Truckstops and cleanliness

[AMonger]

I stopped in the Loves near Little Rock. I noticed they have their own, Loves-branded sandwich shop there now. Everything looks like it was modeled after Subway. I'm a sucker for anything new, so I ordered one. The counter woman put on a pair of gloves, and THEN picked up a wet rag from the sink to wipe down the counter. It was obvious she knew nothing about general sanitation or hygiene practices.

She started wiping down the area where the sandwiches touch, and as she did, the rag dragged through the lettuce. That was too much for me. I told her I'd just take the soda I had on the counter. "What did I do wrong?" she demanded. I told her about the rag and the lettuce, though I should have also mentioned that she was handling a rag of unknown cleanliness while wearing the plastic gloves with which she was going to make my sandwich.

"I can change the lettuce!" she insisted.

"No, that's allright..."

She offered a couple more times while ringing up my Pepsi, but I had seen enough to know that she doesn't have a clue about hygiene, and that means many other things could be wrong.

So a few hours later, I'm at the Hook in Texarkana, and I forget what I bought, but some form of nourishment. I'm paying for it at the counter. Meanwhile, the maintenance person is taking out the trash, and the counter help takes the semi-full trash bag from the wastecan and HANDS IT OVER THE COUNTER TO HIM, PASSING RIGHT OVER MY FOOD. Now, I'm not a clean fanatic, but I have reasonable standards of cleanliness. It seems no one in the truckstops shares those standards. These happened on the same day, just hours apart.

The Hook was entirely out of coffee, too. How's that happen?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I remember the days before the plastic gloves ...Gawd..it is a truck stop, not a fine French dining experience...

 

[LDB]

I don't expect the same food quality but do expect the same cleanliness standards everywhere.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I don't expect the same food quality but do expect the same cleanliness standards everywhere.

You can expect that..but you ain't going to get that...I see infractions everyday...like dry sweeping in a food area...opening the fridge door with the gloves on to get out your meat...Below the collar hair and no hairnets on...Tied back hair in a pony tail doesn't cut the cheese...

 

[LDB]

No, I know. I was just pointing out that one shouldn't expect only certain quality/level places to exercise proper hygeine. I'm sure some of the places you'd expect the most would disappoint the most if one only knew.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Some places are at least making the attempt...while some establishments make NO effort..

 

[Turtle]

Ah, the stories I could tell (and have a time or two here). I used to teach sanitation, cross contamination prevention and food handling safety in the food service industry. I've gone off on more than a few food handlers in truck stops and other restaurants out here. The folks at the Pilot's Subway in Morton's Gap, KY I'm sure just have all kinds of fond memories of me. But by and large, I will have to say that in most of the Pilots things are done properly. It's the other ones that really get me. The J's in particular. Never eat at a Flying J buffet. Ever. Off the menu is OK, but not off the buffet. Between the food handlers who do the buffet, incorrect steam table temperatures at nearly all of them, and the drivers who scratch their cracks and then grab a roll, newp, don't do it, I'm tellin' ya.

 

[aristotle]

Ah, the stories I could tell (and have a time or two here). I used to teach sanitation, cross contamination prevention and food handling safety in the food service industry. I've gone off on more than a few food handlers in truck stops and other restaurants out here. The folks at the Pilot's Subway in Morton's Gap, KY I'm sure just have all kinds of fond memories of me. But by and large, I will have to say that in most of the Pilots things are done properly. It's the other ones that really get me. The J's in particular. Never eat at a Flying J buffet. Ever. Off the menu is OK, but not off the buffet. Between the food handlers who do the buffet, incorrect steam table temperatures at nearly all of them, and the drivers who scratch their cracks and then grab a roll, newp, don't do it, I'm tellin' ya.

Mr Turtle... I have been enjoying the Flying J buffet once or twice a week for the past ten years. Scrumptious food at reasonable prices. Ten years and never felt sick. Perhaps, my bugs devour their bugs. Natural immunity or something.

 

[Turtle]

It's that Pikeville mountain man blood you got running through your veins.

 

[aristotle]

It's that Pikeville mountain man blood you got running through your veins.

I'm a mongrel. My mother came from Lexington.

 

[AMonger]

Mr Turtle... I have been enjoying the Flying J buffet once or twice a week for the past ten years. Scrumptious food at reasonable prices. Ten years and never felt sick. Perhaps, my bugs devour their bugs. Natural immunity or something.

I used to look forward to Hook buffets. Now, it's the same thing every day with very little variance. I can tell you exactly what's going to be offered on the next Hook buffet you stop at. It's like they've stopped trying.

 

[dieseldiva]

I remember the days before the plastic gloves ...Gawd..it is a truck stop, not a fine French dining experience...

Ken....SNAP OUT OF IT.....the health department requirements are the same for ALL establishments and our expectations of cleanliness should be as well.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Ken....SNAP OUT OF IT.....the health department requirements are the same for ALL establishments and our expectations of cleanliness should be as well.

I should snap out of it? When you coming back to reality?

 

[greg334]

Diva,
But isn't it how we in general are viewed?

I mean a lot of people accept the poor food handling and the other BS that we all face at these truck stops as the norm. I only remember a few times when a trucker would complain about something other than the speed of the people behind the counter.

To a lot of these truck stop people, we are not the RV'ing crowd that they built these big palaces they call travel centers to serve. We are second to the guy with the Prevost fifth avenue apartment on wheels.

 

[dieseldiva]

I should snap out of it? When you coming back to reality?

That comment WAS reality Ken. Read what Greg wrote about how we are viewed. What you wrote implies that YOU VIEW YOURSELF AND THE REST OF US that way as well. I don't think truck stops or dive restaurants are given a waiver from the health departments of the various states.

The only way to force change is to SPEAK UP, as long as you accept the unsanitary conditions you can expect nothing but more of the same.

 

[Dreamer]

Eat at the buffet? *shudder*.. the only time I like to do that is if I SEE them putting the food out, like right at change-over time, and I see fresh utensils going in.. and then it's very rare.

I have to agree with Turtle here! I spent 13 years in the restaurant industry, and I would have fired people for some of the violations I see. It doesn't matter if it's 4 star steak, or McDonalds.. the food handling requirements are the same. I want to see gloves, proper food handling... (ever see them stick the pan of gravy in the buffet, or set a plate of food down with their thumb in it.. then stick the thumb in their mouth to clean it? AGGGH!)

Even at McDonalds, I watch when employees go back from break.. do they head to that little wall sink and wash their hands and hit the sanitizer button? (look next time, most have them in view of the customer for a reason!).... and my personal *ick* button... does the cook come up to cash you out, and count your change back with the gloves on that they make food with.... money is one of the highest bacteria containing items there is. I carry sanitizer liquid and wipes with me all the time LOL.


Dale

 

[CharlesD]

I won't do the buffet at any of these places anymore, or even at Golden Corral for that matter, since I've seen on more than one occasion customers reaching in and grabbing things with their bare hands. That's why they put spoons in there, but apparently that concept is too difficult for a lot of people. When I want to spend the money eating out, I'd rather go someplace decent that isn't a truck stop because I want some time away from the job so to speak. Even when you're on the road, there are times you need to be "off work" for a bit just to gather your wits about you. Anyway, you tend to get better quality ordering a meal than getting a buffet, and these days I should be more concerned with quality than quantity.

 

[fortwayne]

The fast food places and truckstop restuarants - all bad places to eat IMO. That is why I just go to the grocery, buy what I want and fix it myself. It isn't 100% safe, heck nothing is for sure, but - it has to be alot better, cleaner and cheaper.

In fact, just bought one of those cheap George Foreman grills today.

Pork chops for dinner tonight!

 

[chefdennis]

Having taken the ServSafe Food Handling classes more then a few times, I won't eat off the buffet at TS's also...but it is mainly because the Temps are not monitored and kept at the right temps. Now I will eat the pizza at J as long as I see it come out fresh or I order a whole pizza and know it hasn't sat for 3 hrs under the heat lamps....

While i do understand peoples concerns, and yes you should voice them to management, having worked in the industry and knowing what goes on behind those doors, I tend to not look as hard as one might...if you really paid attention, you wouldn't eat out ANYWHERE....but I just don't look that hard, more because i don't want to know instead of not caring.....

 

[LDB]

I don't do buffets often but once in a while have Golden Corral for the pot roast. It's close to as good as my mom's was and miles ahead of any other I've ever had. I also sometimes do just the salad portion at Petro after asking first if I can get a decent price on one serving. I count on my immune system and so far it's backed me up but I do know there's some risk in it.