# Am I somehow in the wrong for doing this at Subway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 25, 2018, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089 "2018-04-25T10:03:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Rejutka\_Lupex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rejutka\_Lupex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rejutka_Lupex)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/201 "2018-04-27T17:00:34Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I don’t see how it’s “false advertising” or “something that doesn’t exist”. > > (snip) > > but I can, if I prefer, get one exactly the way they advertise it; that is, in fact, one of my options. Please explain to me, as if I were an idiot, how you are going to get a sandwhich, exactly the way they advertise it, if the employees themselves do NOT know which ingredients are in it? I want one EXACTLY like it, and I want you prove it. So no second-guessing and things like “it looks like tomato with onions and whatnot”. The employees themselves don’t know what the picture represents - the manager maybe even doesn’t know. For all we know, it might be a drawn up example of what the artist thought looked tasty. To clarify, I think it’s been established in this thread that the displayed sandwhich is a fiction. Which makes it impossible to get one like it, or at least very very unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/202 "2018-04-27T17:03:05Z")
> [@Rejutka\_Lupex](#): > > For all we know, it might be a drawn up example of what the artist thought looked tasty. That’s exactly what it is. Just as a cereal commercial might show other items on the table as part of a complete, photogenic, breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Rejutka\_Lupex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rejutka\_Lupex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rejutka_Lupex)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/203 "2018-04-27T17:13:21Z")
> [@wonky](#): > > That’s exactly what it is. Just as a cereal commercial might show other items on the table as part of a complete, photogenic, breakfast. But they don’t sell you the breakfast or the table, but the cereal. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/204 "2018-04-27T17:18:35Z")
> [@Rejutka\_Lupex](#): > > But they don’t sell you the breakfast or the table, but the cereal. False advertising! ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/205 "2018-04-27T17:20:49Z")
If you don’t know what’s on it, why would you want it exactly like the picture? That’s what I don’t get. There is no master list of ingredients that go perfectly together…especially at Subway. ---
**Author:** ![Rejutka\_Lupex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rejutka\_Lupex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rejutka_Lupex)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/206 "2018-04-27T17:27:37Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > If you don’t know what’s on it, why would you want it exactly like the picture? That’s what I don’t get. There is no master list of ingredients that go perfectly together…especially at Subway. Trying new things? The expectation that a company selling sandwiches knows more about what goes together well than you yourself might? Do you never order food you don’t know what’s in? Just going by “looks nice, give it a try”? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/207 "2018-04-27T17:29:16Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > If you don’t know what’s on it, why would you want it exactly like the picture? That’s what I don’t get. There is no master list of ingredients that go perfectly together…especially at Subway. Well, for lots of sandwiches, there certainly are traditional toppings that go together. But Subway is very much for people who enjoy the myriad of topping choices. I can definitely see the appeal to that. If I ever want a salad with some cold cuts and bread, Subway is a good choice for me. And if that sounds dismissive, it’s not meant to be. That’s what brings me into Subway, even though it’s my least favorite sandwich chain. Sometimes, I just essentially want a salad on a bun, and Subway can deliver that for me. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/208 "2018-04-27T17:39:27Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > If you don’t know what’s on it, why would you want it exactly like the picture? That’s what I don’t get. There is no master list of ingredients that go perfectly together…especially at Subway. Before dietary limitations took over my life, I would have been very open to trying whatever combination someone decided seemed good. I don’t tend to want to tinker with dishes that have an actual design. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/209 "2018-04-27T17:44:15Z")
Subway started in 1965. How does any adult not know how they work? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/210 "2018-04-27T17:45:46Z")
> [@Rejutka\_Lupex](#): > > Trying new things? > The expectation that a company selling sandwiches knows more about what goes together well than you yourself might? > Do you never order food you don’t know what’s in? Just going by “looks nice, give it a try”? But we’re not talking about some sidewalk bistro, we’re talking about mass produced glop. There is no chef dreaming up new creations that he hopes the people will like. There’s you, a guy making minimum wage and some processed food. Do you want chips with that? ---
**Author:** ![Rejutka\_Lupex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rejutka\_Lupex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rejutka_Lupex)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/211 "2018-04-27T17:50:52Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Subway started in 1965. How does any adult not know how they work? Simple innocent ignorance, or maybe not living in an area where subway is everywhere? Added points if you live in an area where “sandwich” means “two slices of unburnt toast” and not a baguette-like roll. (Bonus points if the idea of putting meat and toppings inside of a baguette was foreign until you either saw subway or a picture of it somewhere.) Aside from that, why is it the customers job to know how the company works? > [@madmonk28](#): > > But we’re not talking about some sidewalk bistro, we’re talking about mass produced glop. There is no chef dreaming up new creations that he hopes the people will like. No one dreamed up the sandwich? Then how do they get new pictures? Do they hire an artist and tell him to “just draw a tasty sandwich, we’ll roll some dice for names later”? Someone had to put some thought into it. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/212 "2018-04-27T17:57:47Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If I ever want a salad with some cold cuts and bread, Subway is a good choice for me. Exactly my thought process yesterday: "I really should get to that salad bar… but if I take the time to do that, I won’t have time to eat it. I could try eating it in the… no, remember what happened last time? So I’ll get fast food for the car, but Mickey-D’s might kill me. Oh! What about that thread about Subway? **Salad I can eat while driving!** Yay! I just have to order sauce that matches my pants… ahhh, brown mustard it is! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/213 "2018-04-27T18:03:47Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > But we’re not talking about some sidewalk bistro, we’re talking about mass produced glop. There is no chef dreaming up new creations that he hopes the people will like. There’s you, a guy making minimum wage and some processed food. Do you want chips with that? These arguments are weird. Restaurants often put a ton of money dreaming up new items that people will buy. Subway’s development budget is likely fairly extensive, though I’ll confess that I didn’t pull up their financials or anything. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/214 "2018-04-27T18:04:48Z")
> [@Rejutka\_Lupex](#): > > Simple innocent ignorance, or maybe not living in an area where subway is everywhere? Subway IS everywhere, that’s the point. They have more locations than McDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/215 "2018-04-27T18:06:47Z")
> [@Rejutka\_Lupex](#): > > Simple innocent ignorance, or maybe not living in an area where subway is everywhere? > Added points if you live in an area where “sandwich” means “two slices of unburnt toast” and not a baguette-like roll. > (Bonus points if the idea of putting meat and toppings inside of a baguette was foreign until you either saw subway or a picture of it somewhere.) > > Aside from that, why is it the customers job to know how the company works? > No one dreamed up the sandwich? Then how do they get new pictures? Do they hire an artist and tell him to “just draw a tasty sandwich, we’ll roll some dice for names later”? > Someone had to put some thought into it. Yeah, a marketer dreamed up some nonsense to sell some glop and it has apparently worked out spectacularly, but no one in any Subway shop is that guy and I think you’ll get through life more easily if you adjust downward the amount of dedication and commitment you expect out of someone working the line at a Subway. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/216 "2018-04-27T18:09:32Z")
> [@Rejutka\_Lupex](#): > > Simple innocent ignorance, or maybe not living in an area where subway is everywhere? > Added points if you live in an area where “sandwich” means “two slices of unburnt toast” and not a baguette-like roll. > (Bonus points if the idea of putting meat and toppings inside of a baguette was foreign until you either saw subway or a picture of it somewhere.) Sure, if you 've never been to a subway, it would make sense that you don’t know how it works. The people that are complaining about it are people that have been to a Subway. > [@](#): > > Aside from that, why is it the customers job to know how the company works? It is up to the customer to go to a place that will serve them the way they want to be served. Is it the customer’s fault, or the corporation’s fault, that a customer can’t get a cheeseburger at Chik-Fil-A. (Something that I have seen customers get angry about.) > [@](#): > > No one dreamed up the sandwich? Then how do they get new pictures? Do they hire an artist and tell him to “just draw a tasty sandwich, we’ll roll some dice for names later”? > Someone had to put some thought into it. If you go to a grocery store and pick up a box of cereal, who are you going to expect to know what comes as “part of this complete breakfast”? The guy stocking the shelves or the cashier? I mean, it’s in the ad, it’s dreamed up by someone that there are blueberries and bananas, isn’t it false advertising that the cereal doesn’t automatically come with those items? They are even on the picture on the front of the box. ---
**Author:** ![Rejutka\_Lupex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rejutka\_Lupex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rejutka_Lupex)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/217 "2018-04-27T18:13:49Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Subway IS everywhere, that’s the point. They have more locations than McDonald’s. That’s nice. Hereabouts there’s definitely more McDonalds than Subway. For reference, we have about 33 Subways in the whole country (data from 2016, may have changed). To compare, there’s 195 McDonalds (no idea from when this data is). And about 40 Burger Kings. Until a few years back I haven’t ever seen a subway, I only knew they existed through movies. Until about half a year I don’t think I’ve ever eaten one of their subs. (It was nice, btw. No complaints about taste.) Through sheer chance, there is one relatively close to where I work, so I could hop over for lunch. It’s still a bit too far to waste time walking there, though. > [@madmonk28](#): > > Yeah, a marketer dreamed up some nonsense to sell some glop and it has apparently worked out spectacularly, but no one in any Subway shop is that guy and I think you’ll get through life more easily if you adjust downward the amount of dedication and commitment you expect out of someone working the line at a Subway. I’m not arguing against that. It doesn’t make the OPs line of reasoning wrong, though. And like I said, I don’t blame the guy working there. But I certainly won’t blame the OP either. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/218 "2018-04-27T18:15:32Z")
How many customers actually walk into a Subway shop, point at a picture on display, and demand a sandwich exactly like the one in the picture? 1 in 10,000? 1 in 100,000? 1 in 1,000,000? If someone can’t a Subway sandwich made the way they want it, that’s a problem that should be brought to the attention of the manager. People are always free to bring their complaint to the internet, but that’s not going to get your Subway sandwich made the way you want it. ---
**Author:** ![Rejutka\_Lupex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rejutka\_Lupex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rejutka_Lupex)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/219 "2018-04-27T18:22:47Z")
first off: damnit, why did the edit-timeout kill my entire edited reply? I have to retype it, so I’m going to be curt. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Is it the customer’s fault, or the corporation’s fault, that a customer can’t get a cheeseburger at Chik-Fil-A. (Something that I have seen customers get angry about.) I assume they don’t advertise with a cheeseburger, so the fault lies with the customer for expecting something they never indicated to have. > [@](#): > > I mean, it’s in the ad, it’s dreamed up by someone that there are blueberries and bananas, isn’t it false advertising that the cereal doesn’t automatically come with those items? They are even on the picture on the front of the box. If it’s on the box, it has to be on the inside - unless theres a disclaimer like “serving suggestion”. I’m quite sure there’s laws (at least for food) about that, though maybe not everywhere it seems unlikely that any country would allow that. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089/220 "2018-04-27T18:27:07Z")
The OP asks if he is doing something wrong. Not at first, but now that he knows what service Subway offers he’s doing something wrong by expecting something different. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-somehow-in-the-wrong-for-doing-this-at-subway/813089.md?page=12)