Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Don't eat free samples


Costco has them, the supermarket has them, even the food court has them. Free food samples for you to taste and enjoy.

I refuse to eat them.


Yes, the food is free, yes it sometimes smells really good. But I won't eat it. Since I am a polite woman, I always say, "No thank you." but I often get dirty looks from the sample offerers.

That's fine. You fulfill your mission: to hand out free food samples, and I will do mine: to dodge you.

Now normally, this would be the part of the blog post where I would tell you what horrible incident happened that turned me off to eating free samples. What life changing, hospital involving, expensive and exhausting event keeps me from eating.

But, there is none.

Because I refuse to eat free food samples.

21 comments:

CamiKaos said...

in this you are not alone. I have never had a bad free sample experience. I don't eat them.

My mom does sometimes. I cringe.

loveyh said...

I know people a la "The Simpsons" who go to Costco on Sunday afternoons for sampler lunches.

I will take something that doesn't have to be cooked--trail mix, pretzels, cereal in presealed bags--but cooked food? Uh-huh, no way. Barf.

mielikki said...

I don't take them, either. It just doesn't enthuse me at all to take food from strangers in a large public forum.

Dapoppins said...

don't collect stuff, say no to free food? WHAT is wrong with you? LOL

Aaron said...

I'm pretty sure the free samples are at least 27.9% of the reason why I go to Costco.

Given that the sample people usually are wearing hair nets and gloves, and one can usually watch the popular stuff go straight from microwave/grill into a cup for sampling, it's probably less likely to be contaminated than something you get from a fast food joint...

Jo Beaufoix said...

I just think of peanuts in pubs and how much wee is on them. Bleurghhh.

Groovy Mom said...

My husband won't eat free samples either. Me? Yeah, and not ashamed to admit it. :-D

Misty said...

I have a friend who has done this (samples) for a local dairy company, for 15 years. Having known what she goes through, and their process, it doesn't bother me. My daughter loves Costco samples (as does her daddy) I just typically don't eat them because I don't want to... no deeper fear/reason.

stephanie said...

So, maybe you could ask them to hold the sample prepared for you until my husband & kids get there? Because they are an inch away from that Simpsons episode.

Stu said...

I eat free samples (of the things I like), buy food from street vendors, and hawker stands when I am in Singapore, Malaysia, and China. My philosophy is that I am building a healthy immune system.

-Stu

Anonymous said...

I've worked in and around food service my whole life, and I can assure you, those samples are nasty.

That being said, I will eat almost anything. Plus, I'm one of those weird people who thinks that we (as a society) started finding out all these diseases once we started disinfecting everything. So, strange as it may be, I say just be clean, don't worry about the stuff you can't see. (Don't worry - this is my philosophy for me, not for me at work!)

Hope things are good, L!

Jeff K

missburrows said...

cami: I think I love you just a little more now.

lovey: Ok, maybe if something is in its own little vacumn packed bag, but besides that, no.

mielikki: Another valid point.

dapoppins: Things have been really strange ever since this crazy lady chased me around with a video camera.

aaron: The whole idea just creeps me out. I'm sure they are very clean.

jo: Oh, thanks for that lovely image.Thanks.

groovy: I love your husband.

misty: Again, it is not necessarily a cleanliness thing. I'm sure they do all sorts of things. I guess part of it was that I was not planning on eating, and here they are offering me food that I did not want.

stephanie: I don't really want to hold it. But I'm happy to watch it for you until you arrive.

stu: To go to those places you probably went through quite a round of innoculations, so you are probably Ok (crazy, but ok).

Jeff: As your ex (yes, I'm going to call myself that) I'm not sure I like hearing, "just be clean, don't worry about things you can't see".

But instead I will think of Tigger. I'm pretty sure Tigger wouldn't eat free samples.

holly said...

they give you dirty looks? these people, whose aspiration is to hand out free food? i wouldn't even *notice* that.

maybe they are just intimidated by your carefree ways. your confidence in knowing you have a real meal ahead of you somewhere, and don't need the sustenance they are pushing?

no?

: JustaDog said...

Never!

But I do see many chubby people waiting for their handouts.

Rare times I will go up to a table and ask the fat or sodium content (knowing it's high) then loudly saying "Oh My God That's High! Noway, I'll pass on that!"

LOL

Stu said...

Miss B, Nope, no shots to go to the Far East. Now, if I ever go to the jungles of South America I'll be getting some shots...

-Stu

Josh said...

Usually when I go somewhere to eat, I usually do a quick once over of the guests to see what kind of person is dining there. That will usually determine my level of comfort with the food. I normally have a hard time waiting behind a moo moo for a mini corn dog.

P.S. - What the hell is a Costco? We have Sam's Club.

meleah rebeccah said...

I don't trust free food samples.

missburrows said...

holly: Or, the don't like how I push them out of the way. (Just kidding)

justadog: You sound like a trouble maker. heh heh

stu: Ok. I'm glad you didn't get sick or anything.

josh: What is a costco?!! Do you live on the moon? (is it really made of cheese?) Google Costco, pls. I don't have the energy to explain it to you.

meleah: Well said. Amen, sister.

Josh said...

@missburrows Wow, so I was kidding. We just don't have them around here.

missburrows said...

josh: Hey! No tweeting in my blog comments! (I was kidding too...I do that from time to time.) :)

Josh said...

@missburrows: Well, that's a level of sarcasm I'm unaccustomed to here in the metropolis that is Lynchburg, VA. I see that I need a little sharpening.