Because it’s Whistle Blowin’ Sunday
October 23rd, 2005A few days ago, too tired to cook four ourselves, Angelface and I made the unfortunate decision to go foraging for fast food.
And I know what you’re thinking. You’re panicked, because the Nutrition Nazi ate food that was not organically grown and omega3-enriched. Well, if it makes you feel any better, we chose a “healthier” chain that offers vegetarian and wheat-free options for more conscientious patrons, like moi.
And if you really want to click your heels with glee, you’ll be interested to know the fact that I was “good” and didn’t have a full-on, bust-your-gut and damage-your-liver hogfest, didn’t mean a thing. At the end of the night, after enduring a series of unnerving theatrics, I still had that good old fashioned, fast food feeling. You know the one – It starts with guilt and remorse, and then inevitably ends up with you riding bareback on the porcelain pony, making rapid-fire deposits from your six-shooter into the toilet bowl.
But I (and my diarrhea) digress.
So I think it should’ve been a red flag that when I walked into the store, the first thing I saw was an entire seating area taken up with trash. The makeshift landfill was littered with leftover napkins, food containers, utensils and plastic trays. Even the freaking garbage can had overflowed, giving it the appearance of some sort of trash-eating monster that had vomited all over itself.
Despite having witnessed the health hazard fast escalating in Seating Section B, Angelface and I still ventured towards the register. The pimply faced 16-year-old stationed there didn’t immediately take our order. He was too busy complaining about how hungry he was and how he was supposed to be done working a half hour earlier.
And I felt guilty. After all, I knew what it was like to be hungry –while Zitty Face and another employee, we’ll call him Stir Shit Up, (because that was his only discernable job function), participated in a lengthy discussion about how much working late sucks, I was fairly starving.
So yeah, at long length the discussion died down and I was able to put my order in. While waiting for said order, an argument broke loose between the night manager and that stupid ass, bobble-head, Stir Shit Up.
Apparently dumb-as-bricks, SSU, thought that having someone “on the fries” at night, was not necessary, and must’ve felt it was a great injustice to be asked to perform this task, because he yelled across the kitchen at his manager that he wasn’t going to do it.
Night Manager, taking a page from his idiotic protégé’s book, yelled back that yes, damn it, someone had to be “on the fries” until 8pm each night.
Then the two of them proceeded to have a lengthy, verbal pissing match.
As I watched the two of them bicker back and forth like Jews in a gem store, I thought to myself “Oh good lord. If I had wanted to attend dinner theater, I could’ve gone to Medieval Times. At least there this type of battle royale is preceded by a visit from the Beer Wench.”
So in the interim of this bitchy little tiff, the production of Angelface’s hamburger by the night manager had come to a halt. Only when Angel yelled into the kitchen, “Hey can you stop arguing long enough to make my sandwich?” did the bickering stop.
And then, because it needed to be done, I yelled “You – freaking back-talking, plebian employee, take off your paper hat. You’re fired buddy!”
…Well actually, I didn’t really yell that. But I sure did want to.
Anyway, even after receiving our food, a myriad of horrors continued to occur, the most disgusting of which was witnessing the french fry scoop being used as a tool for trash compacting. When I saw the scoop go into the trash, and then back into the french fry, well it made my stomach churn… And then, when I saw that same scoop being used to put fries in a container that was handed to a customer, I had no choice but to throw up in my mouth a little.
So I’ve written my grievance down and sent it to the restaurant headquarters. I’ll keep you all posted, dear hannihaus readers. In the meanwhile, why don’t you share some of your horror stories with me? I need something to cheer me. Hurricane Wilma’s headed this way, and I’ve got house cleaning to do. Double d’oh.
October 23rd, 2005
What, you mean fast food isn’t good for you?
October 23rd, 2005
ugh
October 23rd, 2005
OK…I’m dying. Where did you go…
October 23rd, 2005
My first job was a fast food restaurant that shall remain unnamed, but it does rhyme with BacDonald’s. You don’t really want to hear the stories of what I saw happen in the kitchen. I liked to think that it didn’t happen in all fast food restaurants, but I would surely be wrong. Sometimes things fell on the ground, and they’d be placed back on the grill to “kill the germs” and not waste food. But then at the end of the night, the pimply faced kids played basketball with left over hamburger patties.
I can go on for a very long long time! I’m surprised all you got is diarrhea, with your clean system that’s used to healthy food, I would’ve expected a stronger reaction. Feel better!
October 23rd, 2005
Village Idiot - Hate to rain on your parade, but guess what, there’s no santa clause either.
Mrtl - My sentiments exactly.
Erin - Hmmm, let’s just say it ends with an “’s”.
Dima - Yuck. That’s really horrible about the basketball burgers. I guess their Maaas’ never taught them not to play with their food. BTW I am doing awesome (despite having “home work” to complete this eve. Bah!)
October 23rd, 2005
Ooof. That sounds terrible. I won’t even tell you the things I’ve heard about Wendy’s chilli.
October 23rd, 2005
OK OK you have officially changed me. I am queen of grabbing something from fast food to keep me awake on the way home from work. NEVER AGAIN!
EWW! I am dying to hear what the response will be!
October 23rd, 2005
Taco Bell is my nemesis. They have food poisoned my twice and more than once served me a taco with a curly hair in it. yet, I still go there sometimes. Why? WHY?
October 24th, 2005
Scotty, I think your story just made me throw up a little! Actually it reminds me of one of the scenes in “Supersize me!” You all need to see that movie, and would never set a foot in one of those places ever again!
October 24th, 2005
Amanda B - I can always appreciate creative ways of “giving the finger”, but yeah having it in my chili… that’s slightly nastay.
Sarah’s Mama - Yeah you’re better off keeping some yummy, vegan, kosher, cholestrol-free, wheat-free, preservative-free larabars in your car. That’s what I do.
ScottyGee - I too have a strange attraction to the bell, even though I’ve heard horror stories that involve putting things in the beans. EW.
The worst fast food experience I’ve had food poisoning-wise (in case you’re wondering) was at Burger King. That’s why I haven’t eaten there since early 2001, and that’s why I call it “Diarreah King”
Dima - That movie really creeped me out, but surprisingly, Angel wasn’t affected at all. He just took it as “a movie”, not real life.
October 24th, 2005
Every time I eat McDonald’s fries, I can FEEL my arteries clogging.
October 25th, 2005
Theresa - That’s because they are! Mwa ha ha.