Food fun...NOT!

dd74 · 09-01-2009, 12:56 PM

At Starbucks a couple days ago, and the barrista walks out as I walk in, and promptly smokes a cig in front of the store. Whatever. But then she comes back in and starts making my coffee. I told her, "Wash that tobacco off first." She winks and points at me sarcastically. After she washed her hands, she said to me "All better now?"

Today, went to Sabarros. The place is wretched, but I was desperate. Bought a nasty leg and thigh combo with greasy vegetables. The cashier coughed a dry hack into her hand then proceeded to handle my food. I would have said something to her, but hell, she was a kid and looked scared of all the mean downtown workers like myself.

Gawd! Time to bring lunch in. And get an espresso machine.

Looking_for_911 · 09-01-2009, 01:14 PM

Glad I'm not the only one noticing more of this putrid behavior nearly every time I'm eating or drinking in public....And it seems like we see it more now than ever.
When I was a kid - and into young adulthood - food service people were required by the Health Department to wear hair nets. Where have they gone? Maybe some of you in other parts of the country are fortunate enough to have your restaurant people still wear them, but not here where I am.
And the lack of hand washing, coughing onto one's self, handling money and food... it's atrocious.
There's one burger joint close to Birmingham that I dearly love. A couple years ago I was in there and one of the waitresses was coughing and hacking like she was trying to remove a lung. I was worried that I would get sick from it. And I did. Sickest I'd been in years. I complained to the owner about it and she basically laughed it off. She apologized but did nothing about it as I could tell for when I retured after laying off the place for a while Typhoid Mary was still working there, rubbing her face with her hands, wiping her mouth, scratching her ear, you name it. And to top it off, she breathed through her mouth with it hanging open. God knows what fell out of that trap?
I've not been in about a year, and even before then I would avoid the place if I knew this woman was working. Still do.

trekkor · 09-01-2009, 01:24 PM

Did I ever mention how much I despise going out to eat?

People are dirty...

KT

fingpilot · 01:30 PM

OMG, I thought I was the only one.

I am going to name the place cuz I would LOVE them to contact me. Logan's Run in Redding, yesterday afternoon. Hostess seats us, and asks "Can I bring you something to drink?" As she is asking, her hand is wavering in front of her mouth. Then, I swear to gawd, she goes for the gold. Comes out with a green one, and flicks it on the floor with the peanut shells.

I am speechelss. She is looking at me like 'Whats' the big deal dude?'..... I said no drinks, we'll get them ourselves. She even then, didn't get it. I walked into the bar and ordered the drinks. Turns out, the bartender was also waiting tables (ours) and was as good as it gets (she got a great tip).

We have seen this complete lack of social mores, lack of common sense, lack of the most minimum level of service at sooo many eateries lately. All over the country.

On the way out, we mentioned it to the restaurant manager, who asked us how everything was on our way out the door. My response was 'Do you reaaly want to know?' The offender was also there, smiling sweetly. He blushed, and said yes! I told him, no holds barred. He looked at her, and she responded that she has a new nose piercing, and it is always getting dirty; right in front of us. When he looked back at us, I said "Your honor, the defense rests...".

No apology, no offer of recompense, nada.

Am waiting for hell to get colder, cuz their food is actually pretty good. What ticks me even further, is that the hostess probably splits out the tips with the servers, and rewarding them for their great work rewards her as well.

My new saying applies here.... DGAS. (Doesn't Give A Sheet).

trekkor · 09-01-2009, 01:26 PM

Think about this:

If you are not comfortable with having the food handler's...Ahem... Fingers directly in your mouth... Cough, cough... Stay home!

KT

Looking_for_911 · 09-01-2009, 01:31 PM

What ticks me even further, is that the hostess probably splits out the tips with the servers, and rewarding them for their great work rewards her as well.[/QUOTE]

This is one of my biggest peeves about restaurants. I usually ask the server if they have to split tips. If they do I always try to surrepticiously pay the server in cash, like in a hand shake, and tell them not to split it. Maybe that's not being fair to the other 1 or 2 percent of servers that do give good service, but I don't want my money going to the 70-percent of servers that are nasty and don't give a dammmm.

fingpilot · 09-01-2009, 01:33 PM

That's not a bad idea. Thanks.

trekkor · 09-01-2009, 01:34 PM

People sneeze, smoke, scratch, cough, pick and touch their hair ( and other things ) all day long without washing and thing nothing of it.

Reaching into their pockets, texting on their handheld bacteria habitats and whatnot.

I remember ordering a sandwich, paying, receiving change and then watching the counter person start fondling my sandwich ingredients bare handed

I complained and this created a very tense and uncomfortable environment.
I've never gone back since.

Oh and don't like something about your food at a full service sit down restaurant?
Probably better not send it back...

KT

masraum · 09-01-2009, 01:44 PM

Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger?

When I was in college, eating from the meal plan in the cafeteria. One of the guys in the room next to mine used to always sort of pick through his food. I used to tell him, don't look at it, just eat it. He was always finding stuff. It was gross.

McLovin · 09-01-2009, 01:50 PM

That's why we have immune systems.

teenerted1 · 09-01-2009, 01:50 PM

complain to management, if they blow you off blow the whistle on them.

complain to the health department if you arent happy with their cleanlyness. they take these issues seriously.

Looking_for_911 · 09-01-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trekkor

People sneeze, smoke, scratch, cough, pick and touch their hair ( and other things ) all day long without washing and thing nothing of it.

Reaching into their pockets, texting on their handheld bacteria habitats and whatnot.

I remember ordering a sandwich, paying, receiving change and then watching the counter person start fondling my sandwich ingredients bare handed

I complained and this created a very tense and uncomfortable environment.
I've never gone back since.

Oh and don't like something about your food at a full service sit down restaurant?
Probably better not send it back...

KT

I Never send food back in a sit down restaurant... I wll not eat it and stop somewhere else after I leave if I'm still hungry. I in no way trust "the man behind the curtain" to not do gross things to it if I send it back.

I once had a Subway kid drop my girlfriend's bread onto the floor, pick it up, cut it and start to make the sandwich... he looked at me, with my mouth hangin' open with a look of shock on my face, and said, "Oh, do you want me to get another one?" No sheeet!

In other parts of the country do they use people in jail and half-way houses as kitchen workers like they do in Alabama? People in some of the finer restaurants in town are having their food handled and prepared by incarcerated -- I would assume non-violent offenders who can be trusted outside of jail -- and have no clue. Hang around your local eateries late at night. If you see a Department of Corrections van pull up and load in a few folks you got your answer!

WilsonTC · 09-01-2009, 02:05 PM

I do a lot of work for restaurants...all different kinds. If you could see the dirty, filthy kitchens/employee habits in some of these places (including 3, 4 & 5 star), you'd never eat out again. Blech!

tabs · 09-01-2009, 02:13 PM

Well no one has died as of yet from my cooking...

Pazuzu · 09-01-2009, 02:14 PM

Lots of people who have never been camping or had their dog lick their face, huh...

Dantilla · 09-01-2009, 02:19 PM

Had a great meal last night. Flew the little airplane up to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands, and sat outside in the late afternoon sun with some really good fish & chips.

The only problem? Listening to the servers complaining in the background about their love lives, foul language and all ("Can you believe he called me a b....?" Yes I can, and I concur).

Great food, brought to us by clueless people.

Watched a great sunset on the flight home.

HardDrive · 09-01-2009, 02:20 PM

Man, you guys really need to have a meal in India some time. Puts this all in perspective.

Pazuzu · 09-01-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dantilla

Great food, brought to us by clueless people.

There's a worker at the local grocery store who "mans" the self-serve aisles. The other day he was loudly explaining to his fellow worker (neither of whom were actually working...) how drunk he had gotten last night, and how much he had vomited, going into colors and textures, and how much he stunk this morning...

While us innocent customers were trying to buy food for dinner.

cashflyer · 09-01-2009, 02:27 PM

Unemployed auto workers have to earn a living somewhere, you know.

JavaBrewer · JavaBrewer's Garage

The wife and I usually drink alcohol with our eat out food. Kills the bugs dead.