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Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with?

It's lunch time here on the U.S. east coast. Who does HN eat lunch with? I'm interested in finding out whether people use it as an opportunity to relax, or network, or what-have-you. So, what is your most common lunch situation?
( 21 comments | 9 points | on HN )

Poll

Eat alone & don't think about work. 75 votes
Eat alone & work at my desk. 49 votes
Eat with my peers (developers clustering together for lunch, separately from sales, QA, etc.) 70 votes
Eat with a diverse group of colleagues. 36 votes
Eat with friends or colleagues not from my workplace. 6 votes
A combination of the above; none are more common and my lunch plans shift regularly. 48 votes
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by bumbledraven on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:26PM (#2541138)
Brendan: Still picking your teeth with freshmen?

Kara: Well, you were a freshman once.

Brendan: Way once, sister. You and Em were tight for a bit. Who's she eating with now?

Kara: Eating with?

Brendan: Eating with. Lunch. Who.

Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by mkjones on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:32PM (#2541170)
Great movie.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by revolvingcur on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:39PM (#2541213)
At times incomprehensible to nigh the point of frustration, but great indeed.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/

Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by mcantor on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:25PM (#2541134)
I started a new job recently; at my previous location, I ate with the other developers (some of whom I worked closely with, or had done so in the past). I've been at the new place for less than two weeks; it's a much smaller company, and I find myself inspired to go eat with everyone but the other developers, just to see what happens. However I have been surprised by my own hesitation to broach the perceived social barrier--the other devs invited me to lunch of their own accord, so it seemed natural; on the other hand, approaching someone else feels like a different situation altogether!
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by eqdw on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:13PM (#2541084)
It's about an even toss-up between either a) eating with other developers and throwing work ideas around; and b) eating, usually alone, while playing a game on my comp for 20 minutes or so
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by mindcrime on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:14PM (#2541087)
It varies tremendously from day to day. Eating at my desk at the $DAYJOB is probably most common by a small margin, but I often lunch with other people for various reasons. Sometimes $DAYJOB colleagues, sometimes startup related meetings, sometimes random lunches with friends or acquaintances just to catch up, etc.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by wccrawford on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:29PM (#2541155)
I would eat with co-workers from time to time, if that were an option. But I eat so early that nobody else wants to eat yet. So I end up alone with my thoughts, which are rarely about work. (I actually do a good job of separating work from not-work without thinking about it.)
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by spencerfry on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:28PM (#2541149)
A combination of (1) Carbonmade folks; (2) folks from the other companies in our office (Skillshare, Crush+Lovely, and Family Records); (3) other entrepreneurs in the area not necessarily in our office; and (4) visiting friends.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by raphaelb on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:34PM (#2541188)
I eat with my wife and son at home, unfortunately that isn't one of your options.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by thenduks on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:21PM (#2541115)
I figure option 2 there is referring to day-job work. I most often (not always) eat alone (sometimes at my desk, sometimes at home with the cats) and work. But I work on side projects, open source stuff, etc.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by sspencer on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:37PM (#2541201)
The whole company still fits in one conference room, so we all eat together. Unless something is broken, in which case people tend to scurry back to their desks after the food shows up.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by trustfundbaby on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:26PM (#2541140)
I really really love having time alone with my thoughts ... and I'll usually go somewhere far enough to get a good walk in ... every now and then I'll go with a coworker or my team
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by alain94040 on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:48PM (#2541248)
Please add to the list: use http://letslunch.com to talk to interesting new people while eating
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by Vivtek on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:40PM (#2541214)
I eat in my kitchen reading a science fiction novel, except for Wednesdays, when I go to Frisch's with my Dad.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by egb on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:34PM (#2541181)
I walk downstairs from my office and eat at home with my wife and daughter. Love it! :-)
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by iisbum on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:20PM (#2541112)
I work from home, so I usually head to the kitchen and eat with my family.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by JSig on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:36PM (#2541196)
I eat with Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by jgroome on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:40PM (#2541215)
Great guys.
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by kenneth_reitz on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:25PM (#2541133)
My fiancee :)
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by leif on Thursday May 12, 2011 @12:29PM (#2541154)
often don't eat lunch, just snacks and coffee throughout the day
Re:Ask HN: Who do you eat lunch with? by petervandijck on Thursday May 12, 2011 @01:29PM (#2541443)
With my family.