wait staff know the answer to already.

[PepperElf]

And ... now I learned something new. I thought all root-beers were caffeine free. But now I know better.

and it sucks that they tried to make you drink dew when you didn't want it. i mean i love caffeine but... i don't like dew much.


Although... "caffeine allergy" somewhat reminds me of a sci-fi fantasy series I read by Mercedes Lackey & Ellen Guon (now Beeman). To the elves, caffeinated foods & drinks sent them into a drug-like sleep (only worse).

Maybe you're an elf!

[ReadyToRetire]

Diet Barq's does not have caffeine. And I really can't tell the difference between diet & regular.
I'm diabetic, so sugar is a big no-no. Once I grabbed a can of <diet> Barq's and was almost all the
way through it when I noticed it did not say Diet on the can. Oops.
However, I can tell the difference between diet & regular on all other sodas.

[Mr Hero]

I'm not a fan of Barq's but not for its caffeine. I don't like the flavor.

[gremcint]

fun fact in canada if the drink is not black it can't have caffeine so mountain dew doesn't have caffeine here.

[Andara Bledin]

I did tell her about my allergy when she came back, but I didn't like the fact that I was treated like a nuisance for asking a question most wait staff know the answer to already.

I don't blame you. I happen to really like Barq's but am rather ambivalent regarding other root beers, so I tend to ask as well. While some places will just be confused and not understand the question, I've never had a place that got shirty with me over me wanting to know which brand.

fun fact in canada if the drink is not black it can't have caffeine so mountain dew doesn't have caffeine here.

Wow. I thought a ton of caffeine was kind of the entire point of Mountain Dew...

Apparently, Canada loosened their restrictions in 2010, so now non-cola (aka black) drinks are allowed to have caffeine in them, and Canadian Mountain Dew now has caffeine.

^-.-^

[BlaqueKatt]

fun fact in canada if the drink is not black it can't have caffeine so mountain dew doesn't have caffeine here.

that regulation was repealed, they had a huge celebration earlier this year "reintroducing" mountain dew with caffeine.

[EricKei]

However, I can tell the difference between diet & regular on all other sodas.

I don't mind Barq's and DrPepper in diet varieties, because they actually taste kinda sorta like the real thing...Diet everything else, however, I find undrinkable. One odd anecdote I found the other day, tho, suggested that many taste testers who really like diet coke, like it because it tastes more like Pepsi than Coke ~_~

Wow. I thought a ton of caffeine was kind of the entire point of Mountain Dew...

That IS the entire point of the Dew o_O However, according to this list, Dew has the same amount of caff as Pepsi One does. Still more than normal sodas, tho.

What scares me, tho, is that Jolt is still banned in many places due to high caffeine content -- despite the fact that it has nowhere near as much of the stuff as coffee does. (1 mg above the FDA limit per volume). It's the energy drinks that tend to go overboard on it. (Yes, there really if an energy drink called Cocaine. The one person I've met who has tried it says it tastes like Red Bull with pepper in it. ewww.)

And yes, Barq's has caff, just less of it than ordinary sodas. Less sodium than most sodas and rootbeers, too, iirc

[RealUnimportant]

Due to Reasons, I try to always have diet sodas, and due to More Reasons I've recently taken to avoiding as much caffeine as possible. You have no idea how hard this is in the UK, as the only diet soda the majority of bars & restaurants carry is Diet (whichever brand they happen to carry) Cola! I really get fed up having to drink water...

[wolfie]

Didn't see this mentioned in the thread, but in the U.S., at least one brand of ORANGE soda has caffeine - be sure to read the label if caffeine is a problem.

[ArcticChicken]

Didn't see this mentioned in the thread, but in the U.S., at least one brand of ORANGE soda has caffeine - be sure to read the label if caffeine is a problem.

I knew about the barqs, and I know there's a cream soda with caffeine (also barqs brand, IIRC), but I had no idea there was an orange soda w/ caffeine.

[Dasota]

Sunkist has caffeine. Some off brands can as well (Think aldi's and the like)

[dragon_wings]

Sunkist has caffeine. Some off brands can as well (Think aldi's and the like)

When my doctor diagnosed me with migraines he told me I had to cut out caffeine. I was so sad when I found out Sunkist is caffeinated. I loved Sunkist and Fanta just doesn't taste the same.

Once, my sister took me, her daughter, and her daughter's friend to Six Flags. We got the big plastic souvenir cup that had free refills. One of the stands' only caffeine free drink was orange Fanta but my sister, who is extremely sensitive to caffeine (it can cause migraines that mimic strokes. Very scary stuff. She avoids all major migraine food triggers), wasn't 100% sure it didn't have caffeine. (this was before I was officially diagnosed with migraines, so I willing partook of caffeine)

[FormerCallingCardRep]

Sunkist Orange has caffeine. A friend of mine avoids cafeine due to his faith

[FenigDurak]

One odd anecdote I found the other day, tho, suggested that many taste testers who really like diet coke, like it because it tastes more like Pepsi than Coke ~_~

I'm an avid Diet Coke drinker and I avoid Pepsi products as often as I can because I think they have a faint aftertaste of Pine-Sol. The kind of hint that mopping the floor with a just-slightly-too-high ratio of Pine-Sol to water leaves in my sinuses.