I was in a grocery store a few years ago and saw a guy reach under his shorts and was digging deep and then went to get a handful of several different kinds of candies out of self serve boxes. Another shopper and me both just looked at each other and shook our faces. I have never bought anything out of self serve since.
Truckstops and cleanliness
- Thread starter AMonger
- Start date
AMonger
Veteran Expediter
Oh, yeah, forgot about this one. Remember when the old 76s were bought by TA? I hit one in Alabama when it was about to be changed over. Apparently, they had stopped ordering some things in the restaurant because they had trouble filling orders.
I had driven a long way that day and had a headache. I just wanted some dinner before bed. I ordered a burrito platter. I'm sitting at the counter, watching this slob back there making my food, smoking, eating, and licking his fingers while doing so. I was revolted, but figured it probably happens all the time anyway when I don't see it, and was going to trust my immune system on this one. Got to exercise it now and then, right?
A few minutes later, the waitress comes back with my to go container and I pay and leave. I get out to my truck and open it up, and found two tacos swimming in white rice that had some salsa mixed in with it. No burrito at all. I trudged back in, a little steamed.
I showed this to the waitress, who didn't look very surprised. She took the container back and I heard the conversation. The cook said, "There's not supposed to be a burrito with it."
"On a burrito platter?" the waitress rebutted.
A few minutes later, she came back with a frown and my container. "Here it is, but I don't think you're going to like it..." She opened it up, and the tacos swimming in the rice and salsa were the same, but he had added a burrito--the kind you ate in college when you had no money, the real cheap, frozen ones that are about 4" long. The ones you nuke. They come in packages of 24, iirc, and they're like 25 cents apiece in bulk, iirc.
"You want your money back?" I accepted that and went out to the C-store and bought a crappy triangle sandwich. Before I did, I asked for the manager. I wanted to tell him about the cook's hygienic practices.
"That's him," said the waitress, pointing toward the slob of a cook.
"Never mind."
I had driven a long way that day and had a headache. I just wanted some dinner before bed. I ordered a burrito platter. I'm sitting at the counter, watching this slob back there making my food, smoking, eating, and licking his fingers while doing so. I was revolted, but figured it probably happens all the time anyway when I don't see it, and was going to trust my immune system on this one. Got to exercise it now and then, right?
A few minutes later, the waitress comes back with my to go container and I pay and leave. I get out to my truck and open it up, and found two tacos swimming in white rice that had some salsa mixed in with it. No burrito at all. I trudged back in, a little steamed.
I showed this to the waitress, who didn't look very surprised. She took the container back and I heard the conversation. The cook said, "There's not supposed to be a burrito with it."
"On a burrito platter?" the waitress rebutted.
A few minutes later, she came back with a frown and my container. "Here it is, but I don't think you're going to like it..." She opened it up, and the tacos swimming in the rice and salsa were the same, but he had added a burrito--the kind you ate in college when you had no money, the real cheap, frozen ones that are about 4" long. The ones you nuke. They come in packages of 24, iirc, and they're like 25 cents apiece in bulk, iirc.
"You want your money back?" I accepted that and went out to the C-store and bought a crappy triangle sandwich. Before I did, I asked for the manager. I wanted to tell him about the cook's hygienic practices.
"That's him," said the waitress, pointing toward the slob of a cook.
"Never mind."
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Just finished the breakfast buffet here at the Flying J in El Paso. I can report the highest possible standards for food handling and sanitation are well known at this location. An important looking certificate on the wall verifies their training. Does their knowledge convert to real life application? I don't know.
Regardess, the food was tasty and I am ready to haul freight in an easterly direction.
Regardess, the food was tasty and I am ready to haul freight in an easterly direction.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
So they serve the food out of the buffet for you?
I would think if a customer has access to the food as their own server for example, there is no standard being met. The customer doesn't take sanitation or food handling courses.
Gregor... you shouldn't take my response literally or seriously. I have no idea what standards, if any, are aspired to here in El Paso. Kidding aside, the food was fine.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
I'm not, actually I am laughing about it.
See I am imagining a spotless flying J with employees who are clean, in uniform and always washing their hands and actually smiling. They work very hard to produce great truck stop slop and put it out for the great mass of professional drivers to come in and eat, converse and have a good time.
Trucker bob and trucker Timmy come in together. Bob is a clean cut nicely dressed in a pressed uniform and looks fit and trim.
Timmy on the other hand looks like he worked in the pits changing oil, his hair is all matted down and his clothes look like they could have been used to clean toilets.
So there they stand, side by side. Bob grabs one plate hands it to Timmy and then another for himself.
As they go through the line, Timmy is careful in selecting what he wants, takes his time, puts everything on the plate without it falling off of it but Bob doesn't seem to care, it isn't only falling off the plate but also into the food which he fished it out of.
Timmy has taken a little salad, light dressing, picks up the roll with the tongs.
Bob on the other hand slops his salad on the plate, isn't careful enough so not to drop the tomatoes into the dressing and grabs it with his fingers. He slathers his lettuce with thousand island dressing, dropping the ladle into the Italian dressing container and then realizing what he did, picks it up and dumps it into the ranch dressing container. Bob picks up some onions with his fingers, sticks it into his mouth, declares them great and then uses the tongs to put more on his food. The same goes for the sun flower seed.
Now this actually happened at one of the J's, well not the people who work there, they were grumpy and dirty but the Timmy and Bob show was amazing.
See I am imagining a spotless flying J with employees who are clean, in uniform and always washing their hands and actually smiling. They work very hard to produce great truck stop slop and put it out for the great mass of professional drivers to come in and eat, converse and have a good time.
Trucker bob and trucker Timmy come in together. Bob is a clean cut nicely dressed in a pressed uniform and looks fit and trim.
Timmy on the other hand looks like he worked in the pits changing oil, his hair is all matted down and his clothes look like they could have been used to clean toilets.
So there they stand, side by side. Bob grabs one plate hands it to Timmy and then another for himself.
As they go through the line, Timmy is careful in selecting what he wants, takes his time, puts everything on the plate without it falling off of it but Bob doesn't seem to care, it isn't only falling off the plate but also into the food which he fished it out of.
Timmy has taken a little salad, light dressing, picks up the roll with the tongs.
Bob on the other hand slops his salad on the plate, isn't careful enough so not to drop the tomatoes into the dressing and grabs it with his fingers. He slathers his lettuce with thousand island dressing, dropping the ladle into the Italian dressing container and then realizing what he did, picks it up and dumps it into the ranch dressing container. Bob picks up some onions with his fingers, sticks it into his mouth, declares them great and then uses the tongs to put more on his food. The same goes for the sun flower seed.
Now this actually happened at one of the J's, well not the people who work there, they were grumpy and dirty but the Timmy and Bob show was amazing.
Opps...when the rolls are spread out...I use my fingers to get it without touching the one next to it...me bad....
guido4475
Not a Member
A few years ago I ate at the J in Austinburg,Oh and had the catfish dinner.Although it was good, it reared it's ugly head 3 hours later, waking me up from a dead sleep.It took me 10 minutes just to make it from the bunk to the seat without messing my shorts, using butt muscles I never knew I had to contain the contaminated food...Another 5 to get out of the truck carefully,and lets say I had ...I wont go any further into this, but I am sure you get the picture..kinda like the movie Van Wilder when Tara Reid gives her boyfreind that drink with "Colon blow" mixed in with it..I avoid Flying J food like the plaque....
Wow I never realized how many foodies there are on here! I too, am a professionally trained foodie. It goes without saying that cleanliness is next to ...... uhm the pigpen.
There will always be piggies at the trough, and sterilized types in the walk-in. There are germs in every single thing we touch,breathe,eat. We carry on ourselves at any given time more germs than one wants to know about. Every 10,000 egg is chock full of salmon-ella. Some food borne illnesses come out when the food is cooked, some when it's raw, some from poor handling, it's a real cr*p shoot. Im not condoning dirty practices, nor the slob who picks their nose, then digs in. But, we are masters/mistresses of our own time,and how we choose to eat. eat at a buffet but remember HOT foods must stay HOT, and COLD foods must stay COLD, the special of the day off the menu is what didn't sell yesterday repackaged in some cream sauce that is ladened with bacteria and then some. Keep your reciept most food borne illnesses show up within 6 to 10 hours, if you get sick, report it to the resturaunt, and the local health care people. If the people at these places realize they are not going to get away with their shoddy practices, they will stop.
There will always be piggies at the trough, and sterilized types in the walk-in. There are germs in every single thing we touch,breathe,eat. We carry on ourselves at any given time more germs than one wants to know about. Every 10,000 egg is chock full of salmon-ella. Some food borne illnesses come out when the food is cooked, some when it's raw, some from poor handling, it's a real cr*p shoot. Im not condoning dirty practices, nor the slob who picks their nose, then digs in. But, we are masters/mistresses of our own time,and how we choose to eat. eat at a buffet but remember HOT foods must stay HOT, and COLD foods must stay COLD, the special of the day off the menu is what didn't sell yesterday repackaged in some cream sauce that is ladened with bacteria and then some. Keep your reciept most food borne illnesses show up within 6 to 10 hours, if you get sick, report it to the resturaunt, and the local health care people. If the people at these places realize they are not going to get away with their shoddy practices, they will stop.
Hey guido... I don't eat seafood nor pizza. Mostly bland foods, nothing exotic. I will, however, eat ice cream until I am catatonic.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Its good that a lot of you did all of this training and such but you know try working in the industry as an installer of POS equipment or alarm repair person and work in restaurant. It is not what you all see or how clean the place is kept but sometimes what is living behind the walls or above that ceiling.
I won't go into to my experiences because they are gross. I will say that there are three places in this area that have been on tv in recent months where I would never eat at, one of them has a roach problem and the other two have rodent problems - serious ones. The sad thing is, people of the 'burbs made two of these tv stars as a trendy place to go - yuk!
I won't go into to my experiences because they are gross. I will say that there are three places in this area that have been on tv in recent months where I would never eat at, one of them has a roach problem and the other two have rodent problems - serious ones. The sad thing is, people of the 'burbs made two of these tv stars as a trendy place to go - yuk!
For the most part I have been avoiding TS food, preparing most meals in the truck. Two weeks ago I decided to treat myself to a Petro 2 buffet. Big MISTAKE!
Food was lukewarm at best.Spent rest of the evening in the crapper. I told Petro about this and got a "Sorry"response, followed by a voice mail to to contact them. My call resulted in getting their voice mail. To date they have not returned my call.
In the meantime I will stay far away from the Petro2 in Fremont, In.
Food was lukewarm at best.Spent rest of the evening in the crapper. I told Petro about this and got a "Sorry"response, followed by a voice mail to to contact them. My call resulted in getting their voice mail. To date they have not returned my call.
In the meantime I will stay far away from the Petro2 in Fremont, In.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
I talked to someone last night who has a bizzare behavior at the buffets. They have one of those surface temp things and a small clip board with a bunch of paper that looks like what the health department uses. They check each temp and record it on the clip board as the staff watch. The girl was telling me that usually the manager or assistant manager comes out and asked them what they are doing and they just ignore them. Then they sit down and wait for a waitress who comes running. They order off the menu and 9 times out of 10, they get a really good meal.
Seems like that would invite the kitchen people to spit (or worse) in the food.
AMonger
Veteran Expediter
Think that's bad? Try the J&J's Catfish, Shrimp & Chicken place by the Pilot in Gary, IN. First, lube your truck with the food, though, so it won't be a total waste. And in the next couple hours, stock up on toilet paper.
I will say that there are three places in this area that have been on tv in recent months where I would never eat at, one of them has a roach problem and the other two have rodent problems - serious ones.-Greg
1999 Freightliner FL70
Professional International Traveler
You would really be doing everyone on here,and the folks we tell a real service if you would just tell everyone the names and addresses of these places. Instead of hiding behind your cloak of I know but, you don't neener, neener
1999 Freightliner FL70
Professional International Traveler
You would really be doing everyone on here,and the folks we tell a real service if you would just tell everyone the names and addresses of these places. Instead of hiding behind your cloak of I know but, you don't neener, neener
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