People Peeves
Posted on June 28, 2007 - Filed Under Food, Tangents
I won’t let my blog become a place where all I do is rant and complain about things but I do have to mention one thing lately that has bugged me.
TGH and I have to drive quite a ways to get to our closest Whole Foods supermarket - it’s far enough that we take a large insulated cooler bag on wheels to keep our cold purchases from spoiling. Well, this Whole Foods happens to be in a town with a much higher tax bracket (read “snobby”) and it amazes me how the people who shop there behave. (I realize it’s not necessarily the people who live in the town who shop there as there are probably plenty like me who come from much farther away but I am generalizing here in that respect.) On the last trip that TGH and I made there, we witnessed a gentleman reach directly into the dry bulk food item bin with his bare hands, retrieve a piece of (can’t remember what it was so we’ll just say) granola and pop it into his mouth. He never bothered with the little scoop that is there to be used to avoid contaminating the food, he did it in plain view of everyone shopping around him, and had no regard for his own health as well, I imagine since he doesn’t know who might have done that exact same thing before him. Now the dried goods in the top row have a chute system so that people cannot reach directly into the bins and the bottom row has the scoops and the bins that can be opened to fit the scoops (or unfortunately, your hands) in. I was shocked to see it and no longer desired to get my sunflower seeds there. It made me start thinking that if this responsible looking adult did that, how many irresponsible adults or innocent little children (who are at the perfect height, by the way) have reached in there and done the same thing. Believe me, I’m not a germophobe but I am a little more conscious of these things after having my immune system compromised.
This last trip to the Whole Foods supermarket, TGH and I witnessed a child, on her own, at a food sampling station (these are unmanned stations and the food is just left out with toothpicks and napkins plus a little trash container - must be the honor system). The sample was cheese and the child must have wanted to try some so she went over and helped herself without asking her mother. Well, she happened to knock over the container of toothpicks while she was there. Then her mother noticed her and came over to help her pick up some of the toothpicks. Between the two, they got maybe half of the toothpicks back into the container (the other half the mother kicked under the display table) and - yes, they did - they put the container of toothpicks that had been on the supermarket floor back up on the sample table for other customers to use. Not only that, the mother then helped herself to one of the toothpicks and a piece of cheese. I guess I can’t be too hard on her as she was willing to use the toothpicks herself so why would she think nobody else would want to? Honestly - what goes through people’s minds sometimes? After she walked away, I brought the container of toothpicks five feet over to where a store staff person was working behind the cheese counter and told her I saw the toothpicks get knocked down and picked back up but didn’t think they would want their customers to use them. Guess that was too simple.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Comments
7 Responses to “People Peeves”
Leave a Reply
Ugh, how absolutely HORRID! I too would have taken the toothpicks to an employee… And the guy sticking his hand into the bulk bin…”eww”. I’ve heard other horror stories in the past about bulk bins, not sure if they are much worse than yours since goodness only knows where his hand had been before he scooped his free sample. [shakes head] There’s only one store round my area where I feel comfortable using the bins, and I’m still picky about what items I select. You just never know.
Honestly, I bet it’s more likey to be the “people” rather than the “area” per se. People do some crazy stuff, most times so often that we must question where their heads are. Why on earth would anyone assume everyone else would want to use toothpicks from off the storeroom floor? Oh, wait… I forgot, it must be that “10-second-rule” thingy. You know, if you can pick up whatever it is that has fallen before you count “10″ it’s safe to eat…or in that case, use. Ya think they plucked up all those little toothpicks before the count of 10? haha…I say not.
Maybe you were meant to see those two incidents…help keep someone else from using those dirty toothpicks. And possibly to remind me of how vulnerable the scoop bulk bins really are! [wink] I had a chill come over me as I read that.
Sending good vibes your way!!
Thanks for the good vibes. I can ALWAYS use those. Hmmm - that is what was missing while you were away. But I did need them after that supermarket experience so thanks again, friend!
Oh you’ll find that going on in any supermarkets regardless of the income bracket. I won’t buy things from easily accessible bins for that reason.
I guess you are right, Opal. It just really gets my goat because people should know better in this day and age. It also gets me slightly angered at the supermarket because if they were willing to pay one person to “man” a station like that, rather than keeping everything self-serve, it would eliminate the problem. They wouldn’t have to pay much because it would be such an easy job. Heck, I’d be willing to do the job - oversee the bin area, assist customers with getting their goods from the bins, weigh/label their bulk items, answer questions, etc.
That is so GROSS to see people sample from those bins..ugh!
I TOO don’t get items from self serve bins for that reason.
I worked in a cafeteria which had a salad bar and saw an elderly “gentleman” put a huge spoonful of potato salad INTO HIS MOUTH then put the spoon BACK into the salad!!!
EEK!
Yes someone should be posted nearby those sorts of areas, to deter that kind of behaviour..
Merri - what an awful thing to have witnessed. Inconsiderate, irresponsible and totally unsanitary. I’d rather have that salad bar manned than have a hostess to seat me. See? It could be done. Ahh, if only someone would pay me for all these great ideas I keep having.
eep…
Mom would kill us if we did that. so would Bobbert… XD
Yeah, it’s one of those things that you have to stop yourself from thinking about too long or it just really grosses you out or really makes you angry or both.
I have to say I’ve been becoming more aware of this kind of behavior lately and it is kind of sad to see it because I think it just never used to cross my mind that someone would do that. I need to remind myself sometimes that not everyone plays by the rules all the time.
Kiinu, you are right - you’d be in trouble all around if any of you kids did that. But it’s for your own protection.
The worst part about the toothpick incident was the kid was thoughtful enough to try and pick up every toothpick. When the mother found she was missing, she came back and found her, put the toothpick cup back on the table and kicked the rest of the toothpicks further under the table. Its one thing to see a kid do something because they don’t know better, but when they seem to know better than the parent, it is scarey.
I don’t like the sample stations at Whole Foods, they’re out in the middle of aisles, so it causes traffic jams and they’re unmanned. Trader Joe’s has a great sample station in the stores near us. They only have one and it is in the corner, out of the way, and an employee gives you a sample, they are just much smaller and don’t have the selection that Whole Foods has.
@ TGH….
Good points!
The closest Whole Foods is an hour and 20 minutes from my house! I try and go every 2 months sometimes I have to wait 3 tho! sigh. There are a few others places I shop until I can fill in the blanks…argh