Deli Dilemma...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
August 5, 2009 10:04am CST
Ok, I was at the store the other day and saw something really gross. I was at the deli and decided to get a little lunchmeat. The girl had to slice it fresh b/c they were out of the kind that I wanted. She gets the meat, puts it on the slicer, takes off enough for me and then stands there picking pieces off the slicer tray and eating it. After she hands me my meat, she goes back and starts wrapping the block of meat and still picking pieces off the tray and eating it…how gross. I can see making a little plate and eating when theres no customers around but to just pick off the food…it’s like eating off the serving spoon and then sticking it back in the dish. I just paid for my stuff and left but then I really wish I would have let the owner know…I wonder how much business they lose b/c of workers like this.
Have you ever seen anyone eating out of the deli while their serving ppl? Do you think this is ok or gross? Would you turn it in or just not shop there anymore? Have you ever done anything like that?
[b]**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~[/b]
17 people like this
51 responses
@jdyrj777 (6530)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I have once went into a A $ W Place. I ordered fries. But while i was standing at the counter waiting for my order i saw the cook open a hotdog bun tearing a small piece of bread out of the middle of the bun and eat it. Then sticking the hot dog in for the customer.
As gross as that all is i saw something much grosser before. Having worked in meat processing plants. I saw what the hotdogs and lunchmeats are made of. I have seen workers pick up meat from the floors and put back up on the production tables. Ground beef and steaks. While staeks can be washed ground beef can not. Yes, they are supposed to wash the meat before returning it to the table by many dont give ahoot about rules and regulations. If worker see condensation dripping onto production tables they get in trouble if the tell inspection people. They want the inspectors to discover it themselves.
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I think i would probably had to say something to her like go wash your hands & then slice me some more because the first is not acceptable after the way u did. I'm not bashful especailly when it comes to cleanliness.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
5 Aug 09
Good for you! I agree that is one way to handle it.
2 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
5 Aug 09
She should also have to sterilize the meat cutter before cutting your meat.
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I wonder if they ever do that?? folks just aren't as clean as i'd like them to be in places like that.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
5 Aug 09
I would not have taken the meat out of the deli. I would not have paid for it. I would have asked to speak with a manager, and then I would have said nice and loudly so everyone around me could hear "I'm not going to take that, because I saw you eating meat off of the slicer, and that is very unsanitary."
1 person likes this
@jezzmay (1845)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I never seen anything like this, but at the
Deli the other day when my sister and I stopped
to get our meat. The manager served us, and
while we waited, he gave us a few pieces to
eat. I was a little uncomfortable with that.
Would you have been?
Have a blessed day.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I have worked in a deli and no...never done that one at all. We did have a worker there that was so gross. On her breaks she would scratch her feet and then go back and make sandwhiches without washing her hands. Customers complained. She was just so nasty that even without seeing any of that...I'd of not eaten anything she created. She smelled and that was enough for me.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
5 Aug 09
It sounds more than disgusting. Tell me, was she wearing gloves? I am thinking about the passing of germs etc via her unhygienic method of serving meat in a deli. This is seriously gross. Would I have reported it? Definitely a big yes to that one.
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I have worked in a deli and we would have been fired for that. That is definitely not sanitary and is discusting. I would call the manager and let them know.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I would have given the package back to her and tell her she looks like she would enjoy eating it more than you would. Never have I witnessed such unsanitary behavior. I would have let the manager know what was going on too. Even if the worker lost their job. That is just not sanitary.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85432)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I've seen stuff like that, and often have reported it. I think managers want to know of this behavior. They don't want to lose customers. My dad onced watch an employee of a restaurant, stand on a table to change a light bulb, and then five minutes later sat a couple at the same table he just stood on. I mean they guy didn't even clean the table off!
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I never witnessed that but if I had, I would take my lunchmeat to the store manager or owner and tell him/her I don't want it and exactly why. That is not sanitary at all to be eating food off the tray like that while serving people.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I would have reported her. NY State law, our health department could and would shut them down in a heartbeat, the owner could loose his permit and/or his place. Here, we're required to wear gloves, slice it, and then wrap it. If a worker wants some, she must do the same, take off the gloves, eat in an eating area, then wash her hands and put gloves back on and go back to work.
1 person likes this
@tdemex (3540)
• United States
5 Aug 09
That's really gross! I wouldn't go back there, or if you really like the place and go there a lot you must know who the manager is, I'd report it! I was in Delaware visiting family, we ordered Philly cheese steaks, from the best place around, we got them to the house and started eating, my father in law (who is a real red neck) was chewing and chewing on something, finally he pulled it out of mouth! It was a bloody band aid! He went ballistic, wanted to get his shotgun and blow this dude away! I was worried about AIDS! This was a real trip! We finally settled him down! That's my gross deli story! 
tdemex
tdemex1 person likes this
@suzzy3 (8342)
•
5 Aug 09
That is unacceptable .I would have gone straight to the manager and refused to take my lunch meat with me,disgusting ,god knows how many times she has passed mouth ulcers ect on.When I was cook at the old peoples home a young carer took a chip from the tray bite half of it and threw the rest of the chip back in the dish,I went mad and told her how disgusting she was,most of these old people were very fragile and any type of infection could have killed them.I made sure she did not do that again.
1 person likes this
@CroakDesigns (160)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I think that is gross and unprofessional. I would have mentioned it to management.
1 person likes this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
8 Aug 09
To me it shows a lack of common sense.. doesn't seem hygienic at all! And I think most costomers would agree.
@Yestheypayme2dothis (7874)
• United States
11 Aug 09
That is a huge turn off for me! The one store I go to is Giant Foods. If you do that there you get fired. One of the clerks told me that. I have seen clerks wearing plastic gloves but they act like the gloves are their to protect THEM. They dig in their head, touch everything under the sun. I saw a woman in a sub area of a grocery store dragging out a large trash can. She was wearing plastic gloves. I wondered if she changed them when she got back. Some doctors are getting their help to wear gloves that are washable instead of the kind you throw away.
@tjades (3591)
• Jamaica
8 Aug 09
What...
Are you serious???I have never seen it done before but I have heard oof food handlers doing some really gross stuff. To do it right there with you waiting to be served is just plain disrespectful or too simple minded.
She may have practiced this so much that it has become natural to her. She would have certainly known my dismay just by the look she would have seen on my face. reporting her is another matter. Its hard to play a part in people losing their jobs so Id let her know of my disapproval either by how I look at her or by saying something to har about it.
Are you serious???I have never seen it done before but I have heard oof food handlers doing some really gross stuff. To do it right there with you waiting to be served is just plain disrespectful or too simple minded.
She may have practiced this so much that it has become natural to her. She would have certainly known my dismay just by the look she would have seen on my face. reporting her is another matter. Its hard to play a part in people losing their jobs so Id let her know of my disapproval either by how I look at her or by saying something to har about it.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
12 Aug 09
Well that doesn't sound too good, I'll tell you that. I hope the place I buy deli meat keeps everything clean. If you did tell the girl probably would of gotten in trouble for it and maybe lost her job, but still that isn't a good thing for her to be doing. No, I don't think I've done anything like that before and I wouldn't even think of doing something like that.
@celticeagle (158876)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Aug 09
No, I have never done anything like that. Not to say I haven't wanted to. You should have said something to a manager. They are supposed to wear plastic gloves and that is health hazard. What if she had that flu going around or whatever. That is gross. I hope you say something. If everyone does nothing then nothing changes.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I have heard enough horror stories that I am no longer comfortable eating out or getting prepared foods of any kind. Just give me the stuff I can wash and I'll prepare it myself.
@celestialbloom (204)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I'm with you almost 100%! I do still eat out once in a while, because I love grubbing out on tasty food and the rewards of not having to cook it and clean up afterwards! :) But for the most part I avoid purchasing prepared food in general, whether from a restaurant, deli, or freezer case. Those foods have come into contact with countless hands and surfaces during the production process - and have had countless opportunities for contamination! Yuck. I figure the closer I can get to the food's source or its original state, the better! (Healthier and cheaper, too.)
